All posts filed under: filmmaking

How To Launch Digital Media Campaign For Your Film?

Published by Magda Olchawska

Creating your own digital marketing campaign can be challenging, time-consuming and often confusing. Since indie filmmakers have to wear many hats as it is I have created a list that will help you plan for the big day (big opening :)). By following those stages one after another you are increasing your chances of a successful release ($£). STAGE 1 Building awareness of your project, which includes: audience building, a page like ads, poster, trailer, or promotional video. STAGE 2 Validation, which includes: rave reviews, features, interviews, TV, radio, online appearances, and guest blog posts. STAGE 3 If you are doing the theatrical release, you will need geo-targeted ads with an obvious Call to Action button that links to the ticketing website or your film’s landing page. You must be very clear about what you need your visitors to do. STAGE 4 If you are taking the digital road, pre-orders are an essential part of your campaign. Pre-orders will help you rank higher on iTunes which is a massive advantage in today’s overcrowded market. For stage 4 …

How to Make Your Screenplay Powerful?

Published by Magda Olchawska

I’m more than confident that over the years you all have read many fantastic screenwriting books full of beautiful, powerful, and useful ideas. What you will get in this article is a collection of easily accessible tips, which you can keep handy whenever you feel you need some extra help. The checklist below is what I use when I feel stuck with my scripts or stories. 1. To make the characters stop and think, you should take them out of their comfort zone. 2. Scripts often depict what happens in your life at the moment of writing. How can you use that to your advantage? 3. What is the best way to dramatise your story? Take some time to think about it. 4. What is the scene for? You don’t need a scene in a film to show something; you need a scene where something is being challenged that will affect the character’s actions. Trust that your audience is paying attention. Put the characters in problematic situations so the audience can see who the characters …

Scriptwriting Lingo

Published by Magda Olchawska

Do you ever wonder what means what in screenwriting language? Below you will find all the most commonly used terms by screenwriters. A-Story, B-Story, C-Story The A-story is the core story, how the character, main protagonist seeks the goal. The B-story is the story, which runs parallel and intersects at crucial points with the A-story; often the B-story is the “love” story. The C-story (more common in TV) is like another B-Story, just smaller and less critical. Act Break, Break Into 2, Break Into 3 The end of each Act is known as a “break” because in TV this is typically when we cut to a commercial break. To maintain the viewer’s curiosity, the act break should be surprising and essential. In the film, what defines the break, is when the hero decides to pursue the goal of the A-story. The film is typically a 3-Act structure, and the end of Act-3 is usually the climax of the story. On TV a 4-Act structure is more common. Beat A beat can be a unit of …

As a Screenwriter, You Should …

Published by Magda Olchawska

Scriptwriting, like any other creative process, is long, requires brain space and time to develop characters and the stories they will carry. Without the script, there is no film, and as a screenwriter, you should: 1. Like ALL your characters, not only the good ones. Don’t use judgmental words about your characters. 2. Try not to love your character unconditionally as you may need to kill them off (Game of Thrones, Walking Dead). It’s not going to be easy; will you be able to write that? 3. Don’t be an overprotective, obsessive parent. Give your characters the freedom to grow and shine; throw experiences at your character/s. 4. Drop it and move on, if some elements of your story don’t work out for you. Stick with the stuff that works for the characters and the story. 5. Be very clear who you need in your story. Do you have too many or too few characters? If someone isn’t essential to your story, they should be dropped. 6. How would you solve the characters’ problems if …

Joss Whedon’s Top Ten Screenwriting Tips

Published by Magda Olchawska

Joss Whedon is the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its spin-off “Angel”. He also wrote the script for “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. Apart from writing he also directs, produces and composes music. Here are his top ten screenwriting tips: 1. FINISH IT When you start typing, don’t give up until you type THE END. 2. STRUCTURE It’s important to know what happens at which point in the story, so you can build the structure around the way you want your audience to feel. Use whatever means you need to get that right: charts, graphs, post-it notes, highlighters, but don’t go in a circle; otherwise, you are just wasting time. 3. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY Always, always have something to say in your stories. It can evolve into something different than initially predicted at the start of the film, but there needs to be some substance. 4. EVERYBODY HAS A REASON TO LIVE As a writer, you need to know why everybody and anybody is in the script. What is the reason …