Solmaaz – The Story Department

Best o/t Web 3 Oct

Solmaaz — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:14:50 +0000

:: The mantra of all mantras: read, watch, write.
:: Horror movies take over!
:: Written interview with the late Stephen J. Cannell.
:: Stephen Frears on “Tamara Drewe”.
:: Structure in a thriller, what they won’t tell you.
:: Hidden gem: CBS’s “The Defenders”.
:: Take a look at American film comedy: Another Fine Mess.
:: Battling all your possible angles.
:: Get by with a little help from your friends.
:: The craft of visual storytelling.

_______________________________

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 26 Sep

Solmaaz — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:10:11 +0000

:: Don’t forget your mentor.
:: Where Alex gets his movies.
:: Modern noir in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
:: How Chewbacca came to be.
:: What makes for great science fiction.
:: How important are your character names?
:: A useful tool for character development.
:: If someone beats you at your own game, think outside the rules.
:: The focus: the protagonist metamorphosis arc.
:: The best foreign-language sci-fi flicks.

_______________________________

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 29 Aug

Solmaaz — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:28:08 +0000

:: Character flaws: mistakes must be earned!
:: Polishing your treatment, some advice.
:: The real story on rewriting: get the big picture.
:: James Cameron on the re-release of Avatar.
:: Celtx app on your iPad and iPhone.
:: Writing a romantic comedy? Check out The Apartment.
:: To-do list: working the American film market.
:: When or when not to copyright.
:: Far from Hollywood? Some screenwriting advice.
:: Movies scenes + Cee-Lo’s Fuck You
:: The 101 Definitions of Sci-Fi
:: 5 Reasons why Scott Pilgrim tanked.
:: Twin Peaks revisited

_______________________________

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 22 Aug

Solmaaz — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:34:12 +0000

:: Joss Whedon discusses Captain America
:: Facebook meddles with Social Network script
:: In praise of Toy Story 3 (and Pixar as a whole)
:: Francois Truffaut’s last interview
:: Check the Box Office prediction model before you start
:: Best comic book adaptation: Road to Perdition
:: The Zombie version of Assault On Precinct 13
:: Chinese remake Coen’s Blood Simple
:: Fighting leaks: Watermarking for script security.
:: Act three and the art of the universal ending.
:: Justin Adler’s The Escort ranks impressive.
:: Screenwriter Walter Hill on writing movies.
:: Angelina Jolie & George Clooney set for Marilyn Monroe film.
:: The cliche conundrum, can you make it work?
:: A look at 10 past scripts and their box office results.

_______________________________

COMING SOON to the Story Department:

Inception: Act Three breakdown
MM on Sex in Screenwriting: Climax (& Resolution)
Screenwriting Video of the week

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 8 Aug 10

Solmaaz — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:13:48 +0000

:: Martin Scorcese on story versus plot.
:: Stuck for ideas? Look around you in everyday life.
:: The psychological process from disunity to unity, Inception’s elements.
:: The key to presenting religion in science fiction.
:: A look at scene description: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
:: Young Adult and Diablo Cody.
:: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Spielberg script.
:: Interview with screenwriter Alex Litvak.
:: The benefits of reading aloud, hear your story.
_______________________________

COMING SOON to the Story Department:

Structure: Elephant in the Room (2)
Mystery Man on Monday: Sex in Screenwriting (4)
Structure: Inception (2)

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 1 Aug

Solmaaz — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:07:23 +0000

:: Massive Scifi attack in August!
:: The Opposite of Writer’s Block
:: The plot of Inception as an infographic
:: The Hangover took $100m more than 2012. A lesson?
:: The key: emotion and identification with the hero
:: The Fight Club theory applied to Ferris Bueller
:: What if your stories are offbeat?
:: Nick Cave to pen remake of The Crow.
:: Michael Arndt’s Hollywood fairytale.
:: What to do if you’re an overwriter.
:: The End of History: an analysis on craft.
:: Chris Nolan’s sleight of hand.
:: The art of obsessive keyboard dusting.
:: Sigourney Weaver’s sci-fi geek out.
:: What KIND of story is it? Subgenres and Inception.
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COMING SOON to the Story Department:

Structure: A Bug’s Life
Writing Drama: Precise, Conscious and Unconscious Objectives

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 25 Jul 10

Solmaaz — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:50:06 +0000

:: Wizard of Oz, a flop? Since when?
:: My project sold in Hollywood! Except it’s not my project, it’s my project’s evil twin.
:: 40 days of screenplays: Shawshank Redemption.
:: Script development: when to let the readers in.
:: You’re an agent, you want to read my script, so why won’t you again?
:: Movie dream sequences explained.
:: Michel Gondry’s favorite flicks.
:: It’s time for Chris Nolan’s victory dance.
:: Elements of act three: a great climax.
:: Film critics rejoice.

_______________________________

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 18 Jul

Solmaaz — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:26:06 +0000

:: Let the music inspire you.
:: Act three: the final showdown.
:: Meeting an agent, the writer is the girl in the relationship.
:: Questions of character for your character in question.
:: Got the app? An iPhone user’s cheat sheet.
:: Don’t let your planning set your story up in smoke.
:: Watch out for your work: 5 contract tips for filmmakers.
:: Interview with screenwriter Ben Hecht.
:: It’s done! Now, however do I sell it?
_______________________________

COMING SOON to the Story Department:

Mystery Man on Monday: Sex in Screenwriting
Structure: Toy Story 2
Writing Drama (8): Emotion

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 11 Jul

Solmaaz — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 02:11:15 +0000

:: The ever-so unconventional Forrest Gump.
:: With a focus on craft, getting to the point.
:: Unpaid outline? Set your terms.
:: A struggle for screenwriters, the climate of today.
:: You’ve got three pages to wow ’em.
:: Keep your promises, set goals, write pages every day.
:: Structure specific: the romantic comedy.
:: Take the character who’s afraid of nothing and make them afraid.
:: Specs & pilots: belief in self and a burning desire to make it happen.
:: Alfred Hitchcock on the difference between mystery & suspense.
_______________________________

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Best o/t Web 4 Jul

Solmaaz — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:00:53 +0000

:: Toy Story 3’s Michael Arndt on Unkrich original project
:: How to become … Michael Arndt (or similar)
:: Interview with Lee Unkrich and Darla Anderson
:: Where the Toy Story 3 trash bag idea originated
:: Toy Story: “The overarching story is about change”
:: How Pixar built Toy Story 3
:: The development of the Toy Story saga

In other news:
:: Even when there’s no way, you believe.
:: Writing a script, first draft.
:: Should you pay for notes?
:: The unconventional Shawshank Redemption.
:: Five ways your writing ends up on the screen.
:: Script in a minute.
:: Showbiz terminology, a cheat sheet.
:: Story for free!
:: Vince Gilligan at BANFF.
:: M. Night, gossip fills seats.
:: Elements of act two: the midpoint.

_______________________________

COMING SOON to the Story Department:

Story Breakdown of Toy Story 3

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel