The Three-Act Character

In her PLOT CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP, Linda Aronson discusses THE INSIDER as an example of a flawed script. The film not only put Russell Crowe on the celeb map with a Best Actor Nomination, it was also nominated for another six awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. That’s a pretty good result … Read more

POV: Omniscient Point of View

In an Australian government document relating to script development I found the term ‘omnipotent POV’. In a specialised screenwriting magazine I read “omnipresent POV”(*). Both are plain wrong. You’ve got to wonder: if they can’t even get the terminology right, there is reason to be concerned about their understanding of the concept. The correct term is … Read more

POV as Controller of Tone

A toddler looks at a man pulling funny faces, moving his limbs in crazy spasms. He falls on the ground, he hits his head. The toddler jumps with excitement. A female bystander watches the scene, her face contorted, fighting back tears. The introduction of the woman suddenly gives us a reliable POV. Although we still … Read more

POV: McKee’s View

“The more time spent with a character, the more opportunity to witness his choices. The result is more empathy and emotional involvement between audience and character.” -Robert McKee In his introduction about point of view (POV) in the scene, Robert McKee focuses on screen time and the physical location of the camera. POV is more. … 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