I just saw Pitch Perfect 2 the other night, and it got me to thinking about something. I actually enjoyed the film a lot more than I anticipated I would. It was very funny and the music and dance numbers were well-performed and well-choreographed. All in all it was a very entertaining film, and really …
Category: Structure
The Underrated Importance of a Strong Ending
Watching Kramer vs. Kramer the a couple of weeks ago got me to thinking about how important a strong ending is to a film, and how infrequently people seem to talk about it, at least in terms of screenwriting. Sure, we always hear about structure and character depth and subtext in dialogue, but it’s not …
3-Act Structure: Is It the Only Way?
Anyone who has followed this blog with any regularity knows that I am an advocate of 3-Act structure, especially for new writers trying to break into the business. The reason for that is because as a former studio reader I know that studio readers are first and foremost on the lookout for any reason to …
Don’t Let Your Story Be Spineless
I recently got to see a work-in-progress screening of a film that will be out some time in the future. It had it’s moments and I could see the potential for a great film in what I saw, but it will not be great until they fix one major component. The film was weak thematically, …
Thoughts on Robert Legato’s Ted Talk on Creating Awe and How Writers Can Take Back Cinema
Yesterday I posted a link to Robert Legato giving a Ted Talk on how he has created the visual effects on specific shots for Apollo 13, Titanic and Hugo. In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the link again: http://www.ted.com/talks/rob_legato_the_art_of_creating_awe.html It was an interesting talk, but at first I didn’t think it applied very much …
Robert Legato Ted Talk on Creating Awe
I’m back from vacation, and discovered this Ted Talk. I’ll discuss my feelings on it tomorrow, but for now, take a look. http://www.ted.com/talks/rob_legato_the_art_of_creating_awe.html
The Structure Shall Set You Free
I write a lot about structure in this space and there is a reason for that. The reason is that people keep sending me scripts to read that totally lack structure or that have structure that is weak and can’t carry the story. I also feel that it’s important to discuss at this time again …
Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling
From a friend. Definitely worth the read. http://aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/07/pixars-22-rules-of-storytelling/
Structure. Structure! STRUCTURE!
I recently read a script for a client that had a powerful premise, an emotional plot line and well designed characters. Not only was the story emotional, but the context through which it was told was thought provoking without being preachy or on the nose. Yet ultimately, the script wasn’t a success, as the story …
Push It. Push It Real Good.
If there is an unwritten rule about screenwriting that every writer needs to follow, it’s this: Push it. Push what? you ask. Push everything, I say. This is especially true if you’re an aspiring writer trying to sell your first spec. This is true if you’re an established writer working on your 50th job. Everything needs …