Kenneth Lonergan’s first writing/directing outing since 2011, Manchester by the Sea is a universal tale grief in which being your brother’s keeper includes all of the big and little baggage that we leave behind for our loved ones to care for, to mend to, and ultimately to preserve. LOGLINE: A troubled janitor must return, permanently, to … More Structure Breakdowns: “Manchester by the Sea”
After Moonlight, the only movie we could look at next could be La La Land. When Director Damien Chazelle first pitched this idea around town, there wasn’t much excitement. The film initially started as a Sundance Film Festival short and later become the “almost Best Film” at last year’s Oscars. This movie is a lovely, … More Structure Breakdowns: “La La Land”
Hey everyone, Happy Cinco de Mayo! Sorry for being away the month of April, but sometimes life happens. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about movies, dissecting movies and analyzing film structure to understand what makes a story work so that we can apply that to our own writing. After a month away, I … More Let’s Break Down Some Recent Films
A Strong Spine In life a strong spine means a strong body, upright posture and the ability to move with agility and force. A plot is not all that different. A strong Story Spine ensures that your plot will move with a forcefulness that compels the reader to stay engaged. Elements of a Story Spine … More Spine Structure Checklist
Review and Reiteration Writing is an iterative exercise. A script is never nailed in one draft. A script is honed through repetition, sculpting away what’s not needed until all that remains is story we want to tell. We’ve discussed everything from Plot and Story to Dialogue, Narrative, Themes and Metaphors. With all that in mind, … More Translating Loglines into Story Spines
The Content… When thinking about images and themes in film, it is important to understand that a special language is created between the viewer and what is seen on screen. As images, musical themes, dialogue and even colors are repeated in a film, a history of meaning is created for the viewer. Often these symbols … More Symbols in Film
The Sign Says… Continuing our discussion of Semiotics, if you think about it, a film is made up of nothing but images. Made up of light or pixels, these images and symbols along with music, effects and dialogue are the building blocks of your screenplay in its realized form. Using these images and symbols creatively … More Signs and Symbols in Film
Truth and Lies Pablo Picasso once said, “Art is the lie that tells the truth.” While screenwriting is more of a craft of which we are trying to write to specific set of commercial requirements and expectations, there is an art to a well-written script. Emotional Truth At the end of the day, the goal … More The Lie That Tells the Truth
Writing a screenplay is much like an act of sleight-of-hand. As the writer, you are constantly saying to your audience, “Don’t look over there, look here!” You do that by deciding what you show to your reader. What you present to your audience makes an argument for a specific universe with specific values and ideas. … More Using Themes
We’ve talked about how to use Dramatic Metaphors. Let’s take a look at a few examples. Star Wars One of the most iconic image/metaphors the lightsaber in “Star Wars.” It represents the embodiment of power and skill, the ability to do battle and defend oneself. To be able to use a lightsaber demonstrates reliance on … More Metaphors In Motion
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