Eleanor Young – Truly ORIGINAL Characters Series: Part 25

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 Eleanor Young from Crazy Rich Asians (2018). …

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The Top 9 Highest-Grossing Christopher Nolan Movies – In Order

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is a name synonymous with cinematic excellence, known for his mind-bending narratives, mazelike storytelling, and visually stunning films. Over the years, Nolan has carved a niche for himself …

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Famous Screenwriters in Horror

Horror Screenwriters

Cinema’s horror legacy weaves spine-chilling tales, engaging audiences with lasting frights that linger far beyond the credits’ conclusion. Behind many of these terrifying tales are masterful horror screenwriters who craft …

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Tips For Writing Horror: 6 KEY Lessons From Genre Masters

Us Tips For Writing Horror

Tales of evil spirits and witches existed long before the invention of the written word, let alone the invention of cinema. Horror is a well-tread genre, with strong antecedents in …

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The One-Page Pitch: 14 ESSENTIAL Elements and a Template

One Page Pitch

What will make your one-page pitch standout from the gazillion other pitches out there? And how do you blend a screenwriter’s creative talents into a technically sound pitch, especially when …

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15 Kelly Reichardt Quotes to INSPIRE Writers and Filmmakers

Kelly Reichardt almost always works as a writer, director AND editor on her films. As a result, few people in American cinema understand storytelling as intimately as Kelly Reichardt. She’s …

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What Are the Key Screenplay Transitions? An ESSENTIAL Guide

Shaun of the Dead Screenplay Transitions

A blank page. A blinking cursor. Text: right-aligned. Font: courier new. FADE IN: Every movie, and therefore every screenplay, has transitions. Every change in time is a transition; every scene …

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Suspenseful Movies: QUICK Tricks for Writing Suspense

Dunkirk Suspenseful Movies

No film technique elicits the fear of the unknown more effectively than writing suspense. As humans, we’d rather know something bad is coming, than be in the unknown. This is …

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Why Does Your Screenplay Page Count REALLY Matter?

Screenplay Page Count

Trying to hit a certain page count is probably one of the least exciting elements of writing and polishing a screenplay. But for those sitting down to read it, a …

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15 Adam McKay Quotes for Screenwriters and Filmmakers

Adam McKay Quotes

He’s one of the biggest directors in Hollywood and a giant of the comedy world. So we take a look at 15 Adam McKay quotes in order to get an …

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How Do You CREATE and MAINTAIN Empathetic Characters?

There are many important aspects to writing a great screenplay; good dialogue, interesting settings, unique stories, and good characterisation. However, little is arguably more important than creating and maintaining empathetic …

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The Eternal Sunshine Ending: How to Write a GREAT Conclusion

In this article, we take a look at the ending of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in order to learn what makes it so powerful and effective. What lessons …

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Existential Cinema: How Do You Write an Existential Film?

For the most part, cinema is a form of entertainment. But this is not to say that films cannot and should not concern themselves with some of the more serious …

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The 101 BEST Screenplays EVER Written and WHY They Rank

Best Screenplays Ever

What does it take to write one of the best screenplays ever written? You’re probably already familiar with the key elements that constitute a cohesive and compelling screenplay. A basic …

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The KEY Elements to Workplace Dystopias in Film and TV

Severance Workplace Dystopias

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 …

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The Insider Interviews – with ex-Amazon Head Georgia Brown

georgia brown amazon titan screenwriting contest

This latest iteration of our Insider Interviews Series is with former Amazon Studios Europe Head Georgia Brown, one of the three judges of the third year of Industrial Scripts’ screenwriting contest, The TITAN …

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How to Use Public Domain Properties to Create a Screenplay

The Green Knight Public Domain Properties

In many ways, public domain properties are the film and TV industry’s lifeblood. They’re at least a substantial piece of how stories are created, adapted and marketed. But what are …

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20 Illuminating Noah Baumbach Quotes for Writers and Directors

Noah Baumbach Quotes

He’s an idiosyncratic writer-director known for his searing portrayals of family dynamics, witty dialogue and brilliant characters. And such an insightful writer with a vast array of directing experience inevitably …

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How Do You Write GOOD Parody in Film and TV?

write parody

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 …

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70 ESSENTIAL Literary Devices to Aid Your Screenwriting

literary devices

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 …

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20 of the Most Common Screenwriting Mistakes You MUST Avoid

Screenplay Mistakes

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 …

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What is Personification and Why is it Useful in Screenwriting?

Inside Out Personification 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 …

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15 Baz Luhrmann Quotes to INSPIRE Writers & Filmmakers

Baz Lurhmann Quotes

A distinctive filmmaker that has little parallel in contemporary cinema, Baz Luhrmann has been wowing audiences since the early 1990s. The Australian filmmaker is known for his distinctive style. And …

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What is Indirect Characterization in Screenwriting? 12 KEY Steps

The Social Network Indirect Characterization

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 …

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15 INSPIRING Damien Chazelle Quotes for Writers & Filmmakers

Damien Chazelle Quotes

He’s a modern-day Hollywood heavyweight. But it’s easy to forget that it’s not long ago at all that Damien Chazelle was the industry’s hottest new thing. He’s a director who …

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How Do You Write a GREAT Sidekick Character?

Samwise 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 …

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How Do You Write a Convincing and Powerful Death Scene?

Iron Man 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, …

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How Do You REALLY Analyze Films? The Keys to Film Analysis

Analyze Films

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 …

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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 …

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The KEY Building Blocks to Writing a GOOD Romantic Comedy

Crazy, Stupid Love, Writing 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 …

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What is the But and Therefore Rule in Screenwriting?

Matt Stone and Trey Parker But and Therefore Rule

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. …

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What are the 15 Worst Short Film Cliches You MUST Avoid?

Short Film Cliches Reflection

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 …

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15 Sam Mendes Quotes to INSPIRE Writers & Filmmakers

Sam Mendes Quotes

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 …

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How Do You Use the Bookend Technique in Screenwriting?

Memories of a Murder Bookend Technique

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 …

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What The Social Network Opening Scene Teaches Screenwriters

The Social Network Opening Scene

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 …

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Narrative Pacing: The KEYS To Mastering Your Screenplay’s Pace

silence of the lambs narrative pacing

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 …

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What is an Unreliable Narrator and How Do You Write One?

American Psycho Unreliable Narrator

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, …

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What is a Mary Sue Character And How Do You Avoid Writing One?

Rey Mary Sue Character

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 …

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The Viking Movie: 10 Elements to Writing This Powerful Sub Genre

The Northman Viking Movie

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. …

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15 Striking Martin McDonagh Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers

Martin McDonagh Quotes

He’s one of the most distinctive contemporary writers; someone who entertains and shocks in equal measure. His films are bold, action-packed but most of all, hilarious. In this striking mix, …

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The Comedy Horror Movie: The KEYS to Both Laughs and Scares

Write a Comedy Horror Movie

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 …

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How Do You Break into the Film Industry? 10 Important Lessons

Break into the Film Industry

The film industry is infamously hard to break into. This applies whether you’re behind the scenes, in post-production or right in front of the camera. It can be tricky to …

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The 10 KEY Building Blocks to Writing Revenge Stories

Kill Bill 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 …

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What is the Special Girl Trope and How Do You Avoid It?

Twilight Special Girl

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 …

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What’s SO Good About The Citizen Kane Ending?

Citizen Kane Ending Scene

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, …

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