27.06.2011
Screenwriting Blog
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.
27.06.2011
Screenwriting Blog
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.
20.06.2011
Screenwriting Blog
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.
17.06.2011
Screenwriting Blog
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.
read more
15.06.2011
Screenwriting Blog
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.
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.
26.05.2011
Screenwriting Blog
In an article titled “The Inside Story,” published in Psychology Today back in March, super producer Peter Guber talks about the psychological, emotional and transformative powers of storytelling and how they apply to the movies — WHY we love movies and what gets us engaged.
Stories… are state-of-the-heart technology – they connect us to others. They provide emotional transportation, moving people to take action on your cause because they can very quickly come to psychologically identify with the characters in a narrative or share an experience…
I couldn’t help but find many points in the article where Guber affirms the very same tenets that I put forth in Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay. The quotation above, specifically the wonderful phrase “state of the heart,” immediately made me think of a line from my Introduction (excerpt here): read more
23.05.2011
Screenwriting Blog
It’s HERE!
Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay E-Book is ready for purchase. Go HERE for excerpts, a sample story map and three options, including a “Booster Pack” with 12 new story maps!
E-Book now available for purchase - Click on image for Limited-Time Offer
