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Mar 18, 2024 · 6 Places to Read + Study Movie Scripts for Free. If you want to learn how to write screenplays, there’s no better way to start than by reading screenplays. Seeing how a professional...
- Joe Guerra
- No. 1 – Structure
- No. 2 – Examples of Condensed Writing
- No. 3 – Subtext
- No. 4 – Read While You Watch
- No. 5 – Bad Scripts Are Teachers Too
- No. 6 – How Do You Write That?
- No. 7 – Trends in Hollywood
- No. 8 – Get Inspiration
Screenplay structure is fairly simple and most of us plot it out in our outlines or beat sheets. There are general page numbers where acts should break, but it can vary with genre. In romantic comedies for example, cute-meets and first act breaks tend to happen about five pages before they might in a drama. It’s helpful to look at the page numbers ...
Good writers use brevity to describe what is happening in a scene. If you started writing as a novelist and have switched to screenplays, this could be one of the biggest challenges you’ll face. Reading good scripts helps you learn how much/how little information to include in scene transitions and character descriptions.
Seeing subtext on the page is a lot different than hearing it in a movie. When you’re watching it, it’s easy to forget it’s subtext when you see a great actor emoting, filling in the emotion under the plain, sparse dialogue. Read screenplays you know have good subtext and you’ll likely up your own subtext game.
I often take this approach when writing a TV pilot. I pick one in a similar genre and read it as I watch it on my computer. Seeing how the words are translated onto the screen is incredibly helpful, especially when trying to develop the pacing of your screenplay, finding the correct beats you need to tell your story, and how it all flows together. ...
Seeing what doesn’t work on the page can be really helpful. I’ve been a reader for various competitions and usually you can tell in the first 10 pages (sometimes the first page) that a story or protagonist isn’t going to work. When you identify these problems in a bad screenplay, challenge your self to think of solutions to how the writer could hav...
I was so curious about the film A Quiet Place because there is almost no dialogue. It was such a treat to read through the sparse pages and see how action – not dialogue – told the story.
Every year, a number of scripts make the Black List and become Nicholl finalists. These are good to read because they will give you insight into what Hollywood is excited about right now. When you see a current movie, you’re likely seeing what Hollywood execs thought was relevant two to five years ago, so reading these scripts will help you keep yo...
Reading fresh ideas and characters will hopefully make you want to explore your own creativity and get writing. There’s no better motivation to sit down and get writing than reading someone else’s kick-ass script.
People also ask
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- Best screenplays to read. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - William Goldman. The iconic ending of Butch and Sundance. The screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is another gem of a script that is often hailed as one of if not the best screenplay ever written.
- Movie scripts to read. Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig. The opening scene of Lady Bird • Best screenplays to read. Do you want to write teen comedies? Read Lady Bird.
- Good screenplays to learn from. Adaptation - Charlie Kaufman. A scene from Adaptation • Best screenplays to read. Charlie Kaufman has spent his entire career churning out some of the most original and thought-provoking screenplays in the entire entertainment industry.
- Best screenplays to read and learn from. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Martin McDonagh. The Problem With Anger • Movie scripts to read. Martin McDonagh’s Oscar-nominated screenplay for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri offers a masterclass in how to blend comedy and drama.
I've read some reports that Brad Pitt actually had a big part in rewriting the script. It's my favorite baseball movie and it's a good read, but it's not even close to what you see onscreen. Whomever did the final script took this from good, with a lot of promise, to great.
- Casablanca (1942) Widely considered one of the greatest scripts ever written, Casablanca teaches aspiring screenwriters volumes about sharp character development and timeless romantic tension.
- The Godfather (1972) Adapted from the bestselling novel by Mario Puzo, The Godfather script is a masterclass in developing complex character arcs and moral ambiguity.
- Pulp Fiction (1994) Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction shows aspiring writers how to play around with narrative structure in an engaging way.
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) This multiple Oscar-winning script written by Ted Tally provides an masterclass in crafting thrillers that truly thrill.
Oct 2, 2023 · It’s time to look at some of the best baseball films over the last 35 years and some of the scripts that can teach screenwriters ways to tell a heartwarming tale with lots of supporting characters and memorable moments.
Aug 19, 2021 · This can sound daunting, but an immediately worthwhile way for aspiring screenwriters to improve their writing is to make a habit of reading screenplays. If you dream of seeing your screenplays turned into motion pictures, you know full well you have your work cut out for you.
