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BIG NIGHT, TEMPLE OF DOOM, THE GODFATHER -

EATING/DRINKING SCENES

EATING/DRINKING SCENES

One common tool in the screenwriting shed is the eating/drinking scene: the characters meet up for coffee in a café; they go out for a beer; they sit down for a family dinner; they make reservations at a swanky restaurant. But these scenes can present a challenge. At core, they are inherently uncinematic. We have a scene in which two (or more) characters sit at a table. We get medium close shots of their talking heads. We do a shot/reverse-shot as they go back and forth, talk-talk-talking. Simply put, it’s a flat thing to watch. And eating/drinking scenes off the...

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A-story, audience engagement, development, Fulcrum, love interest, Romcom, want/need -

CRAFTING THE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

CRAFTING THE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

Let’s talk about the mechanics of crafting a romantic relationship in a story. Some of these thoughts only apply in a romance or romcom, others apply to a love interest relationship in any given genre. A-story. If we’re talking about a romantic drama or comedy, the romance is the A-story. Meaning: it’s the load-bearing spine of the narrative; the “what the movie is about” aspect of the story. Anything else going on in the narrative is an expression of the A-story. The pay-off of a romance is the two leads fall in love. Fulcrum. The two romantic leads are the...

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BARBARIAN, elevated, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, high concept, JOKER, paradigm, subversion, THE LAST JEDI -

ON SUBVERSION

ON SUBVERSION

Like many industries, film (and scripts by extension) runs on cycles, which in turn are often defined by buzzwords. The current buzzword we often hear is “subversion.” As in: “We’re looking for scripts that subvert the paradigm.” Or: “We’re looking for projects that feel subversive.” We might naturally ask what is meant by “subversive.” But it’s kind of like “high concept” or “elevated” in that it’s less of a concept that adheres to a hard and fast definition than a you-know-it-when-you-see-it sorta deal. However, we can discuss “subversion” as a shorthand for the idea of subverting expectations. The latter concept...

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logline, one sheet, Synopsis, trailer -

THE SCRIPT IN FOCUS

THE SCRIPT IN FOCUS

When we’re shooting a movie, we understand why the image needs to be in focus: so the audience can best see the subject. The same thought can apply to the screenplay of the story that is being shot. Back when I was managing, I would sometimes run into writers who would claim they were completely unable to synopsize their scripts in any way. I’d ask for a logline, and they would tell me they just don’t think that way, man. The script is too involved and sprawling and intricate to boil it down to a single sentence! Writers who think...

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denouement, HALLOWEEN, IT FOLLOWS, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, PREDATOR, teaser, THE EXORCIST, THE RING, THE WAILING, three-act structure -

HORROR STORYTELLING PART III: THE RETURN

HORROR STORYTELLING PART III: THE RETURN

Horror scripts are like any other screenplay; it’s of value to apply structure to the storytelling. However, I have a pet theory when it comes to structuring horror storytelling in particular. Which is this: Above and beyond the mechanics of standard three-act feature film narrative construction, there are three acts that correspond with the level of knowledge the in-world characters have about how haunted they are, and a teaser and denouement that are typically directed more toward the audience. To wit… Teaser. We open with a scene or sequence that acts as a “statement of intention.” It’s a horror movie,...

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