No one plunges into the specifics of their own psyche quite like screenwriter and director Charlie Kaufman. And the praise for his work, from audiences and critics alike, ranges from overwhelmingly positive to downright life-changing. But what makes his movies so great? When thinking about some of the best screenplays, it seems the more specific… Continue reading Best Charlie Kaufman Movies, Ranked for Their Screenplays
Plot TropesOpen menu What is a Trope What is a Cliche Flashback MacGuffin Plot Twist Red Herring FREE Movie Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Write Your Script for Free Here lies the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She was written into this world without a care in the world, and now the majority of movie-goers, filmmakers, writers,… Continue reading Manic Pixie Dream Girl — A Eulogy for a Character Trope
Over the last century, we made some extraordinary advances in storytelling technology. We can shoot in complete darkness. We can create environments and characters from nothing more than pixels ⏤ even live, in real-time. And we can literally make an entire feature film using our phones! And, yet, stereotypes in movies still exist. The progress needle… Continue reading Stereotypes in Movies and How Filmmakers Can Avoid Them
You’ve got a great idea for a montage. But what does it look like on the page? Figuring out how to write a montage in a script the “right” way is a common concern. There isn’t one definitive way to write a montage. You have plenty of industry-standard options. We’ll cover all of them in this… Continue reading How to Write a Montage in a Script — Formatting For Various Locations
EssentialOpen menu What is Creative Commons What is Fair Use What is Public Domain ResourcesOpen menu Creative Commons License Pros and Cons How Copyright Free Music Works How to Copyright a Script How to Find Award-Worthy Script Ideas from The Public Domain Best Public Domain Movies Most Hollywood films and television shows are based off… Continue reading How to Find Award-Worthy Script Ideas from The Public Domain
Screenplay Structure 101Open menu Three Act Structure Freytag’s Pyramid Story Mountain Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Save the Cat Dan Harmon’s Story Circle 5 Stages of A StoryOpen menu Exposition Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Falling Action Denouement Write Your Script For Free → I s there anything worse than bad exposition in film? Few things turn… Continue reading Mastering the Screenplay: Writing Exposition in Film
Screenplay Structure 101Open menu Three Act Structure Freytag’s Pyramid Story Mountain Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Save the Cat Dan Harmon’s Story Circle 5 Stages of A StoryOpen menu Exposition Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Falling Action Denouement Write Your Script For Free → We all know every story starts at the beginning, right? But what’s… Continue reading 15 Best Inciting Incident Examples for Screenwriters and Directors
So what is an adapted screenplay and what are the requirements for an adaptation? It’s obvious by the name that an adapted screenplay is well, adapted from something else, while an original screenplay is just that, originally created. But actually, even if you come up with an original idea, it may end up falling into… Continue reading The Adapted Screenplay: True Adaptations or Academy Categories?
Creative writing prompts are powerful tools that aid you to become a consistent writer. It’s easy to get inspired once, maybe twice about a project or story that means something to you. But if and when that light dims, or you finally finish that project, what’s next? Writer’s block isn’t much of an avenue. Excuses… Continue reading 82 Creative Writing Prompts and Writing Exercises for Screenwriters
Screenplays By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror ResourcesOpen menu FREE Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download Write Your Script for Free → The Usual Suspects… Continue reading The Usual Suspects Script: Plot, Quotes, and Screenplay PDF Download
Best Tarantino MoviesQT’s Directing StyleQT Directing Tips QT DialogueOnce Upon a Time AnalysisBasterds Breakdown Quentin Tarantino is known for many things as a filmmaker. His films have unpredictable violence and masterfully-crafted scenes. But above all else, Tarantino is known for his dialogue. It’s not easy holding an audience’s attention for even two minutes, but Tarantino somehow… Continue reading How to Write Dialogue Like Quentin Tarantino — Kill Bill Analysis
Screenplays By GenreOpen menu Comedy Sci-Fi Drama Crime TV Scripts Horror ResourcesOpen menu FREE Scripts: StudioBinder Screenwriting Library Best Screenplays to Read Shane Black Movies & Screenwriting Explained Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Best Horror Movie Scripts to Download Write Your Script for Free → Rick and Morty… Continue reading Rick and Morty Meeseeks Script: Characters, Quotes, and PDF Download
T he best movies have stories that entertain us, connect with us, and keep us glued to the screen. That kind of compelling drama happens on multiple levels, through internal and external conflict. How you implement these tools will determine how effective your story is.Continue reading How Internal Conflict and External Conflict Can Energize Your Story
Book to movie adaptations are a great source of content for writers and producers. When done well, story lovers can experience their favorite characters on the big screen in new and exciting ways. Great book adaptations revive age-old tales begging to be remembered.Continue reading Best Book to Film Adaptations in the Last Five Years and… Continue reading Best Book to Film Adaptations in the Last Five Years and What’s Next
What is the difference between a teleplay, script, and screenplay? Although some people think these terms are interchangeable, every screenwriter must understand the differences. We’re going to break down how these types of scripts are defined and why it’s important to understand the differences between script, screenplay, and teleplay.Continue reading Teleplay vs Screenplay vs Script: Hacking… Continue reading Teleplay vs Screenplay vs Script: Hacking the Hollywood Lingo
T here’s something about a car chase that captivates an audience. Maybe it’s the need for speed, or, perhaps it’s the knowledge that at any moment the scene can come to an abrupt end that gets the heart racing. But is it easy to pull off? Nowadays, sophisticated audiences require more from their action scenes. Car… Continue reading How to Write a Car Chase Scene in a Screenplay [with Examples]
Script coverage is an essential part of the development process, but many screenwriters and even some producers are in the dark. If you’re pursuing a job in the entertainment industry, keep reading. This post will guide you through the entire process of script coverage, including how they rate scripts and places for you to find professional… Continue reading A Complete Guide To Understanding Script Coverage (Free Template)
StudioBinder presents the next step in our goal to create a truly holistic approach to pre-production: screenwriting software. Our software guides you through the creation of professionally formatted scripts, the ability to share and collaborate on each draft, and allows you to sync new drafts across your entire project without losing any previous work like… Continue reading StudioBinder’s Screenwriting Software — From Development through Production
You finally wrote your screenplay, novel, or academic book. Now what? You want to grab an agent or editor’s attention. How might you do that? Writing a synopsis is an age-old tool to get your project noticed. But what is a synopsis? Is a film synopsis or book synopsis different? Let’s learn the basics so… Continue reading What is a Synopsis? The Basics for the Screenwriter and Novelist
There’s no shortage of “How to Write a Spec Script” posts out there, and they tend to come in two forms. Articles about writing on spec either spotlight “business side” considerations — marketplace demand, how to get your material out there, which contests to enter — or they give guidance on the creative process: how… Continue reading How to Write a Spec Script — Tips and Techniques for TV and Film
