goesZen

I've noticed that within the Iron Man films, particularly in part 1 and 2, our hero Tony Stark is rendered as having capabilities within electro-mechanical as well as software fields. And that's remarkable. Even at the first occasion where we witness Tony Stark's wizardry - remember the scene, in the cave - a bulky laptop […]

Some notes about Oblivion (2013), revealing the strong intertextuality of film in general, and Kosinski's work in particular: (spoiler alert!) Slipstream Plot elements, flying over devastated landscape, the overall mood, etc. Steven Lisberger He directed Slipstream, knows Kosinski since Tron:Legacy, Kosinski probably then saw Slipstream. The Stahl House Clearly the blueprint for the tower/apartment. In […]

While reading David Bordwell's blog, I came across a post (about Obama's campaign being a narration) that relit my interest in a topic that I am from time to time investigating into: transmedia storytelling. As it appears, transmedia storytelling (ts) is the latest hype in the industry, as it caters to the business aspects of […]

If you are not so much into reading (yeah, as if...), then be sure to check out these video tutorials: Screenplay How To: Bob Fritchey gives step by step insight into the process of developing a screenplay in short video clips His website: http://www.screenplayhowto.com/ The Script Code: Rick Barretto goes into elaborate detail on some […]

I am convinced that it is equally important to create believable environments as it is to model 3-dimensional characters. While watching a rerun of Crimson Tide (imdb), I noticed the piece's accuracy in terms of military hierarchy, speak, the submarine's equipment and especially the realistic use of the 1MC, a ship's intercom system. A bit […]

I think format is secondary - it's the content! But presenting things nicely is also a form of politeness, I think, and a form of respect when it means playing by the rules of a trade or group. In terms of screenwriting you can easily go insane when you try to track down the right […]

As a personal reminder and sort of a motto, I bookmark Mur's blog/podcast "I Should Be Writing" (latest post) today. I should really be working... In order to further network with the online screenwriting community, I'd also like to hint at Paul's "Process Diary" podcast/blog, who's latest post on using the rules is a good […]

In a past post I thought about my workflow, especially about how I could refine it by adding a tool of some sort to handle the versioning of my documents and texts. In computer programming, this problem is a daily task. That's why a look into this domain is very enlightening. Over decades, numerous people […]

After browsing through Ronald B. Tobias' 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them  I am tempted to finally give Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces a chance. As it seems, Tobias has written a helpful guide, complete with checklists (!), about the major themes of literature. An enlightening read. It's like putting […]

Many of you might already own a copy of MS Word, write in LaTeX or Emacs. For writers looking for a free alternative, here's a short list: celtx which also includes capabilities for storyboarding, scheduling and such The OpenOffice Suite in combination with the Script style template Lyx (Linux) with the "Hollywood" template SLang braintorming […]

A few days ago, I had the chance to watch Tony Gilroys's Michael Clayton (Steven Soderbergh being Executive Producer). Actually the plot is interesting, but nothing that makes you cling to your armrest. But, the impressive quality of the film is that you actually enjoy watching Michael Clayton go through all this ups and downs, […]

If you need to stay in touch with German media,  here is my top 3 of online magazines focusing on Television, Producers and TV stations: kress report, etablished in 1966 one of the oldest and most respected media magazines, publishes a print and online version. DWDL , this online-only service is number 2 in Germany […]

I am the write-annotate-research-annotate more-edit type of writer. I write zillions of short notes and scatter them all over the place and within my texts. For as long as I am forging words, I am looking for the perfect writing tool. I had my stint with Word, then reverted to pen & paper, where I […]

Just a quick note: if you need a fresh spark of inspiration, direct your browser to Random plot points. On every visit (or each time your refresh the page) it will spit out a new unexpected twist. Give it a try! This one goes without detour onto the Blogroll.

If you happened to visit Ruairi Robinson's website in the past, then you know what an all around great guy Ruairi is (and know about his high quality work). So I am pleased to join in on the good news (via AW and AICN) that Ruairi is going to direct the live action version of […]

I have written a few complete scripts in the past and have even more incomplete ones on the shelf. Actually at the moment I plan to start a new project soon. Regarding this "next one", I'd like to publish little tidbits of what I've learned in the process of writing it here on the blog. […]

I you haven't figured it out from the name of this blog yet, this blog is going to by my notepad, scratchpad and comment bullhorn for all things related to the art of screenwriting. I hope I can establish it as a place of vivid and enlighting discussion, with insight for everyone reading. So stay […]