As film has evolved, so has tech and the world around us; thirty years ago, we didn’t have the issue of formatting text/email conversations. So, as you watch films and see little graphics come up that show what characters are texting or emailing to each other, you may wonder, how…
Save the Cat Sundays
‘American Beauty’: A ‘Save the Cat’ Experiment
Logline of American Beauty: A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter’s best friend. Writer: Alan Ball Director: Sam Mendes Genre: Black comedy-drama Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Allison Janney, Peter Gallagher Release Date: September…
Formatting Fridays
Q. How Much Scene Description Should I Include?
Describing a scene doesn’t need to be hard. All you have to do is to put enough to set the scene and highlight what is integral because… White space is key. Not only does white space on the page give the reader’s eye space to rest, but it also allows…
Save the Cat Sundays
‘Thelma and Louise’: A ‘Save the Cat’ Experiment
Logline of Thelma and Louise: Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two girls escape for the crimes they committed. Writer: Callie Khouri Director: Ridley Scott Genre: Action road dramedy Starring: Susan…
Formatting Fridays
Q. How to Introduce a Character for the First Time?
As this is the first in this series addressing formatting issues, I thought it would be appropriate to address how to introduce a character for the first time. Here are some do’s and don’ts. Do’s: Don’ts: But if we’re not supposed to name actors, how does Barbie get away with it?…
Save the Cat Sundays
‘Back to the Future’: A ‘Save the Cat’ Experiment
Logline: High school teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown. Writer: Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale Director: Robert Zemeckis Genre: Science Fiction Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover Release Date: July 3,…
Save the Cat Sundays
Is ‘Save the Cat’ Relevant in 2024?
Released in 2005, Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! is a relatively simple screenwriting framework that boils down any typical Hollywood movie into 15 beats/plot points. Much like an actor hitting his mark in front of the camera, a movie attempts to hit all of the 15 beats below. What are…