Screenwriting - Tips, tutorials, movie scripts

Booky - Free Tumblr theme

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:51:34 +0100

Booky - Free Tumblr theme:

You can now use this blog design for your own Tumblelog.

Just visit the Booky theme page and hit install.

The Incident versus The Call

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:44:50 +0000

The Incident versus The Call:

There are the followers of Syd Field who speak of “Inciting Incident”.

Then there are the believers in mythology who speak the language of Joseph Campbell and prefer “Call to Adventure”.

To make matters worse, others speak of “Opportunity” or “Disturbance”, “Catalyst” etc.

The Hangover Script

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:16:50 +0000

The Hangover Script:

“A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.”

Tales from the Script: Advice for New Screenwriters

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:00:29 +0000

Tales from the Script: Advice for New Screenwriters:

Lengthy sneak peek from the “Tales from the Script” DVD. Looks worth getting.

Elements of Suspense

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:02:18 +0000

Elements of Suspense:

“Let us assume that there is a bomb under this table between us. […] suddenly there is a loud boom and the bomb goes off. The audience is surprised, but before this surprise they have only seen a very ordinary scene without any significance.

“Let us instead look at a suspense scene. The bomb is under the table and the audience is aware of this because they have seen the anarchist plant it there. They also know that the bomb will go off at one o’clock, and up on the wall is a clock showing that the time is now quarter to one […]. In the first scene we have given the audience 15 seconds of surprise […] but in the last scene we have given them fifteen minutes of suspense.”

Setups And Payoffs

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:05:00 +0000

Setups And Payoffs:

“as Thelma is packing, she throws in her gun on a whim, even though she has never used it and is afraid of it. When we see that, it propels us into the future. We know that gun is going to be used and wait for it to happen. If it doesn’t, we’ll feel cheated.”

And some setups from The Sixth Sense. Another article.

Jurassic Park Analysis - Order vs Chaos (pdf)

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Jurassic Park Analysis - Order vs Chaos (pdf):

Starts on page 4.

“As it stands, Dr. Grant simply learns to care about the children. But what has really changed in him? What did he learn? Would it not have been more dramatically pleasing to have the children teach him how chaos is not just a disruptive element, but sometimes an essential component of life?”

Prince of Persia script - 2006

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:11:20 +0000

Prince of Persia script - 2006:

Here’s the 2006 version of the Prince of Persia screenplay. It’s due for release in May 2010 with Jake Gyllenhaal starring.

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:20:31 +0000

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations:

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is a descriptive list which was created by Georges Polti to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a story or performance.

Three Act, Eight Sequence Structure

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:21:06 +0000

Three Act, Eight Sequence Structure:

“Yes, most movies can be broken up into 8 discrete 12-15-minute sequences, each of which has a beginning, middle and end.”

Added bonus: Avatar, The Untouchables, and A Beautiful Mind sequence breakdowns. Bear in mind Avatar is a much longer movie so has more sequences.

Expanded Scene Breakdown - Best Kept Screenwriting Secret?

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:07:00 +0000

Expanded Scene Breakdown - Best Kept Screenwriting Secret?:

“The Expanded Scene Breakdown is a 20 to 40+ page point by point, step by step, scene by scene outline of the entire screenplay in prose form using dialogue, character development, action, etc.”

What's a one-sheet?

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:53:52 +0000

What's a one-sheet?:

“More and more, agents and producers are asking writers for a one-sheet after hearing an intriguing pitch.”

Avatar screenplay download

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:59:00 +0000

Avatar screenplay download:

What are the chances of me receiving news that the full Avatar script is available just a few hours after posting the scriptment? The scriptment’s been available for years, but I chose today of all days to post it. Weird.

Download the Avatar script directly from Fox.

Avatar Scriptment

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:38:16 +0000

Avatar Scriptment:

With Avatar breaking box-office records all over the place, here’s the original scriptment from 1995. The Avatar movie script isn’t available as of right now.

Here’s a summary of the scriptment.

Screenwriter David Johnson Interview

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:17:42 +0100

Screenwriter David Johnson Interview:

Interview with David Johnson on “Orphan”

"Sooner or later, all this stuff is going to seem antiquated. The script is the only thing that..."

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0100

““Sooner or later, all this stuff is going to seem antiquated. The script is the only thing that isn’t going to deteriorate over time.””

- Andrew Stanton - screenwriter of A Bug’s Life

Interview: "Twilight" screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Interview: "Twilight" screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg:

(via charlotteeleanor)

Where The Wild Things Are Screenplay

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:07:00 +0100

Where The Wild Things Are Screenplay:

Download the Where The Wild Things Are movie script via pdfscripts.

Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world—a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

Max Records
Mark Ruffalo
Forest Whitaker
Catherine Keener

Public Enemies Screenplay

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:20:00 +0100

Public Enemies Screenplay:

Download the Public Enemies movie script via pdfscripts.

The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.

Johnny Depp
Marion Cotillard
Christian Bale

William Wisher Interview

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:15:34 +0100

William Wisher Interview:

A conversation with Terminator and T2: Judgment Day co-screenwriter William Wisher.