Lateral Screenwriting: Openings that Close… the Sale

Robert Towne, screenwriter of CHINATOWN, SHAMPOO, TEQUILA SUNRISE, and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE I & II, among others, once observed that films can open slowly as the audience will forgive the story anything for twenty minutes or so. by Lee Matthias I wonder, though, if that would have worked for him when, just starting out, for producer … Read more

[Video]: Kevin Smith’s Creative Origins

What makes writer-director Kevin Smith tick? In this interview, the creator of Clerks Zack and Miri Make a Porno and talks about the Smith family’s genetic limitations, the origins of his creativity and the thrill of learning how to entertain. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwSfawJHLq4&w=613&h=385] If you liked this, check out more videos about screenwriting or filmmaking. And … Read more

“The End” – Now what?

Rhonda has just typed “FADE OUT”. Over the moon about her first feature screenplay, soon she will change her Facebook status to “THE END!!”, open a bottle of her favorite sparkling and go on Skype to celebrate with her writing buddies all over the web.   by Karel Segers So far so good. What Rhonda … Read more

[The Dept Revisited]: Structuring the Facts

Turning real events into a working screen drama is a hell of a challenge. Whether it be a historical movie, biopic or docu-drama, the smart screenwriter stays true to the spirit of the subject, not the newsroom version of the events. by Karel Segers The principals of drama must dictate how the story is (re-)structured. … Read more

Video: Robert McKee monologues on Dialogue

Robert McKee is known for his Story weekend and his “Ten Commandments” of screenwriting. In this video, the screenwriting guru shoots from the hip about the 10 mortal sins that makes good dialogue go bad. If you liked this, check out more videos about screenwriting or filmmaking. And if you know of a great video … Read more