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Screenwriting Tips from the Pros

    • 397 posts
    June 24, 2022 4:36 AM PDT

    Screenwriting is an art and each artist has a different style of telling the story. Each scene that is written down can be approached from multiple perspectives and there can be many solutions to the same problem. For this reason, it can be confusing for beginners to understand how to write a good script. 
    Tips and inspiration can be found anywhere, especially among the Pros.

    Screenwriting Tips from the Pros

    Quentin Tarantino is best known for his creative movies. He started by watching as many movies as he could from an early age, until he finally decided to make some movies himself. His work is more complex that it seems and "steals from every movie ever made".In reality, he did not steal anything. He took what he liked in other movies and molded it according to his own ideas and vision. It would be safe to say that every movie he ever saw is a source of inspiration for him. An advice that Tarantino gives is to "make it personal". And this is exactly what he did in some of his most well-known movies.

    Christopher Nolan explains that during his writing process, he seeks to evoke emotion by creating a relatable protagonist. This can also allow the audience to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist and maybe even question themselves. The story doesn't have to be superficial. Go in depth and show what is the main drive for your character. What is he trying to achieve? What is his reason? In an interview, Nolan said that "Everybody’s situation is unique, and the one thing I’ve learned is that instead of copying someone else’s model for a low-budget film, you really have to look at what you’ve got available and see how you can tell the story you want to tell, using the things that you have around you."

    James Cameron combined his love for science with the art of screenwriting. This allowed him to create some of the most creative SF stories of his generation. One of his advices to talented people is to not overthink and take a leap of faith. In an interview, he said: "Imagination is a force that can actually manifest a reality. Don’t put limitations on yourself. Others will do that for you."

    • 82 posts
    June 25, 2022 8:38 AM PDT

    Tarantino's words give me hope! I also watch many movies :D