What is a foil character? Is it a character who wears tin-foil on their head? Wait no, that’s Joaquin Phoenix in Signs. Foil characters exist to expose something in the main character of a story. You may have heard the term in reference to the works of William Shakespeare, but he’s not the only writer who uses them. We’re going to show you some examples of foil characters from literature, film, and television. By the end, you’ll know how to recognize foils from a mile away and perhaps hatch an idea for your own foil character.Continue reading What is a…
Guy Ritchie has made quite the career for himself. Starting out with British gangster films and transitioning into blockbuster fare, Ritchie has seen both commercial and critical success over his career. But what are the best Guy Ritchie movies of all time? Does his earlier work still have that kinetic energy, or are you a fan of his movies that are fun for the whole family? It’s a hard case, but in this list, we’ll crack it.Continue reading Best Guy Ritchie Movies – His Entire Filmography Ranked
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…
What is a character arc and why are they so important in storytelling? A character arc is an essential part of writing a fully-fledged character. As much as we like seeing goals being achieved, it is the internal, positive change in characters that we really gravitate towards. We’re going to answer those questions with a character arc definition – then we’ll look at character arc examples in literature and film. By the end, you’ll know how to write a satisfying arc.Continue reading What is a Character Arc — Definition & Types of Character Arcs
If you’ve ever read a detective story before, you’ve probably heard the term “deductive reasoning,” but what is deductive reasoning and what makes it different from inductive reasoning? We’re going to answer those questions by looking at some deductive reasoning examples from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Sherlock. By the end, you’ll know how to properly apply deductive reasoning in your writing and daily life. Continue reading What is Deductive Reasoning? Definition and Examples
Looking to brainstorm new characters? Perhaps, you want to flesh out existing characters or pair them against another character to maximize drama and develop deeper character arcs. Writing a compelling character is easier said than done. However, it's helpful to consider tried-and-true character archetypes to ensure every character behaves in a way that is unique, consistent, and believable. In this post, we'll identify the various character archetypes that you can use to enhance your own characters. Plus, we'll include plenty of iconic character archetype examples from your favorite movies and TV shows. Lastly, we'll define which character archetypes can be…
Extreme close-up shots are a very useful tool in cinema, but because they are so noticeable it’s important to know how and when to use them so that your viewer is generally on board with your shot selection. We’re going to discuss the extreme close-up shot and go over which emotions are generated when you use one, and show you extreme close-up shot images and scenes that worked well.Continue reading Extreme Close-Up Shots: Creative Examples That Work
What is a protagonist? What makes a story truly memorable? Often, it's the protagonist—the driving force who takes us on an unforgettable journey. Many refer to it as the leading character in a story. But is the protagonist something more? Or something less? To understand the definition fully, we need to look at how different types of protagonists are used in screenwriting. This will help us understand, what is a protagonist, and which type works best for our scripts.Continue reading What is a Protagonist — Definition & Examples for Screenwriters
Exposition in film or screenwriting is one of the most difficult aspects to master. It’s necessary for our audience to understand our characters and plot, but we don’t really want the audience to be aware of exposition, in and of itself. When that happens, it can jar the audience right out of our story. And it also just makes our writing look bad. In this post, we’ll take a look at ways to avoid the common pitfalls of clunky exposition, as well as some excellent examples of exposition that have been seamlessly integrated into the overall narrative.Continue reading 12 Secrets…
Though best known for producing many of the best television shows of all time, HBO is also home to many excellent films. HBO caught on quick that streaming was the way of the future, and got into the only media game early. We’ll be taking a look at what movies are on HBO right now. HBO-Go is home to not just every great HBO original series, but also hundreds of films ranging from all-time classics to new releases. Joining us in counting down the top 50 HBO movies available right now.Continue reading Best Movies on HBO Right Now — Filmmaker…
