Go Into The Story

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 4]

“Character development means a change in character taking place during the story… Any change of character during the story is legitimate…

Great Scene: “Michael Clayton”

Clayton confronts Crowder, then rides alone with his thoughts.

Page One: “Fast and Furious” (2009)

Written by Chris Morgan, characters by Gary Scott Thompson

2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 19

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 3]

“A good method is to introduce important characters with some characteristic incident.”

The Business of Screenwriting: The Importance of a Writers Group

There’s that image of a writer. Sequestered in a room. Struggling over a blank piece of paper. Crumpled pages strewn about. A cup of booze…

Page One: “The Fast and the Furious” (2001)

Screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson and Erik Bergquist and David Ayer, screen story by Gary Scott Thompson, magazine article by Ken Li

2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 18

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 2]

“Failure to concentrate on this essential of plot making (developing of character) has been responsible for the wishy-washy substance of…

Great Scene: “The Matrix”

“You take the blue pill, the story ends… you take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland.”

Page One: “Far from the Madding Crowd” (2015)

Screenplay by David Nichols, novel by Thomas Hardy

2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 17

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Character On The Screen [Part 1]

“Every character in the story of the scenarist should be established as an individual — a living, breathing, real person.”

Screenwriting 101: Charles Bennett

“The construction is the most important goddamned thing. It’s like building a house — you have to build the outside properly before you…

Page One: “Fences” (2016)

Screenplay by August Wilson based upon his play

2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 16

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Actor’s Angle [Part 2]

“It is your duty to think up situations which call for the necessary bits of business.”

On Writing

“Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they…

Page One: “Fallen” (1998)

Written by Nick Kazan

2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 15

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Actor’s Angle [Part 1]

“It would be possible to plant the jealousy motif by a sub-title. It would be better artistry to show the husband staring after the wife…

Go Into The Story Interview: Stephany Folsom

My 2014 in-depth interview with the screenwriter of Toy Story 4, consulting producer and writer on the TV series The Lord of the Rings: The…

Page One: “The Faculty” (1998)

Screenplay by Kevin Williamson, story by David Wechter & Bruce Kimmel

2024 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 14

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Scenery for Scenarios

“The matter of economy in settings is perhaps the very last thing that enters the mind of the amateur photodramatist — one big reason why…