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3 min

The Morning Show: Writing a Powerful Antagonist

It’s clear why The Morning Show is one of Apple TV’s big hitters from its complex characters to its stellar performances.

#TheScriptDept

3 min

Avoid This Common Mistake When Reading Scripts

People make this mistake all the time when reading screenplays. Don't fall into the trap of unintentionally imitating their bad habits.

#TheScriptDept

5 min

How to Pace your Screenplay

Pacing relates to the flow of the story as we perceive it. A fast-paced film has a lot of scenes that are generally short and to the point.

#TheScriptDept

6 min

Doubt: Visual Storytelling

A breakdown of a key scene from the 2008 drama Doubt.

#TheScriptDept

3 min

John Wick 3: Following the Rules

John Wick 3: Parabellum is taking the box office by storm. It overtook Avengers Endgame at the box office and has proven to be one of the...

#TheScriptDept

2 min

The Imitation Game: How to Write Flashbacks

I often get asked about writing flashbacks in screenplays. I know that, for some people, writing flashbacks can be seen as the lazy way o...

#TheScriptDept

4 min

The Truman Show: Understanding Active Questions

Active Questions are perhaps one of the most important aspects of your script and yet they are the often something that screenwriters lea...

#TheScriptDept

8 min

Building Your Own Story Map

Introduction Story structure is such a huge part of screenwriting. There is a resistance to such an emphasis on structure in some circles...

#TheScriptDept

3 min

Inception: Keeping it Simple

A blog title called Inception: Keeping it Simple, might sound like an oxymoron given the incredible complexity of Christopher Nolan's mas...

#TheScriptDept

6 min

The Bourne Ultimatum: Writing Action Sequences

How should we approach writing action sequences in a screenplay? This is a very common question in screenwriting circles and one that I'l...

#TheScriptDept

4 min

Gladiator: The Moral Dilemma

I've written about the importance of audience identification with characters in previous posts and how this can be used to manipulate aud...

#TheScriptDept

2 min

The Wrestler: Protagonists and Change

Watching The Wrestler in a small arthouse cinema in Cork was one of the most memorable movie-going experiences of my life. As a die-hard w...

#TheScriptDept

4 min

The Dark Knight: A Third Act in Three Stages

So I don't need to state the obvious and talk about how great The Dark Knight is, do I? It's hard to believe the film is ten years old th...

#TheScriptDept

3 min

Writing Dialogue: Rethinking your Approach

Students often ask me "how do you write good dialogue?" My answer to them is usually along the lines of "what does good dialogue sound li...

#TheScriptDept

6 min

Lord of the Rings: How to Write a B-Story

by John Finnegan | Amazon seems to be moving full steam ahead on its Lord of the Rings television adaptation and given that they are one ...

#TheScriptDept

3 min

Captain America: Lying to the Audience

by John Finnegan | Here's a quick screenwriting tip: don't lie to your audience. If you tell us a character is dead, keep it that way. If...

#TheScriptDept

4 min

Tomb Raider: Knowing Your Audience

Tomb Raider will be released on Blu Ray shortly, and I'm looking forward to watching it again. When I saw it in the cinema earlier this ...

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