Dan’s 2-Minute Screenwriting School: Pro Screenwriters Panel
It’s back! The 2-Minute Screenwriting School is back in action with this video and I’ve got more in the pipeline.
Archive for June, 2011
The “Mike Teavee is the Worst Character Name ever” Rule of Screenwriting
Dearest Screenwriters: If you find yourself wanting to give a character a supremely obvious name, please heed my “Mike Teavee is the worst character name ever” Rule, which states as follows:
Roald Dahl can name a character who watches too much television, MIKE TEAVEE, which is pretty much the definition of on the nose, because he’s Roald Dahl. You can’t because you’re not.
-Dan Calvisi
p.s. If you would like to receive more life-changing pearls o’ wisdom like the above, then you must redeem your (non-existent) golden ticket for Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay.
The “You are not J.R.R. Tolkien” rule of screenwriting
Dearest screenwriters: If you are thinking of giving two characters very similar names, please heed my “You are not J.R.R. Tolkien” Rule:
J.R.R. Tolkien can name two separate villains SARUMAN and SAURON, which is a horrible idea, only because he’s J.R.R. Tolkien. You can’t because you’re not.
-Dan Calvisi
p.s. If you would like to discover more nuggets of wisdom such as this, then you must enter the realm known only as Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay.
Black Swan story map screenplay analysis
Black Swan is a tight, merciless thriller that forges one, driving throughline that is supported by every character and element in the story. In order to become the Black Swan and achieve her dream of ballet perfection, Nina must prove to her director Thomas that she can transform herself on stage, fight off her mother’s attempts to stifle her and defeat her rival Lily, all while suffering from the rapid deterioration of her psyche. She loses the battle for her mind but she achieves her artistic dream, dancing a perfect Black Swan, at the ultimate cost of her life.
Download the FREE Black Swan sample Story Map read more
Raiders of the Lost Ark story map
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a flawless classic and my favorite film of all time. It is the benchmark of the action/adventure genre and features one of the most iconic heroes in cinema history.
Download the FREE Raiders of the Lost Ark
sample Story Map
Sex and the City movie screenplay analysis
My Story Maps Booster Pack #1 includes a Full Story Map for the first Sex and the City movie, which is a great example of a well-written modern Romantic Comedy.
Sex and the City took proven, beloved characters from the television series and wove them into a classic Hollywood Romantic Comedy for the big screen. The first rule of the TV adaptation is “go bigger,” so they gave all of the women life-changing conflicts to navigate.
Download the FREE Sex and the City Story Map Excerpt
Story Maps Booster Pack #1 breaks down 12 GREAT movies
The Story Maps Booster Pack #1 is now available! The Booster Pack breaks down 12 GREAT MOVIES, primarily from the past decade, into a detailed but easy-to-follow structural analysis known as the Story Map.
The Booster Pack #1 analyzes these twelve films:
- Juno (Teen Comedy/Drama) 2007
- The Social Network (Biopic) 2010
- Hustle & Flow (Music Drama) 2007
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (Action/Adventure) 1981 (Sample here)
- Black Swan (Thriller) 2010 (Sample here)
- Sex and the City (Romantic Comedy) 2008 (Sample here)
- Meet The Parents (Comedy) 2000
- The Matrix (Sci-Fi Action) 1999
- Rain Man (Drama) 1988
- Rocky (Sports Drama) 1977 (Sample here)
- Up (Animated Comedy/Action) 2009
- X-Men (Superhero “Origin” Action) 2000
These hit movies are great examples of professional screenwriting in many different genres and budget levels aimed at varied audiences. I stand by each title as a strong example of its genre and as a primer to learn the screenwriting craft at the level that you need to be: the “submission ready” tier that makes a good script into a GREAT script.
Sample Story Map for Black Swan
The Booster Pack is now available for purchase at a special rate with my E-Book Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay or on its own. It is in PDF format and compatible with PC and Mac and any e-readers that can open PDFs. Other E-Reader formats are coming soon.
I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to working with you. Any questions, please feel free to email me via any of the contact forms on the left column of most pages on the site.
Good Luck and Happy Writing!
Dan
Related: Learn More about Story Maps: How to Write a Great Screenplay
Related: The Wrestler Story Map
*Illustration by Dustin Tanner. Images used without permission for educational purposes only. Copyright credits can be found in the Booster Pack document.