There are hundreds of exceptions to the “rules” of screenwriting, and you can use any of them at any time, on the condition that you are absolutely positive it is the best way, rather than the easiest or most familiar, to communicate your intent.
Read moreWhat’s wrong with my idea?
Statistically, you have a good setup, but you don’t enter your second act with… a) a protagonist who needs something very important b) a force bent on preventing them c) a series of visual conflicts between them that d) culminates in a final, larger conflict that determines the winner
Read moreGetting Over Your Plot
annerocious: Your plot could happen to any number of people, but you picked your protag and supporting characters because you wanted it to be about them because of who they are. Five different protags will react in five different ways to the events of the plot. Developing your character means being consistent with those reactions…
Read moreReading your old scripts
Unsink your script #1
If rewriting is unsinking the ship, then the first thing you should do is decide how to move your scenes away from talking and into revealing action. It’s a good rule of thumb to consult your theme to choose how you execute escalations and conflicts in action. Meaning things we watch instead of listen to…
Read moreFive Types Of Plot Twists
Five Types Of Plot Twists Twist endings are story beats that divert the story logic trajectory and assumptions originally set up in the story. They usually occur towards the end of the story to surprise and entertain audien… Reversals you can use.
Read moreWhat is an escalation and why is it important?
Escalations are developments in the script that make things scarier and more difficult for the protagonist. An “Oh, shit.” moment. It is important because it is the only thing that sustains interest in the story. Escalations give second acts form and momentum. Escalations aren’t near misses. They happen, and they become the protagonist’s immediate problem…
Read moreSequences 101, 5:44 (Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Read moreWhy is annerocious so damn holistic about spec scripts?
Thank you for asking. The single biggest issue with spec scripts is that they come from outside the writer. The number one thing a script should include is the writer. The writer should have a grasp of the fundamentals, which are simple to learn, and a fresh take on the material, but at the end…
Read moregodardfanforever: The Deft Touch of Bradford Young: Anamorphic-Widescreen use in A Most Violent Year Immediately noticeable during my recent screening of this understated but not under acclaimed gem is the film’s wide compositions had to scream inside the mind of any cinephile, “this has got to be anamorphic.” Alongside Selma, the film deservedly should be…
Read more