A writer/producer, Weiko has written projects for the Mark Gordon Company, Ivanhoe Pictures, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Don Mischer Productions, the Unison Company (Taiwan), and Wanda Pictures (China). Fluent in Mandarin, he produced and wrote the original story for the Chinese-language romance film 100 Days, which released theatrically in Taiwan and premiered in Mainland China as an official selection of the 2014 Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival. For the screen, Weiko adapted River Town, the New York Times Notable Book and bestselling memoir by Peter Hessler for Fugitive Films and acclaimed director Lu Chuan (City of Life and Death, Disney Nature's Born in China). In television, he has written a pilot for Super Deluxe (former digital studio of Turner/WarnerMedia). Recipient of a Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award, Weiko earned his MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. He was also recognized as a finalist for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. A Fulbright Senior Specialist, Weiko has taught at institutions including UCLA, Northwestern University, and Taipei National University of the Arts. He is a tenured Associate Professor at Emerson College.

A member of Writers Guild of America West and Dramatist Guild of America, he is represented by Anonymous Content and United Talent Agency.

Table of Contents

Dedication....................................................................................... vii

Acknowledgments............................................................................ viii
Introduction...................................................................................... xi
Part One
GET CRAZY: Writing Tools
Chapter 1: FUNNY FARM | Plowing Story Seeds............................... 3
Chapter 2: SIGNATURE DISHES | Genres.................................... 11
Chapter 3: FIRING UP THE STORY | Protagonist and Antagonist... 21
Chapter 4: THREE-COURSE MEAL | Movie Structure................. 33
Chapter 5: RECIPES | The Step Outline......................................... 40


Part Two

KITCHEN IN THE MADHOUSE:
Screenplay Construction

Chapter 6: APPETIZER | Act One-Whet the Palate....................... 49
Chapter 7: MAIN COURSE | Act Two-Savory Climax.................... 55
Chapter 8: DESSERT | Act Three-Satisfaction................................ 59
Chapter 9: PRESENTATION | Organic Action and Dialogue........... 65
Chapter 10: EMOTIONS | Moving Stories Before Moving Scenes....... 72
Chapter 11: THERAPY | Digesting Notes and Rewriting................... 75
Chapter 12: PROCESS | Always Be Writing..................................... 82


Part Three

LEAVING THE ASYLUM: The Writing Profession
Chapter 13: WORKFLOW | From Screenplay to Theaters................... 89
Chapter 14: THE TEAM | Hollywood Managers and Agents.............. 95
Chapter 15: BREAKING IN | Film Schools and Competitions.......... 102
Chapter 16: COLLABORATION | Working as Partners................. 111
Chapter 17: PROTECTION | Registration and Copyright............... 114
Chapter 18: RIGHTS OF ARTISTS | Writers Guild of America........ 116


Part Four

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD:
Universal Movies

Chapter 19: GLOBAL FRANCHISE | Connection and Consistency. 121
Chapter 20: EXTRACTING CULTURE | Inclusion of Perspectives . 123
Chapter 21: AWAKENING | Crazy Rich Asians-The New Wave.... 127
Chapter 22: CHINESE FLAVOR | Adapting 5,000 Years of Culture for Global Audiences 131
Chapter 23: LOST IN TRANSLATION | Creating Stories for
Mainland China...................................................................... 141
Chapter 24: FUSION | China Coproductions................................. 151
Chapter 25: HAVE YOU EATEN? | Chinese Cultural and Social Etiquettes 156


Part Five

THE CRAZY SECRET
Chapter 26: TO LIVE: Falling Into Place...................................... 165


Glossary.......................................................................................... 167



About the Author............................................................................ 169