Logline It! · 3 min

The Judges – Circalit Loglines (15)

In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department "First Draft Script Contest". Our judges have reviewed the…

Video · 1 min

Video: Robert McKee monologues on Dialogue

Robert McKee is known for his Story weekend and his "Ten Commandments" of screenwriting. In this video, the screenwriting guru shoots from the hip about the…

Story & Structure · 16 min

Structure: Heat

Michael Mann is an auteur pur sang. He masters every aspect of the craft, from the writing to the editing. Sometimes he pushes his vision further…

Story & Structure · 3 min

How Australian Films Could Be More Universal (2/2)

Australian feature film stories are too parochial.  I have already written about how our stories could be made more original and more substantive.  Today I will…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 15 Apr

Story & Structure :: About Backstory :: Retiring The Scorpion and The Frog :: Screenwriter Interview - Simon Beaufoy :: “The Hunger Games,” Hollywood, and Fighting…

Movie Reviews · 1 min

Mini-Review – The Deep Blue Sea

The Deep Blue Sea Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson   This melodrama set in post-war London starts with Hester (Rachel Weisz) trying to kill herself…

Movie Reviews · 2 min

Mini-review – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson   Fisheries boffin Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor) doesn’t suffer fools gladly, so when Harriet (Emily…

Story & Structure · 4 min

How Australian Films Could Be More Universal (1/2)

Australian feature film stories are too parochial.  I have already written about how our stories could be made more original and more substantive.  Today I will…

Logline It! · 3 min

The Judges – Circalit Loglines (14)

In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department "First Draft Script Contest". Our judges have reviewed the…

The Screenwriter's Life · 1 min

Tales from the Script: Advice for New Screenwriters

A selection of successful screenwriters (John August - Big Fish , Mark D Rosenthal - Mona Lisa Smile , David Hayter - X Men) give the…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 8 Apr

Story & Structure :: Rom-Com Archetypes: The Buddy and the Buddy Group :: Exposition: Two Camels :: Female Heroes Katniss, Hermione, ‘Brave’: Defiant Girls With Old…

Pitching & Selling · 3 min

Screenwriting: from Fail to Sale (5/5)

As a final note on screenwriting, one of the places I’ve learnt the MOST about this craft from is from READING unproduced screenplays. ‘Unproduced’ is the…

Movie Reviews · 1 min

Mini-Review – Goodbye, First Love

Goodbye, First Love Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson   Original title: Un Amour de Jeunesse Camille (Lola Creton) is sexy but clingy, and suffering teen angst…

Logline It! · 3 min

The Judges – Circalit Loglines (13)

In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department "First Draft Script Contest". Our judges have reviewed the…

Movie Moments · 4 min

Movie Moment: Suspense In Frenzy

Film buffs love referring to Alfred Hitchcock. Invariably you'll hear them rave about Psycho, Rear Window or Vertigo . Rarely do I hear anyone praise Hitchcock's…