Monday Morning Editor’s Picks: Becoming a Director

I'm all for challenging yourself to learn more about writing by exploring your script from the angle of the other artists involved in bringing it to life. What screenwriter hasn't thought about becoming a director?

1. Master Shots Series of Books:

This book series illustrates how some of the best shots in film happened, helping you not only visualize scripts better but also understand how to direct a film within a budget.

The author, Christopher Kenworthy, has worked as a writer, director, and producer for the past twelve years. He directed a feature film that played to sold-out screenings in Australia and received strong reviews. He works on music videos, visual effects tutorials, and commercial projects, and is the author of the best-selling Master Shots series:

Master Shots series is ON SALE until September 16, 2013.

2. Directors Notebook SA: Once you get your brain around the shots you want, we have two new products that will help you organize your shoot - Directors Notebook SA and Directors NotePad.

Directors NoteBook shot list software is an incredible product, allowing filmmakers to be completely creative designing their shots, while the software organizes all the details for them. So easy to use. If you can fill out a web form, you can use Directors NoteBook. From imported storyboard images, efx plate images, location and set photos, casting specs, agency and client contact info, to all shot-specific details like action, camera directions, lenses and frame rates, screen time, blocking, and script, Directors NoteBook helps you gather and organize all the information you need.

3. Directors NotePad: Directors NotePad 4.5 helps film makers organize their ideas shot by shot and view them on screen in slide show form and as printed lists organized in edit order (scene order), and in shot setup order. It's also a wonderful tool to pre-visualize edits before you start. Print out 3X5 cards of your shots and juggle them around to experiment with different story telling techniques, and see if any shots might be missing, or are now unnecessary to capture. Plan vacation movies ahead of time, to make sure no shots are missed.

4. If you need more courage to dive into directing, make sure to read Kim Garland's column, Write, Direct, Repeat on ScriptMag.com. Kim takes you on her journey from writer to director, giving you the full insights into mastering storytelling from behind the lens.

The Writers Store has many other products to help you direct a film, whether it's your first time or your tenth time. Check them all out today!

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman is the Editor and Online Community Manager of Script Magazine and a webinar instructor for The Writers Store. She is Co-Founder and moderator of the weekly Twitter screenwriters’ chat, #Scriptchat, and wrote the narrative adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, with its author, Douglas A. Blackmon, former senior national correspondent of The Wall Street Journal. Jeanne also is President of Implicit Productions and consults with writers on how to build and strengthen their online and offline networks as well as face their fears in order to succeed in writing and in personal peace - a screenwriter's therapist. More information can be found on her blog, ramblings of a recovered insecureaholic. Follow @jeannevb on Twitter.