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
Characterization is everything that makes a character a character; thoughts, feelings, and appearances included. We’re going to break down some characterization examples from The Breakfast Club, In The Mood for Love, and more to see how writers uniquely approach the art of making characters. By the end, you’ll know a variety of approaches to characterization!Continue reading Characterization Examples in Movies — A Screenwriter’s Guide
Wreck-It Ralph smashed onto the cinema scene in 2012 with some state-of-the-art animation, great voice performances, and a uniquely sharp script. We’re going to break down the Wreck-It Ralph screenplay by looking at its quotes, characters, and meta-references. By the end, you might be inspired to write a meta-textual script just like Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee did!Continue reading Wreck-It Ralph Script PDF Download — Plot, Quotes & Analysis
Character breakdowns are used by casting directors during the pre-production phase of film production to gauge the defining character features that writers/directors are looking for. We’re going to show you how to write a character breakdown for a script so that you can organize your character descriptions in one place. By the end, you’ll know how to write a character breakdown for a script that grabs the attention of actors and readers.Continue reading How to Write a Character Breakdown for a Script — Pro-Tips
What is social commentary? You may have heard the term thrown around in video essays or seen it pop up in book, music, or film analysis without knowing precisely what it means. In this post, we will be defining social commentary, examining the different ways it can manifest in cinema, and taking a look at a few great examples of films that nail social commentary. Continue reading What is Social Commentary — Definition, Examples & Meaning
Sound design is a key element of filmmaking that gives the world of a story more depth. This can be ambient sound from cars passing by or even birds chirping overhead. But what about sounds that literally move a film’s plot along? Filmmakers have used sound effects across all genres to motivate characters’ actions, create suspense, or trigger a sequence of events.Before making it to the big screen, these important sound effects are written into screenplays as storytelling devices. So how to write sound effects in a script correctly? The answer is much simpler than one might think.Continue reading How…
Can you tell a good story without a round character? What does it mean to be a round character? There is a good chance most of your favorite movies and shows revolve around the unfolding of these characters. Conversely, stories without any well-developed characters tend to feel unrelatable. They don’t give the audience enough incentive to get invested in the story. In this post we will define what is a round character, and what is not, and show you some examples in film and television so that you can write your own compelling characters. These also work as a round…
Rear Window is a game of restraint. The rules of the film are clear: a murder mystery told through a window. The protagonist, and the camera, can’t leave the apartment. It’s a game Alfred Hitchcock was more than able to play, as Rear Window is now regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. And while Hitchcock deserves the credit for being able to keep a movie with such restrictions visually interesting and heart-pounding. Credit, too, should be allotted to the screenplay, a masterclass in the thriller genre. The Rear Window script crafts the perfect mystery, a satisfying…
