Movies & TV

When a writer sends you a script in pdf format for your comments, you can't add your notes directly into that document since most pdf files are "read only". Because you are forced to...

Children begin learning the alphabet as soon as they start to recognize sounds. Soon, they can memorize the sounds of the letters, and later learn to identify the letter on sight. Once they...

Now that you have written a screenplay what can you do to sell it. Make sure you have a professional script in your hands you don't want to send it in, to get it thrown into the recycle bin and...

Writing a successfully structured screenplay is a craft, and like all crafts, it can be learned. The first step is to understand the three-act structure. Most films have a narrative presented in...

There are many anime fans who are part of groups that make anime available to viewers outside of Japan before it becomes commercially available in their own country. These groups obtain digital...

You've written a script or you have a great TV show idea--now you need the producer to make your dream a reality. A producer is the person who shepherds a movie or TV show from idea to finished...

A script supervisor is a film technician who works beside the director on the movie set. General qualities needed for the job are excellent organizational skills and an unerring eye for detail....

You think you've written the next Star Wars saga or the Matrix Trilogy and are ready to have your script bring you all the fame and fortune that some screen writers are renown for. Well lets begin...

Just out in theaters is the motion picture Paranormal Activity. The special thing about this movie is that it is a ridiculously low budget film that uses one, relatively cheap, camera. No sets...

You've written the best screenplay on earth, right... and now what? Writing a screenplay is challenging, but marketing your screenplay takes the word challenging to a whole new level. And...

Making a superhero movie, much like making any movie, requires a lot of time, research, and preparation. Fortunately, a superhero movie gives you the liberty to use your imagination, working...

Do you dream of having your own web show? Do you have a creative spirit? Are you an actor? Do you have a lot of fun with your friends? You may have the makings of a popular web show. If you’ve...

Getting a movie made today, at Universal Studios or any major studio, is a long, uphill climb that comes with odds nearly as slim as winning the lottery for non-established filmmakers. Though...

With the high quality of video recording equipment available today, in conjunction with computers and movie editing software, making decent homemade movies is easier than ever. Amateur movie...

Writing a script for animation is similar to writing a live-action script. The format for an animation script is the same as for a live-action script. Formatting a screenplay or script can be done...

Making a film requires a great deal of work, which is typically broken down into five stages---development, preproduction, production, postproduction and distribution. Of the five stages, it is in...

A movie is only as good as its screen play. The screen play has to give the reader an accurate representation of what will eventually be going on during the finished film. A screen play must also...

Whether you're reporting the news on radio or on television, you need a script to make sure the information you distribute is both accurate and communicated effectively. Even though it may seem...

A television character with a strong series based around him can be a writer's dream come true, both creatively and financially. A successful television character can not only bring a writer...

Many people assume that to make a film, you need to get a major movie studio to back your production and provide you with money. This is not true. Anybody who donates money to you to help make a...

Unlike traditional novel writing, movie scripts must be written and outlined in a specific manner. Transforming an idea into an award-winning script takes time and an understanding of the main...

If you love movies and have dreamed about penning one of your own, the proliferation of screenwriting resources and software makes it easy to get started. In addition, the accessibility of...

Many of the films today come with massive budgets, special effects and movie sets that are so realistic the moviegoers forget they are watching a film. Designing a movie to have this effect on the...

One of the best ways to break into the television industry as a scriptwriter is with a strong spec pilot script. A great idea for an original television series and a strong spec pilot script can...

Writing a screenplay is the first step to getting a movie produced. Even with the best blockbuster idea, a script can get thrown out immediately if it's not correctly formatted. Following script...

Starting your own film company is an expensive and challenging undertaking. Even a mildly successful film can make it possible for your film company to survive, but you need more than a good...

Have you ever watched a television show and thought to yourself that you could have come up with a better idea? Contrary to popular opinion, creating a reality show might not be as difficult as...

Despite the recent success of TiVo, commercials still play an important role in advertising products and services. Commercials can range from being funny to sad. Each commercial targets a specific...

A teleprompter can be a great tool to enhance a verbal presentation, but if it is not used well it can also cause a speaker to look completely rehearsed and unnatural. You will get the most out of...

Writing a screenplay is no easy task. You have to take a specifically structured story populated with very specific characters and cram them into a very specific format. The result is sometimes...

W.C. Fields didn't make it easy for everyone to love him; the ultimate curmudgeon, Fields mocked everything that domestic America held sacred: marriage, children, pets and a settled and sober home...

The objective of scriptwriting is to move the story forward, describing visually on each line what happens next. In a script, the story structure is the most important part, and the action tells...

Essentials in creating a TV commercial

One of the earliest steps in the making of a movie is selling the screenplay to a producer or production company. Sometimes, however, the screenplay isn't bought outright; the company or producer...

It's a lot harder than it looks to write a movie, especially if you're just starting out and don't have any kind of reputation in show business. While there's no definitive "right" or "wrong" way...

Scriptwriting involves writing a script. A scriptwriter must have the ability to invent, the literary talent to elevate language, the story talent to raise life itself, the feminine power of the...

When writing a screenplay, format is the key to it being read or considered by agents or production companies. After typing a few scripts, the rules will become easier to remember and you will be...

Are you interested in making a living as a movie screenwriter? If so, this article is for you. Back in 2000, I watched a video interview with Oscar-award winning screenwriter Ron Bass (Rain Man,...

So, you want to be an actor! You have your audition appointment and you're ready to read... now, give the casting directors what they want!

An independent film production takes a lot of work and time, especially if you do not have the resources found within a major studio production. Organization is the key to creating a smooth and...

A shooting script is the final version of a purchased script that the production company uses to actually shoot the movie. It is past the rewrite stage and unlikely to suffer any more revisions or...

Without thorough planning before beginning to shoot a movie, even the best ideas can become difficult to portray on screen. If you need to rent equipment, improper planning can cause your budget...

Writing a script of any kind, whether mystery or other, is an incredibly tasking & rewarding process. Most people never finish mystery scripts but those that do know the fulfillment brought...

If you're a kid with a lot of imagination, a love of movies and an ability to tell good stories, you don't have to be an adult or move to Hollywood to start writing screenplays of your own. Thanks...

When you read great dialogue, it should pop off the page at you. And when a scene is performed, great dialogue should make the scene pop, too. Movie script dialogue should not only add suspense,...

When children decide they want to be actors, they need to start training like anyone would for any other career. However, teaching children to act is slightly different than teaching adults...

A casting call is basically the equivalent of a job interview for actors and should be treated with the same respect and preparation as with any type of employment interview. Over the course of an...

While the documentary captures real life, there are actually writers who create documentary scripts. These scripts are far from a true movie format, but they are still needed in order to organize...

Not only does Three Act Structure work, but what I’m going to tell you today is that you should use more of it. I’m going to suggest that you apply Three Act Structure to your overall script, to...

A cold read is often employed in auditions as a test of sorts, giving the actors very little time to prepare. The casting director will hand over a script as you walk in and ask you to act it...