We all know that a great soundtrack can stir emotions in the audience. But few genres have a direct line to the emotional centers of our brain than suspense and horror. Suspenseful music, when done right, can make all the difference. Great horror movie music doesn’t often win Oscars, but it does stay with us long after the lights have gone up. There's an art to using suspense music to create terror, dread, and fear. Here's how some of your filmmakers and composers create horror music by balancing two key elements: horror and revulsion. Watch: Suspenseful Music in a Film…
A masked killer with a signature weapon. A group of victims anchored by a Final Girl. And a structure that evenly disperses the death and mayhem. Even people who don’t watch slasher movies know the game. The look and feel of these movies have become baked into pop culture. This has happened to such a degree that even non-slasher movies can’t escape their influence. What follows is a list, in no particular order, of the best slasher movies that don’t technically qualify as such.Continue reading The Best Slasher Movies (That Aren’t Slasher Movies)
Most filmmakers understand the cinematic power of a shot with an extreme angle, but what happens when you use standard composition and natural camera level for your shot selections?We’re going to discuss the eye level shot and go over which emotions are generated with this particular camera angle, and show examples of how an eye level shot can ground your characters and connect your viewer.Continue reading Eye Level Shots: Creative Examples of Camera Angles & Shots
The Gone Girl script was adapted from the novel of the same name, and features some great quotes, a killer plot, and became an academy award-nominated movie. See our analysis of the Gone Girl screenplay below, and find a free PDF download for you to study.Continue reading Gone Girl Script: Plot Summary, Quotes, and Screenplay PDF Download
A lot of debate always surges about who should have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. But for this list, we’re turning our attention to the Best Original Song category. There have been plenty of classics and just as many duds over the years, but which one do you think should top the list as the best original movie song of all time?Does Lady Gaga’s performance in A Star is Born overtake that of Barbara Streisand’s? Which Disney song do you think ranks highest? When you look at the Best Original Song winners & nominees, is there a different…
Most working actors appreciate the fluidity of the medium — they can be in a movie one year, and then choose to work on a play or television series the next. Television, especially lately, has become so much richer and substantive. The level of conflict between characters, and even the dimensions and rawness of each character, makes working on a show much more desirable than the sitcoms of the 90s. So, it’s no wonder why we see big movie stars in tv series all the time now. Here are a few top actors that have made the switch.Continue reading Actors…
You want to learn how to write a fight scene in a screenplay, but it seems that each writer takes their own unique approach. How then can you determine the ‘right way’ to write compelling fight scenes? No worries. This post will take you through the process of writing the best fight scenes for different genres (with examples) so that they are adequately descriptive, entertain the reader, and help to sell your scripts to professional filmmakers. Lezgo. Continue reading How to Write a Fight Scene in a Screenplay Like John Wick
The crew deal memo is a form that provides protection between the production company (or financier) and crew. While it’s quite simple finding a crew deal memo template online, you’ll need to be careful with using those because they often use certain clauses and stipulations favoring one party over the other.Continue reading Mastering the Crew Deal Memo (with FREE Template)
There are many types of irony out there. Within the main branch of situational irony lies a version with a supernatural twist⏤cosmic irony. The main thrust of this series is getting writers to embrace irony as a tool that will add a level of depth and nuance to their work. How do you define cosmic irony? In this chapter, we’re going to specifically talk about this most “fateful” form of irony. Continue reading What is Cosmic Irony? Definition and Examples For Screenwriters
The Deadpool script helped to create a cultural phenomenon — a modern superhero movie that floats above political correctness and brings a brand of biting humor along with a distinct meta quality.In this post, we’re going to analyze the Deadpool script so that you can see how the screenwriters crafted a story that would lead to at least two sequels and a loyal fanbase that has been extremely satisfied to date.Continue reading The Deadpool Script: Movie Quotes and Screenplay PDF Download
