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

First, Break All the Rules

When I asked this student which one thing she remembered above anything else, she replied: “That you can break the rules, and get away with it.” She was not my student. In itself there’s nothing wrong with trying, but it saddens me that Heath Ledger’s last Australian film, Candy, was an example of a film … Read more

Selected Bibliography

This bibliography I often include in my course notes. It contains publications that I regularly consult or quote from. Aronson, Linda: Scriptwriting Updated, Allen & Unwin Field, Syd: Screenplay, Dell Publishing Gulino, Paul: Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach, Continuum Hauge, Michael: Writing Screenplays That Sell, Harper Resource Howard, David & Edward Mabley: The Tools of Screenwriting, … Read more

Glossary

The following is a basic list of terms I believe you should have an understanding of. To be a professional, it is crucial you can communicate with others to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your work. It is not enough to know and understand Syd Field’s set of phrases, as some hot shots may … Read more

Plot Point: Brainstorming Plot Points

Writing a first draft is in essence brainstorming plot points and writing them down in a more or less chronological order. It sounds as if I am simplifying things, but once you have cracked the essence of drama, it really is that simple. To understand what follows, it is useful to read the word action … Read more