Free PDFs and Resources on Screenwriting, Film Production, and More
We know that it’s tough to access information, find the right resources, and really dedicate time for your craft. One major barrier, especially for students, women, BIPOC, and people living with a disability, is the financial barrier of higher education dedicated to film and tv. We don’t want you to be held back when education can be as easy as reading, practicing on your own, and familiarizing yourself with industry concepts, plot structure, and emotional beats. So, we dug around online and wanted to start this master list to dump free PDFs of full-length screenwriting, film production, and TV books. This list will be updated as more books are found and if a link is broken please feel free to reach out to us at kim@thelightleaks.com)
This book list is meant to uplift groups who may not otherwise be able to access this information. We give full respect and admiration to these authors for their creative work, insight, and experience. If you are able to purchase any of these books (from your local book store, indiebound, bookshop.com, etc not Amazon!!) , tip the authors in some way, or otherwise financially compensate these creators for their work, we recommend that. But in order to create equal opportunity and access in Hollywood, education can’t be a gatekeeping tactic. Let’s hope this post doesn’t get the Light Leaks taken down (rolling the dice, loves!).
with love,
the Light Leaks
Free Screenwriting PDFs to Help you Hone Your Craft
The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters, 10th Anniversary Edition: Insider Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers by Karl Iglesias
Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Synder
Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
Writing For Emotional Impact by Karol Iglesias
The Tools of Screenwriting by David Howard
Free Online Resources To Bookmark
How to Format a Screenplay via Final Draft
How to Outline a Screenplay via Final Draft
On Creating Characters via Final Draft
Every Filmmaking Form You'll Ever Need in 99 Free Templates via No Film School
7 Essential Film Documents Every Filmmaker Needs via Filmmaking Stuff
Feature Scripts Standards via The Black List
TV Script Standards via The Black List