Sean Lawrence

Characters are the moving pieces to your story. No characters? No story. No interest. And no fun. But the story does not cure lack of characters. A screenplay is only a glimpse into a specific set of characters at a specific time. They exist before your story and after. Remember this before you start typing away. If you don't, that typing won't be worth the paper each letter is printed on. Below are a few tips on how to solidify your characters before they ever enter your screenplay. First… Focus on characteristics, not backstory. Make sure to start each character's web, list, etc. with the most basic of human traits. How does he or she walk? Talk? How would they play sports? Would they say "thank you" or simply grunt? Start basic (from the ground) and build up as you get more and more foundation.  Second… Allow those characteristics to build a backstory. Got all of these characteristics on paper? Now weave that individual's existence. Sustain the pe...

Putting together a story from A to Z is a process that requires planning, time and consistent bursts of effort. Each one of those stages needs fuel. Fuel comes in strange forms, but the one we should all embrace as writers (and readers) is weirdness. It's inside of us and it morphs every day. So, how can we exorcise this daily weirdness and funnel it into efforts that will produce the results we want? 1. Voice Recorders and Notebooks You have heard it before and we will say it again (and probably again at some point). Having one of these around you at all times not only allows you to record your immediate weird thoughts, but it subconsciously encourages you to have them. 90% of these thoughts won't amount to anything more than some wasted page space or memory, but that other 10% is worth every bit of effort.  2. The Daily Writing Perspective This is a much larger scale philosophy (compared to a specific tactic), but one that can help your daily production of pages. ...

Everyone is different in their writing process. Some of us write for hours and "crank it out." Others write in chunks. And others have a hard time even starting page one. This tip supports the checkpoint (chunk) writers. Chunk writing is a great place to start as a screenwriter. A screenplay is first a blueprint. When a it is edited is when it turns into a story. First drafts are to get the A to Z out of our system. But, this is hard. Designating specific stopping points will help get initial pacing out of the way. Don't put all faith in this first step, though, as this pacing will change. That's a promise.  Remember, structure is important. Yes, certain actions and transformations should be happening at certain spots in your script. But feel free to bend that traditional model in ways that are coherent. Coherency, over anything, is most important. One of the best ways to obtain this coherency? Write. In. Chunks.  The next time you sit down to outline, dra...

We are always giving tips on how to spark writing and how to make sure a certain amount of pages gets done. But what about when you get on a roll and the pages are flying? When, maybe, you are going so fast that you might need to look back on what you are actually writing… When we do find our writing groove, we tend to hum through pages. It's the Will Ferrell "black out" scene from  Old School  all over again. But looking back on those pages can sometimes prove disappointing. Our formatting is sloppy. The action lines are not crisp and concise. And the dialogue sounds terrible when read aloud. So how can we ensure that a writing  mood  does not produce crap writing?  1. Go Slower Than Usual STOP! And take each page for each page. A tip that can help this is to edit each page after you write it. If you feel yourself blowing through pages, then go back and reread the page and make sure its contents line up with that segment of your story.  2. Pr...

Dialogue deserves to be good. What it doesn't deserve is a fate of false reality where the conversation is robotic, stiff and uneasy. It needs to flow when reading aloud. Not once should you question if "that sounds real." Your dialogue needs to be 100% realistic for the universe and characters you are creating.  But what litmus test can be used as a reliable filter for believable dialogue? Let alone good dialogue. Well… PRINT OUT YOUR PAGES AND READ THEM WITH SOMEONE WHO IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH SCREENWRTING. Got parents? Give them a try. A brother? Sister? They'll work too. Cousins work well here also. This will help trim your dialogue and it will help eliminate clunky sentences and excessive exposition.  As a screenwriter, you understand formatting and [hopefully] where to carve out good scenes of back and forth. Be confident with this notion. If you feel a scene is in desperate need of an exchange, go for it. But editing (as it always should be) is wha...

You have heard this repeated hundreds of times. It's like someone is banging your head on the wall for you. But, it is because there's a large amount of truth to it. Of course, there are exceptions, but ultimately if you can't create an engaging push within those first ten to twelve pages then you need to rework something.  A common problem we hear with these first pages is how to gain propulsion quickly, but effectively (effectively = engaging). A lot of things need to happen in these first pages, right? Yes, but this structure can be executed in a lot of different ways. One thing to NOT do is drag out an "artistic" opening. What is this? Well, it's that influence we have in our heads that tells us to drag out action lines all throughout those first pages. You know, where our lead showers, then shave, then gives a thousand yard stare in a mirror contemplating life. Don't do this. It's boring. It takes up valuable intro time. And it is predic...

Above are just a few examples of the infinite excuses that circle screenwriters like a shark. They mean nothing. They are false. You  make your own time. It's not going to be at the same time every day. It won't be for the length you always want it. It will be during the times you carve out. The  you  is the biggest part of the equation.  Now, what about that whole creative juices thing? Yes, there are always times we feel the lightning bolt strike and we can bang out ten clean pages. These times tend to be rare though. Make yourself write. Make yourself punch keys for five to ten minutes. Get it out. Then…edit. You will find that the real creative juice and coherency of your story come through in the second and third rounds of editing.  Now stop reading this and start typing. From < https://thescriptlab.com/screenwriting/script-tips/3228-screenwriting-has-a-timeline-abide-by-it/ > 

"It made me alive to the fact that the most important thing sometimes is what isn't said – to prepare for moments of revelation that can be read entirely on actors' faces without dialogue." -Robert Towne Mr. Towne ( Chinatown ) brings up a valid point; one that can be forgotten quite a bit. Most of the time less is more. Heavy exposition can bog down a screenplay like an elephant strapped to a life raft.  When going back and editing dialogue, make sure it sounds real (reading aloud helps here) and that it's concise. When a character over explains the situation he or she is in, it seeps through the script, clouds pacing and can turn off a reader.  These questions will help you clean up that excessive dialogue:  1.  Do I need that sentence? Or that word? 2.  Do these blocks of dialogue between characters fall in line with previous [edited] dialogue blocks? 3.  (After the first run of editing) Does the page of dialogue you just read d...

Struggling to get from one page to the next? The page you just penned was tight and epic, but you can't find a way to get to the next tight and epic page? Stop. Take a breather. And pause. You are about to write a crap couple of pages that will serve no purpose and are just needless blocks.  You are in a state where these couple of pages that link one sequence to the next are simply filler. They are 100% "meh." When writing and editing make sure that each and every page is tight and moves the story and character forward in the most applicable way for that story/character.  How do you spot this? When you go back and edit your printed pages you will see them. They will jump out at you. They tend to be pointless action blocks that, visually, would produce a lethargic pace. So kill them immediately and restructure your flow.  From < https://thescriptlab.com/screenwriting/script-tips/3256-connector-scenes-suck/ > 

Constructing a sound screenplay takes a lot of concentration and there is some multitasking involved. Sometimes we can get so stuck in our plot and formatting mechanics that we put character development to the side; thus the characters acting only as bodies moving around.  Something to keep in mind when reading back your completed script is, "Have my characters changed the ways I wanted them to." Some characters are constants and do not change (these are good for opposition), but your players should experience adversities that enable them to change for better or worse.  Remember to have solidified starting and end points for your characters. They need to go through a transformation that spits them out in the end. Bottom line, keep this front of mind. It can slip away without you even realizing it until you go back and read a bland character that stays stagnant throughout the entire story. 

As we conclude this series (see  Part One ,  Part Two , and  Part Three ), let’s take a look at some final key elements to be aware of when watching a film: 6)  Lighting & Art Direction . Stark hard lighting. A single, swaying light bulb. A beam of moonlight piercing through a dungeon cell. Mood – either in a particular scene or as an entire film – is often determined by lighting and  location . The way shadows fall, the actual types of sets used, and how images are revealed are essential to establishing atmosphere. (7)  Soundtrack . The hero and heroine rush into each other’s arms and embrace in a passionate kiss. Music SWELLS… and it pulls us right out of the moment. Not good! A good soundtrack is the one we really don’t notice – it never overwhelms or distracts. Music should be used to elevate a scene, and the best emotional heightener is sometimes no sound at all. (8)  Special (Visual) Effects . George Lucas said it best: “Special effe...

Writing , acting, and directing are all essential elements to analyze (see  Part One  and  Part Two ), but what about shooting and editing? (4)  Cinematography . Film is a  visual medium , and fantastic photography occurs when the camera becomes an extension of the human eye. A great DP makes us feel like we’re really there discovering for ourselves or along with the characters, versus watching as non-active observers from the outside. Look for cinematography that is rarely static, and instead transforms itself into the eyes of the viewer. (5)  Editing . If the script, as Hitchcock suggests, is the most important element in a film, then editing has to come in as a close second. Editing is basically visual writing. Sure, there’s the script as a guide, but often things change during photography, shots are missed, added, and sometimes the script was a mess to begin with. The editor has a monumental job: fix all the problems, create the illusion of con...

Even though the screenplay may be the “most vital” element in a film, as Hitchcock clearly states (see  How to Watch a Movie: Part One ), there are many more elements to study when watching a film: (2)  Acting . Good acting – you know it when you see it. Great actors, however, can do very little to improve bad material, but mediocre actors can shine quite bright when working with awesome material. So if a film has a fantastic screenplay with amazing talent – even if the execution of the many other elements are less than perfect – the movie should still be a success. (3)  Directing . Great directors are not necessarily “control freaks.” But control is an essential part of their job description. Directing is all about vision. And great directors are master mechanics of  (a) controlling a crystal clear vision (b) surrounding themselves with people who can execute that vision, and (c) making sure that all individuals involved understand and embrace that vis...

How to Watch a Movie: Part 1 Many films are made to entertain. But cinema can also educate, indoctrinate, or propagate by allowing us to experience multiple perspectives: cultural, political, or ideological. Hence, we subscribe to the so-called experts, but who’s to say the average moviegoer can’t add to the discussion. Enlightenment is often a product of hard work and practice, so for the aspiring home-based couch “critics”, here is the first of a series of what to study when watching a movie: (1)  Screenplay . Hitchcock said, “The three most vital elements in any good film are the script, the script, the script.” And watching a movie in the right way can teach you a ton about how to  structure “the script”. One of the best ways is to watch the clock as you go. At about 12 – 15 minutes in, you should hit the   inciting incident . 24 -30 minutes – the character is  locked-in , propelling him into the  Second Act  tension. The practical experience o...

POSTED BY  ERIC DIAZ  ON OCTOBER 6, 2017 COMICS TELEVISION This season, two long running  Marvel Comics properties made their transition to television at roughly the same time, one based on the X-Men , called  The Gifted –which debuted on Fox–and the other  Marvel’s Inhumans , which landed on ABC. Both of these properties debuted within just a couple of years of each other in the comics back in the sixties, and both were created by the legendary duo of  Stan Lee  and  Jack Kirby . Yet, both of these series had very different reactions from both critics and fans, with  The Gifted  being praised, by and large, and  Inhumans  being raked over the coals. So what did one show do right that the other seemingly missed the mark on? Here are five ways  The Gifted  succeeded where  Inhumans didn’t. KEEPING THE FOCUS ON CHARACTER The pilot episode for  The Gifted  keeps t...

The Criterion Collection August 2017 Three shades of darkness crept in this month, with a daylight noir from Michael Curtiz, a searing Thatcher-era drama from Mike Leigh, and a murderous marital comedy from Sacha Guitry joining the collection. Plus,  Sid & Nancy made its return and  Hopscotch got an upgrade. New Releases Meantime » Hopscotch » The Breaking Point » La poison » Sid & Nancy » Coming Soon Rebecca » Festival » Certain Women » David Lynch: The Art Life » The Piano Teacher » Just Announced The Philadelphia Story » Desert Hearts » Jabberwocky » Le samouraï » Janicza Bravo’s Top 10 With her provocative absurdist comedy  Lemon now playing in theaters, writer-director Janicza Bravo shares a list of her favorite films in the collection, including works by Bob Fosse, Ousmane Sembène, and David Lynch. Alicia Malone’s Closet Picks » ...