For the third straight week, I’m continuing my exploration of Steven Pressfield with his Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be. (In case you haven’t noticed, I really dig what he has to say about life, art, and the creative struggles we all face when we sit down…
Formatting Fridays
Q. When to use the em dash versus ellipsis?
Okay, so now we’re getting granular AF. Luckily, the difference between the two is super easy. What’s an em dash and when can it be used? The double dash (–) is also called the em dash (as opposed to an en dash, which is one line). You can use them…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Anatomy of a Fall’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall: Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their son Daniel live a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead, the police question question if he was murdered or committed suicide, and Sandra becomes the main suspect….
Save the Cat Sundays
‘All About Eve’: A ‘Save the Cat’ Experiment
Logline of All About Eve: Broadway star Margo takes the seemingly naive aspiring actress Eve under her wing but before long, it becomes clear that Eve is a manipulative conniver who cold-bloodedly uses Margo and everyone around her to rise to the top of the theatrical heap. Writer: Joseph L….
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Poor Things’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Poor Things: Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. Script Can Be Found…
Formatting Fridays
Q. How to Format a Montage?
This week, we’re covering montages. But before we do, let’s first indulge ourselves with a little South Park, shall we? (After all, if you gotta get good at something fast, there’s only one way to do it…; )) So, yeah, the purpose of a montage is to condense a lot…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘Past Lives’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of Celine Song’s Past Lives: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make…
Save the Cat Sundays
‘All the President’s Men’: A ‘Save the Cat’ Experiment
Logline of All the President’s Men: Reporters Woodward and Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon’s resignation. Writer: William Goldman based on the book All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Director: Alan J. Pakula Genre: Biographical Political Drama Thriller Starring:…
Oscar-Nominated Scripts
‘May December’: Screenwriting Takeaways
Logline of May December: Decades after their scandalous relationship made headlines, a couple starts to unravel when a famous actor arrives to research them for her new film. Script Can Be Found Here Summary of May December: May December begins around Memorial Day of 2015 when Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman)…
Formatting Fridays
Q. Taglines, Loglines, and Sluglines: What’s the Difference?
This one is going to be super quick because, while the terminology can be confusing, the differences among these the three are pretty clear. Loglines Loglines are simply a 1-2 sentence summary that encapsulates the set-up of the movie and makes the script reader (usually a member of the industry)…