Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats who has worked for Pixar on many of its production shared on Twitter (some time ago) a few words of narrative golden advice for any scriptwriter or writer out there. Read, learn and remember. #1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. #2: You gotta keep…
TV Writing with Shonda Rhimes
Shonda Rhimes is an American television producer, television and film writer and author. Her best-known shows include: “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Scandal”, “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Private Practice”. If you are writing for TV or starting to write for TV, Shonda’s tips, ideas and suggestions will surely help you out during that process. 1….
Aaron Sorkin’s Recommended Writing Exercises
Aaron Sorkin is an American screenwriter, director, producer and playwright. His writing credits include: “Steve Jobs”, “Moneyball”, “The Social Network” and “West Wing”. If you haven’t seen any of his films or shows, I strongly recommend you do. 1. Find a short story you like and adapt it to a screenplay. Adapting a story, which…
Film Festivals Do’s and Don’ts
Film festivals submission process requires determination, a high level of resistance to rejection, deep pockets and patience when waiting to hear back from the programmers. I’ve been actively submitting films, not only mine, to festivals since 2006. Within that time a lot has changed: the submission process got easier, festival fees are higher than they…
Film Festivals Are Important Part of The Film Business
When I was in film school in the early 2000s, I knew nothing about film festivals. My tutors somehow didn’t feel it was relevant to share that kind of knowledge with their students. Or maybe they didn’t really know… I left the film school in 2004 unaware that film festivals, apart from Cannes and Berlin,…
Margaret Atwood Tips For Writers
1. According to Margaret, a novel is a long story that ought to inspire the reader or listener to hear more of what is happening to the characters and how life turns out for them at the end. 2. Don’t be afraid to try out different voices, styles and techniques, and always keep only what…
Writing Tips From Judy Blume
1. Reading is the key to writing. Read as many books as possible and then start writing. 2. The only way to learn how to write is to practice, and that takes time. No magic tricks or fast rules will allow you to skip the hard work that writing requires. 3. Your individuality is what…
Ron Howard’s Filmmaking Tips
As a filmmaker, you ought to feel emotionally, not intellectually, connected to the story. You should live, breath and dream the story. If you ask your audience to invest their time and money in your film, you need to be certain that the story has something different and exciting to show. Always look for powerful…
7 Filmmaking Tips From Martin Scorsese
1. You should always think carefully about your camera choices. 2. There are no manuals, no shortcuts and no secrets to finding your own way. You learn everything by doing the work. 3. As a director, you will always have to make some hard decisions, and in the process, kill some of your darlings while…
6 Tips on How to Approach Decision Makers
1. Do your research correctly, so that you know exactly who you are approaching. Approaching the wrong person, or the wrong company with your request is counterproductive because after putting all your efforts and energy out, you will never hear back from them. If you are looking for a distributor or a sales agent, make…