Film Festival Strategy 101: The KEY Steps for a New Filmmaker
So you’ve made a film and you want more people than just your friends and family to see it. Well, film festivals are a great way to get your project …
Film
Articles focussing heavily on Film.
Playwriting vs Screenwriting: How PLAYWRITING Can Help Your SCREENWRITING
Both playwrights and screenwriters practice the art of dramatic writing with the same goal in mind. To tell a compelling story that leaves a lasting impact on audiences. The truth …
Writing the Tragic Romance: 7 Essential Elements to Breaking Hearts
Heartbreak is the key feature of a tragic romance. The central love story ends in heartbreak and, as a result, audiences walk away from the film feeling heartbroken. Most people …
Fight Scenes That Kick A*s: 15 Examples of a Superbly Written Fight Scene
Whether you’re a fan of highly choreographed martial art movies, or super polished CGI superhero battles: it is always useful to have a set of ground rules how to write a good fight scene.
Mockumentary Scripts: The Keys to Writing a Great Mockumentary
A mockumentary is a satirical film or television show that combines documentary-style filmmaking with fictional subject matter. But although mockumentaries feature fictional events, they differ greatly from traditional narratives. And this …
What Makes a Great Monologue? 10 Great Monologues Screenwriters Can Learn From
In film and TV, great monologues have the power to hit an audience more than any other moment in a story. They can be gut-wrenching emotional confessions, pivotal moments of …
How to Write an Animated Film: 6 Vital Steps to Scripting Animation
Have you always had an affinity for animation? Do you have a story idea that you think would be perfect for an animated film? Are you simply finding that your …
The Different Types of External Conflict & 10 Great External Conflict Examples
External conflict is an essential part of screenwriting in that it’s essential in driving any plot. It is different to internal conflict in that whilst internal conflict is within the …
How to Write a Modern Western: The New Wild West
The Western was one of the earliest cinematic genres and it has had a number of resurgences and reinventions over the last one hundred years. It’s a genre that through …
Forensic Scene Analysis: The Whiplash Scene – ‘Not Quite My Tempo’
In this series, we’ll take a look at great, well-known scenes from films and TV. We’ll analyse these scenes to figure out what makes them work so well, what they …
15 Enlightening Christopher Nolan Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
Christopher Nolan is the recipient of over 30 Academy Award nominations, and 10 wins. He is one of the most influential auteurs working in the industry today; his films having …
Writing Dialogue Expertly: Learn from These Great Dialogue Examples
It’s no question that one of the most powerful elements in a story is dialogue. In film, dialogue builds the overall tone of the movie, establishes the relationships between characters …
How to Write a True Crime Movie: The 12 Key Elements to a True Crime Story
How to Write a True Crime Movie: Working with a True Crime Story The phrase “Based on a true story” is one guaranteed to make any moviegoer perk up in …
How Do You Write a Cliffhanger? The 8 Steps to REALLY Hooking An Audience
This article will explore the cliffhanger, as a screenwriting mechanism, and how best to deploy it in your screenplay. We’ll examine the following: What is a Cliffhanger? What Effect Does …
The 10 Key Elements to Writing a Courtroom Drama
The courtroom drama, also known as the legal drama, is a long-standing staple in entertainment. This noteworthy genre of film has generated such timeless classics as To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 …
15 Illuminating Charlie Kaufman Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
Charlie Kaufman is a name that commands widespread respect, from his industry peers, to critics and cinephiles. Charlie Kaufman quotes, whether embedded in his written dialogue or interviews, are sure …
What is Chekhov’s Gun? 5 Ways to Skilfully Use One in Your Screenplay
Chekhov’s gun is a term that – in its simplest form – bestows purpose upon any object, character or situation within a narrative, on which the writer explicitly chooses to …
10 Amazing Opening Scenes & What Screenwriters Can Learn From Them
A first impression counts. We all know that. And in screenwriting it’s no different. Your screenplay’s opening scene is vital. Screenplay readers will often tell you that the first ten …
15 Brilliant Montage Examples for Screenwriters and Filmmakers
The montage is an ever present part of modern screenwriting. Filmmakers and screenwriters frequently use this technique, regardless of genre. But what are the best montage examples and what do they teach …
Looking to the Future: How Video Game Logic Can Enhance Your Screenplay
This article will delve into the dynamic world of video games and video game logic. Many video games have been translated on-screen into video game movies, and the line between …
How to Write a Film Noir: Utilising the 8 Essential Pillars of Film Noir
This article will delve into what film noir is and its common tropes. We’ll offer pointers on how to write a film noir that both honours the traditions of the …
How To Write a Captivating Love Triangle: The ULTIMATE Guide
How To Write a Love Triangle This article will offer some key pointers on that most time-trodden (and wildly successful) cinematic device – the love triangle – and hopefully assist those …
The 6 Key Steps to Writing the BEST Script Outline Possible
How to Write the Best Script Outline Possible Achieving the extraordinary usually requires extraordinary planning. Hence before writing a great screenplay, you need a great script outline. The world of …
15 Inspiring Barry Jenkins Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
15 Inspiring Barry Jenkins Quotes for Writers & Filmmakers Barry Jenkins is undoubtedly among this generation’s most influential and important directors, producers and screenwriters. We have complied a list of …
How to Get the Best Out of a Nonlinear Narrative (With the Best Examples)
How to Get the Best Out of a Nonlinear Narrative The nonlinear narrative is a common feature of contemporary movies (and TV as well). It has become such a familiar …
An Epic List of The 67 Film Sub Genres and Their Meanings
The 67 Different Sub Genres Two decades and a century since the dawn of cinema, it is safe to say the medium has by now produced a colossal variety …
How to Write a Thrilling Heist Movie (or TV series): The 10 Perfect Steps
How to Write a Heist Movie (or TV series): The ULTIMATE 10 Steps A band of misfits. A slick elite group. “Getting away clean”. Whatever the stakes. A heist …
How to Write a Surrealist Film: Learn The Core Principles of Surrealism
How to Write a Surrealist Film: The Core Principles of Surrealism Surrealist film tends to fall far from the aims of the original Surrealist movement. This article will demonstrate how …
15 Electric Danny Boyle Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
Forever Changing: 15 Danny Boyle Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers His mother had plans for him to go into the priesthood. But Danny Boyle left the path of Catholicism and …
How to Write a Coherent and Compelling Movie Synopsis: The Key Steps
How to Write a Synopsis That Stands Out You might think writing a movie synopsis is a chore when you’re slumped at your desk. Your eyes straining against the harsh …
How to Expertly Use (and Not Use) a Framing Device in Your Screenplay
How to Use (and Not Use) a Framing Device in Your Screenplay An elderly narrator sits down in a chair. They talk directly to camera. They are the storyteller. We …
Writing a Scene: What Are The 10 Key Steps To Dramatic Excellence?
Writing a Scene: Breaking Down the 10 Key Steps in Getting Started As with most stages of the screenwriting process, writing a scene is a journey of discovery. It is useful …
Voice-Over Narration in Screenplays: The Ultimate Guide
Voice-Over Narration—How to Get it Right and How to Get it Very Wrong A common piece of advice given to newer screenwriters is: avoid voice-over narration at all costs. This …
15 Brilliant Flashback Examples for Screenwriters and Filmmakers
15 Brilliant Flashback Examples That Show How to Best Use It It’s almost hard to think of a modern film that doesn’t have a flashback example somewhere within it. Of …
The 6 Pillars of Writing a Great Post-Apocalyptic Movie
How to Write a Great Post-Apocalyptic Movie The post-apocalyptic movie feels eerily relevant. Deserted streets, daily political briefings, biotech-clad figures. These are no longer just science fiction fantasies. But …
15 Todd Phillips Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
15 Todd Phillips Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers While some of the best directors find themselves permanently in one niche, Todd Phillips seems to thrive by bouncing around. A …
How to Write a War Film: The ULTIMATE Guide
How to Write a War Film That’s Compelling and Modern This article will offer key pointers on how to write a war film. Using five successful but very different films …
15 Brilliant Cary Fukunaga Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
15 Brilliant Cary Fukunaga Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers Cary Fukunaga has had a prolific career so far. He is American by nationality, but of Japanese, Swedish, English and German …
From Book to Screen: 9 Essential Steps to Skilful Adaptations
From Book to Screen: 9 Essential Keys to Adaptation Stories that have made the journey from book to screen have always been popular. But it feels more than ever they …
How to Expertly Create High Stakes in Your Screenplays
The Importance and Meaning of High Stakes in Screenwriting It’s pretty simple. Story stakes answer the question… “So what? Why should we care?” High stakes can benefit the story in …
On the Nose Dialogue: How to Lose It or Use It in Screenwriting
On the Nose Dialogue: How to Lose It or Use It in Screenwriting Granted, writing on the nose dialogue might not be the greatest sin in screenwriting terms. But it’s …
The Deep Value of Subplots: With 10 Awesome Examples
The Value and Importance of Subplots: With 10 Amazing Examples Subplots. Most movies and TV series have them, whether large or small. The grand overarching plot is the defining part …
How to Write a Captivating Psychological Thriller
How to Write a Captivating Psychological Thriller A psychological thriller. It’s a story that gets in your head and keeps you on your toes. Psychological Thriller: ‘a thriller narrative that …
15 Safdie Brothers Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers
15 Safdie Brothers Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers The Safdie brothers began making independent short films from a young age, drawing heavily from their disruptive childhood as two children of …
Truly Understanding Story Structure: The Vital Steps
Understanding Story Structure: The Essential Steps Story structure. It’s easy to take it for granted. It’s easy to think it unimportant in a world where structure is constantly being played …
How to Create a Credible Movie Villain for your Screenplay
Creating an Awesome Movie Villain for your Screenplay In this article we’ll look at different examples and tools for creating believable movie villains. In Writing Screenplays that Sell, Michael Hauge …
The 7 Vital Steps to Developing a Great High Concept Movie
Turn Your Loose Story Ideas into a High Concept Movie in 7 Steps What is a “high concept” movie? What do movie producers and executives look for in a …
How to Write a Love Interest That Audiences Believe In
How to Write a Love Interest who Audiences Believe… If your mind immediately jumps to soppy worn out cliches when you think of love interests, you’d be forgiven. But …
How to Harness the Power of Visual Metaphor In Your Screenplays
What is a Visual Metaphor? And How to Use One in Your Screenplay… You want a screenplay to be entertaining but reflective and unique but relatable. You want the audience …
How to Write a Compelling Science Fiction Movie
How to Write a Compelling Science Fiction Movie While science fiction movies can be exhilarating to watch, they can be just as daunting to write. How do you create …