Click the links that pertain to your questions:
Formatting
The library's resources on formatting of film and television scripts include books, periodical articles, and online resources.
Although script formats follow complex guidelines and conventions, there is no single or official WGA format template.
The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier (Silman James Press, c1988) 3rd rev. and exp.ed.
Professional Writer's Teleplay/Screenplay Format Guide (WGA east, c2000) millennium ed.
Tools of the Screenwriter Trade by Esther Luttrell (Broadcasting Club of America, c1998) rev. ed.
The Academy of Motion Pictures website has a free downloadable feature film format guide www.oscars.org/nicholl/format.html
BBC "writersroom" page, includes US and UK script formats. www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/formats.shtml
How To Format Your Screenplay Like A Pro by Robert Gregory-Browne (c.1996-2000) Available for purchase online at www.successfulscreenplays.com/ebooks.html
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Treatments
The library does not collect treatments in the same way that it collects scripts and books. Our resources on treatments include books on the subject, periodical articles, and a somewhat unsystematic cumulation of advice, overviews, and actual examples we come upon in our collections.
Some good treatment resources:
Writing Treatments That Sell by Kenneth Atchity and Chi-Li Wong (Henry Holt, c.2003) second edition
Writing The Killer Treatment: Selling Your Story Without A Script by Michael Halperin (Michael Wiese, c.2002)
Treatment Pack by David S. Freeman This workbook includes advice and tips on treatment writing. It is available at The Writers Store www.writersstore.com
The following website has information about many screenwriting subjects. "Select Archives" and then "Outlines and Treatments". www.wordplayer.com
Pitching
Ten Minutes To The Pitch by Chris Abbott (Tallfellow Press, c.2005)
The Perfect Pitch: How To Sell Yourself and Your Movie Idea To Hollywood by Ken Rotcop (Michael Wiese Productions, c2001)
How To Pitch and Sell Your TV Script by David Silver (Writers Digest Books, c1991)
Freelance Writing For Hollywood: How To Pitch, Write, and Sell Your Work by Scott Essman (Michael Wiese Productions, c2000)
Written By - Magazine July 1998 "Pitching In The Big Leagues"
Right Across the Plate; Pitching In The Big Leagues Words Into Pictures 1997 (audiotape #14) Words Into Pictures seminars on tape are available for purchase at www.wordsintopictures.org
Taped pitching seminars include:
Pitching Workshop with David Dworski (WGA 4/8/89)
Pitching Seminar with Barbara Corday (WGA 10/7/83)
Obtaining Copies of Scripts
The library's collection is non-circulating and not for reproduction. A script's copyright is typically owned by the production company or studio. Published screenplays are available through the following companies:
www.samuelfrench.com www.amazon.com www.bn.com www.newmarketpress.com
Script Libraries
None of these institutions permit loans or photocopying of their script collections. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library maintains an index of screenplays held in the collections of 6 libraries in the metropolitan Los Angeles area.
Motion Picture Scripts: A Union List is found online at http://scriptlist.oscars.org/ and is updated monthly. The Writers Guild Foundation Library collection is included in this union list, and the other institutions are:
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Margaret Herrick Library 333 S. La Cienega Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Main number 310.247.3000 Reference number 310.247.3020 www.mhlcardcat.org
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Arts Library Special Collection Young Research Library 405 Hilgard Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024 By appointment only 310.825.7253 www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/arts/speccoll/speccoll.htm
University of Southern California (USC) Cinema-Television Library Doheny Library University Park Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182 213.740.3994 www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/locations/cinema_tv/
American Film Institute (AFI) Louis B. Mayer Library 2021 N. Western Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027 323.856.7654 www.afi.com/about/library.aspx
Frances Howard Goldwyn Hollywood Regional Library (HRL) Los Angeles Public Library 1623 N. Ivar Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90028 323.856.8260 www.lapl.org/branches/11.html
Other archiving institutions
American Heritage Center 2111 Willett Drive Centennial Complex University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071-3924 ahc.uwyo.edu
The Lilly Library Indiana University 1200 E. Seventh St. Bloomington, IN 47405-5500 www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/
New York Public Library Billy Rose Theatre Collection 40 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023-7498 www.nypl.org/research/lpa/the/the.html
S. I. Newhouse Schoool of Public Communications Center for the Study of Popular Televsion Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13244 http://newhouse.syr.edu/research/POPTV/archive.htm
Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library L. Tom Perry Special Collections 2060 HBLL Provo, UT 84602 http://www.lib.byu.edu
Harry Ransom Center The University of Texas at Austin 21st and Guadalupe Streets Austin, Texas 78712 http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/collections/guide/film/
Writer Oriented Magazines
The Library has a comprehensive periodical collection focused on screenwriting. These publications have their own websites with links to a wealth of well-organized information about writing contests, events and festivals, discussion boards, online classes, script formatting, query letters, free advice and fee-based script analysis:
Canadian Screenwriting www.wgc.ca/magazine/index.html
Creative Screenwriting www.creativescreenwriting.com
Fade In www.fadeinmag.com
Hollywood Scriptwriter www.hollywoodscriptwriter.com
Screenwriter www.screenwritermag.com
Script www.scriptmag.com
Scriptwriters Network Newsletter www.scriptwritersnetwork.org
Writeup www.writeup.org.nz
Copyright
The library collection includes books on basic legal issues of copyright for writers in the entertainment industry.
Clearance and Copyright: Everything the Independent Filmmaker Needs To Know by Michael C. Donaldson (Silman James, c2003) second edition
The Writer Got Screwed But Didn't Have To: A Guide to the Legal and Business Practices of Writing For The Entertainment Industry by Brooke A. Wharton (Harper Collins, c1996)
Dealmaking in the Film and Television Industry From Negotiations Through Final Contracts by Mark Litwak (Silman James, c2003) second edition
Contracts for the Film and Television Industry by Mark Litwak (Silman James) second edition
NOLO Law for All www.nolo.com/lawcenter/faqs
Library of Congress www.copyright.gov
Todd Rubenstein's article in Filmmaker Magazine The legalities of securing rights to literary material: www.filmmakermagazine.com/spring2002/features/between_lines.html
Screenwriting Contests
MovieBytes - the definitive list of contests www.moviebytes.com
Walt Disney Studios/ABC Writers Fellowship www.abctalentdevelopment.com/
Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting www.oscars.org/nicholl/index.html
Warner Bros. Writers Workshop www.warnerbros.com/writersworkshop
Agents
Hollywood Creative Directory: Hollywood Representation Directory Formerly Agents and Managers Directory (HCD, issued 3 times annually)
Writers Guide To Hollywood Agents Fade In Books, annual edition
The Script is Finished, Now What Do I Do? The Scriptwriters' Resource Book and Agent Guide by K Callan (c2002) third edition
Literary Agents: What They Do, How Do They Do It, and How To Find T he Right One and Work With The Right One For You by Michael Larsen (John Wiley and Sons, c1996)
The Screenwriters Guide To Agents and Managers by John Scott Lewinski (Allworth Press, c2001)
Literary Agents; The Essential Guide For Writers by Debby Mayer (Penguin, c1998)
Writing Classes & Writing Groups
Screenwriting classes are available online, at colleges, universities and commercially-run workshops. You can earn an academic degree in screenwriting through these resources or attend a "boot-camp style" weekend workshop. The Writers Guild Foundation and Library cannot endorse, recommend, or evaluate these classes. Writer-oriented magazines are also a good resource for classes and groups. (See FAQ: Writer Oriented Magazines.) The links below can help you get started:
Degree Programs AFI (Degree and Certificate programs) www.afi.com/education/conservatory/screenwriting.aspx
Loyola Marymount University www.lmu.edu
UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (Degree and Certificate programs) www.tft.ucla.edu
USC School of Cinema-Television www-cntv.usc.edu
University of Texas at Austin www.utexas.edu
North Carolina School of the Arts - School of Filmmaking http://www.ncarts.edu/filmmaking/prog_screenwrit.htm
Certificate Programs UCLA Extension www.uclaextension.edu
Online Classes UCLA Extension www.uclaextension.edu
Seminars Robert McKee's Story Seminar www.mckeestory.com
John Truby's Writers Studio www.truby.com
Writing Classes Improv Olympic in Los Angeles www.iowest.com/classes.htm
Writing Groups AltScreenPlay's list of writers' groups in L.A. www.geocities.com/altscreenwriting/
The Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Writing Program (aka Bill Cosby Writing Program) at USC is a 15-week television workshop for "intermediate to advanced level" writers. For details see the program's web pages: www-cntv.usc.edu/cosby/
Other online resources to assist you in finding everything from writing classes to writing retreats:
MovieBytes www.moviebytes.com
Wordplay www.wordplayer.com
Scriptwriters Network www.scriptwritersnetwork.com
The following film school guidebooks may also be helpful:
Film School Confidential: The Insider's Guide to Film Schools by Karin Kelly and Tom Edgar (Perigee, c1997)
The Complete Guide to American Film Schools by Ernest Pintoff (Penguin, c1994)
Other Useful Resources
The Writers Guild of America West site contains a vast amount of information useful to professional and aspiring writers, students, and anyone interested in the art, craft, business, and history of film and television writing.
www.wga.org
To find a Guild member's agent: From the WGA website homepage, click on If You're An Employer, and select Find A Writer from the drop-down menu.
Other Areas of Special Interest WGA's email-based mentor program and mentor FAQ Writing and formatting software reviews Guild-signatory agents list Sample contracts Schedule of minimums
The Writers Guild of America East maintains its own website: www.wgaeast.org
Story Analysts Guild is the union representing script readers:
Local #700 of IATSE 7715 Sunset Blvd. #200 Los Angeles, CA 90046 323.876.4770 www.editorsguild.com
Additionally, there is a helpful book included in our collection:
Reading For A Living; How To Be A Professional Story Analyst For Film and Television by T. L. Katahn (Los Angeles: Blue Arrow Books, c1990)
The UK group WriteWords homepage has advice and information on submitting scripts to the BBC for consideration, and making short films: www.writewords.org.uk/articles/film1.asp
Radio interviews with screen and television writers: Terry Gross' NPR radio program Fresh Air has archived dozens of interviews with writers on the show's website. Follow the links Archived Shows, then Find a Show by Topic (enter search terms "screenwriter" or "TV writer.")
Vanderbilt University's alumni group has a Hollywood guide that includes a very informative Beginner's Guide To Writing For Television
