3D: Love it? Hate it? Movies in 3D: Love it? Hate it? UPDATE: Another reason to dislike 3D. Comment Archive
Subtext as clever writing Just wrapping up “Core V: Dialogue,” a new Screenwriting Master Class course. As usual, we had a great group that really dug into the subject of how to approach writing dialogue. We spent a lot of time discussing subtext, the meaning beneath the text of the dialogue. One of the
Character maps Does anybody do something like this: That’s a ‘mind map’ of a single character and various points of connection to their world. Or how about this: A map for “Pride and Prejudice,” something you can do to sort out your own story’s characters. If anybody employs this type
Daily Dialogue theme next week: War Since next week leads up to Memorial Day, I thought we could find some strong candidates for Daily Dialogue in movies featuring war. From ancient battles to the Crusades, the Civil War to World War II, even wars set in science fiction movies. What stellar sides of dialogue come to
Spec Script Sale: “Tipping Point” Relativity Media buys action-thriller spec script “Tipping Point” from writer Todd Stein. Via It’s On The Grid: Based on his original short story, set a blink into the future, New York cop Solomon is part of an elite police division hunting those who break the Zero Population Act
Spec Script Sale: “Everly” Crime Scene Pictures commits to action thriller spec “Everly” from writer Yale Hannon: A down-on-her-luck woman stuck in her apartment must fend off waves of Yakuza assassins sent by her ex, who is a dangerous mob boss. The entire story will be shot in the woman’s
Written Interview: Katie Wech (“Prom”) Today’s written interview is with screenwriter Katie Wech whose movie Prom just came out a few weeks ago. Some excerpts from Part One: Do you start with a list of the classic high school movie “types” and figure out ways to use them, avoid them, alter them, that kind
What’s the deal with online learning? Since Tom Benedek and I launched Screenwriting Master Class, I’ve had a number of people email me about what precisely the online education experience is. And while there are plenty of subjects about which I am largely ignorant, I feel imminently qualified to talk about online education: * I led
Reader Question: What about writing for the Web? krantz asks: Any thoughts on writing for the web? How can we develop plot, character, theme in a short form episodic format? What about structure? Curious if you have any thoughts on writing web series, in particular the craft of it. I’ve been tracking web series for some time
429 That’s the number of pilot scripts ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox ordered for the 2011–2012 season. Want to see a list of them all including loglines? Go here. 429. Out of that by my count 76 were produced as pilots. And of that less than 30 were picked
Great Character: John Blutarsky (“Animal House”) Is there a better comedy than Animal House? I don’t think so. Make your arguments, I’m happy to hear them, but I am willing to make my stand on this big, dumb movie from 1978 (written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller). We may argue
Daily Dialogue — May 20, 2011 “Tommorrow we goes into battle, so Lordy, let me fight with the rifle in one hand, and the Good Book in the other. So that if I may die at the muzzle of the rifle… die on water, or on land, I may know that you blessed Jesus almighty are
Spec Script Sale: “The Hauntrepreneur” Paramount picks up family fantasy spec script “The Hauntrepreneur” from screenwriter Scott Rosenberg. Via THR: The story centers on a family that has trouble adjusting to a new town and hires a peculiar man, the Hauntrepreneur, to help it. The man attempts to bring them together by creating a haunted
Reader Question: Do you have any time management tips on how to write while holding down a full… Reader Question: Do you have any time management tips on how to write while holding down a full-time job? Some practical advice to engender productivity even while working full-time. A question from Tom: I’ve always believed that emulating those who are successful is a key to success.
“Bruckheimer Pitch Meeting” Per filmmaker Nathan Gotsch who emailed me: “An exclusive look inside Jerry Bruckheimer Films…kind of.” Take a guess how many movie and TV producing credits Jerry Bruckheimer has. If you said 75, you’re wrong. It’s 76! And you can find out precisely what those credits are by
“Notes of a Screenwriter, Mad as Hell” This is one of the single coolest things to emerge about screenwriting since I don’t know when: A typewritten set of notes written by Paddy Chayefsky to himself as he was working on what would become his Academy Award winning screenplay Network. From the NYT: LAMENTING the lack of
The Business of Screenwriting: Research trips The Business of Screenwriting: Research Trips “You’re the writer. Why not pick a terrific place for your story setting? Just in case you get the chance to go on a research trip.” I’m standing knee deep in a river. In the middle of nowhere. I have been equipped
Daily Dialogue — May 19, 2011 “The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you…” — Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), Father Karras (Jason Miller), The Exorcist (1973), screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel http://movieclips.com/e/uvtAd/
Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project — Film Analysis and Criticism In order to be a good screenwriter, you have to do more than learn about screenwriting. Indeed you must immerse yourself in the world of cinema. There are several reasons for this: * It is important to know at least something of the history of filmmaking in order to have a
Reader Question: Is it worth it to attend pitch fests? Ferdinand asks: When the script is ready to go, is it worth it to go to pitch fests? Or should one pursue the traditional way and send out query letters to producers? Annika W asks: I second Ferdinand’s question. Pitch festival season is starting, with the stepped up advertising
Comic Book Scriptwriting Basics For any of you interested in what it takes to write a comic book, here is a primer on the subject. Note: I have never written a comic book, so I can’t speak to the veracity of the article’s take on the craft. Hopefully GITS readers who do
Screenwriting 101: Angelo Pizzo “A few ideas important to me. Before writing Fade In: A. I should be able to verbally tell the story I’m about to write in two-minute, five-minute, ten-minute versions. My primary goal is to get an audience swept along in the story. I read the listeners’
Daily Dialogue — May 18, 2011 “Dear Lord baby Jesus, lyin’ there in your ghost manger, just lookin’ at your Baby Einstein developmental videos, learnin’ ‘bout shapes and colors. I would like to thank you for bringin’ me and my mama together, and also that my kids no longer sound like retarded gang-bangers.” — Ricky Bobby
Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project — Scripts and Screenwriting In order to be a good screenwriter, you have to do more than learn about screenwriting. Indeed you must immerse yourself in the world of cinema. There are several reasons for this: * It is important to know at least something of the history of filmmaking in order to have a
Reader Question: How consistent should the tone in scene description be? GooseRats asks: Should detail in description be consistent throughout, or is it okay to lighten the touch once the world and tone has been established? While consistency is important, it’s really a subset of a larger consideration and that’s what I call Narrative Voice, the approach a writer
