Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright. His works include the Broadway plays A Few Good Men, The Farnsworth Invention and To Kill a Mockingbird; the television series Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Newsroom; and the films A Few Good Men, The American President, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs. For writing The Social Network, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, among other awards.
How do writers make characters into people we can empathize with and understand? One way is through the use of characterization. But what is characterization? We’re going to answer that question by looking at examples from Kill Bill and The Social Network, and by listening to the perspective of some of the world’s most foremost… Continue reading What is Characterization — A Guide to Character Building
How long is a movie script? Or perhaps better questions are how long are scripts in general and how many pages should a screenplay be? While there is a degree of variety to how many pages is a movie script, there is far less flexibility when it comes to the length of a screenplay than… Continue reading How Long is a Movie Script & Why Page Count Matters
Our physical experience of life is chronological. Yet our internal experience of life may not be. We reminisce on the past and anticipate the future. This uniquely human experience is portrayed on the big screen through non-linear storytelling. What is a non-linear plot used for? Non-linear plots allow filmmakers to rearrange time in an order… Continue reading What is a Non-Linear Plot — How to Write Stories Out of Order
You finally started writing that great screenplay idea and put words to paper. But all of a sudden you realize that you may have the foundation of your story, but not the details. This is not an uncommon problem. So we decided to address this uncommon problem and lay out tips that will help you… Continue reading How to Develop a Movie Script — Characters, Structure & Goals
What are the best movie scripts to study as an aspiring screenwriter? Reading great screenplays is an important part of the learning process for any developing screenwriter. By looking at the work of great writers, we can explore a multitude of styles and approaches. Studying great scripts can strengthen and inform your own writing. We’ll… Continue reading Best Screenplays to Read for Aspiring Screenwriters — Top 10
Writing a biopic screenplay can present an enormous challenge for even the most veteran screenwriters. That’s because biopics often involve legal and circumstantial challenges that aren’t an issue with other forms. Don’t fear though: we’re going to show you how to write a biopic screenplay step-by-step. By the end, you’ll be ready to write a… Continue reading How to Write a Biopic Screenplay — Research & Writing TIps
Movies are a visual medium first and foremost, which means making on-screen imagery as effective as possible. And if you’re making a narrative feature, you will more than likely be needing dialogue. Movies didn’t start with traditional dialogue tracks, but these days, virtually every movie in existence has it. But what is dialogue, why does… Continue reading What is Dialogue — A Writer’s Guide to Spoken Words
Aaron Sorkin is one of the film industry’s most well-known and respected screenwriters. Sorkin has proven equally adept at writing for feature films, television shows, and even for the Broadway stage. His recent leap into directing his own scripts has likewise been met with major acclaim and awards attention. Sorkin has a reputation as one… Continue reading Best Aaron Sorkin Screenplays — PDF Downloads & Analyses
Learning how to properly write a screenplay can be a challenge. Luckily, you don’t have to go at it alone. Film school and other screenplay classes are always an option but they can be expensive, time-consuming, and of questionable quality. There are plenty of educational resources to learn screenwriting online but they are not all… Continue reading Best Screenwriting Classes Online — Top Free & Paid Options
In psychology, there’s something called the serial position effect. It means people tend to remember what comes first and last, not what occurs in the middle. Filmmakers know this phenomenon all too well. Combine that with today’s stream-ability and countless options… and the opening to a film is as important as ever. Today, we study the best… Continue reading 25 Best Opening Scenes in Movies & What Makes Them Great
There are a lot of intricacies in scripts that present challenges to even the most veteran of screenwriters. The process of writing a script is difficult enough but the vocabulary, abbreviations, and defintions related to the job can be a bit elusive. But don’t worry, we’re going to cover a variety of screenwriting terms that… Continue reading Screenwriting Terms — Abbreviations, Definitions & Vocab
90s movies may forever be my favorite movies. For whatever reason, whether comedy, drama, or horror, I feel this overwhelming sense of peace when one of my favorite 90s films is on. Is it just nostalgia or do they actually hold up? I suppose that’s always debatable. But there is a thin line between what… Continue reading Best 90s Movies of All Time — An Awesome 90s Movies List
Every month, dozens of movies arrive on Netflix, but it can be a hassle keeping track of all the great content that comes and goes. Don’t fret though, we’re going to break down the best new movies on Netflix each month to help you decide on what to watch. These are the best of what’s… Continue reading Best New Movies on Netflix, Filmmaker Playlist (Dec 2020)
Every month, dozens of movies arrive on Netflix, but it can be a hassle keeping track of all the great content that comes and goes. Don’t fret though, we’re going to break down the best new movies on Netflix each month to help you decide on what to watch. These are the best of what’s… Continue reading Best New Movies on Netflix, Filmmaker Playlist (November 2020)
Learning how to write dialogue is not easy. You’ve written a pretty good script, but you know it could be GREAT. Could writing better dialogue in your screenplay be that missing piece? Want screenwriting tips that teach you how to write dialogue in a script with writing examples from movies and TV to go with each… Continue reading 22 Screenwriting Tips for Better Movie Dialogue in Your Scripts
