film genre « Screenwriter-to-Screenwriter.com

If It Doesn’t Buy You Something, Take It Out

The more I write and the more I read, I find I return to this mantra again and again: If it doesn’t buy you something, take it out.

Screenplay beats to me are a commodity. You have to buy the beats in the beginning of your story to cash them in later on in the [...]

Screenplay: The Importance of the First Five Pages

The opening five pages of your screenplay give me a ton of information about the breadth and scope of your project. As with the opening of a novel or any other literary work, the opening of your screenplay should be a microcosm of the world of your script. It’s the first taste – but as [...]

Do Your Homework: Watch AFI’s Top 100 List Films

If you’re writing screenplays, it’s very important to know the field. You should be watching movies in the theatre now and also studying previously released films. Here is a wonderful basic list of the great movies, which you should see to have a basic understanding of our industry.

In addition, you should endeavor to [...]

What, Technically, is a “Beat” in a Screenplay?

A writer friend of mine emailed asking me to better describe what is a screenwriting “beat.” Here’s the skinny.

This is actually a point of confusion for many people, and I recall it was very confusing to me when I started at film school because there are actually three kinds of beats, but people just use [...]

Screenplay Genre and Structure: Why the Beat Sheet?

The beat sheet is the best way to learn about screenplay structure, genre conventions and how to structure your script when you’re starting to outline.

A beat sheet is basically what you should create for yourself as an outline before going to page, however even before you start beating out your own script it is [...]

Romantic Comedy Beat Sheet: The Wedding Planner

Here is a breakdown I did on The Wedding Planner. First of all, I love this movie (love you, Shankman!). I think it’s funny, romantic, really charming and well written (go, Pam and Mike!). It is also very well structured, so it’s a good one to study.

What is of notice is the [...]

The Screenplay Competition “Do Nots”

The basic “do nots” before you send your script to a competition. The following is a very basic list of items that do not impress me as a competition reader and, more often than not, will get your script a resounding pass. If your script contains any of these points, consider rewriting before submitting [...]

The Screenplay Competition “Dos”

The basic “dos” before you send your script to a competition. The following is a very basic list of items that get my attention as a competition reader. If your script addresses each of these points, you’re doing a good job. I will be excited to read your script.

DO have a title page. [...]

Screenwriting Homework: Beat Sheets

Screenplay is about structure. Structure isn’t a random fascist convention designed to sabotage and infuriate would-be screenwriters: it’s a means for the reader and audience to know where we are in the journey. Structure as it relates to screenplay is a tool to help writers develop and increase the dramatic stakes of their story.

Everything in [...]

Screenwriting Basics: Genre

One of the most sweeping and common mistakes I see in about 30% of the scripts I read is confusion of genre. And, by “genre,” I don’t mean “horror.” There are a variety of genres, and each specific genre and genre sub-set has its own conventions. By convention, I am not talking about overall structure. [...]

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If It Doesn’t Buy You Something, Take It Out

Screenplay: The Importance<br>of the First Five Pages

Do Your Homework: Watch AFI’s Top 100 List Films

What, Technically, is a “Beat” in a Screenplay?

Screenplay Genre and Structure:<br>Why the Beat Sheet?

Romantic Comedy Beat Sheet:<br><em>The Wedding Planner</em>

The Screenplay Competition “Do Nots”

The Screenplay Competition “Dos”

Screenwriting Homework: Beat Sheets

Screenwriting Basics: Genre

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