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, …
Film
Articles focussing heavily on Film.
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 …
15 David O. Russell Quotes Writers & Filmmakers Can Learn From
He’s one of the most charismatic contemporary American directors; someone who manages to craft intriguing and intimate stories with big stars attached. But what makes David O. Russell tick creatively? …
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 …
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 …
What Does a Script Coordinator Do? The BEST & SIMPLEST Breakdown
When we think about screenwriting we tend to think about the writer behind the work we eventually see on the screen. But what about all of the other important jobs …
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 …
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 …
15 Brilliant Robert Eggers Quotes on Storytelling and Filmmaking
After the success of The Lighthouse, it was no surprise to see Robert Eggers helm a blockbuster, particularly one with such a talented cast. With The Northman, Eggers announced himself …
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 …
15 Fascinating Alex Garland Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
From merciless zombies to a beautiful hidden beach in Thailand, Alex Garland has written many cult and classic films in a range of different spaces and genres. Not only is …
How Do You Best Convey the Passage of Time in Your Screenplay?
It’s rare that you would find a script without any significant passage of time whatsoever. It’s often a vital part of how a script develops and keeps its audience engaged. …
How Do You Write Highly Realistic Dialogue? The 10 KEY Steps…
One of the biggest humps to get over when writing for film or television is dialogue. Even if you have a perfect story, outline, and characters, bad dialogue can bring …
How to Effectively Weave Character Backstory into Your Screenplay
So, you made it through one of the hardest parts of writing a screenplay; you created your characters. From childhood trauma to adulthood adventures, you’ve fleshed out your entire character …
15 Matt Reeves Quotes to INSPIRE Writers and Filmmakers
He’s emerged as one of the most striking directors of the 21st century. Quietly he’s helmed some of the biggest hits of the 2010s and 2020s, managing to infuse big …
A Screenplay Option Offer Comes In…Here’s How You Navigate It
So, you’ve written a screenplay and a producer has approached you about a screenplay option. Amazing – right? You’re one step closer to having your work make it onto the …
The Insider Interviews – GLADIATOR Screenwriter William Nicholson
This latest iteration of our long-running Insider Interviews series is with William Nicholson, the prolific screenwriter behind such hits as Gladiator, Shadowlands, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Breathe, amongst many …
10 INCREDIBLE Closing Scenes & What They Teach Screenwriters
The closing scene of any film is crucial. The last scene and image should stick with viewers. If done well, it can prove to be a vital cog in a …
The Insider Interviews – with Mega-Producer Basil Iwanyk
This latest iteration of our Insider Interviews Series is with producer Basil Iwanyk, one of the three judges of the second year of Industrial Scripts’ screenwriting contest, The TITAN Awards. Basil Iwanyk Biography …
The Insider Interviews – with Oscar-Nominee Shannon McIntosh
This latest iteration of our Insider Interviews Series is with producer Shannon McIntosh, one of the three judges of the second year of Industrial Scripts’ screenwriting contest, The TITAN Awards. Shannon McIntosh Biography Shannon …
What is the Definition of CINEMATIC, in Screenwriting Terms?
We’ve all heard the term “cinematic”. Film reviews, job offerings, script feedback, award acceptance speeches. Many people in the industry use this term, some of them quite lightly. But what …
An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner James Foye
About The TITAN Awards The TITAN Awards is a global, prestigious screenwriting contest whereby material competes against its own kind for as long as possible over the course of a contest cycle. Horror feature vs …
An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner Todd Restler
About The TITAN Awards The TITAN Awards is a prestigious annual screenwriting contest whereby material competes against its own kind for as long as possible over the course of a contest cycle. Horror feature vs …
15 Classic Coen Brothers Quotes to INSPIRE
Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have cemented themselves as one of the most influential filmmaking duos of all time. Through an array of acclaimed movies including Fargo (1996), True Grit …
How To Write an Active Protagonist (and Avoid a Passive Protagonist)
What is an Active Protagonist? An active protagonist is a main character who is not merely affected by the world around them, but affects that world too. Their actions, both …
The 25 Best Strategies for Creating DISTINCTIVE Movie Ideas
Whether you’re an experienced writer, a recent film studies grad, or a casual cinephile who walked out of a theater and thought, “I could do that,” crafting great movie ideas …
15 Timeless John Hughes Quotes to Inspire Writers and Filmmakers
John Hughes influenced the cinema landscape immensely largely during the 1980s. His most beloved movies include The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. But …
Writing Christmas Films & Navigating the Holidays: The ULTIMATE Guide
When writing Christmas films there’s multiple sub-genres and elements to consider to make it the perfect holiday watch. It’s no secret that there are a range of elements to cover …
The 10 ESSENTIAL Elements of a Historical Fiction Script
What is Historical Fiction? At face value, the definition of historical fiction is simple: a fictional story set against a real time period in the past. It is when we …
Writing Dramatic Irony in Screenwriting: The Key Steps
What is Dramatic Irony? Simply put, dramatic irony is a form of irony. It is both a literary and theatrical device used when the audience knows more than the characters. …
How to Write a Gangster Movie: The Expectations of the Genre
What is a Gangster Movie? The gangster movie is one that focuses on narratives of organized crime and gangs. A crime sub-genre (and often part of the film noir sub-genre, …
What is a MacGuffin? The KEY Points and KEY Examples
What is a MacGuffin? A MacGuffin is a type of plot device that is essential to driving the plot but not necessarily important within the story as a whole. Story …
Sophisticated Plants and Payoffs: Vital Cogs in any Screenwriter’s Engine
An essential principle not only to screenwriting but also the wider fundamentals of storytelling, plants and payoffs are one of the most effective ways of involving the audience and embedding …
What is Five Act Structure and How Do Screenwriters Use It?
Introduction to the Five-Act Structure In this article, we’ll look into one of the most popular dramatic structures that screenwriters often utilise in order to create an exciting script: The …
The Essential Elements of Writing a Fish Out of Water Story
What is a Fish Out of Water Story? A ‘fish out of water’ story is the idiom referring to a character who is removed from their daily lives and forced …
The 10 Best TED Talks For Screenwriters and What They Teach
There are many TED talks out there for writers, screenwriters and storytellers. In this article, we’ll focus on 10 of the most relevant and best talks for screenwriters and writers …
The Monster Genre: How to Write an Original Movie Monster
The monster genre is one of cinema’s classic creations. And the monster itself is a creation that can haunt the imagination of audiences long after the credits. But what does …
What is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle? And How to Use It (with Examples)
The art of telling a story is ultimately narrowed down to its basic structure. And Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is an example of one of many story structures. These different …
How to Write a Convincing Murder Mystery Script
There is a timeless formula to writing a murder mystery that shows no sign of waning in popularity. This isn’t to say that writing a murder mystery script, let alone …
The 13 Key Elements of a Slasher Movie with 10 Slasher Movie Examples
The slasher movie sub-genre could be considered one of the most controversial sub-genres in cinema. With its stark violence, it’s often the subject of discussions around the effect of slasher …
The 10 ESSENTIAL Steps to Writing a Police Procedural Script
What is a Police Procedural? A police procedural is a sub-genre of the police drama. It’s also often referred to as an inverted detective story or a ‘howcatchem‘. Police procedural …
What Makes A Great Action And Adventure Movie Script?
The action and adventure movie genre is one that often sits at the top of the box office. It’s a genre that can have a wide reach across many different …