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Writing loglines is an essential skill for screenwriters, from early development through to the pitch. In this section, we review the loglines and short synopses of the screenplays that made it into the Blacklist 2012. Learn from the feedback and perfect your own loglining skills. by The Judges MURDER CITY “An ensemble crime story set … Read more
Oblivion Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson Earth has been devastated while fighting off alien invaders, and the human race has decamped to Titan. A few aliens survive, threatening the nuclear installations that supply power to Titan (don’t ask how). Jack (Tom Cruise) is the last man on Earth, an engineer who has to maintain … Read more
Warm bodies Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson Bad title, good premise: the zombie apocalypse from a zombie’s point of view. R – that’s as much of his name as he can remember – is played by Nicholas Hoult, who brings his perfect natural pallor to the role. R isn’t a bad guy. He’s just … Read more
Auteur filmmaker Neill Blomkamp – writer/director of the upcoming futuristic action drama Elysium and the hugely successful District 9 – has a knack for writing powerful, high-concept films, dealing with massive themes through the perspectives of compelling characters. Where does he get his ideas? Neill gives a gripping special Tedx talk on the probabilities of … Read more
After decades in the biz, I see the same dialogue errors over and over again. Don’t make these mistakes. by David Trottier 1. Obvious exposition. Husband: “Darling, how long have we been married now?” Wife: “Silly, it’s been 20 years. Remember Hawaii—the North Shore?” Husband: “Oh yeah, that little honeymoon cottage.” When your characters seem … Read more