On the Page

on the page
by Bruce McKenna

The Crafty Art of Playmaking
By Alan Ayckbourn. Faber and Faber. 173 pages. $22.00, softcover

This is a highly enjoyable and insightful book from Alan Ayckbourn, the world's most produced living playwright. A little more than half of the book is devoted to the writing process, while the rest covers directing.

Ayckbourn, who usually writes one play a year and spends the rest of his time directing, deals with theatre–but much of what he says applies to the other dramatic media.

A good example is his analysis of how to write dialogue for speed. Ayckbourn points out that if the trigger words are at the ends of the lines, the responding actor needs time to react, to breathe. But if the triggers are planted earlier, the actor is able to jump right in at the end of the line. In 50 or so books on writing I've read, this is the first time I encountered this advice. Yet it seems so basic.

Ayckbourn's style is quick and personable, often irreverent, and frequently hilarious. The book is always instructive, and a complete joy to read and re-read.

Documentary Storytelling For Film and Videomakers
By Sheila Curran Bernard. Focal Press. 297 pages. $37.95, softcover

With all the buzz over blockbuster docs, Focal Press serves up a perfectly timed winner in a much-neglected area. True to the nature of the beast, the book is more about filmmaking as a whole, and how and where storytelling weaves into the overall process.

It succeeds in covering every aspect without belabouring any. Not only does Bernard write from the viewpoint of an award-winning filmmaker (she's a writer, director and producer), but the last 100 pages include extensive interviews with a wide range of acclaimed documentarians.

Writing Your Screenplay
By Lisa Dethridge. Allen & Unwin. 255 pages. $25.95, softcover

Writing Your Screenplay is a well-structured, balanced and fairly complete look at the craft, but there are a half dozen books out there now that do a better job. Much like a script going on the market, something has to be exceptional to stand out. This isn't, and it doesn't. There just isn't enough in here that's new for me to recommend it.

Developing Digital Short Films
By Sherri Sheridan. New Riders. 408 pages. $50, softcover

Delving deep into the worlds of fantasy, animation, and special effects on a tight budget, this large-format volume is brimming with hard information and inspirational insights.

Although it falls outside my personal interests, while reading through it I was continually tweaked on how to write stronger conventional screenplays, as it stresses both vision and sound in the context of storytelling.

The included CD ROM contains clips, tutorials, and even a fully functioning demo version of Move Magic Screenwriter.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the genre.