Bulletproof: Writing Scripts That Don’t Get Shot Down

The team of Diamond and Weissman have been writing movies and mentoring filmmakers for decades. In this practical guide, they take the aspiring writer by the hand and guide them through the logistics and tools of writing an attention-grabbing, audience-pleasing screenplay. Readers will learn the interests and needs of managers, agents, producers, executives, financiers, directors, and actors. Diamond and Weissman attribute their phenomenal success to a career-long focus on the motives and priorities of film sponsors and benefactors.Whether it's a theatrical release or a streaming movie, a major, big-budget tent pole or an intimate, character-driven indie drama, Diamond and Weissman apply their time-tested approach. This fresh way of thinking will resonate with writers, industry professionals, and cinephiles excited to peek under the hood at what makes their favorite films tick.Bulletproof is the rare screenwriting instructional penned by authors with both massive credits and decades of business experience. It is poised to take its place as one of the must-reads of the genre.

TABLE OF CONTENTSPreface: How We Came to Write This BookIntroduction: What Is the "Bulletproof Approach," and Why Is It So Important?Chapter One: The Bulletproof Movie IdeaThe Difference Between an Idea for a Movie and an Idea for a Screenplay * Anatomy of a Movie Idea: The Three C's * Vetting Your Idea * The Logline * Finding Your Idea's Place in the Landscape: Studio vs. Indie IdeasChapter Two: Finding Bulletproof ModelsTaking Your Place at the Table * Watching With a Discerning Eye * Finding Inspiration in Those Who've Come BeforeChapter Three: The Bulletproof "One-Pager"A Basic Grasp of Story Structure * What Your Movie's About vs. What Your Movie's Really About * How Your Story Will Play Out * The Story of Your Movie on One PageChapter Four: Building Bulletproof CharactersThe Tested Lead * The Likable Lead * The Castable Lead * The ChartChapter Five: Building the Bulletproof OutlineThe Meld * Connective Tissue * Subplots: B Stories, C Stories, and "Runners" * The Outline * Outline, Treatment, or Pitch DocumentChapter Six: The Bulletproof Set PieceWhat's a Set Piece? * Building Your Set PiecesChapter Seven: Writing the Bulletproof ScreenplayThe Opening * The Nuts and Bolts * Sluglines * Character Description * Action * Dialogue * Transitions and Segues * It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint * One Last Thing . . .Chapter Eight: The Bulletproof RewriteDelivering on Your Promise . . . and Your Premise * Delivering on Your Characters * The Cut Pass: Pacing and Page CountChapter Nine: The Bulletproof SubmissionPenetrating the Barriers to Entry * They Like It, Now What . . . ? * Be Strong and of Good CourageAcknowledgmentsGlossary of TermsAppendix: Chapter Summaries and Suggested Exercises