Story & Structure · 14 min
Charlie Kaufman Masterclass In Sweden
Nakedly sincere, Charlie Kaufman presents us with a strikingly insightful masterclass on writing without a formula, the responsibilities of a film-maker and the art of failing.…
The Journal
Vol. 20 · 1,240 entries
25 October 2026
Movie Moments · 3 min
Back To The Future [Goals From The Get-Go]
Back in 1985, Back To The Future received 3.5 stars from Roger Ebert. Ebert was always my preferred reviewer, and he got it almost always right. Like…
![Back To The Future [Goals From The Get-Go]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/BTTF-Circuits.jpg)
Movie Moments · 4 min
King Kong Dies [As Does The Movie, A Little]
When director John Guillermin died a few weeks ago, I missed this news. He directed two films that I enjoyed as a child. I will forever…
![King Kong Dies [As Does The Movie, A Little]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/kk2.jpg)
Best of the Web · 4 min
4 Questions For Writers [Make a difference]
Today, Seth Godin posted four "Simple Questions For Writers". Godin usually blogs about marketing, business culture, and what he calls 'art' (doing your job as your 'bliss').…
![4 Questions For Writers [Make a difference]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/make-difference.jpg)
Story & Structure · 4 min
Wanted: Creative Inspiration [Babies Don’t Come From Babies]
About his creative inspiration, Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett once said “Babies don’t come from babies.” He meant that the greatest music doesn't come from studying other great music. He is…
![Wanted: Creative Inspiration [Babies Don’t Come From Babies]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/my-sweet-little-baby-small.jpg)
The Screenwriter's Life · 9 min
Film School Is NOT A Waste Of Your Time [10 Reasons Why]
Peter Jackson once said "The more you know, the less you achieve." He is a self-made filmmaker, and claims to have proven you don't really need…
![Film School Is NOT A Waste Of Your Time [10 Reasons Why]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Filmschool.jpg)
The Screenwriter's Life · 7 min
Why Creative Careers Fail [And Why You Will Succeed]
There are just as many ways to break into the creative industries, as there are people working in it. Similarly, there are as many reasons for failure as…
![Why Creative Careers Fail [And Why You Will Succeed]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/system-failure-wide.jpg)
Movie Moments · 4 min
Whiplash – Winner Or Loser?
Whiplash is one of the lowest grossing movies ever to be nominated for Best Picture. Totally unfair, if you ask me. It is a brilliant picture.…
The Screenwriter's Life · 6 min
Creative Fatigue? [Don’t Worry. It’s Not About You]
Some of you are in a funk right now. Creative fatigue. (I know, because I can tell. Or because you told me.) It happens to everyone; not…
Logline It! · 4 min
Screenwriting Basics [Story’s Holy Trinity]
Many teachers and writers have tried to capture the screenwriting basics. Unhappy with most of them, I boiled them down to a simplicity I have not seen anywhere else.…
Video · 1 min
[Video]: The Charlie Kaufman Masterclass
'Situation comedy writing... you sit in a room with a bunch of other comedy writers and you pitch jokes. The first job I got, I didn't…
Pitching & Selling · 2 min
Your Screenplay Will NOT Pay You Millions [About Hope and Hype]
Earlier this month, Seth Godin published a blog post that resonated with me. A piece so sharp and pertinent, I decided to translate it to screenwriting. (It was…
![Your Screenplay Will NOT Pay You Millions [About Hope and Hype]](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/harper-lee.jpg)
Logline It! · 6 min
Loglines Are The Key To Understanding Your Own Story
I have worked in the film and television industry for thirty-five years now. And I find there is one really easy way to tell whether someone…
Movie Moments · 5 min
Kuleshov In The Parallax View [You Don’t Really Want To Watch]
Some claim the 70’s was the best decade for film. I agree. The decade of Jaws and Star Wars was also that of Chinatown, One Flew…
Uncategorized · 2 min
[Video]: THR Producer Roundtable
'Everything that could go wrong was going wrong, I was sort of dead man walking in Hollywood, like, yeah that guy's getting fired... and on the…
![[Video]: THR Producer Roundtable](https://www.staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/video11.jpg){kind=small}