What is a Showrunner and What EXACTLY Do They Do?

Showrunner

Being a showrunner is one of the most unique and important jobs in contemporary television. The position is a combination of creativity, consistency and managerial responsibility. They’re the behind-the-scenes masters …

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How to Write an Anthology Series & The BEST Anthology Series Examples

Black Mirror Anthology Series

The wide variety of anthology series that have emerged in contemporary TV can be attributed in part to the success of series such as Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone. …

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Rue From Euphoria – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 17

Rue From Euphoria

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Rue from Euphoria. What is an Original Character? …

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6 KEY Ways to Adapt a Short Story & the Best Short Story Adaptations

Arrival Short Story Adaptation

Short stories can seem like unlikely source material for some of the best and most compelling feature films. They may be limited in their length but often it’s the confines …

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What Does a Pro Screenwriting Assignment REALLY Look Like?

Screenwriting Assignment

Whether you’re an emerging screenwriter just starting on a new path or a well-developed professional you may be wondering what a pro typical screenwriting assignment looks like. All levels of …

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How Do You Find a Writing Partner? 10 KEY Tips for Writing Partnerships

Writing Partner

In ordinary discourse, the term partnership tends to be a simple synonym for cooperation. However, finding a writing partner refers more precisely to the mastery of creativity, talent, and experience …

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Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 16

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Tina Belcher …

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How Do You Write BRILLIANT and ALTERNATIVE Teen Drama?

Stranger Things - Teen Drama

Teen drama is one of the most enduring genres to have graced TV screens since its inception. We’ve all been teenagers at some point. And the heartbreak, emotions, journeys, discoveries, …

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15 Fascinating Alex Garland Quotes for Writers and Filmmakers

Ex Machina Alex Garland Quotes

From merciless zombies to a beautiful hidden beach in Thailand, Alex Garland has written many cult and classic films in a range of different spaces and genres. Not only is …

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How Do You Best Convey the Passage of Time in Your Screenplay?

Passage of Time Metropolis

It’s rare that you would find a script without any significant passage of time whatsoever. It’s often a vital part of how a script develops and keeps its audience engaged. …

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How Do You Write Highly Realistic Dialogue? The 10 KEY Steps…

The Master Realistic Dialogue

One of the biggest humps to get over when writing for film or television is dialogue. Even if you have a perfect story, outline, and characters, bad dialogue can bring …

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How to Effectively Weave Character Backstory into Your Screenplay

The Godfather Character Backstory

So, you made it through one of the hardest parts of writing a screenplay; you created your characters. From childhood trauma to adulthood adventures, you’ve fleshed out your entire character …

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15 Matt Reeves Quotes to INSPIRE Writers and Filmmakers

Matt Reeves Quotes

He’s emerged as one of the most striking directors of the 21st century. Quietly he’s helmed some of the biggest hits of the 2010s and 2020s, managing to infuse big …

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A Screenplay Option Offer Comes In…Here’s How You Navigate It

Screenplay Option

So, you’ve written a screenplay and a producer has approached you about a screenplay option. Amazing – right? You’re one step closer to having your work make it onto the …

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Shiv Roy – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series Part: 15

Shiv Roy Succession Original Character

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Shiv Roy …

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The Insider Interviews – GLADIATOR Screenwriter William Nicholson

William Nicholson Interview

This latest iteration of our long-running Insider Interviews series is with William Nicholson, the prolific screenwriter behind such hits as Gladiator, Shadowlands, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Breathe, amongst many …

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The Insider Interviews – with Mega-Producer Basil Iwanyk

Basil Iwanyk judge of TITAN screenwriting contest

This latest iteration of our Insider Interviews Series is with producer Basil Iwanyk, one of the three judges of the second year of Industrial Scripts’ screenwriting contest, The TITAN Awards. Basil Iwanyk Biography …

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The Insider Interviews – with Oscar-Nominee Shannon McIntosh

Shannon Mcintosh TITAN Screenwriting Contest judge

This latest iteration of our Insider Interviews Series is with producer Shannon McIntosh, one of the three judges of the second year of Industrial Scripts’ screenwriting contest, The TITAN Awards. Shannon McIntosh Biography Shannon …

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Michael Scott – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series: Part 14

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Michael Scott …

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20 INSPIRING Shonda Rhimes Quotes for TV and Film Writers

Shonda Rhimes Quotes

Since the early 2000s, Shonda Rhimes has been producing amazing, hit TV. But in recent years, she’s cemented herself as probably the most prolific and successful TV producer of the …

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What is the Definition of CINEMATIC, in Screenwriting Terms?

Blade Runner -Defintion of Cinematic

We’ve all heard the term “cinematic”. Film reviews, job offerings, script feedback, award acceptance speeches. Many people in the industry use this term, some of them quite lightly. But what …

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An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner James Foye

James foye winner The TITAN screenwriting contest winner

About The TITAN Awards The TITAN Awards is a global, prestigious screenwriting contest whereby material competes against its own kind for as long as possible over the course of a contest cycle. Horror feature vs …

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An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner Jared Ruga

jared ruga titan screenwriting contest winner 2021

About The TITAN Awards The TITAN Awards is a prestigious global screenwriting contest whereby material competes against its own kind for as long as possible over the course of a contest cycle. Horror feature vs …

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An Interview with 2021 TITAN Awards Winner Todd Restler

Todd Restler 2021 TITAN screenwriting contest winning writer

About The TITAN Awards The TITAN Awards is a prestigious annual screenwriting contest whereby material competes against its own kind for as long as possible over the course of a contest cycle. Horror feature vs …

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The ESSENTIAL Ways to Craft a Brilliant TV Show Idea

Black Mirror TV Show Idea

Crafting a TV Show Idea How does one craft a brilliant TV show idea? First, it’s important to understand what exactly that means. Longevity of story is foremost what separates …

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How To Write an Active Protagonist (and Avoid a Passive Protagonist)

Licorice Pizza Active Protagonists

What is an Active Protagonist? An active protagonist is a main character who is not merely affected by the world around them, but affects that world too. Their actions, both …

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Do You Still Need to Move to LA as a Screenwriter?

Move to LA Hollywood

When any person says their dream is to become a screenwriter, a comment you’ll often hear is “you should move to LA first”. Getting advice about how to start as …

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The 25 Best Strategies for Creating DISTINCTIVE Movie Ideas

Movie Ideas

Whether you’re an experienced writer, a recent film studies grad, or a casual cinephile who walked out of a theater and thought, “I could do that,” crafting great movie ideas …

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15 Timeless John Hughes Quotes to Inspire Writers and Filmmakers

John Hughes Quotes Ferris Beuller

John Hughes influenced the cinema landscape immensely largely during the 1980s. His most beloved movies include The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. But …

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Writing Christmas Films & Navigating the Holidays: The ULTIMATE Guide

It's a Wonderful Life Christmas Films

When writing Christmas films there’s multiple sub-genres and elements to consider to make it the perfect holiday watch. It’s no secret that there are a range of elements to cover …

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The 10 ESSENTIAL Elements of a Historical Fiction Script

What is Historical Fiction? At face value, the definition of historical fiction is simple: a fictional story set against a real time period in the past. It is when we …

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Announcing the 2021 TITAN Awards Grand Final Winners

The TITAN Screenwriting Contest banner

So, this is it. After the initial rounds of intense inter-category competition and the quarter-final announcement in September, we were delighted to announce the Semi-Finalists of The 2021 TITAN Screenwriting …

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Writing Dramatic Irony in Screenwriting: The Key Steps

Toy Story Writing Dramatic Irony

What is Dramatic Irony? Simply put, dramatic irony is a form of irony. It is both a literary and theatrical device used when the audience knows more than the characters. …

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How to Handle Feedback: A Screenwriter’s Guide

Handle Feedback Step Brothers

What is Feedback? Feedback is an essential part of the creative process for any artist. And this is especially true for those in the film and TV industry, where collaboration …

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20 Terrific Ricky Gervais Quotes to INSPIRE Writers and Filmmakers

Ricky Gervais Quotes

Comedy writer, director and actor Ricky Gervais has been bracing our screens since the early 2000s. Often outspoken and straight-talking, Gervais has conquered the comedy genre with his broad array …

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Saul Goodman – Truly ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Series Part: 13

Saul Goodman Original Character

Welcome to Original Characters, an ongoing series of Industrial Scripts’ articles examining the most original characters to appear in both TV and film. This article will focus on Saul Goodman …

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What is a MacGuffin? The KEY Points and KEY Examples

Vincent with the briefcase

What is a MacGuffin? A MacGuffin is a type of plot device that is essential to driving the plot but not necessarily important within the story as a whole. Story …

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How to Hire a Screenwriter: The ULTIMATE Guide (plus THE solution…)

hire a screenwriter

Hiring a Screenwriter: An Overview What do you do when you can’t push through writer’s block? You’ve been working on a screenplay for months or years and you can’t make …

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The 25 Best Screenwriting Podcasts for Screenwriters to Learn From

Lost In Translation Headphones 2

With a wide variety of screenwriting podcasts available, there’s plenty of content for screenwriters to learn from. You can learn the best of screenwriting with insightful success stories, or the …

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Sophisticated Plants and Payoffs: Vital Cogs in any Screenwriter’s Engine

Plant and Payoff Chris Get Out.

An essential principle not only to screenwriting but also the wider fundamentals of storytelling, plants and payoffs are one of the most effective ways of involving the audience and embedding …

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