The protagonists’ stakes and obstacles give the audience the reasons to care for the story and the hero, while the theme depicts what the story is really about. In screenwriting, the theme adds another dimension to the stor As a filmmaker/writer, you don’t need to explain your theme to your audience. However, the story’s theme…
Filmmaking and Writing
Until There Is Drama, There Is No Film
For the story to work dramatically, all the screenplay elements (stakes, external antagonist or obstacles, intimate opponent, actions the characters take or avoid taking) need to be visible for the audience from the start of the film. The only storytelling element that can be slightly delayed is the hook. But the hook still shouldn’t be…
Logical Characters Aren’t Dramatically Interesting
We all know that our protagonist needs to have an antagonist and/or obstacles to take action and reach the goals they set themselves to achieve. However, since life and real people are complicated, fictional characters shouldn’t be much different. In real life, we often stop ourselves from following and reaching our dreams and goals. Something…
Does Your Hero Need an Intimate Opponent?
In some stories, facing the external antagonist or an obstacle (we covered this subject here) isn’t going to work for the hero. If that is the case, your protagonist may need an intimate opponent. An intimate opponent is someone close to the main character, someone, the protagonist may even consider a friend or an ally,…
Let’s Talk About Theatrical Distribution Window!
Recently James Murdoch said that theatrical window “is gone for good”. If it’s true, what that means for us, indie filmmakers and content creators, who rely on video/film as part of our creative work? Well, this is what I think will happen: Film/video distribution will become more democratised and having films screen only in theatres…
What Is at Stake for Your Character?
If the character in your story doesn’t want anything, doesn’t have any goals, and not much is at stake for them for not reaching those goals, you’re risking that your story will feel flat and forced. If the stakes aren’t high enough (something to motivate, push your character to take decisive action to reach their…
Writing A Screenplay: The Main Character
As writers, we all know that our audience (readers first, before the screenplay can be turned into a film) need to care for the main character. If they don’t… well, the script will be disappointing for them and, most likely, that will be a pass. Remember that some people care for characters and others don’t….
A Short List of Useful Marketing Tips & Hacks (part 2)
1. Your marketing’s starting points:— What are your marketing objectives?— Are you trying to launch a new product?— Are you trying to enter a new country?— Are you trying to win over customers from a competitor? 2. Sample ideas for blogging (blogs and articles which are going to be a part of your content creation initiative to raise awareness of your…
What Are the Essential Elements That Make Screenplay Work?
Having time to develop your story is a blessing, especially when you are driven by inspiration and the urge to tell the story in the purest of its form. As long as you can stay connected to that need, don’t overanalyse your story; it might work to your disadvantage. Let the writing flow. However, when…
Let’s Talk About Titles
The title is one of the most crucial elements of your screenplay. There are entire books and blogs devoted to creating and coming up with mind-blowing titles. In our daily life, attractive and catchy titles increase the odds of us picking up a book, reading an article, or watching a video. Unfortunately, nowadays, people don’t…