Are You A Reader Of Screenplays Or A Watcher Of Movies?

Some respected screenwriting gurus claim that you should read and study as many screenplays as possible. It doesn’t matter if the film was a success or a flop: you learn either way. I agree. But more importantly, you should watch and analyze the movies. For years, I blindly followed this dogma, as it seemed to … Read more

The Story Revolution

Nafa – Choctops Meeting: 18/2/08 (Report by John Haly, Thank you to Tony Chu) Karel -a Belgian producer and script consultant – founded OZZYWOOD Films and The Story Department (which is a unique Australian blog and online resource for screen story theory). Karel headed production and programming at London’s Digital Broadcasting Company and was a … Read more

Logline: Definitions

Let’s start by saying what it isn’t. It is not a tagline. It is not really a one-paragraph synopsis either. (and it’s definitely not a slug line) The Australian Film Commission says: “filmmakers are often asked to supply a one sentence version of their film story. This one sentence should give the most concentrated version … Read more

Bring on the Hero

About ten years ago I was first introduced to the Hero’s Journey. Since then I have found myself regularly relying on it when explaining story structure. Today I wanted to write an article about why I believe the Hero’s Journey is such a popular model for screenwriters and story teachers. Then I stumbled on the … Read more

Bringing Up Baby

I was surprised to read the following quote from respected Australian screenwriter Keith Thompson: “an overt focus on structure may be to the detriment of the script overall. He prefers to discuss scripts using more generic terms such as beginning, middle and end. The hero’s journey (a la Campbell and Vogler) should be approached warily.” … Read more