Thelonious (Theo) Friedman is a screenwriter born and raised in Portland, OR. Currently living in LA, he has a diverse range of experience including criminal justice, sports, sports media, and the film & television industry.
Tired of scrolling through Netflix? Feeling lonely? Searching for ‘the one’? No matter what prompted you to Google “best romantic comedies,” by the time you leave, two things are certain: you’ll be inspired to make your own list of favorites and you’ll open up that ice cream tub and turn on the TV. So, without… Continue reading Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, Ranked for Romantics
BasicsOpen menu What is a Green Screen? Blue Screen vs Green Screen DIY Green ScreenOpen menu How to Make a Green Screen Green Screen Color Using a Green ScreenOpen menu How to Use a Green Screen Green Screen Lighting EditingOpen menu Best Green Screen Software Best Green Screen Background Videos How to Use a Green… Continue reading How to Use a Green Screen — Setup, Lighting and Creative Uses
EssentialsOpen menu Insert Image What is The Three Act Structure Insert Image What is Story Structure Insert Image What is a Story Beat Insert Image What Is a Plot Insert Image What is a Non-Linear Plot Insert Image What is a Plot Device Insert Image Screenplay Structure Examples Insert Image Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Insert… Continue reading Screenplay Structure Examples — A Guide for Screenwriters
If you’ve worked in an office, you know… the business card means everything. In a world dominated by cell phones, tech, and social media, the business card closes the deal. No one knows this more than Patrick Bateman. Of all the business cards in history, one card reigns supreme — Paul Allen’s card from the… Continue reading American Psycho Business Card Scene — Complete Breakdown
In psychology, there’s something called the serial position effect. It means people tend to remember what comes first and last, not what occurs in the middle. Filmmakers know this phenomenon all too well. Combine that with today’s stream-ability and countless options… and the opening to a film is as important as ever. Today, we study the best… Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
Types of LensesOpen menu Insert Image Prime Lens Insert Image Zoom Lens Insert Image Anamorphic Lens Insert Image Lens Basics Insert Image More About Lens Types Focal LengthsOpen menu Insert Image Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Insert Image Standard (35mm – 70mm) Insert Image Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) Insert Image More Focal Lengths… Continue reading What is a 35mm Lens Good For? 4 Reasons You Need One
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read for… Continue reading Training Day Script PDF Download: Quotes, Plot, and Characters
You’ve written a script. You’ve polished it, re-written it, performed a table read, re-written it again, you’re sick of the thing. It’s time to let this thing hit the market. But what is the market? How much is a script worth? Is it a feature or TV? How much more do you get for hour-long vs… Continue reading WGA Minimums — Writers Guild Pay Rates Explained
Do you want to learn to write like Tarantino? Learn how to make 3 decades of fresh, original movies? Well, I can’t guarantee that, but there’s no better place to start than by reading a Tarantino script. Today, we study his Oscar-winning Django Unchained script, the storyline, characters, and what makes it distinctly Tarantino. The… Continue reading Django Unchained Script PDF Download: Plot, Quotes & Analysis
Working on your script? Feeling lonely? Trying to get out of the friend zone? You came to the right place. Today we break down the Oscar-nominated When Harry Met Sally script, and it’s a good one. From long monologues to sharp ping-pong dialogue, pure disdain to pure desire, let’s see how screenwriter Nora Ephron yo-yos… Continue reading When Harry Met Sally Script PDF Download & Character Analysis
BasicsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing TechniquesOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Sound Recording Filmmaker’s… Continue reading How Copyright Free Music Works and Where to Find It
BasicsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing TechniquesOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Sound Recording Filmmaker’s… Continue reading Ding Sound Effect Download — Royalty-Free SFX Library Sounds
By GenreOpen menu Insert Image Comedy Insert Image Sci-Fi Insert Image Action Insert Image Romantic Insert Image Animation Insert Image Thriller Insert Image Drama Insert Image Crime Insert Image TV Scripts Insert Image Horror Insert Image Fantasy Insert Image Western Insert Image Musical Insert Image War ResourcesOpen menu Insert Image Best Screenplays to Read for… Continue reading Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained [PDF Downloads]
There seem to be three primary ways people learn screenwriting these days: film school, screenwriting books or the Scriptnotes podcast with John August and Craig Mazin. In most cases, probably a combination of all three. Film school has an obvious downside, it costs about $100,000. Ask any screenwriter about screenwriting books and you’ve clearly hit… Continue reading John August — A Name Every Screenwriter Should Know
BasicsOpen menu What is a Green Screen? Blue Screen vs Green Screen DIY Green ScreenOpen menu How to Make a Green Screen Green Screen Color Using a Green ScreenOpen menu How to Use a Green Screen Green Screen Lighting EditingOpen menu Best Green Screen Software Best Green Screen Background Videos How to Use a Green… Continue reading What is a Green Screen Used For and How Do They Work?
Whether looking to edit your first video or thinking about switching, something prompted you to stumble upon Davinci Resolve 16, and what a stumble it was. We’ll get into the ins-and-outs, the ups-and-downs, the whys-and-why-nots, talk about Adobe Premiere Pro, all that. First, take a moment, pat yourself on the back. As of clicking this… Continue reading Davinci Resolve 16 — Prices, Features, and How it Compares
It’s well documented that Hollywood is a tough industry to crack. Whether an aspiring writer, producer, or director… you’ll often start in a job that’s neither writing, producing, or directing. And as you spend countless hours on Linkedin or Indeed searching for jobs, you may see posts for script reader jobs, script coverage jobs, or… Continue reading How to Become a Script Reader — Duties, Salary, and Resources
BasicsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing TechniquesOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Sound Recording Filmmaker’s… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
BasicsOpen menu What is Sound Design What Does a Sound Designer Do Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing What is Voice Over What is a Foley Artist What is Diegetic Sound What is Non-Diegetic Sound What is a Film Score What is Asynchronous Sound What is Music Licensing TechniquesOpen menu Ultimate Guide to Sound Recording Filmmaker’s… Continue reading What is The Shepard Tone? The Audio Illusion Explained with Examples
You just watched Inception, more specifically, you just watched the ending of Inception, maybe not for the first time. Naturally, you’re gonna have some questions. Wait, what? That top started to fall right? Why were his kids wearing the same outfits? Could that have really been a dream? Don’t worry, we’ll parse through all the… Continue reading Inception Ending Explained — Dream vs Reality vs Nolan
