Review of The Elements of Screenwriting by Irwin R. Blacker (1986)

10/14/2019

Patrick Charsky

The Elements of Screenwriting by Irwin R. Blacker is an introductory text about the many aspects of Screenwriting. In a concise form the author details important subjects about screenwriting. The book is divided into two parts. The first part concerns the composition of scripts. The second part concerns more of the business parts of the screenplay and film industry.

The book was originally published in 1986 and is just over 100 pages in length.

The first part of the book talks about character, dialogue, conflict, exposition, structure, the nuts and bolts of what should be included in a successful screenplay. The book provides definitions of each term and illustrates each definition with examples from classic films and plays. The second part talks about the business parts of the screenwriting industry. Blacker writes that screenwriters are part of a team that makes films. He talks about the look of a film. He says that screenwriters should have agents to negotiate contracts.

The positive aspects of the book are many pieces of advice told in a short and concise manner. The book is dated is some respects, but much of it’s advice still holds true even after several decades since publication. For a novice or even a working professional The Elements of screenwriting is a good place to start or review all there is to know about screenwriting. It could be used as a reference tool as well.

The book is a bit dated. Some of its film references are becoming more obscure as the years pass. Some of his advice has also become dated. His talks about formatting are from the days when screenwriting software wasn't around to do it automatically. The brevity of the book is a negative too. If you want a more in depth study, something with more substance, then a longer book would probably be better.

Still the book does hit home with many of its explanations of character, exposition, conflict, and the business of screenwriting. I would recommend it to a beginner without reservation. And it would be useful to a veteran screenwriter who from time to time needs a refresher or a quick reference guide.