Writing Act Two: The Conflict – An ESSENTIAL and SIMPLE Breakdown

Dune

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 …

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What is Magical Realism? The KEY Steps to Using it in Screenwriting

Birdman Magical Realism

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 …

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15 Great Taika Waititi Quotes for Writers & Filmmakers

taika waititi quotes

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 …

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6 KEY Ways to Adapt a Short Story & the Best Short Story Adaptations

Arrival Short Story Adaptation

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 …

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15 Fascinating Alex Garland Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers

Ex Machina Alex Garland Quotes

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 …

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How Do You Best Convey the Passage of Time in Your Screenplay?

Passage of Time Metropolis

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. …

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How Do You Write Highly Realistic Dialogue? The 10 KEY Steps…

The Master Realistic Dialogue

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 …

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How to Effectively Weave Character Backstory into Your Screenplay

The Godfather Character Backstory

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 …

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15 Matt Reeves Quotes to INSPIRE Writers and Filmmakers

Matt Reeves Quotes

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 …

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A Screenplay Option Offer Comes In…Here’s How You Navigate It

Screenplay Option

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 …

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The Insider Interviews – GLADIATOR Screenwriter William Nicholson

William Nicholson Interview

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 …

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The Insider Interviews – with Mega-Producer Basil Iwanyk

Basil Iwanyk judge of TITAN screenwriting contest

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 …

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The Insider Interviews – with Oscar-Nominee Shannon McIntosh

Shannon Mcintosh TITAN Screenwriting Contest judge

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 …

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What is the Definition of CINEMATIC, in Screenwriting Terms?

Blade Runner -Defintion of Cinematic

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 …

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An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner James Foye

James foye winner The TITAN screenwriting contest winner

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 …

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An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner Todd Restler

Todd Restler 2021 TITAN screenwriting contest winning writer

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 …

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How To Write an Active Protagonist (and Avoid a Passive Protagonist)

Licorice Pizza Active Protagonists

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 …

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The 25 Best Strategies for Creating DISTINCTIVE Movie Ideas

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 …

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15 Timeless John Hughes Quotes to Inspire Writers and Filmmakers

John Hughes Quotes Ferris Beuller

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 …

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Writing Christmas Films & Navigating the Holidays: The ULTIMATE Guide

It's a Wonderful Life Christmas Films

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 …

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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 …

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Writing Dramatic Irony in Screenwriting: The Key Steps

Toy Story Writing Dramatic Irony

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. …

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What is a MacGuffin? The KEY Points and KEY Examples

Vincent with the briefcase

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 …

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Sophisticated Plants and Payoffs: Vital Cogs in any Screenwriter’s Engine

Plant and Payoff Chris Get Out.

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 …

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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 …

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The Essential Elements of Writing a Fish Out of Water Story

Ted Lasso 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 …

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The 10 Best TED Talks For Screenwriters and What They Teach

Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talk for Screenwriters

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 …

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What is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle? And How to Use It (with Examples)

Dan Harmon's Story Circle - Community

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 …

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The 13 Key Elements of a Slasher Movie with 10 Slasher Movie Examples

Jason Slasher Movie

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 …

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What Makes A Great Action And Adventure Movie Script?

Temple of Doom Action

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 …

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15 Fascinating Wes Anderson Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers

Wes Anderson Quotes

Where do you start with Wes Anderson? The acclaimed director is one of the most distinctive and charismatic filmmakers of all time. And whilst he typically doesn’t spill his guts …

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James Cameron MasterClass Review: Is It Worth It?

James Cameron Masterclass Review

Our review scores out of 10 for the James Cameron MasterClass: Lessons – 9.5/10Workbook – 7/10Community – 7/10Value – 10/10 Overall Verdict – Two thumbs up! Who is James Cameron? …

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What is a Soliloquy? And Is There Space for Soliloquies in Screenwriting?

Taxi Driver Soliloquy

Most will remember Hamlet’s famous speech, the one example of a soliloquy that has been painfully etched into many students’ memories – “to be or not to be”. And conveniently …

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