The KEY Elements to Workplace Dystopias in Film and TV
Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the number of workplace dystopias in film and TV. But what are the essential elements of these stories? And …
Craft
Craft-based articles.
How Do You Write GOOD Parody in Film and TV?
Parodies can contain a multitude of differences across a multitude of genres. So how do you even approach writing a tricky and difficult-to-define subgenre? In short, you must try to …
70 ESSENTIAL Literary Devices to Aid Your Screenwriting
Are you trying to write your first screenplay but don’t know how to give your screenplay flair? Or perhaps, you’re a budding screenwriter looking for some new techniques to elevate your …
20 of the Most Common Screenwriting Mistakes You MUST Avoid
What are the most common screenwriting mistakes that a screenwriter will likely make? What mistakes will be all too familiar to screenplay readers and development executives? Some mistakes are forgivable …
What is Personification and Why is it Useful in Screenwriting?
Personification is a popular literary device that uses figurative language and can be a powerful tool in creating memorable characters and settings. However, it is not just used in poems …
120 of the BEST Scene Prompts to Kickstart Your Writing
What are Scene Prompts? Scene prompts are there to help writers get their creative juices flowing. Say a screenwriter finds themselves stuck during a script, unsure of how to add …
What is Indirect Characterization in Screenwriting? 12 KEY Steps
Indirect characterization is an essential part of constructing a convincing and compelling fictional character. Whether your character is a hero, a villain or a sidekick, they are always more interesting and …
Your First Screenplay: The MOST IMPORTANT Tips to Get Started
Writing your first screenplay is an exciting but daunting challenge. You have so many great ideas in your head but don’t know how to correctly write them down to create …
How Do You Write a GREAT Sidekick Character?
Writing a sidekick character can come with a lot of creative freedom. Where your protagonist or hero may have a rigid characterisation, a sidekick can complement them in many different …
How Do You Write a Convincing and Powerful Death Scene?
How to write a good death scene? This is a question writers may well have been pondering since stories were told on the walls of caves. From Shakespeare to Spielberg, …
How Do You REALLY Analyze Films? The Keys to Film Analysis
Everyone who has an interest in movies has probably tried to analyze a film at least once. Maybe you analyzed films for your own pleasure or maybe you needed to …
Patrick Bateman – Truly ORIGINAL Characters Series: Part 21
Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. What …
The KEY Building Blocks to Writing a GOOD Romantic Comedy
The romantic comedy goes all the way back to Shakespeare, with plays such as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream being full of love triangles and comic …
What is the But and Therefore Rule in Screenwriting?
In every screenwriting class, you are going to learn about many rules. However, the most important one is always the same: give the story energy to keep the viewers engaged. …
What are the 15 Worst Short Film Cliches You MUST Avoid?
Short films are as prominent as ever as an effective form of expression for emerging filmmakers. However, a constantly used form runs the risk of certain techniques becoming overused and …
15 Sam Mendes Quotes to INSPIRE Writers & Filmmakers
Both an Oscar winner and a blockbuster director, the breadth of Sam Mendes’ work perfectly demonstrates his versatile talent. And the 15 Sam Mendes quotes we’ve picked below illustrate how …
How Do You Use the Bookend Technique in Screenwriting?
Often there are terms in screenwriting that do what they say on the tin. The bookend technique fulfils this mantra. It’s a plot device used to sandwich a story like …
What The Social Network Opening Scene Teaches Screenwriters
The Social Network opening scene grips the audience into its world. It’s one of the most compelling examples of an opening scene in its use of quick dialogue, acute character …
Narrative Pacing: The KEYS To Mastering Your Screenplay’s Pace
When it comes to narrative pacing, we all know the feeling of being on the edge of our seats, biting our nails with anticipation for what’s to come. It’s likely …
What is an Unreliable Narrator and How Do You Write One?
It’s comforting to settle into a story where we can trust the narrator to guide us easily and expertly. The narrator is, after all, the audience’s compass through the story, …
Ruth Langmore – Truly ORIGINAL Characters Series: Part 20
Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Ruth Langmore from Ozark. What is …
What is a Mary Sue Character And How Do You Avoid Writing One?
In recent years, there has been a lot of dialogue around who the term Mary Sue can be ascribed to and what constitutes it. But what, fundamentally, is a Mary …
The Viking Movie: 10 Elements to Writing This Powerful Sub Genre
In many ways, the Viking movie is a sub-genre as old as the cinematic form itself. And Vikings have certainly been an integral part of folklore and storytelling for centuries. …
The Comedy Horror Movie: The KEYS to Both Laughs and Scares
Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been cited as “the first great comedy horror story”, as readers were made to “laugh one moment and scream the …
The 10 KEY Building Blocks to Writing Revenge Stories
Revenge stories are a popular sub-genre almost guaranteed to satisfy an audience. They’re typically a visceral and cathartic response to injustice and consequently something that elicits easy emotion. We love …
10 VITAL Ways Green, Amateur Writers Can Avoid Amateur Mistakes
Screenwriting can be a maze, especially when you’re first starting out. When learning the ropes, it can be easy to fall into traps which will make you look like an …
The Rewriting Process: 10 Key Steps to Perfecting Your Screenplay
We’re all perfectionists when it comes to our writing – whether we want to admit it or not. Developing a writing process that works for you is one thing, but …
What is the Special Girl Trope and How Do You Avoid It?
As a screenwriter, a trope can be both your best friend and your enemy. How is a writer meant to stand out when the same plot line has been repeated …
The BEST Series Finales and What They Teach About Writing TV
How do you finish writing a TV series? We all know the feeling of being disappointed by a series finale, mourning not only the loss of a treasured show but …
What’s SO Good About The Citizen Kane Ending?
Citizen Kane; a classic piece of cinema still studied in film schools throughout the world today. Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles, it was directed by Orson Welles, …
Kim Wexler – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 19
Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Kim Wexler from Better Call Saul. …
What is Circular Storytelling? The KEY Lessons For Story Structure
Circular storytelling is a structural technique visible in many stories across film, TV, literature and other mediums. But what exactly does the structure entail? And could it be useful to …
Writing Act Three: The Conclusion – An ESSENTIAL Breakdown
The third act. The end. The stroll off into the sunset or dramatic cliffhanger. Writing your third act is the finishing stretch and, therefore, vitally important in leaving the audience …
Forensic Scene Analysis: “I Drink Your Milkshake!”
“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” – Some scenes in film and TV are so memorable they transcend their origin and become part of film culture. In this …
The 22 PIXAR STORYTELLING RULES: Lessons for Screenwriters
Pixar films are some of the most well-crafted stories in cinema history. And so it’s no wonder that there appear to be Pixar storytelling rules that writers and directors of …
Is The Godfather Opening Scene the Best Opening Scene EVER?
What do great opening scenes do? They capture the essence of the upcoming story, whether the audience knows it or not. At their best, they lay out the story’s essential …
5 VITAL Lessons Screenwriters Can Take from Aaron Sorkin Scripts
Aaron Sorkin is one of the few screenwriters whose name alone can get a film greenlit. And Aaron Sorkin scripts not only make great TV or film blueprints but are …
What are A, B and C Plots in TV Screenwriting?
When we watch a film or TV series, we’re often aware there are multiple storylines running concurrently but take them in as second nature. This is the benefit of TV …
Ferris Bueller- Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 18
Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on a classic …
Writing Act Two: The Conflict – An ESSENTIAL and SIMPLE Breakdown
So you’ve finished act one. You’ve got your beginning and you probably have some ideas about your ending, but how do you create your middle? What happens between the end …
What is Magical Realism? The KEY Steps to Using it in Screenwriting
What is Magical Realism? The phrase magical realism is really an oxymoron. But though contradictory, it describes what the genre truly is; a merging of fantasy and realism. Magical realism …
15 Great Taika Waititi Quotes for Writers & Filmmakers
He’s one of the biggest contemporary Hollywood directors. And his wit and charisma stand him out from the crowd. It’s easy to forget though that there is some serious craft …
How Do You Write a Zombie Movie That’s ACTUALLY Original?
While movie trends come and go, there are some genres screenwriters will return to time and time again. The zombie movie is one of those; a trope that isn’t likely …
Writing Act One: The Setup – An ESSENTIAL and SIMPLE Breakdown
So you’ve prepared your story idea and want to put pen to paper. But where to start? No matter if you’re preparing to write the beat sheet or redrafting a …
How to Write an Anthology Series & The BEST Anthology Series Examples
The wide variety of anthology series that have emerged in contemporary TV can be attributed in part to the success of series such as Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone. …
Rue From Euphoria – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 17
Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Rue from Euphoria. What is an Original Character? …
6 KEY Ways to Adapt a Short Story & the Best Short Story Adaptations
Short stories can seem like unlikely source material for some of the best and most compelling feature films. They may be limited in their length but often it’s the confines …
How Do You Write a Screenplay Prologue? Dodge These Key Pitfalls
A prologue can be used to introduce the audience to the characters, tone and theme of your screenplay. It should plummet them into the story from the start as you …
Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 16
Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Tina Belcher …
How Do You Write BRILLIANT and ALTERNATIVE Teen Drama?
Teen drama is one of the most enduring genres to have graced TV screens since its inception. We’ve all been teenagers at some point. And the heartbreak, emotions, journeys, discoveries, …