Formatting PART 2: The Goldilocks Syndrome
As I discussed in part 1 of this article, for a producer, reading a truly great script is like finding a hidden spring in the middle of a vast desert. But industry executives are so used to seeing mirages, that unless you show them in the right way, they may not even recognize real water when they see it.
That’s bad news for a lot of writers. But it’s good news for you. Because if you understand the ways that producers form their first impressions of a script, you can use them to your advantage, to start winning over your readers from the very first page.
What’s The Point of Structure?
What’s The Point of Structure? By Jacob Krueger [divider type=”thin” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] Every screenwriter is obsessed with structure. And if you’re a writer, then you’ve probably had the frustrating experience of trying to make sense of at least a dozen conflicting terms and approaches, from Aristotle to Syd Field: Three Act Structure, Hero’s Journey, […]
VIDEO – How To Avoid A Dud Ending
[spb_video link=”https://youtu.be/PKFVs_B9urg” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] [blank_spacer height=”30px” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom=”no” pb_border_bottom=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] NEW VIDEO: How To Avoid A Dud Ending [/spb_text_block] [divider type=”thin” text=”Go to top” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom=”no” pb_border_bottom=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] Check out this new video I recently recorded for Scriptmag.com and learn how to […]
What’s Wrong With Three Act Structure?
[spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom=”no” pb_border_bottom=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] What’s Wrong With Three Act Structure? By Jacob Krueger [/spb_text_block] [divider type=”thin” text=”Go to top” full_width=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] [spb_text_block pb_margin_bottom=”no” pb_border_bottom=”no” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”] A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, a man named Syd Field wrote a book called Screenplay. Syd took the world’s […]
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 […]
The Myth of Three Act Screenplay Structure (or, “Why Am I Lost In My Second Act?”)
For about as long as there have been screenwriting books, young writers have been taught that movies have a three act structure. Each act is viewed as 30 to 60 page chunk of the plot and when they’re all assembled together, they provide a beginning, middle, and an end for your story.
Countless script doctors, critics, teachers, and producers have used this structure to break down great movies, and analyze how they are put together.
But while this may be a great way of looking at a finished script from a critical perspective, it’s not particularly useful to screenwriters. When you’re beginning a new project, it’s not exactly groundbreaking news that your story is going to need a beginning, middle and an end. The real challenge is figuring out how to structure your story in a way that captures the essence of your character’s journey.
Trying to use three act structure to create the story of your movie is like trying to sprint through a marathon. You may start off strong, but by the time you hit the middle of the story, you’ll most likely be running out of steam…
Thoughts On “Watchmen”
In my Monday class tonight a question came up about the difference between Message and Theme.
It turns out a perfect example can be seen in the “The Watchmen”.
Theme is about the character’s journey. It reflects the want the character is pursuing, the value in that character that is being tested, and the way the character changes.
Message is about the writer. It’s what the writer wants you to believe. And in execution it tends to be preachy and unengaging, because it’s all about PLOT and INFORMATION, rather than about a character on a journey…