Story. Screenplay. Sale.
Jan Ellis writes for South-African television as one of the team on “Binnelanders”. (Interestingly, he does this from Sydney in Australia.) For us, Jan explores what it is that sets daily drama writing apart from other screenwriting genres. This is my first blog post. Pop. My briefing was to highlight some of the unique methods … Read more
Writer/Producer Meg Shields reflects on the development of her script which recently won the Bill Warnock Feature Writers Awards in WA. Will this mean a future in which she can buy her kids birthday cakes without the guilt of not baking them? With Australian films struggling at the box office and many great writers out of work, … Read more
A structural overview of The Incredibles (Brad Bird 2004) “Animation is not a genre but an art form” says writer-director Brad Bird on the commentary track. This is one of the most enjoyable superhero action adventures I know. It is also the #1 movie I will never forgive myself for not seeing in the theaters … Read more
Character or plot. Which comes first? Some say character prevails, others say it’s a chicken and egg thing. But … how do you define a character? In film, you can only reveal what a character is about by showing its actions. Dialogue doesn’t work, because it sounds false, ‘on the nose’. As a matter of … Read more
Theorists have grappled with the idea for decades, directors have had hissy fits… WAAPA directing student Ngaire O’Leary reflects on the filmmaker’s challenge of using a visual language that audiences will understand. The answer? Get out of your own headspace, and into your character’s. I recently moved to Perth to study directing with the West … Read more