Woody Allen is a writer and director who bares his emotions and neuroses on screen. It’s for this very reason that so many of his films feel so personal.Yet, as an audience, it feels harder than ever to make sense of the complicated nature that is Allen’s catalog of work, especially in light of allegations of sexual assault that have been made against him.But still, it’s undeniable that Allen is not only one of the most prolific filmmakers in the history of cinema, but also one of the best.In this article, we’re going to judge Allen’s work by four movie…
Denouement is one of the most important aspects of a script, yet it can easily be confused with other story beats like climaxes or epilogues. So what is denouement? In this article, we’re going to define denouement in a clear and simple way, then look at some key examples that show us how masterclass filmmakers use it to expert effect. We’ll cover the various types of denouement (explicit vs. implicit) with some stellar examples. But before all that, let’s start with a quick denouement definition so we can begin to understand the foundation of this highly important storytelling element.Continue reading…
The Academy Award for Best Director is the most prestigious honor any director can receive -- well, at least in theory it is. You may be shocked to find out that many of “the greatest directors of all-time,” like Alfred Hitchock, Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick, Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini never won the award. Of all of the Academy Awards, the Best Director category probably has the greatest discrepancy between its winners and its retrospective, critical consensus. No matter though, we’re going to list all of the Academy Award Best Director winners, then we’ll rank some…
Dialogue, or a conversation between two or more people, is something that dominates just about every work of fiction. So, why is dialogue so hard to write? We’re going to explore the nature of dialogue by breaking down a series of dialogue examples, from literature to games. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll know how a breadth of mediums tackle the indomitable task of writing dialogue. Continue reading Dialogue Examples — Film, TV, Theatre, Fiction & Video Games
Over the last few years, Hollywood has tried to reinvent its definition of the “strong female protagonist” – but the result has been mixed. Although there has been a greater representation of empowered women in Hollywood films, there has also been a dissolution of nuanced characters. All of this begs the question: how do you effectively write a female protagonist? Well, it starts with all of the tenets of effective characterization – and by analyzing the best female protagonists of all-time. We’re going to break down the best female protagonists by looking at what makes them strong and weak. By the…
Hollywood has gone through a lot of different eras, but perhaps none were more influential on society than the golden age. But when was the golden age of Hollywood? What made it golden? And why did it end? We’re going to answer those questions by looking at some examples from The Maltese Falcon, Citizen Kane, and more – but first, let’s review where the era began.Continue reading When Was the Golden Age of Hollywood — And Why Did It End?
Many consider the Academy Award for Best Actress the greatest honor an actress can receive. Over the years, some of cinema’s finest actresses, like Meryll Streep and Elizabeth Taylor, have been given the award. We’re going to list every actress who has won the Academy Award for Best Actress, then we’ll rank some of their best performances. Continue reading Academy Award for Best Actress — Top 20 Winners Ranked
