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…
What is world-building? And, more importantly, why does it matter? World-building is an integral element of storytelling that often goes overlooked and underappreciated. Good world-building might be felt rather than explicitly noticed, and a lack of world-building can leave a book, film, or video game feeling shallow. We’ll get started with a world-building definition, then explore when and why world-building is so important, and we’ll close things out by taking a look at some great world-building examples. Continue reading What is World Building — Definition, Examples & Techniques
Can you format a screenplay in Microsoft Word? And if so, how? We will be answering both of these questions as well as outlining the necessary steps to take, and detailing a couple of tricks that will save you time in the long run. Accurate formatting is crucial in getting your screenplay taken seriously by industry professionals. Read on to find out if industry-standard formatting is possible in Microsoft Word.Continue reading Writing Screenplays in Word — A Formatting Guide for Writers
How do you format a screenplay using Microsoft Word? Is it even possible? In this post, we will be answering both of these questions and providing a free template to get you started. We will also take a look at a free alternative to writing scripts in Microsoft word, examining the drawbacks of using a generalized word processor, and breaking down how our template works.Continue reading Microsoft Word Screenplay Template — Free Download & Guide
Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper, put it in his tupper-cupboard and ate it late for supper. Believe it or not, that line is emblematic of consonance – but what is consonance? We’re going to answer that question by outlining a consonance definition, and by exploring consonance examples in poetry/literature. By the end, you’ll know how to recognize consonance, and implement it in your own works. Continue reading What is Consonance — Definition, Examples and Effects
August Wilson was one of the most revered scriptwriters of the 20th century. His magnum opus Fences is widely considered one of the greatest stage plays of all time. In 2016, more than ten years after Wilson’s death, Fences was produced as a feature film, with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starring in the leading roles. We’re going to break down the Fences script by looking at its characters, quotes, themes, and allegories. By the end, we’ll have a good grasp as to why Fences is considered such an important work.Continue reading Fences Script PDF Download — Characters & Themes…
How do you format a screenplay in Google Docs? Is it even possible? We will answer both of these questions as well as look at alternatives to Google Docs, add-ons that can improve the writing experience in Google Docs, and common screenplay formatting pitfalls. We will also explore the most useful built-in features the software offers and let you know where else these features can be found. Professional formatting is pivotal in whether or not a screenplay is taken seriously in the industry. Let’s find out if achieving professional-level formatting is possible in Google Docs. Continue reading How to Format…
When Twilight was released in 2008, it dominated pop culture, spawning more spoofs, imitations, and vampire erotica than any one person could keep track of. The film became one entry in a five-part series of movies that only got more expensive and melodramatic with each installment. While Twilight is no Battleship Potemkin, its script provides a fascinating blueprint of how to kick off a mega-successful franchise that enraptures huge swaths of moviegoers. How do you tell a narrative about a century-old vampire falling in love with a high schooler and make it not only not garishly creepy but in fact a…
Brian De Palma’s 1983 remake of Howard Hawks’s 1932 original Scarface is a violent and vitriolic condemnation of power. But although the remake is perhaps most well-known for Al Pacino’s legendary performance as Tony Montana, Oliver Stone’s script contains a lot of personal insight as well. We’re going to tear down the Scarface script by looking at its quotes, characters and commentary. By the end, we’ll develop an understanding of how Stone adapted a gangster epic unlike any other. Continue reading Scarface Script PDF Download — Characters & Ending Analysis
