David Koepp may be famous for writing the action-packed blockbusters Jurassic Park and Mission Impossible, but his decades-long career as screenwriter boasts a far more diverse, and abundant, oeuvre. From romantic or black comedies to thrillers or moody suspense, Koepp’s stories take audiences on entertaining rides, no matter the genre. Continue reading David Koepp — Screenwriter Analysis on Genre, Craft & Process
James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar marked a technological breakthrough in the world of computer generated filmmaking. But although Avatar received a lot of renown for its visuals, the Avatar script has largely fallen by the wayside. I don’t think it would be inaccurate to suggest most people who saw the film in 2009 don’t remember much of what the film was about. We’re going to break down the Avatar 2009 script to see if it stacks up against the film’s final visuals. We’ll explore the Avatar setting of Pandora through the written word of James Cameron to pick up on…
I want to write a film script, you say, but I don’t know where to start! What are the steps of writing a movie script? How do I begin the work that might result in a classic of page and screen? Every writer, no matter how great or famous, confronts the blank page. This is particularly true in screenwriting, since a screenplay is mostly blank space. Properly formatted, each page gives you just a handful of lines to unfurl an entire story world. This may seem daunting, but there are plenty of tried and true methods to teach you the best…
Your eyes scroll horizontally, sentence by sentence, word over word over word – you stop to think, who is it that’s addressing me? Then, perhaps subconsciously, you realize that you must be reading from an alternate point of view, maybe this is second person – but what is second person point of view? We’re going to break down the second person point of view, or second person POV, with examples from Bright Lights, Big City and Mad Men, but first, let’s define second person point of view.Continue reading What is Second Person Point of View — Definition and Examples
Let’s break down the Game of Thrones pilot screenplay. Unlike other more straightforward television pilot scripts, the Game of Thrones script is a bit more complex because it introduces several storylines and characters that at first seem to have nothing to do with each other. Let’s teardown the Game of Thrones original pilot script and discuss some of the main takeaways. Continue reading Game of Thrones Script PDF Download & Analysis
Aspiring screenwriters often ask “what are the best screenwriting programs?” And although that question certainly holds merit, its answer is completely subjective. The truth is that there are no “best screenwriting schools;” for one person it may be YouTube, for another it may be an Ivy League institution. Still, we’re going to break down the pros of some of the most renowned screenwriting schools so that you can see whether or not they’re worth pursuing!Continue reading Best Screenwriting Programs — Top 10 Schools To Consider
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the best story in the trilogy. There are those who will disagree with me, but there’s no denying that Fellowship does a tremendous job of establishing the characters and world of Middle-Earth – while also balancing fantastical whimsy with dramatic action. Fellowship is adapted screenwriting done right – and we’re going to show you why it works. Fly you fools! Download a copy of the Lord of the Rings script below and follow along as we break down its plot.Continue reading Lord of the Rings Script PDF — ‘Fellowship’…
If you’ve ever heard sentence structure, met characters, or witnessed ideas that seem diametrically opposed, you’re actually pretty familiar with the idea of the antithesis. But there is more to it than just juxtaposing ideas. Read on to learn exactly what is antithesis, how this tool is used, and how you can include an antithesis in your next project. Continue reading What is Antithesis — Definition & Examples in Literature & Film
What are the best movie scripts to study as an aspiring screenwriter? Reading great screenplays is an important part of the learning process for any developing screenwriter. By looking at the work of great writers, we can explore a multitude of styles and approaches. Studying great scripts can strengthen and inform your own writing. We’ll be discussing the 10 best movie scripts to study. Let’s get started.Continue reading Best Screenplays to Read for Aspiring Screenwriters — Top 10
For centuries, narrative works were strongly positioned to be one of two things: a comedy or a tragedy. Even these days, the two genres of drama and comedy are usually the most prominent or easiest to ascertain. Even if one has minor elements of the other, they can still exist as separate entities. Unless, of course, you’re talking about a dramedy. What is a dramedy, you ask? While it can be simplified as being a mixture of drama and comedy, we want to go in-depth with characteristics and examples. We want you to know what to look out for when…
