Archive for 'The Craft'
The Third Act Statement of Theme (2009 Pilot Season Edition)
A while back I observed that in pilot episodes, consistently around the third act (roughly about 28-32 minutes in without commercials), a character will explicitly state the theme of the series.
With a few notable exceptions (Sarah Connor Chronicles breaks this rule successfully), this has been the rule more than the exception.
Here is the 2009 pilot [...]
Posted: February 16th, 2010 under Analysis, The Craft.
Comments: none
Closing the Deal
No, I haven’t sold a script yet but I came across an interesting problem I’m having with my current script (and looking back, I didn’t fare much better on previous scripts).
I’m talking about what characters say just before they have sex. When does banter turn into a proposition? How do I make it sound realistic [...]
Posted: November 1st, 2008 under The Craft.
Comments: 1
On Rewriting…
Writing the first draft of a screenplay is like giving birth…
Rewriting is like raising the little fucking bastard.
Posted: May 31st, 2008 under The Craft.
Comments: none
Back Story
Sometimes I like to imagine a character’s history based on the prior roles of the actor that portrays him.
On “The West Wing,” I’ve always suspected that White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry has a dark past.
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On “House, M.D.” our stable and solid Dr. James Wilson wasn’t always that way.
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Ever think that District [...]
Posted: September 13th, 2007 under The Craft.
Comments: none
Analysis and Process
When I was a TA at UCLA we were given a lot of freedom to design the curriculum for our section of the screenwriting lab. Partway through the quarter I noticed what I was teaching was a little bit different from what my cohorts were teaching in their sections. That’s not to say [...]
Posted: September 3rd, 2007 under The Craft.
Comments: none
Non Fiction Specs
I’ve seen a lot about writing specs scripts for TVs shows, what about non-fiction shows that you might find on the History Channel or the Discovery Channel? Does the system work the same way? Do they even use scripts (sure they must) but what kind. I have some ideas on paper, but not sure how [...]
Posted: August 22nd, 2007 under The Craft.
Comments: 1
Advice for New Writers
A new writer recently approached me and asked which screenwriting book was the best. I was about to run through my top ten list when a different thought entered my mind.
I asked her if she had ever written a screenplay. She said she started a few but had trouble finishing. I told [...]
Posted: August 18th, 2007 under The Craft.
Comments: none