One of the silent assumptions that most screenwriters bring to first drafts is the notion that setting is simply a backdrop. Places are outlined, landscapes are drawn, the weather is mentioned, and then the narrative proceeds to what seems to be the actual work of character and action. However, setting is not inert in the best screenplays. It does not merely contain the story. It influences behavior, exerts pressure, provides opportunity, and restricts escape. It turns into a

The number of modern filmmakers who silently transformed the emotional vocabulary of screenwriting is quite large, and Lulu Wang is one of the most unique voices of the past ten years. Wang is best known as the screenwriter of The Farewell (2019) , whose stories are intimate but broad, personal but culturally expansive. Her writing deals with family, identity, migration, language, and the silent negotiations between truth and love. What can writers learn about the way Lulu Wa

The weight of endings is disproportionate. A viewer will be willing to forgive a slow first act or a sloppy middle, but a poor climax will cancel goodwill within a short time. The reason is that endings do not just end a story. They establish the content of the story, and they narrate to the audience the reason why they had to spend their time and emotions in the first place. A heart-throbbing resolution is not one of witty twists and happy endings. It concerns emotional cong

Vince Gilligan has gained rare trust. As soon as his name is displayed on a pilot, people sit forward rather than asking about the subject of the show. They believe that there is intent in each decision. The new sci-fi pilot on Apple TV+, Pluribus , comes with that trust and immediately questions it. Pluribus  seems like an old friend at first sight. An unexplained interstellar communication. A sudden outbreak. Society shifting overnight. This arrangement has been repeated th

Although Looper  can be discussed as a high-concept science fiction movie about time travel, determinism, and identity, its true strength is the way it creates antagonism. The 2012 movie by Rian Johnson does not like to present evil in a simple, one-dimensional way. Rather, Looper  constructs a stratification of antagonists that include people, mechanisms, and inevitability itself. Similar to the finest genre movies, it does not only rely on its villains to pose a threat to t

Everyone wants to be the next Ari Aster in this day and age–seamlessly combining genres from across the board. Whether it’s the COVID dark comedy horror satire in Eddington or the surreal landscape in Beau is Afraid, who does it better? Nevertheless, that’s not to say genre blending is a good thing, since there are plenty of points to recognize within the context. Just look at Cowboys & Aliens , a film that tried to merge Western grit with sci-fi spectacle and ended up pleasi

The sidekick has always been one of the most reliable figures in cinematic storytelling. To understand this evolution, one must look not just at the history of film but at the changing assumptions behind screenwriting: who stories are about, how secondary characters are developed, and why audiences crave more than a single point of identification. Still from 'Batman and Robin' (1997). Photo credit: Warner Bros The History When Hollywood storytelling was in its classical phase

There are so many greats in the screenwriting world, and few have had the longevity as Mike White. Primarily known for The White Lotus , White bursted onto the scene with 2000’s Chuck & Buck and 2003’s School of Rock . What can we learn from Mike White as writers? Let’s take a look! Photo license: Canadian Film Centre Recurring Themes and Tone Tone-wise, his writing is often a tonal balancing act between satire, absurdity, drama, and sometimes horror or tragedy. It's not pur

Boardwalk Empire had all the hype in 2010. With the weight of Martin Scorsese directing and Terence Winter writing, expectations were enormous. HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, which debuted in 2010, was one of the most ambitious series launches in TV history, blending cinematic scope with serialized storytelling. So, what can we learn as writers? Let’s discuss! Still from 'Broadwalk Empire'. Photo credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment Opening Sequence The opening sequence plunges us in

Whether you’re a Marvel fan or not, there is something to analyze regarding the success of superhero movies in the last 10-20 years. While I have my issues with the superhero craze, 2018’s Black Panther is definitely one of the better options from this era. While the film is remembered for its groundbreaking cultural significance and box office impact, it also features a fascinating, layered portrayal of antagonism within the narrative. Unlike many superhero films, where the

Why go with a straightforward narrative structure when you can explain the beauty in nonlinear storytelling? Think of nonlinear stories as a departure from the standard story format, which weaves multiple flashbacks, storylines, and present-day scenes together. In my opinion, it works well for stories based on real life. Let’s be honest, life events don’t always follow a neat or logical flow. We all know that life is full of leaps in logic or seeming inconsistencies, things t

At the most basic level, what distinguishes a dual protagonist film from an ensemble piece or a “hero and sidekick” story is how much the film focuses on those characters. In an ensemble film, such as Robert Altman’s Nashville or Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia , no single figure dominates; the narrative weight is distributed widely. In a hero-sidekick story, one character clearly drives the plot while the other remains a supporting presence. Still from Nashville (1975). Pho