I saw Avatar in 3D over break, which was a really interesting experience. My favorite comment about the film came from my little brother, who said he loved everything but the movie. While watching it I noticed a few major incongruities between the three acts. The first was in tone. The beginning of [...]
Archive for the ‘Screenwriting’ Category
December 17th, 2009 - 1:36 pm § in Screenwriting
Writing My Second Feature
While in Michigan I have a 5 page a day writing schedule. I work from 10-2, or whenever I finish my 5 pages. It’s a little easier this time than the first feature, I think the first time you do something it’s always more intimidating. We started a feature writing group with some fellow s[...]
November 30th, 2009 - 10:30 pm § in Screenwriting
Forward and Backward in Writing
Sometimes when what I write feels like it’s not my own, it’s because I decided to go forward when I should have gone backward. On my six-minute film draft, I suddenly found myself writing a completely different movie. I had gone forward, inventing new situations, instead of going backwar[...]
September 16th, 2009 - 1:35 am § in Film School, Screenwriting
UCLA Boot Camp: Pitch Day
Today we pitched our two minute films. All day. 19 people pitched two ideas and received feedback on them. It was invigorating and exhausting and offered an opportunity to see all sorts of approaches to storytelling, from experimental to narrative. Two minutes is not a lot of time to tell a story, s[...]
August 22nd, 2009 - 8:39 am § in Filmmaking, Screenwriting
More John August on Writing
I have to say that I am consistently impressed by the quality of advice he has to give. His website, Johnaugust.com, is a gift to all aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers.[...]
August 9th, 2009 - 7:17 am § in Screenwriting
Nancy Miller on Writing
Nancy Miller is the showrunner for Saving Grace. She has some valuable information on writing and succeeding in this strange business. She says as writers, directors, actors, etc. you need three things; 1. Talent 2. Craft 3. Tenacity Solid advice. Here’s the whole interview. I highly recomme[...]
July 29th, 2009 - 11:20 pm § in Screenwriting
Sundance Screenwriters Lab
My screenplay “Old Money” hast made it into the second round! I now have until August 15th to rewrite it. I had originally set it aside to work on another project, but now rereading it I am pleasantly surprised by what I found. There are the usual typos and small events that do not pay [[...]
On Becoming a Filmmaker
for Nicolas The last few years have been a period of great growth in my artistic life. I left the United States knowing that I wanted to become a filmmaker, specifically a writer and director. This was the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Over many years, sometimes painful, sometimes exhilarat[...]
July 15th, 2009 - 9:33 pm § in Filmmaking, Screenwriting
Writing Transitions: The Narrative Jump Cut
In my continuing study of Raging Bull I came across the Wikipedia article on Jake Lamotta and a bit of narrative brilliance. This is the “Early Life” section of the article: “LaMotta was born in New York City, specifically the Toodles McGee section of The Bronx, near the Pelham Par[...]
July 15th, 2009 - 12:57 am § in Filmmaking, Screenwriting
Scorcese Establishes a Scene
I was just terribly impressed by an establishing shot from an early scene in Raging Bull (1980), directed by Martin Scorcese and written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. The scene: EXT. SHOREHAVEN POOL – DAY (1942-43) The Shorehaven Pool, spic-and-span in the summer sun is the closest thing[...]