And this week’s top box office is… Snow White and the Huntsman (56.2M) Men in Black III (28.1M) Marvel’s the Avengers (20.5M)
This weekend in movies 6/1/12
Category: Writing
Plots Are Conflict Resolutions
People thrive on conflict. There’s a reason why shows such as Jersey Shore and Real Housewives of (Name Your City) are so popular–they’re all about conflict. Feature films are no different. They need a strong central conflict that drives the…
Writing romance – the guidelines
Romance Writers of America, an organization for romance writers, notes that every romance should contain two basic elements, “a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.” So whether you are writing a novel or a screenplay, there are a few…
Write About Real Life Instead of Movie Cliches
Nobody likes to see clichéd plots in movies. After all, everybody and his brother has pointed out the tried and tired plot that Avatar used, which was similar to a slew of movies like Pocahontas, Dances with Wolves, and Fern…
Plot Is Determined by Setting
The plot of any story is driven by the choices its protagonist makes. However, the other major factor that affects the plot is the setting–the time and location the story takes place. Not much thought is given to setting of…
How Important Is Theme?
When asked, “What’s Moby Dick about?” you can answer in two ways: 1) it’s about an old sea-captain searching for the whale that took his leg years ago; 2) it’s about how obsession can destroy you. The first answer refers…
This weekend in movies 4/27/12
Indie publishing – the path of least resistance
Indie Publishing, the Path of Least Resistance Author of Infatuation and Disappear, Love
Basics of Screenplay Format
This may be obvious, but the purpose of screenwriting is to end up with a motion picture. This basic yet essential fact is why the screenplay format is so important. Much like plays require a format agreed upon by…
Netflix produces first original series
April 5, 2012 – Netflix announces its first original series, LilyHammer. The show, which rolled out its first eight episodes in February 2012, stars Steve Van Zandt as ex-gangster Frank Tagliano, an ex-mafia boss in the witness protection program who asks to be sent…
From novel to screenplay,from script to novel – making the transition
Wildly successful novelist Seth Grahame-Smith has three Hollywood adaptations in the works. His most buzzed about movie, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, will be released to theaters June 22, 2012 and stars Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia! and Captain America: The First Avenger)
Outlining a Screenplay
A phenomenal idea just struck the creative center of your brain, and you know that it will make an amazing movie. You must write the script for this masterpiece, but the question is how do you develop that fleeting concept…
The Art of Reviewing
(Written by Mary Ann Back) Congratulations! You’ve written a literary masterpiece. Surely, a Pushcart Prize awaits you! Before sending your work out into the world, you decide to do the smart thing and submit it to your online writing group…
Nicolls Fellowship in Screenwriting contest
It’s that time of year again. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is accepting submissions for the Nicolls Fellowship in Screenwriting contest. From the web site: The Academy’s Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is an international screenwriting competition established…
Structure: The Framework of a Screenplay
The most basic structure of telling a story is to have a beginning, middle, and end. Screenwriting is a bit more complicated than this as not only do you have to tell a good story with interesting characters, but you…