Storytelling for Film and Television
From First Word to Last Frame, 1st Edition
By Ken Dancyger

Publisher: Routledge
188 pages

Storytelling for Film and Television is a theory and practice book which offers a definitive introduction to the art of storytelling through writing, directing, and editing. Author Ken Dancyger provides a comprehensive explanation of the tools that underpin successful narrative filmmaking and television production.

The book takes a unique approach by connecting the different phases of the creative process of film and television production. It shows how writing, directing, and editing all contribute to the process of storytelling and function together to advance the narrative goals of a screenplay, to tell the best story. A case study approach provides numerous examples of effectiveness and brings together the core areas of aesthetics and production to make these concepts more accessible. Case studies include classic and modern films, foreign films, limited and series television, with examples including Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Revenant, and Son of Saul.

This is the ideal text for film and television production students at all levels. It is written in a style which makes it accessible to anybody interested in learning more about the storytelling process and is written for a global audience addressing a global industry.

Reviews

"Fink, Foust, and Gross’ Video Production continues to set the standard for production textbooks. The writing style makes complex, technical information easy to understand and apply, and the revisions in the text keep it current with the field. With its balanced coverage of studio, field, and remote production tools and techniques, it provides a solid foundation for production education."

—Augie Grant, J. Rion McKissick Professor of Journalism, University of South Carolina

About the Authors

James C. Foust is a professor and the department chair of the Department of Journalism and Public Relations at Bowling Green State University. He has worked in commercial video production, including experience as a television news videographer and editor. He is also the author of Big Voices of the Air: The Battle over Clear Channel Radio (2000) and Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web, Third Edition (2011). He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees from Ohio University.

Edward J. Fink is a professor of Cinema and Television Arts and the interim dean of the College of Communications at California State University, Fullerton. He teaches both multiple- and single-camera production, in addition to other media and writing courses. He is the co-author of another production text (Portable Video: News and Field Production [2012]) and the author of Dramatic Story Structure (2014). He holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communications from Indiana University.

Lynne S. Gross has taught television production full-time at a number of U.S. colleges, including California State University, Fullerton; Pepperdine University; UCLA; Loyola Marymount University; and Long Beach City College. She has also taught production internationally in Estonia, Australia, Guyana, Swaziland, and Malaysia. Her professional experience includes serving as director of programming for Valley Cable TV and producing series for commercial, public, and cable television. Gross is past president of the Broadcast Education Association and has served as governor for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Her honors include the BEA Distinguished Education Service Award and the IRTS Frank Stanton Fellow Award. She is the author of ten other books and numerous journal articles. Her doctorate is from UCLA.