Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Loos & Emerson (1920)
In my ongoing research into screenwriting, I discovered the book “How to Write Photoplays,” written in 1920 by Anita Loos and her husband…
In my ongoing research into screenwriting, I discovered the book “How to Write Photoplays,” written in 1920 by Anita Loos and her husband John Emerson.
Loos was a superstar, the first well-known writer of what were then called ‘photoplays’. This series went through the book chapter by chapter spotlighting elements that are as applicable today as they were back then.
The Continuity [Part 1]
The Continuity [Part 2]
The Actor’s Angle [Part 1]
The Actor’s Angle [Part 2]
Character on the Screen [Part 1]
Character on the Screen [Part 2]
Character on the Screen [Part 3]
Character on the Screen [Part 4]
The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 1]
The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 2]
The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 3]
The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 4]
The Kinds Of Stories That Sell [Part 5]
What to Write and Not to Write [Part 1]
What to Write and Not to Write [Part 2]
What to Write and Not to Write [Part 3]
Writing for the Censors [Part 1]
Writing for the Censors [Part 2]
Writing for the Censors [Part 3]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 1]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 2]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 3]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 4]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 5]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 6]
Midway in the Photoplay [Part 7]
There is some great information and inspiration about the screenwriting craft in this series that is surprisingly relevant to today. I highly recommend you go through it!