Tag: Featured
True-Life Stories: Getting “Real” in Hollywood
Basing a film project on true-life events has obvious benefits. True stories — particularly strange true stories — are inherently compelling. Such tales appeal to our desire for authenticity. Plus, if an event that is a matter of public record, it can never be criticized for being “unbelievable.” While Hollywood has a seemingly insatiable appetite […]
Genre-Busting: Recombining Your Way to Hollywood Success
Anyone trying to establish — or advance — a Hollywood screenwriting career is inevitably caught between two diametrically opposed forces. On one hand, studios and producers always say they’re looking for stories that are new, fresh and exciting. They’re looking for an “original voice.” But on the other hand, studios only seem interested in developing […]
Isn’t it Ironic? Irony Isn’t Dead it Just Went to the Movies.
The premise is the cornerstone of all screenwriting. Begin with a great premise and the screenplay practically writes itself. Have a weak premise and all the knowledge of structure, character development, dialogue and formatting in the world won’t save you. So important is premise that many a screenplay pitch has sold on this element alone. […]
Give ‘Em What They Want
If there’s one refrain filmmakers always hear from both production executives and critics alike, it’s that studios want something different! They want something fresh! Something original! And this is true – but only to an extent. Just as life itself can only exist within a very narrow range of temperature, pressure and acidic extremes, so […]
