Elements of Suspense (2)

The Elements of Suspense also talked about editing in order to maximize tension, that when emotions are high, Hitchcock resorted to tight shots and close-ups, but when the tension is over, he’ll fall back on medium shots. This is common. And editing is just as important when you write your script. Consider the way Tarantino … Read more

Best o/t Web 23 May 10

:: Detox your writing superstitions.
:: “Hurry up and wait.”
:: Summer time, bad time for specs?
:: How to pitch a series.
:: Adult comedies: concept or screenplay?
:: Complicating your story without making a mess.
:: Where oh where did Nottingham go?
:: Remake, worth it or a dud?
:: The Empire Strikes Back: 30 Years of Tragedy
:: The Sequel to Sherlock? The Guardian’s Guess
:: What pays is that which most believe isn’t worth the effort.
:: Chinatown. What’s the big deal?
:: Shia Labeouf: Yes, Spielberg dropped the ball (x2).

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Why movies aren’t novels (1)

Next month, Michael Hauge and Steve Kaplan will be in Australia for two weekends of story classes. This month we run a special guest contribution by Michael Hauge plus we give Melbournians the chance to win a free ticket to the event (worth $445). Many fiction writers, at one point or another, consider adapting their … Read more

Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434

While Jack Brislee is trying to con himself into believing there are actually things more important than screenwriting (let alone The Story Department), I stumbled upon this review of Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434. A review of a review. Lew Hunter writes: “…the main reason why flashbacks, flashforwards, and narration are generally undesirable as storytelling devices today. These … Read more