Go Into The Story

Once again, we have the presence of five primary character archetypes at work in a story:

Protagonist: Ruby.

CODA's plot aligns to a T with a "conventional" approach to mainstream commercial screenplay…

Opening: We see her talent as a singer.

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Perspiration and Inspiration

Sometimes it’s all about the work. Sometimes it’s all about the un-work.

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Spec Script Deal: “Cut and Run”

New Republic Pictures acquires heist thriller spec script “Cut and Run” written by John Glenn. Via Deadline:

Script Analysis: “Little Women” — Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Page One: “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

Screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, story by George Lucas

Update: 2021–2022 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 3 New Scripts, 40 Total

It’s that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Script Analysis: “Lincoln” — Scene By Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Screenwriting 101: Amy Berg

“For me, there’s no set formula, but you always want your characters to lead the plot, rather than plot leading your characters. The way to…

Page One: “Empire of the Sun” (1987)

Screenplay by Tom Stoppard, novel by J.G. Ballard

This was my favorite movie at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/01/apples-25-million-plus-coda-acquisition-smashes-sundance-sales-record-1234613190/

The Protagonist’s Journey: Narrative Imperative

An excerpt from my forthcoming book The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling.

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 1: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

60 Second Screenwriter: Should I make a short film?

A video series addressing key screenwriting concerns in one minute.

On Writing

“I had been writing for fifteen years and getting nowhere. Everything I had written was derivative, influenced by others. Then finally I…

Page One: “Elle” (2016)

Screenplay by David Birke, novel by Philippe Djian

140 Scene-Writing Prompts

At a fundamental level, screenwriting is scene-writing. Use these prompts to improve your scene-writing chops.

Go Into The Story Interview: Byron Hamel

My interview with the 2021 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Script Analysis: “The Lighthouse” — Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Video: 20 Screenwriting and Directing Tips from Steven Spielberg

A compilation of clips featuring the storytelling insights of one of cinema’s most notable filmmakers.

Page One: “Elizabethtown” (2005)

Written by Cameron Crowe

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Transcribe Screenplays

If it worked for Felix Mendelssohn and F. Scott Fitzgerald…