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The Screenwriter's Toolbox Part II: Synopses and treatments

July 28, 2021

In part one of this series, we discussed loglines and pitches. A logline is a summary, in a few sentences, of your concept and a pitch is a verbal rendition of your script, given perhaps to a producer or film executive. I mentioned how both of these ...

The Screenwriter's Toolbox Part I: Loglines and pitches

July 28, 2021

Every scriptwriter’s first job is to finish their script. Nothing can be critiqued, edited, promoted, or sold until it’s real. But film is somewhat unique in that during certain periods of any selling cycle, a pitch, written or verbal, can sometimes ...

Tech Tips: Sending off some of your screenplay

July 27, 2021

Every now and then you’ll need to pull a selection of pages out of your full script. Maybe you want a critique solely on Act Two, or a competition is asking for the first 15 pages, or you want to see how the script reads if you start it on page 60. L...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'Gunpowder Milkshake' embraces popular formula with feminist twist

July 26, 2021

Gunpowder Milkshake is Netflix’s latest action movie offering featuring a lot of neon-colored violence and lush production design to underscore the story. Sam (played by Karen Gillan, doing her best deadpan action star) was basically born into a life...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: In 'Dr. Death' trusting doctors is villain

July 23, 2021

What if a surgeon is using his powers for evil? That’s the question posed in the new Peacock series Dr. Death, which stars Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater. Based on horrifyingly true events and the Wondery podcast of the same name,...

Writer-director Wyatt Rockefeller on setting, structure and story in 'Settlers'

July 22, 2021

Writer-director Wyatt Rockefeller set his debut feature film Settlers on the lawless, desolate edges of Mars. An excellent vantage point for the film to explore the lives of a nuclear family struggling to survive.

Posies' and 499 more help LA Shorts International Film Festival celebrate 25 years

July 22, 2021

The LA Shorts International Film Festival is in full swing, showcasing 500 films from 55 countries via their On Demand portal through July 31. The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the British Academy of Film ...

History of TV: Here's what was so good about 'Breaking Bad'

July 22, 2021

Some shows spread through the cultural zeitgeist like no other, and I feel like I can confidently say that Breaking Bad is one of those shows. It’s been on all of the “top” lists, and according to IMDb, it has 238 award nominations. A daunting subjec...

River' explores the supernatural through life's most important relationships

July 21, 2021

River lives somewhere between the realm of Stranger Things and Beaches: It’s a relationship drama that examines questions about the nature of spirituality and what’s out there for all of us. Filmmaker Emily Skye was inspired by much of her personal l...