SHORT FILM SCREENWRITING
(Bloomsbury, November 2024)
Written by a Sundance alum and short filmmaker, this book combines the practical advice of a craft guide with a curated, diverse anthology, including revealing interviews with the writers and directors.
Short Film Screenwriting demystifies the process of writing effective, emotionally involving short films and, for the first time, publishes the screenplays of some award-winning shorts, providing unfiltered access to the voice, vision, and approach of the filmmakers. A ground-breaking new addition to both film and creative writing instruction, this book treats short film screenwriting as a literary mode worthy of close examination and exploration to inspire screenwriters.
The book is built around accessible craft concepts and story forms: narrative design, visualizing character, uncommon relationship, the 10-minute journey, perception shift, formal experiments and hybrid forms, and revision. Contemporary, award-winning film scripts from the Oscars, Sundance, SXSW, and beyond accompany chapters as case studies, along with interviews with the writers/filmmakers about the drafting and revision process, production, and release. Each of the films is accessible for screening online, with additional screenplays included in an online resource.
BUY IT on Amazon or from Bloomsbury.
“Because Bunn is so damn insightful, and so damn generous with his wisdom, his engaged and engaging book ends up speaking to lovers and crafts of films at all lengths. In short: this is one of the best books on screenwriting, period.”
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
LIST OF SCRIPTS (ONLINE ONLY)
“The Clean Up” by Jesse Allen (Chapter 2)
“Mr. Happy” by (Chapter 5)
“In The Hollow” by Austin Bunn (Chapter 9)
“Hearts & Darts” by Luke Matheny (Chapter 10)
“Love Me Tinder” — original, by Olivia Tice (Chapter 10)
“Love Me Tinder” — revision, by Olivia Tice (Chapter 10)
INTERVIEWS
Stephen Schuyler (“Like You Think You Know Me”, Chapter 2)
Spencer Gillis (“Gun”, Chapter 4)
Anna Margaret Hollyman (“Maude”, Chapter 4)
Nicole Cosgrove (“Glinda Gastwald”, Chapter 5)
Minji Kang (“The Loyalist”, Chapter 6)
Ro Haber (“Jellyfish”, Chapter 6)
Annick Blanc (“The Colour of Your Lips”, Chapter 7)
Ingrid Jungermann (“F to 7th”, Chapter 8)
Duane Andersen (“30 Meetings/30 Days”, Chapter 9)
Fyzal Boulifa (“Rate Me”, Chapter 9)
Jack Dunphy (“Revelations”, Chapter 9)
Peter Huang (“5 Films About Technology”, Chapter 9)
BONUS CONTENT
Derek Horne (USC), Film Festival Programmer — about what he looks for in short films
BOOK EVENTS:
THURSDAY OCT 24 — P&T KNITWEAR, NYC Screening and Conversation with Marshall Curry (Oscar-winning director of “The Neighbors’ Window”) and Jason Sondhi (co-creator of Short of the Week)
THURSDAY NOV 7 — LIQUID STATE BREWING, Ithaca (NY) Screenings and Conversation with Guinevere Turner (The L Word, American Psycho, Go Fish)
TUES/WED NOV 12-13 — UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, VA)
TUES, DEC 3 - 7-8:30PM WEALTHY THEATRE (Grand Rapids, MI) Short Film Screening and Conversation, co-sponsored by Grand Rapids Film Society
FRIDAY, JAN 24 - CHICAGO FILMMAKERS (Chicago IL) — “Queer Hybridity” event with Frédéric Moffit (SAIC) and Dan Rybicky (Columbia College)
MARCH 26-29 - AWP BOOK CONFERENCE (LA, CA) — “Fast, Cheap, Good: Short Filmmaking” panel with Luke Matheny, Ben Frahm and Taylor Lasley