The Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher is enjoying a second life in the wake of its Oscar nomination. Indeed, it seems to be the most popular of all the nominees, no doubt in thanks to Netflix’s heavy push in visibility,
Kurt Vonnegut on the Shape of Stories
Below is the second half of a lecture given by Kurt Vonnegut on February 4, 2004 as a part of The Case College Scholars Program. Kurt Vonnegut, best known for modern classic Slaughterhouse 5, is a hilarious cynic, who provides
Art That Inspired Filmmakers
Today we look at that most famous bit of film advice; good artists borrow, great artists steal. Some of the most iconic moments or scenes in film history came out of reverence or thievery of other artists. Here are some
Screenwriting Guru Robert McKee Giving Advice on YouTube
Robert McKee is the most successful screenwriting lecturer and story consultant working today. He first offered his incredibly popular “Story Seminar” in 1983, and has been giving the three-day class to doting audiences across the entire world. McKee’s approach de-emphasizes
Why Your Three Act Film Has Five Acts
Nearly every academic look at screenwriting will touch on the importance of the Three Act Structure in a classically satisfying narrative. The modern consensus has settled on Syd Field’s Paradigm as the prime example, from his indispensable book; Screenplay –
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg on Planning Out Your Film
If you were ever given the talk about how indispensable mind maps and other such charts are in planning creative ventures, and had a healthy sense of skepticism regarding them, who could blame you? It is not absurd to assume
Where Do You Write Your Best Work?
One of the things writers may have collectively discovered during this pandemic is the limits of their usual desks or rooms and so on when it comes to finding inspiration. Falling into an unstimulating rut is a nightmare for a
Billy Wilder Talks! And talks, and talks…
Billy Wilder is the screenwriter’s favourite screenwriter. This isn’t exactly hyperbole; Vulture polled over 40 of the top contemporary screenwriters to name their favourite predecessor. Wilder came out on top, trailed mostly by the more common, modern examples (Tarantino, Kaufman,
Cut by Quentin Tarantino
Famous for his elaborately indulgent screenplays, filled with non-sequiturs, it can be difficult to imagine the sort of scenes that even Quentin Tarantino decided he could part with. As a writer he’s a savant, so what was so wrong with
The Pixar Guide to Inspiration
Of the animated films nominated for the best original screenplay Academy award, every single one has been a Pixar film. Pixar, of course, being the studio responsible for Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Wall-E, Ratatouille, and almost all the