Film Storytelling

Brought to you by Penguin. A masterclass in telling stories - and how they shape our world - from the internationally renowned narrative expert To command narrative is to control a sometimes frightening power. What is it that turbocharges some tales, and how is it possible to harness that...

Step back into the eerie, flickering world of Horror Movies of the 1920s and Earlier, a passionate tour through the earliest years of screen horror, when nightmares first began to move. This book explores the ghostly trick films, silent-era terrors, expressionist shadows, haunted imagery, eerie folklore, strange monsters, and dreamlike nightmare worlds that laid the foundation for everything horror would become. Inside, you’ll find lively commentary, engaging synopses, and sharp reflections on both famous early landmarks and lesser-known curiosities, all written with the enthusiasm of ...

“Pure storytelling magic.” —Diane C. McPhail, USA TODAY bestselling author Mad Men meets The Gilded Age in this witty and enchanting novel about a young woman in 1950s Manhattan who resists the conventional future planned for her, spurred on by a group of ghostly relatives who are the...

AI-Powered Screenwriting: Revolutionizing Storytelling with Artificial Intelligence Unlocking Creative Potential, Enhancing Script Quality, and Transforming the Industry By Ammanuel Santa Anna Step into the future of filmmaking with AI-Powered Screenwriting: Revolutionizing Storytelling with Artificial Intelligence. This pioneering guide by Ammanuel Santa Anna, a visionary with over 25 years of leadership experience in politics, NGOs, and international business, offers an in-depth exploration of how AI is reshaping the screenwriting landscape. Key Features and Benefits: Unlock Your Creative...

For nearly two decades, Invisible Ink has been the go-to guide for storytellers worldwide. Used by industry giants like Pixar Animation Studios, Cirque du Soleil, Microsoft, Sony Interactive, Disney Feature Animation, and many more, this book has cemented Brian McDonald's reputation as a globally respected expert in storytelling. This updated 2nd Edition brings even more invaluable insights from the award-winning filmmaker and writer. For the first time, McDonald shares new concepts from his acclaimed classes, including a deep dive into "writing from the inside out," the core principle of ...

HowExpert Guide to Screenwriting is a structured, practical guide for anyone serious about writing screenplays that translate into compelling visual stories and real opportunities in film and television. Instead of relying on vague advice or scattered techniques, this book delivers a clear, step-by-step SCREENWRITING framework that shows you what to write and why it works. Whether you are starting your first script or refining your craft, you learn to think like a screenwriter, build engaging stories from beginning to end, and create scripts ready for industry expectations. Through a ...

Mastering Photography in a Classic Way by Siu Lun Yuen is a calm, craft-first guide for photographers who want to slow down, see with intention, and create images that last. Blending time-honoured technique with mindful practice, this book teaches you how to work with light, space, and story—without getting lost in gear overload. If you love the look and discipline of classic photography but still shoot digital, this book is your bridge between eras. Across clear explanations, practical exercises, and elegant line-art diagrams, you’ll learn how to translate photographic fundamentals—...

Discover the Invisible Architecture Behind Your Favorite Animated Films Why does a Disney movie make you feel like you can conquer the world, while a Studio Ghibli film makes you want to sit quietly in a forest? Pull back the curtain on the four creative superpowers that have defined modern storytelling: Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, and Studio Ghibli. This is not just a history book. It is a deep dive into the divergent philosophies of East and West. Explore how Disney’s "Hero’s Journey" champions the triumph of the individual, while Ghibli’s "Kishōtenketsu" structure honors the quiet ...

🎬 Chasing Charlie When a broke college student decides to steal a $300 economics textbook, he triggers a campus chase that spirals into a hilarious, Chaplinesque battle between morality, debt, and the absurdity of modern education. Charlie Keaton is a well-meaning freshman with a lazy streak and an empty wallet. When his economics professor threatens to fail him for not buying the textbook, Charlie faces a modern moral crisis: go deeper into debt—or steal the book that might save him. What begins as a petty theft explodes into an all-out chase across campus, complete with security ...

The Hero’s Path: Understanding the Enduring Ideas of Joseph Campbell takes readers on a compelling journey into the world of one of the twentieth century’s most influential thinkers. Joseph Campbell dedicated his life to uncovering the patterns behind myths, stories, and symbols that unite humanity. This book explores his most important ideas in depth, including the Hero’s Journey, archetypes, the monomyth across cultures, and the role of myth in religion, storytelling, and personal transformation. From ancient epics like The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh to modern classics like ...

Robert Altman and the Elaboration of Hollywood Storytelling reveals an Altman barely glimpsed in previous critical accounts of the filmmaker. This re-examination of his seminal work during the "Hollywood Renaissance" or "New Hollywood" period of the early 1970s (including M*A*S*H and Nashville) sheds new light on both the films and the filmmaker, reframing Altman as a complex, pragmatic innovator whose work exceeds, but is also grounded in, the norms of classical Hollywood storytelling rather than someone who rejected those norms in favor of modernist art cinema.

Unlock the power of transforming your book into a captivating film or television production with "From Page to Screen: Mastering the Art of Book Adaptation for Film and Television." Are you an author with ambitions beyond the written word? Do you dream of seeing your characters come alive on the big screen or captivating audiences through television? Look no further. This comprehensive guide, written by acclaimed author and adaptation expert Dean Garman, provides you with a roadmap to successfully adapt your book for the visual medium. Within these pages, you'll look into the world of book ...

If you found The Amazing Book is Not on Fire at least mildly interesting, or even if you didn't read it at all, then you will LOVE our audiobook! Not only do you get us sensually narrating the whole thing in your ears, but there are over three hours of exclusive behind-the-scenes commentary on...

A hilarious guide to life from a man who has "lived large and fallen hard--lost every job I ever had, messed up everybody I've ever dated, been kicked out of every institution I've ever been in"--and still survived; offering observations on courage ("Lots of guys brag they'd fight off anything...

This edition of Story by Numbers is no longer available.

Ah, another screenwriting guide? Just what the world needed. And there's nothing new in it too — unless you're paying attention ... FROM CAMPFIRE TO NETFLIX: STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE SURVIVED THE AGES Skeptical? Good. You should be. But hear us out. This isn't your typical "Hero's Journey" rehash or a collection of Hollywood plot zombies. Instead, we're diving into the ancient art of storytelling—you know, the stuff that's kept humans enthralled since we first gathered around fires to share tales of wooly mammoths and angry gods. WHAT'S INSIDE? Glad you asked: Six emotion pairs...

Brought to you by Penguin. The ultimate guide to writing a great screenplay and building a screenwriting career—from the creators of the "highly influential" (Vulture) hit podcast Scriptnotes. With decades of Hollywood experience, John August and Craig Mazin know what it takes to write a...

In a footballing career spanning 21 years, Tony Gale played over 720 games on almost every league pitch across the four divisions. He is one of only 16 players in the UK to have played over 300 games for two teams and one of a handful to be part of a Premier League winning side. As a pundit...

Inspired by Pixar Animation Studios' heartwarming film, Coco, this middle grade story retells the story of Miguel's daring adventure, and features exciting new scenes about his family. Coco is the celebration of a lifetime, where the discovery of a generations-old mystery leads to a most...

Every producer aspires to design an entertainment brand that can grow into a pop icon, a brand whose storyworld or hero has enough creative potential to power spin-offs and reboots, theme park rides and acres of merchandise. So how can independents achieve this degree of success if they don't have a hundred million dollars to spend on a marketing campaign or the time to gamble on a viral video or game? In "Transmedia 2.0: How to Create an Entertainment Brand Using a Transmedial Approach To Storytelling", Nuno Bernardo will show readers how to use the transmedia approach to build an ...