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Steven Hartman
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5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘Encanto’ offers storytelling lessons beyond animated features
In the mountains of Colombia, every Madrigal family member is blessed with a unique, magical power. Luisa has the power of strength. Antonio recently acquired the ability to communicate with animals. For a handful of generations, this family living i...
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Meeting the moment: How 3 heartfelt films capture Winter Olympics glory
Can a young amateur named Rocky Balboa go the distance with heavyweight champion Apollo Creed? Can an inexperienced boxer named Maggie Fitzgerald become a million dollar baby?
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5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘Moonfall’ and 25+ years of Roland Emmerich disaster films
The moon has suddenly shifted off its orbit and is poised to crash into the earth. In a movie world where meteors and aliens are constantly trying to destroy the earth, why not create a story where the moon becomes the enemy?
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‘Indemnity’ and the long road to becoming South Africa’s latest mainstream action blockbuster
Indemnity is one of the most ambitious action thrillers to come out of South Africa, offering stunning set pieces and a story that feels like a combination between The Manchurian Candidate and The Fugitive. It’s no surprise, as writer-director Travis...
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Tim Kirkby talks ‘Last Looks’, directing actors, and making the jump from TV to film
Charlie Waldo is a former superstar LAPD detective who now lives a life of solitude and minimalism. Three years after ghosting everyone, Waldo’s former flame and owner of a private investigation firm tries to recruit him to help solve the case of the...
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5 Screenwriting Takeaways: How ‘Munich: The Edge of War’ explores the possibility of stopping World War II
What if you could stop World War II? That thought is what lies behind the story of Munich: The Edge of War, which follows two friends who, at the cusp of Germany’s takeover of the Sudetenland, find themselves with the ear of two of the world’s foremo...
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Why you should never say ‘I’ll be right back’ and other valuable lessons in 'Scream'
There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a Scream movie.
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5 Screenwriting Takeaways: How ‘Scream’ makes a self-aware sequel/reboot
What’s a requel? It’s sort of like a sequel, but also something like a reboot. It’s what Halloween did when it brought back Jamie Lee Curtis or what the Saved by the Bell show did when rebooting the series. This is what Scream, the latest film in the...
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5 Screenwriting Takeaways: How ‘The Tender Bar’ creates a boy’s coming-of-age story around a local bar
It’s no surprise that The Tender Bar — the story of the book's author, J.R. Moehringer — actually became a published memoir because according to that memoir, there were plenty of people in his life who told him he should do it.