Free Procrastination Teleseminar
Free Procrastination Teleseminar [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] Here’s a great, FREE teleseminar for any of you who are struggling with procrastination. Audrey Sussman is more than just a brilliant hypnotherapist… she’s also my mom! I’m sure you’re going to love her teleseminar. And you don’t even have to go anywhere to experience it! […]
To Lawyer Or Not To Lawyer?
To Lawyer Or Not To Lawyer? By Jacob Krueger [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] A question from a student: Question for you: I wrote a short script that this guy wants to film and possibly enter into some festivals. I just want the writing credit, no money- do you think a contract is necessary […]
What To Do When It’s Just Not Coming
What To Do When It’s Just Not Coming By Jacob Krueger [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] It’s the most coveted time for writers. The rare moment when the words are just flowing, when writing feels effortless and the ideas are coming faster than you can write them down. During times like these, it’s easy […]
Power Your Plot: With These Vital Structural Elements
Power Your Plot: With These Vital Structural Elements By Jacob Krueger [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] Today seems like a good day to talk about completions. Not just the kind of completions you make in your life. The kinds of completions you make in your scenes. Completions are the single most important element in distinguishing a […]
Is Your Character An Adjective or a Verb?
It’s no wonder that some of the greatest writers began their careers as actors.
The art of writing and acting have always been profoundly intertwined. That’s because structurally, movies grow out of character. And character is the thing that actors understand best.
So what is character from an actor’s perspective? And how can that help you as a writer?
Got an issue with Robert McKee? Me too.
Don’t throw away the baby with the bath-water. As with any screenwriting book, there are some good things to be discovered in Robert McKee’s “Story”. But there’s also a lot that can be misleading, confusing or even just plain wrong. And for young writers who take his words as gospel, McKee can pose a real danger to finding your voice, truly understanding your character, and discovering the organic structure of your screenplay.
I believe that a big part of that is because McKee teaches screenwriting from a critic’s perspective, rather than that of a writer…
Wild Thoughts About WILD THINGS
Script Analysis: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t yet seen Where The Wild Things Are, you may want to check it out before you read this article.
Let’s set aside the question right now of whether or not Where The Wild Things Are is a good movie. Let’s set aside the question of whether you liked it or not (or were a little bit embarrassed for liking it as much as you did).
And if you feel like you wasted your twelve bucks on a movie in which essentially nothing happens, let’s set that aside too.
Love it or hate it, Wild Things is a movie worth studying, because of the bold and unique ways it is structured to reflect its authors’ premise, both in its most wonderful, and its most problematic elements.
PREMISE? WHAT PREMISE?
Wild things is governed by a simple idea– or at least a strong suggestion– that we are seeing the whole world through the perspective of a young boy– as he works out his rage over his isolated life (and more importantly, his parents divorce) by playing with a bunch of stuffed animals in his room.
The writer-director team of Jonze & Eggers make a very strong (and very risky) decision that nothing in the world of the Wild Things is going to exist outside what a boy Max’s age could reasonably imagine. This is embodied in every element of the film:
Where The Wild Things Are – Interesting Article
Where The Wild Things Are – Interesting Article By Jacob Krueger [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] I haven’t seen the movie yet, but thought this David Brooks NY Times Article about the film was an interesting discussion of character. I’ll weigh in with my thoughts after I’ve seen the film.
Script Analysis: What’s Wrong With “Surrogates”?
Script Analysis: What’s Wrong With “Surrogates”? By Jacob Krueger [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] Movies are a lot like professional sports. The things we notice tend to be the big plays, the brilliant scenes, the moments that make us say “wow!” But what actually makes movies work is a lot like what makes sports […]