Picture this. You’re an aspiring screenwriter with a story idea, maybe even a script. You get into an elevator and see a well known movie producer. You chat, you say you’re a screenwriter, and they ask if you have anything you’re working on. You have three more floors to pitch your story idea. What do you say? This is where having a clear and precise premise is necessary. Let’s look at the premise definition as well as a few examples to understand how to make our own.Continue reading What is the Premise of a Story — Definition and Examples
Narrative essays are important papers most students have to write. But how does one write a narrative essay? Fear not, we’re going to show you how to write a narrative essay by breaking down a variety of narrative writing strategies. By the end, you’ll know why narrative essays are so important – and how to write your own.Continue reading How to Write a Narrative Essay — A Step-by-Step Guide
Great writers find ways to lose superfluous language. Their prose is both precise and efficient in conveying meaning in a concise, yet vivid way. A great literary tool to achieve this is the epithet. While you may not yet be familiar with the epithet definition, you have probably heard or used an epithet in your writing or conversations. Let’s learn more about the epithet definition and how it enriches language and literature. Continue reading What is an Epithet — Definition, Types, and Examples for Writers
It’s never been easier to produce your own show than it is today. Thousands of filmmakers flock to the internet to produce short-form shows under the umbrella of web series – but how do you write a web series? We’re going to answer that question by looking at web series script format examples and different forms web series can take. By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to start writing a web series script of your own! Continue reading How to Write a Web Series — Format and Examples Explained
Writing a script can be a daunting task – but there are strategies for making it an engaging and fun exercise in creative practice. We’re going to answer the essential questions involved in writing a script, with character arc and plot examples. Then we’ll explain how to use our script analysis worksheet so that you can ensure you’re hitting all the major narrative, structural, and emotional beats needed to deliver a satisfying story.Continue reading Script Analysis Worksheet PDF — How to Analyze a Script
Did you know that some of the most famous movies of all time, like Rear Window, Rashomon, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, were adapted from short stories? The art of turning prose into a professional script has been incredibly lucrative for hundreds of writers over the years. We’re going to show you how to convert a short story into a script. By the end, you’ll be ready to pitch the next big cinematic adaptation to studio execs.Continue reading How to Convert a Short Story into a Script — A 5-Step Guide
There are a few iconic films that have transcended cinema and impacted culture at large and Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon is certainly one. Kurosawa’s exploration of truth and its expression in the film led to a term that would be used both in and outside of cinema — the Rashomon Effect. The Rashomon Effect is used in a range of subjects from storytelling to psychology to law. So what is the Rashomon Effect? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at its origins, what it means, and its influence on both film and culture. Continue reading What is The Rashomon Effect in…
There are few movements that shaped the literary arts in the 20th century more than Magical Realism. The genre reinvented what a novel could do, and gave writers new tools with which to shape their stories and social commentaries. In this post, we’ll define Magical Realism and examine why it became so popular.Continue reading What is Magical Realism — Fantasy vs Reality in Art & Literature
Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the craziest movies in recent years. But an early draft of the screenplay, written for Jackie Chan, might be even crazier. We’re going to break down the Everything Everywhere All at Once script by looking at its quotes, plot, and ending. In our video, we also break down how the Daniels and their team shot the film. From the cameras, lenses choices, aspect ratio and color palettes to the insane VFX. By the end, you’ll know why the script is so insane, and how it laid the groundwork for a critically-lauded film.Continue reading…
One of the more difficult cinematic aspects to communicate through a screenplay is pacing. Oftentimes, pacing relies on the cutting of shots and scenes. While the lengths of scenes can help give a reader the overall pacing of a film, how do you communicate the pacing of quick cuts within a scene? In this article we’ll teach you how to write quick cuts in a screenplay. Continue reading How to Write Quick Cuts in a Screenplay — Examples and Tips
