Memo from the Story Department

by Vogler, Christopher; McKenna, David

• ISBN13: 9781932907971
• ISBN10: 1932907971
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-07-01
• Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions

Summary

Memo From the Story Department offers a battery of story-generating engines and story-improving tools, and reliable methods tested on hundreds of Hollywood productions. It goes far beyond the standard advice given in most screenwriting manuals. Drawn from sources as varied as vaudeville, classical Greek comedies, and Russian fairy tales, the book outlines a series of practical templates for creating believable characters and emotionally satisfying plots.

Author Biography

Christopher Vogler is a top story analyst and consultant for major Hollywood studios and talent. His book The Writer's Journey has been translated into ten languages and is one of the top-selling screenwriting manuals in the world. David McKenna is a stage director, acting coach, voice-over artist and film professor at Columbia University and Barnard College. He is an expert on horror, Westerns, War movies, and the films of Clint Eastwood.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction (Vogler)	p. xi
My Time in the Story Department (McKenna)	p. iv
Who Are Those Guys? (Vogler)	p. xvii
You Gotta Have a Theme (Vogler)	p. 1
The ôWantö List (McKenna)	p. 7
What's the Big Deal? (Vogler)	p. 13
The Contract with The Audience (Vogler)	p. 17
Polar Opposites (McKenna)	p. 23
The Memo That Started It All: A Practical Guide to The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Vogler)	p. 29
The Hero's Inner Journey (Vogler)	p. 57
Reciprocal Action (McKenna)	p. 65
Out of Character: The Archetypes and Other Ways to Look at Character (Vogler)	p. 71
Character: The Algebraic Equation (And Other Unnatural Acts) (McKenna)	p. 87
Theophrastus, What a Character! (Vogler)	p. 93
The Tools: Synopsis and Logline (McKenna)	p. 113
Propping It Up: Vladimir Propp's Fairy Tale Approach (Vogler)	p. 121
Propp on Character (Vogler)	p. 149
Environmental Facts: Overview (McKenna)	p. 153
Environmental Facts 1: Date (McKenna)	p. 159
Environmental Facts 2: Location (McKenna)	p. 165
Environmental Facts 3: Social Environment (McKenna)	p. 173
Environmental Facts 4: Religious Environment (McKenna)	p. 181
Environmental Facts 5: Political Environment (McKenna)	p. 189
Environmental Facts 6: Economic Environment (McKenna)	p. 197
Environmental Facts: Conclusion (McKenna)	p. 205
What I Learned From Vaudeville (Vogler)	p. 213
Showmanship (Vogler)	p. 229
Five-Year Plan for Aspiring Professional Screenwriters (McKenna)	p. 233
What Studios Are Looking For in a Script (Vogler)	p. 243
Fare Thee Well: My Parting Shot (Vogler)	p. 251
About the Authors	p. 255
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