Writing the Second ACT: Building Conflict and Tension in Your Film Script

by Michael Halperin and Michael Halperin

Book Overview

The second act is the heart of a film's story, where the action happens and the characters evolve. It is also where most screenplays lose momentum and focus. Michael Halperin offers advice on writing... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0941188299
• ISBN13: 9780941188296
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Lock down your fiction-screenplay

I bought this to write a screenplay for my book, but it helped get my creative juices flowing for my novels. Where my middle was floppy, it's now tight and tense, where my characters were lethargic, they are as animated as one might be after a lengthy stint at Starbucks. In short: it's a MUST!

5 stars for Writing the Second Act

Michael Halperin has written an important and relevant book in Writing the Second Act. He stresses the importance of building strong stories and characters in your scripts, and specifically shows how to build dramatic conflicts and tensions in your own scripts. There are numerous samples in every genre, using classic and current screenplays. Dr. Halperin not only covers the second act of your screenplay, he also incorporates the critical elements of creating a story's beginning, middle and end, creating character heroes and villains, and how to complete your screenplay in the third act. This is a very valuable resource.

Indispensable for the novice writer of plays or film scripts

Writing The Second Act: Building Conflict And Tension In Your Film Script focuses on the need for something truly effective between an attention-grabbing beginning and a satisfying ending. The middle section of any story represents the most critical and difficult section of a scripted story. That's where Michael Halperin's expertise, experience, and advice will prove indispensable for the novice writer of plays or film scripts. His particular focus on how structure and plot push the action forward and support the evolution of the characters, all while keeping the audience engaged and involved with the presented story. Writing The Second Act is a highly recommended, invaluable addition to professional reference screen writing "how to" reference collections.

Pulling It Together

WRITING THE SECOND ACT by Michael Halperin is one of the most important books available for a screenwriter. Whether you are a beginner, plotting out the structure of your first script or an experienced writer, tackling a difficult re-write, Mr. Halperin's book helps pull it all together. An analogy of his book is that of a speeding train with fiery boilers. The engine speeds forward pulling the rest of the cars with it. The last car or caboose receives the benefit of all the energy the engine and other cars can muster. The train links are secure and tight thus, pulling the caboose to the train station. Michael Halperin with great insight, lays out how to keep the train together in the ensuing energetic trip to its conclusion and on time.Without utilization of the usual formulaic measures, Mr. Halperin shows a writer how to specifically write scenes of the second act. In WRITING THE SECOND ACT, he skillfully points out the elements controlling a successful act two in any script. The simplicity with which he has identified, classified and illustrated these points, makes fascinating reading.To prevent what is nefariously called "writers block" or for a technically involved writer to say "What do I do now?", Halperin relieves the writer of tension and lack of focus. Logic and character delineation become key points. Consequently, the needed tie-in between Act I and Act III become an intriguing leitmotif, pulling the story forward while retaining or building the passion and mystery required.As Halperin states, "The second act should reveal the emotional, passionate, funny or diabolical edge inherent to the story." Well-known writers, students or practitioners of the craft of writing should read thes book over and over until the points mentioned become the screenwriters bible firmly imbedded in their brain synapse. Bravo Michael! Write on!

An Amazing Second Act

Michael Halperin's second work on screenwriting is a welcome event. No screenplay writer, director, film executive or college instructor should miss the opportunity to study this remarkable book on the most crucial element of film structure. His insights and deep knowledge of the subject illuminates this most dreaded part of screenwriting: the second act. I can't think of another book published in the past decade that deals so succinctly and wisely with this difficult and delicate subject, that explains the pitfalls and the dangers filmmakers encounter in the process of writing and directing. Bravo, Michael Halperin!