Featured Friday
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at one of the simple genres tailor-made for cinema: the chase movie. By putting their heroes on the run from relentless antagonists, these screenplays lean into the
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Characters make choices throughout a story, then deal with the consequences of those new actions. But what if they were allowed to choose differently? This is different from the structure of The Muppet Christmas Carol, which allows the protagonist to see the impact of their past choices in an effort
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The why of their lie Everybody who pretends to be someone they’re not has a reason. As people, we may not agree with their reason. As writers, understanding their justification and method for splitting their identity helps keep the burden of living a double life believable (or at least
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There is no hard and fast rule for how to format montages in screenplays. As with all formatting, the goal is to express what’s happening on screen as clearly and simply as possible, without breaking up the flow of the screenplay or taking your reader out of the script.
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What is standard screenplay format? While there can be slight variations for different types of scripts (ie multicam sitcom teleplays), screenplays follow strict formatting rules. Fortunately, screenwriting software like Highland Pro, will do the heavy lifting for you. The basics of screenplay format: * 12-point Courier font * 1.5 inch left
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Some writers and gurus would tell you not to write dream sequences. That they lack stakes, never actually feel like real dreams, or just that they waste the audience's time. You might even hear the argument that nobody wants to listen to somebody else's dreams: On
Featured Friday
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at movies about dreams – how their un-reality can be a cinematic window into a character’s subconsciousness, and allow writers to imagine things we’ve never seen
Featured Friday
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at screenplays whose plots revolve around, include, or take place on Halloween night. Is it niche? You betcha. But these movies are so much fun that it’
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Do you ship it? Character-driven fiction involves managing relationships. Not just romantic relationships, but the dynamic between any two characters who share space in a story. When you’re writing, defining those fictional relationships helps give a sense of where two characters are at in the story, and what feels
Featured Friday
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at the many blood-draining Vampire stories to see how a sub-genre can continually reinvent itself in order to stay immortal. Our collection includes: * Blade by David S.
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In Episode 649 of Scriptnotes, John talks with Simon Rich (Miracle Workers, American Pickle) about what makes a strong comedic premise, and how the format changes the focus. What’s funny in a three-minute SNL sketch often doesn't translate to a 100-minute feature. This week, let’s go
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Parentheticals (also called “wrylies” or “actor’s direction”) are used to clear up confusion about a line that could be read multiple ways: They can also be used to indicate who a speaker is addressing: You will sometimes see them used to indicate action. This is acceptable if the action