John August wrote his first story, about a boy who gets trapped in a hole on Mars, at the age of seven on his mother’s typewriter. From there, he’s developed into one of Hollywood’s most in-demand screenwriters, notably working on several projects with director Tim Burton. Their partnership began with Big Fish (2003), which earned…
What does it look like? It’s a shot that reveals a monster or killer in a reflective surface for the audience (not the character) to see. It also reveals the geography of the threat within the context of the shot. It could be behind, above, below or inside of something in the scene. How’s it…
Starting his career as an editor, David Webb Peoples began writing screenplays in the 1970s, producing a series of scripts that eventually brought him to the attention of director Tony Scott. Through Scott’s encouragement, Peoples became involved with Blade Runner (1982), the seminal science-fiction film directed by Scott’s brother Ridley. However, one of Peoples’ greatest…
Who doesn’t love a good thriller? It’s a popular film genre that has its own visual style and narrative elements, emotional cues, and audience expectations. In Genre Filmmaking author Danny Draven shows the aesthetic, emotional and visual techniques of popular shots and sequences in the comedy, thriller, sci-fi, horror, action, romance, and masterworks/epics genres, and…
Whoever said, “the best camera is the one you have with you” must have been talking about smart phones. These days, anyone with the right smart phone and the right app(s) can make a quick video any time or any place. Because it’s possible to send video directly from cell phones, many users are coming…
Basics of Television Storytelling The basics of television storytelling are really a tale of two dynamics. In one, television shares many storytelling elements, concepts and techniques with cinema, because much of the language of television was initially adapted from film. The other dynamic is one of a gradual evolution over time, with television storytelling being…
There are three main factors that contribute to the negative effects the two Visual Sins can have on the audience: 1.) Where is the audience looking? The Visual Sins can’t cause problems if the audience doesn’t look at them. Every shot has a subject and a lot of non-subjects. The audience spends most of its…
The following is an excerpt for FilmCraft: Screenwriting by Tim Grierson © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group. All Rights Reserved. Few film artists have been as prolific, talented, and utterly dismissive of their body of work as Woody Allen. “When I’m home lying on my bed and I’m writing something, I have these incredible ideas,”…
What is a brand? Simply put, a brand is a commercial identity. It is a visual, aural and intellectual way of communicating the core principles of a company or product. Brands are the commercial personae, the mask shown to the public and in marketing. This mask has a purpose, which is to attract consumers to…
“When I talk to the young I say, ‘Things are always worth trying.’ I don’t think there’s anything more exciting in life than discovering a gift you didn’t know you had. And it might have gone undiscovered.” About David Hare Heralded as a playwright, screenwriter, and director, Sir David Hare has enjoyed a professional career…
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