TweetBy Britt J. Do you sometimes find yourself languishing in front of a blank computer screen, attempting to ‘will’ yourself into writing every last scene of your script completely from scratch? If so, I’ve found that augmenting your screenwriting arsenal with a ‘passive-creative’ approach can often be helpful in eliminating this particular form of frustration [...]
TweetBy Britt J. Fear of finishing a screenplay can often suddenly strike in what appears to be a totally illogical manner – right at the moment when your creative juices are flowing just fine. Unlike screenwriter’s block, this malady typically expresses itself as chronic avoidance, as opposed to frustration or struggle. It may consist of [...]
TweetBy Sean Ryan I’ve mentioned previously how important the first ten pages are in your screenplay/script. This is not just important in getting the script read, it is also important if it gets made. The opening ten minutes of a film are vital. You need to hook your audience and open your story. Get the [...]
TweetBy Sean Ryan Act 3: The resolution Act 3 is all about the climax and resolution of your story. The act in which the hero gets the girl and saves the day and villain gets what they deserve. This is where you must give your audience their pay off. To tie up all loose ends [...]
TweetBy Sean Ryan Act 2: The Confrontation Act 2 can make or break your story. Keep it tight. Keep it interesting and keep it moving. Remember Act 2 takes up 2 quarters of your film, don’t waste it. A lot of scripts and films fail in the 2nd act by being slow and boring. Act [...]
TweetBy Sean Ryan One tip for studying the three act structure and plot points is to watch a classic or your favourite film and keep an eye on the timeline/DVD counter. As the story unfolds check out the film’s exposition, inciting incident, plot points, climax and three act structure. You will be surprised how subtle [...]
TweetQ&A with a top Hollywood development executive who wished to remain anonymous… Q: What is the most important quality/asset a beginning screenwriter should have? Not sure what the most important asset/quality would be, but I am a believer in the notion that very few screenwriters write a great first screenplay, and screenwriting is a learned [...]
Tweetby Aimee Condayan They look so effortlessly there, right? Sitting in Hollywood with a fat IMDB entry in one hand and a cocktail in the other. They wrote it and sold it and, shazam, it was made into a real, live movie that you watched and said to yourself: I can do that. People have been [...]