Story & Structure · 4 min

The Flashback: No Time Like The Present

The flashback - like its ugly brother the Voiceover - has caused some heated debate. If used well, it can be a great way of getting exposition across…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 1 Apr

Story & Structure :: Three's a Crowd: Multi-protagonist Stories :: 10 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Supporting Characters :: Great Character: Arthur Edens (“Michael Clayton”) :: Screenplay…

Pitching & Selling · 4 min

Screenwriting: from Fail to Sale (4/5)

There’s this notion among screenwriters that if a plot point doesn’t work, you can brush over it, I’ve done it a bunch of times, why? Because…

Logline It! · 3 min

The Judges – Circalit Loglines (12)

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

Rian Johnson: Interview

Rian Johnson, writer-director of indie cult hits Brick and The Brothers Bloom talks about film noir, learning the craft, the difference between writing and editing, the…

Pitching & Selling · 5 min

Screenwriting: from Fail to Sale (3/5)

Two years back a friend said to me, why don’t you enter some of your scripts into scripts comps. Phooey, I thought, (yes I thought Phooey…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 25 Mar

Story & Structure :: Plot points of Big Fish :: Script: The Big Lebowski :: Never Mind The Hunger Games – is The Host the New…

Movie Reviews · 1 min

Mini-review – 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson   We first meet Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) as respective geek and jock teens…

Script Perfection · 5 min

Screenwriting: from Fail to Sale (2/5)

I love the following principle, implemented by many beginning screenwriters, myself included. Let's transpose the idea to another profession – the manufacturing of, say, a car.…

Logline It! · 3 min

The Judges – Circalit Loglines (11)

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…

Story & Structure · 1 min

Video: Andrew Stanton

As the director of John Carter, Andrew Stanton got the cold shoulder from the American audience. But with Wall-E, Bug's Life and Nemo to his name,…

Pitching & Selling · 4 min

Screenwriting: from Fail to Sale (in 5 easy parts)

The call came through from Austin as BLOCKED. The summary of the conversation was, ‘Congrats, your script has just made the top ten of its category…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 18 Mar

Story & Structure :: Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story :: No Dramatic Stone Unturned :: Screenplay Review: The Wedding :: Screenplay Review: Winter's…

Movie Reviews · 1 min

Mini-Review – The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson Widowed and depressed lawyer Arthur (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent to a remote village to sort out…

Logline It! · 3 min

The Judges – Circalit Loglines (10)

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…