Story & Structure · 1 min

Video: Pulp Fiction Inspiration [QT]

This video is just as informative and entertaining without the sound as with. Try for yourself. I am certain that Tarantino must have had a career…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 19 Dec

Story & Structure :: Comedy and discomfort :: Is it comedy or drama? :: How Frasier came to be :: Black Swan/Showgirls Script Perfection :: Screenwriting Tips: A good idea | Research…

Story & Structure · 1 min

Video: Mitchell & Webb Film Director

I assure you that there is no connection whatsoever between today's newsletter from Screen Australia containing a series of funding approvals and the choice of this…

Story & Structure · 4 min

Replacing The Archetypes

During one of my Hero's Journey classes a student asked if an archetype can be replaced, for instance by a series of events. Very good question. And…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 12 Dec

Story & Structure :: Essence of character :: Episodic writing :: ‘Toy Story 3′ director on new beginnings and perfect endings :: Boxing's a hit with Hollywood Script…

Story & Structure · 5 min

Consciousness and Capability [Syd Field]

I was recently privileged to hear story guru Syd Field lecturing to a crowd of fellow filmmakers during his first trip to Sydney. He presented us with…

Story & Structure · 1 min

Video: Chris Vogler and The Matrix

The Hero's Journey is the missing link between storytelling and the human condition. It explains why main characters in movies are flawed, why they go through…

Story & Structure · 2 min

(No Need To) Know Thyself

Some teachers make screenwriters feel like they need psycho-analysis before they can write anything worthwhile. I used to agree. Now I'm confused. In any case, claiming…

MM on Monday · 2 min

23 Reasons For Close-Ups

To conclude our series on Cinematic Storytelling, last week Mystery Man examined the origins of and opinions about close-ups. Today, in the 10th and final episode,…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 5 Dec

:: The Disney fairytale has an unhappy ending :: Feeling and revealing your characters :: The essential nature of setting :: The dream of making a movie :: Chris Nolan thinks…

Video · 1 min

Video: Robert McKee On Formulaic Writing

When McKee speaks, many listen because he likes to be blunt. Here he seems to go against the likes of Michael Hauge, who place certain turning…

MM on Monday · 5 min

Cinematic Storytelling (9)

Sheila O’Malley’s post on a close-up of Bud White in L.A. Confidential reminded us that characters with dimensions, with varying inner conflicts and emotions - a.k.a. depth - foster the…

Best of the Web · 1 min

Best o/t Web 28 Nov

:: 10 screenwriters to watch :: Screenwriter's stammer inspires The King's Speech :: A Francis Ford Coppola profile :: Roger Ebert's 10 greatest films of all time :: Secretariat is simply…

The Screenwriter's Life · 4 min

I want to talk to you.

For most of the year, the posts on this blog have been from guests. And where I signed for them myself, they were mostly more academic,…

Story & Structure · 10 min

Breaking Into TV, Via The Web

I spoke with writer/director Nicholas Carlton (OzGirl) about telling stories for the web, working with social media, webisodical story structure and how an online series has given…