The Art of Script Editing: A Practical Guide

by Karol Griffiths

Detailing the nuts and bolts of the job of script editing, this book looks at what's required and expected, how script editors assess a script, their approach to working with writers and producers, and their input during rewrites and pre-production, up to a project's completion. It also examines the ways in which writers and producers can benefit from working with a professional script editor as they seek to refine and communicate their vision. This is a valuable resource for anyone developing a script, for writers and producers interested in expanding their understanding of how a script is advanced, and for those pursuing a career in script development.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2016

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on script editing I have found so far.
The Art of Script Editing is written by Karol Griffiths, in this book she puts her 20 + years of experience working for Warner Brothers, Universal, Disney, Paramount, Amblin Entertainment and even the Cohen Brothers and we thank her for it.
The structure of this book is very clear and logical. It starts with the Basics (storytelling, screenplay structure and genre), it moves on to the script report and the rewrite method and finishes by lifting the curtain on the work process once your script is being produced.
A must-read for any Script Reader or aspiring Script Editor.

[T.N. Traynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is 205 pages packed with teaching, on a very practical level, for everyone involved with script editing. As a tool for learning this specialized craft The Art of Script Editing is invaluable. Easy to read and jammed packed with solid advice, I highly recommend this book.

[Sudakshina Bhattacharjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A transparent, structured guide on the ins and outs of the script editing process for films and television in Hollywood and the West.
I’m mighty glad I came across this book as it’s helped me set my own stance and approach towards writing and editing manuscripts in the future.

[evangeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, well explained, easy to read and really interesting. I learnt so much. My only criticism is that at times it became quite repetitive. I feel like this book could have been a lot shorter and more succinct.

[Salli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very reasonable survey of film script development and editing - I had hoped for something on theatre - lots of useful lists. Personally I found the TV element most illuminating of all.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently saw Karol Griffiths talk at a script reading course and during her guest spot, she talked about not having been able to write her book, The Art of Script Editing, without delving into some structure. What resulted was, in my opinion, one of the most succinct but insightful overviews of the different approaches to structure that I’ve ever read. Karol talks about how to write a script report using the knowledge of structure, genre and themes that she covers in the first few chapters, and recommends Lucy Scher’s book on Reading Screenplays (and rightly so – I too enjoyed Lucy’s book immensely and think that it, combined with Karol’s, makes the perfect duo).

As the book progressed, I found myself becoming more and more interested. Karol delves into topics such as how to conduct meetings, what questions to ask to analyse a script and get the most out of a writer and even a detailed breakdown of a script editor’s role and duties when working in TV. I was hugely impressed with the thoroughness of the advice – Karol gives us literally pages of questions that you would probably never think to ask of a script, making this book a vital resource for not only aspiring script readers and editors but also writers who are assessing their own work or in the throes of a rewrite. There's even a comprehensive glossary of terms at the end of the book – everything from script terms to film terms and even terms that refer to the script revisions made by production teams.

Highly recommended!