3+ day, 10+ hour ago   (820+ words) Three "laws" that explain why your project is drifting. People are always trying to crack the code of how to make it in the entertainment industry. And it's true, it's a world that does seem to operate under an invisible…...

4+ day, 11+ hour ago   (949+ words) What 'The Shawshank Redemption' can still teach filmmakers about protecting a script. Chances are, if you want to make stuff, you want to work with actors. And let's just say they can be an intense bunch. Don't get me wrong,…...

5+ day, 10+ hour ago   (906+ words) Four rules R.F. Kuang teaches about writing. Granted, Kuang works in prose, not screenplays. But most of what she says translates easily to other areas of writing. Here are four ideas from the conversation any screenwriter can steal. If you've ever…...

6+ day, 7+ hour ago   (759+ words) No Film School These Are the Mistakes New Writers Tend to Make You can’t fix a mistake that you don’t know you’re making. Screenwriter Corey Mandell recently sat down for a conversation at Film Courage, where he talked about the…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (929+ words) Adam Argot on how the three-act structure descends from ritual anthropology. How do you attack and structure a story? Do you see the situation first? Do you have an image or set piece in mind? Or do you begin with…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (725+ words) These lines reveal the film’s deeper themes. I feel like in 2006, people were calling The Departed Scorsese's makeup Oscar for snubs on Goodfellas and Raging Bull, and a few other titles, but the more I watch the movie, the more…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (783+ words) This banter tells you everything you need to know about about Rick. "I don't mind a parasite." The 1942 classic Casablanca is set in Morocco during the early days of World War II. So much of the film is quotable, but today…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (556+ words) "Nobody knows anybody. Not that well." I can't think of a better way to spend any amount of time than watching a Coen Brothers film. Those two guys just have this special ear for storytelling that challenges the audience and…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago   (623+ words) A screenwriter-turned-novelist on the hidden structures behind every story you love. We are meaning-making, pattern-seeking, storytelling creatures. If you take nothing else from this column, remember that. THAT is the key that unlocks a writer's world. Clearly, we've evolved to…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago   (983+ words) The question Matt Harry asks before starting any new project. 'The Last of Us' Do you know how long it takes to make a film? It’s, like, a really long process. It takes a long time. That is, if you’re…...