Advice

One way to add that mysterious quality of emotional layers or 'depth' to a plot is to have the hero's emotional journey echoed in a subplot. Alan Ball, the screenwriter of 'American Beauty,' does this masterfully. This can be seen in how Wes Bently's (the intense young man in the film) plotline echoes Kevin Spacey's (and sometimes, vice versa). First, there are some obvious parallels between the two men: 1. Both Bently and Spacey get fired by telling off their bosses. 2. Spacey and Bently are out of communication with those around them. Spacey lives in a sexual fantasy; Bently...

Secrets of Blockbuster Movies Part IV Writing for Hollywood requires more than a good premise and strong storytelling ability. You also have to write what Hollywood wants to sell. In today's entertainment business, that means a script with blockbuster capability. If the buyers don't think your script will appeal to a massive worldwide audience, they won't buy it. What may surprise you is that the elements that buyers think will appeal worldwide are found in the deep structure of a script. DESIRE LINE One element essential to good storytelling is a strong desire line. The main character wants something very...

Sometimes I like to see a movie twice; once to watch the movie, and once to watch the audience. You can learn a lot from watching the audience, how involved they are, how restless, how they breathe, when they lean over to talk to each other, when they don't understand something.I saw 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' once early in the movie's run, in a packed house, and concentrated on watching the movie. Watching movies is an uneasy process for me, since I am observing with a lot of agendas most movie-goers don't have. I...

What's happening with screenwriters around the world? How are they being trained? What are they writing about? What are their concerns? In 1988, I began giving seminars abroad, first in Australia and New Zealand, then Rome and England and Moscow and Spain, and, since then, in 18 countries, including such fascinating places as Egypt and Bulgaria. Since about 1990, I began consulting internationally, working on scripts from over 20 countries, including Singapore, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina and Casablanca. International screenwriters have a kind of love-hate relationship with Hollywood. Actually, I think many American screenwriters feel the same way. On the one...

There is little doubt that your ability to communicate your inner world as a form of creative expression will be greatly enhanced by a strong sense of self -- a self which comes from an ability to discern who you are and who (for the sake of others) you try to be. First and foremost, your knowledge of who you are inspires your goals in life. Your dreams --your hopes and desires -- are what will give you the ability to manage the harsh anxieties and assimilate complex feelings as you mature and grow. What you want out of life...