What do you think?
Rate this book
Screenwriting Unchained: Reclaim Your Creative Freedom and Master Story Structure
In Screenwriting Unchained , Emmanuel Oberg sets out a dogma-busting, innovative method for developing screenplays
This practical, no-nonsense guide leaves behind one-size-fits-all story theories and offers a refreshingly modern approach to story structure, making it a precious resource for anyone involved creatively in the Film and TV industry (or aspiring to be): writers, directors, producers, development execs, showrunners and, more generally, storytellers eager to reach a wide audience at home and abroad without compromising their creative integrity.
Oberg identifies three main story-types―plot-led, character-led, theme-led―then reveals in a clear, conversational style how each of these impacts on the structure of any story and how we can use a single set of tools to develop any screenplay, from an independent crossover to a studio blockbuster. Crucially, he also looks at hybrids and exceptions, those unique gems that don't fit any of the story-types but still work beautifully.
This leads to the Story-Type Method ®, a powerful yet flexible way to handle the script development process. Oberg's inspiring framework that doesn't tell filmmakers what to write and when , but focuses instead on why some tools and principles have stood the test of time, and how to use them in the 21st century.
According to readers (see reviews below), Oberg's new approach is a game changer.
Here are some of the easy-to-understand concepts explored in Screenwriting Unchained that will help you improve any
If you've ever questioned why screenplays should be structured in three acts, eight sequences, fifteen beats or twenty-two steps, then this first volume in the series was written for you. And if you never have... no time like the present!
Including case studies from films as diverse as Gravity, Silver Linings Playbook, Crash, The Intouchables, Birdman, Edge of Tomorrow, The Secret in Their Eyes, L.A. Confidential and The Lives of Others , Screenwriting Unchained will transform the way you write, read, pitch, design, assess and develop screenplays . Guaranteed!
This practical, no-nonsense guide leaves behind one-size-fits-all story theories and offers a refreshingly modern approach to story structure, making it a precious resource for anyone involved creatively in the Film and TV industry (or aspiring to be): writers, directors, producers, development execs, showrunners and, more generally, storytellers eager to reach a wide audience at home and abroad without compromising their creative integrity.
Oberg identifies three main story-types―plot-led, character-led, theme-led―then reveals in a clear, conversational style how each of these impacts on the structure of any story and how we can use a single set of tools to develop any screenplay, from an independent crossover to a studio blockbuster. Crucially, he also looks at hybrids and exceptions, those unique gems that don't fit any of the story-types but still work beautifully.
This leads to the Story-Type Method ®, a powerful yet flexible way to handle the script development process. Oberg's inspiring framework that doesn't tell filmmakers what to write and when , but focuses instead on why some tools and principles have stood the test of time, and how to use them in the 21st century.
According to readers (see reviews below), Oberg's new approach is a game changer.
Here are some of the easy-to-understand concepts explored in Screenwriting Unchained that will help you improve any
If you've ever questioned why screenplays should be structured in three acts, eight sequences, fifteen beats or twenty-two steps, then this first volume in the series was written for you. And if you never have... no time like the present!
Including case studies from films as diverse as Gravity, Silver Linings Playbook, Crash, The Intouchables, Birdman, Edge of Tomorrow, The Secret in Their Eyes, L.A. Confidential and The Lives of Others , Screenwriting Unchained will transform the way you write, read, pitch, design, assess and develop screenplays . Guaranteed!
- GenresFilm
470 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
104 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Emmanuel Oberg
6 books8 followersEmmanuel Oberg is a screenwriter, bestselling author and creative consultant with more than twenty-five years of experience in the Film and TV industry.
After selling a first screenplay to Warner Bros, he has been commissioned as a writer by StudioCanal, Working Title / Universal, Gold Circle and Film4.
He has also designed internationally acclaimed advanced development workshops and modules on thriller, comedy, animation and TV series writing – all based on the Story-Type Method®.
He delivers them with passion to filmmakers all over the world, in-person or online, through a series of popular interactive courses and hybrid events.
"Screenwriting Unchained", "The Screenwriter's Troubleshooter" and "Writing a Successful TV Series", all bestselling books on screenwriting and script development, are part of the Story-Type Method collection.
Emmanuel lives in the UK with his wife and their two daughters.
After selling a first screenplay to Warner Bros, he has been commissioned as a writer by StudioCanal, Working Title / Universal, Gold Circle and Film4.
He has also designed internationally acclaimed advanced development workshops and modules on thriller, comedy, animation and TV series writing – all based on the Story-Type Method®.
He delivers them with passion to filmmakers all over the world, in-person or online, through a series of popular interactive courses and hybrid events.
"Screenwriting Unchained", "The Screenwriter's Troubleshooter" and "Writing a Successful TV Series", all bestselling books on screenwriting and script development, are part of the Story-Type Method collection.
Emmanuel lives in the UK with his wife and their two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 4, 2017
Screenwriting Unchained is an incredibly comprehensive book and an impressive achievement indeed. In particular, the way Oberg devises a properly 'unified theory' that is creatively rather than orthodoxy led makes it a fabulous one-stop, practical tool box for writers and developers. I for one will be recommending it heartily (and using it in my writing no doubt!).
November 19, 2018
This is a long read but undoubtedly one of the best books that I have read on screenwriting. The author starts from the basic theories of story telling and, with the help of actual screenplays, identifies the components of story design based on plot-driven, character-driven and theme-driven movies. I would strongly recommend this book for aspiring screenplay writers.
June 29, 2023
I can't review this book as I wrote it but as I reference it in other reviews from my recommended reading list, I thought I'd add it to the list for convenience. If you'd like to see what people say about it, please head to www.screenwritingunchained.com, at least until goodreads users review it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews