For Screenwriters - What If My Writing Isn't Good? How to Combat the Emily Dickinson Syndrome by Jacob Krueger

I recently had a student ask me a profound question. After chugging along excitedly for a month on a first draft of a new screenplay, he had found himself paralyzed by a terrifying question:

"What if it isn't GOOD?"

I think we can all imagine his horror-- the kind of horror only a writer can feel, after pouring everything you've got into something that may not turn out to be what you dreamed it would be.

The horror of not knowing. And possibly, not wanting to know...

This is what I like to call the "Emily Dickinson Syndrome"-- the urge to hide your writing away where you can never find out what's good or bad about it.

It's the same urge that keeps writers from finishing some of their best projects, for fear of not living up to their own expectations.

It's that same little voice in your head that comes up with the excuse just when you're ready to sit down to write, sign up for a writing class, or get your script out to an agent or producer.

It's the fear of being judged as NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Let me say this loud and clear:

In order to write well. You have to be willing to write badly. And you've got to be willing to show your work, not always knowing how people are going to respond.

Writing is a lot like mining. It's hard work. You can't always see where you're going. You've got to sort through a lot of stuff. And most of it's not gold.

But if you don't bring it up to the surface where others can see it, you'll never know what you have.

Becoming a great writer is not about having some kind of secret blessing that other people are missing. It's about generating as many pages as you can, and getting really good at noticing the flashes of brilliance within them.

As you become more skilled at excavation, you'll learn how to follow these unpolished nuggets and shimmering dust until you find the big vein of gold you're really looking for. That's the moment when your script suddenly seems to be writing itself.

You've just got to be willing to do a lot of digging to get there.

And every once in awhile, you've got to take a step back from the process, come up for air, and check out what you've got.

The question is, where will you surface?

To really know if your writing is working, you've got to show it to people who know what they're talking about.

To the untrained eye, gold doesn't look a lot like gold. In fact, it looks a lot more like rock. But when it's polished, shined, hammered, and shaped, its value is unmistakable.

Don't get your initial feedback from just anybody. Get it from someone who's at least as good an excavator as your are. Take a class. Find a professional. Or you may end up throwing out your best scenes, simply because they're not yet polished enough for a layman's eyes.

ABOUT JACOB KRUEGER: Jacob's writing includes the screenplay for "The Matthew Shepard Story," which won the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award, earned Stockard Channing an Emmy for Best Actress, and was nominated a Gemini Award for Best Screenplay. He is also a critically acclaimed director and creative coach.

copyright (c) 2009 Jacob Krueger

Ready To Take The Next Step?

Ready to come up to the surface? Sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class with Jacob Krueger today and learn the skills you need to mine for the good stuff, in a supportive community of writers just like you.

More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com/

Screenplay Formula, Treatment, Template - Star Trek (2009) by Kal Bishop

Star Trek (2009) is a classic example of the 510+ stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) screen and story writing pattern; this film doesn't stray far from the template at all. Examples include:

a) Hero Parent Death. Kirk's father dies at the hands of Nero's machinations and to save the lives of others. It is normal for the Hero's Parent to perish in the Original World, specifically, within a certain part of the Original World and, specifically, in a certain manner and, further, at the hands of the Greater Antagonism.

b) The Hero passes through a variety of Worlds before we encounter the Devolved Self in the Ordinary World. This film touches on some of the aspects of the Hero's passage through the Exterior and the Another Worlds, where the Hero's Superior Capacities are made explicit - in this story, we are exposed to Kirk's prowess in the car and his evasion of the robot cop.

c) Spock and Kirk play each others' Peer Brother Archetype. The normal passage is for the Hero to eclipse the Peer Brother, but here they play dual archetypal roles of Peer Brother and Supernatural Aid, and converge in ACT III rather than diverge.

d) The Romantic Challenge (Uhura) plays the Ordinary World and New World Romantic Challenge; she is polarised at the start of the story and seized (Bride Theft, Seizing the Sword) at the correct stage.

e) Pike plays the Original World Supernatural Aid as well as the Edge of the Ordinary World Supernatural Aid, both exactly to template.

Learn more...

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/

Image comparisons and a free sample file also at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Kal Bishop, MBA

Kill Your Outline - A Screenwriter's Guide to Discovering Your Character by Jacob Krueger

Young writers often get obsessed with writing for the audience. Even in the earliest drafts, their focus is on sneaking in tons of exposition about their characters, layering themes or symbolic motifs, or carefully outlining the mechanics for a surprise ending they think will be the key to selling their script.

It's no wonder that this happens. After all, these are the things that film scholars rave about and film studies classes teach- complex psychological portraits and deep thematic importance, screenplay structures, beat sheets and outlines.

So why do movies written this way so often come out flat? Why does it seem like nothing is happening, when the writer has put so much effort into building the psychological life of the character? Why do all the themes and motifs just feel like smoke and mirrors? Why is no one reacting to the surprise ending you've worked so hard to craft?

It's not because these things aren't important. They are. It's because you're focusing on them TOO EARLY.

At the beginning of the process there's only one thing that's important: the profound journey your character is undertaking and the irrevocable changes in your character's life that go along with it.

Thematic ideas are not something you impose on your script. They're something you discover as you get to know your character. Story structure is not something you plot out before you've written a single word, it's something that reveals itself to you as your character's journey unfolds.

Until you figure out your character's journey, exposition will only slow your movie down, no matter how profound, exciting, or psychologically fascinating your character's past may be.

"But what about my outline?" you may be thinking. "I already know my character's journey!"

No way. Not likely.

If you think you already know your character's journey before you even sit down to write your character, it's probably not a very profound journey. How could it be? You don't even know who your character is yet! In fact, if you can predict your character's journey before you even start writing, the chances are the audience can too.

What could be more boring? Not only for the audience, but for you as a writer.

Your outline may make you feel safe, but great writing is not about painting by numbers. It's about stepping into your character, and taking a profound journey with her.

Kill your outline. Get to know your character.

Decide out what she wants more than anything, and enjoy coming up with the most exciting, challenging, and inventive ways you can to make it hard for her to get it. Ask yourself, what's the best or the worst thing that could happen at this moment? And see how your character reacts when it does.

Forget about exposition or setting up things for the audience. You'll have plenty of time for that later. For now, just let your character be herself, say what she would say in the situation, and do what she would do.

Forget about how it all fits together or what it all means. Instead just follow your character as she strives to get what she wants against impossible odds. Notice her specific behaviors. How she talks and acts differently than anyone else in the world. How she responds to things in unexpected ways. Notice how your dialogue suddenly feels more real and your characters actions more motivated and specific.

Notice how your character's journey reveals itself to you.

Notice how a big surprise you never saw coming seems to bubble up from nowhere, and actually surprises you.

Of course, this is only the first step. There will come a time when you do need to focus on your audience. When you need to set things up and pay things off, layer in theme, and hone your structure.

But not right now. Right now is the time to keep your focus on what's really important.

Trust your character.

Kill your outline.

ABOUT JACOB KRUEGER: Jacob's writing includes the screenplay for "The Matthew Shepard Story," which won the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award, earned Stockard Channing an Emmy for Best Actress, and was nominated a Gemini Award for Best Screenplay. He is also a critically acclaimed director and creative coach.
Copyright (c) 2009 Jacob Krueger
Ready To Take The Next Step?

Sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class with Jacob Krueger today and learn a new approach to screenwriting, in a supportive community of writers just like you.

More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com

Orlando Hispanic Film Festival 2009 Call for Entries

The Orlando Hispanic Film Festival (OHFF) announced a call for entries for their 2009 Hispanic Film Festival held September 16th-20th.

The festival is open to US and foreign films in five categories: Features, Shorts, Documentaries, Short Documentaries, and 3-D Animated Shorts. To be eligible, the film must include at least one cast or crew member of Hispanic descent or have a film with Hispanic-themed subject matter. All films submitted must be in the NTSC format, DVD-R, or VHS and meet the length duration requirements. Films submitted in Spanish are strongly recommended to have English subtitles and films in English, Spanish subtitles.

For further details about submitting your entry and deadline and fees, log onto the website at http://www.ohfilmfestival.com/. To submit your entry online go to WithoutABox at https://www.withoutabox.com/login/6177 or review the website for mailing information.

The 3rd Orlando Hispanic Film Festival is partnering with the Florida Media Market, a membership-based organization whose goal is to educate and build a platform where independent film & media makers meet with international buyers, distributors and production companies to buy, sell and network.

The Orlando Hispanic Film Festival is a competitive independent film festival and platform that recognizes Hispanic-cultured independent filmmakers from around the world.

The Future of Hollywood Success Rests in the Hands of the Writers of the Future

With nine out of the top ten grossing movies of all time being speculative fiction--science fiction and fantasy--its no wonder that Hollywood's future is seen to reside with the writers of science fiction and fantasy, or more specifically the winners of the Writers of the Future Contest according to Dave Wolverton, screenwriter, NYT bestselling author and Writers of the Future Contest judge.

"The mentality is simple in Hollywood: if it makes money, you do it. And if it keeps making money, you keep doing it," says Wolverton from his home in Saint George, UT. "And for reasons that are very simple, science fiction and fantasy have proven time and again to be huge money makers." The top ten grossing movies of all time include from #10 up: Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King, Star Wars - Episode III, Spider Man, Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest, Star Wars - Episode I, Extra Terrestrial, Shrek 2, Star Wars, The Dark Knight and Titanic - and nine of these are science fiction or fantasy.

"All of the top-grossing movies of all time have one thing in common," Wolverton says. "They all take the viewer to another time, another place. People crave to be transported out of the mundane world into a place that is new and wondrous, and that is what speculative fiction does best."

Wolverton was the grand prize winner of the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Contest in 1987 and has since gone on to publish over thirty novels, with several becoming NYT bestsellers. Due to his success, he later became a contest judge, a video game designer, and now has branched off into screenwriting.

With all this diverse experience now to his credit, Wolverton observed, "L. Ron Hubbard was a very prolific fiction writer during the 30s and 40s, and wrote several works that are classics in their field. Based on this success, he moved on to Hollywood. He worked as a writer for Columbia Pictures for the highly successful movie serial The Secret of Treasure Island and The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. And for Warner Bros., he worked with Norvell Page scripting The Spider Returns. So I find it very interesting that he created the Writers of the Future Contest, and that the legacy continues with writers like myself who are providing more material to feed Hollywood's voracious appetite for science fiction and fantasy."

Writers of the Future, now in its 25th year, is the world's largest and most recognized merit competition for writers of speculative fiction. Its over 250 winners have gone on to publish over 300 novels and 3,000 short stories. The latest edition, Writers of the Future Volume 24, showcases our latest stable of winners and can be found in Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walmart and Amazon.com.

Website: http://www.writersofthefuture.com

Second Annual Documentary Film Festival May 15-17

The Embassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Smithsonian Latino Center, will present its second annual Documentary Film Festival from Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17.

The festival, titled "II Reel Time Brazil", will feature three documentaries making their U.S. premier, as well as two documentaries making a D.C. premier. All documentary screenings during the festival are free and open to the public.

This year's five featured films illuminate Brazilian culture through stories of Brazilian poets, singers, songwriters and icons. The Brazilian Embassy has once again invited film directors and special guests from each film to speak with audiences about their experience in making the films.

This year's array of films includes:

Palavra (En)cantada (The Enchanted Word), a documentary that weaves together performances and interviews with singers, songwriters and poets to reflect the interplay between these art forms. Winner of the Best Documentary award at the 2008 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival.

Pan-Cinema Permanente (Permanent Pan-Cinema), the winner of the 2008 "It's All True" Documentary Film Festival award, about the late poet Waly Salamao.
Panair do Brasil (Panair do Brasil), a film that revives the incredible story of the most important Brazilian commercial aviation company, whose history is intimately linked with Brazil's economic development and progress.

So Dez Por Cento e Mentira (Only Ten Percent is a Lie), a film that paints a revealing portrait of Manoel de Barros, one of Brazil's best-selling poets and winner of several literary awards.
Simonal - Ninguem Sabe O Duro que Dei (Simonal - No One Knows How Tough It Was), a film that provides answers to long-standing questions of the sudden disappearance of Wilson Simonal, one of the most successful popular singers in Brazil.

The opening night film will be presented at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. All other documentaries will be shown at the Greenberg Theater, on Wisconsin Avenue, NW.

This is the first year that the Embassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C. has teamed with The Smithsonian Latino Center for its annual documentary film festival. The research center is devoted to celebrating Latino culture, spirit, and achievement in America and advancing the knowledge of Latino contributions.

TO ATTEND:

Seats are on a first come, first served basis, and there is no need to purchase tickets for any of the shows in the series. The Hirshhorn Museum is located on Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW. It is in close proximity to L'Enfant Plaza Metro station, on the Blue Line. The Greenberg Theater is located at 4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW, at the corner of Van Ness St. It is in close proximity to the Tenleytown/AU Metro station, on the Red Line.

The schedule of films is as follows:

"II Reel Time Brazil - a Documentary Film Week" Show Schedule

Friday, May 15

7:00 p.m. - 8:30p.m. The Enchanted Word (Palavra (En)cantada)

Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum lower level.

Saturday, May 16

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Permanent Pan-Cinema (Pan-Cinema Permanente)

Greenberg Theater

6:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Panair do Brasil (Panair do Brasil)

Greenberg Theater

Sunday, May 17

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Only Ten Percent is a Lie (So Dez Por Cento e Mentira)

Greenberg Theater

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Simonal - No One Knows How Tough It Was (Simonal - Ninguem Sabe O Duro que Dei)

Greenberg Theater

Build a Screenplay from the Ground Up by Kal Bishop

Use the Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon – understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

* Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

* Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

* Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Use Structure

Structure in its many forms, increases the quantity and quality of creative output. The golden rule is that originality emerges from structure:

a) Short term goals (incremental productivity) produce more output than a "do your best" approach. With specific regard to creative writing, writing four pages a day completes a words-on-paper first draft screenplay in one month. A "do your best" or "waiting for inspiration" approach can take months or years. Witness the untold number of people with unfinished manuscripts under their beds.

b) Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.

c) Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.

d) Structure helps clearly identify complex problems and triggers incubation. Problems incubate until answers become apparent. Incubation tends to result in richer insights.

e) Engagement increases the incidence and frequency of problem identification and thus the incidence and frequency of insight.

Creativity and Time Pressure

There are two contrary arguments: a) time pressure stimulates creativity and b) time pressure reduces creativity. Both are true.

There are a number of forces at work:

Time pressure increases creative output. By forcing idea production, setting goals and incremental deadlines, a greater number of ideas are produced than if a “do your best” approach is taken. If a leader asks participants in an idea generating session to address a problem and think of at least 5 ideas every half an hour, then 80 ideas are produced by one individual and 1600 are produced by 20 individuals at the end of an average working day. This level of output is conscious and would not be produced normally.

Time pressure encourages prolific production and therefore the probability of generating good ideas increases. It can be said with great confidence that quality of output is closely related to quantity. The best single creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.

Forcing output pushes individuals along the experience curve, refines their methodology, builds competencies and knowledge and improves performance. Screenwriters know that they are likely to produce more, better quality work faster if they set themselves a schedule of a certain number of pages per day.

Motivation is critical to creativity. If a person is intrinsically motivated, time pressure may be a synergistic extrinsic motivator. If the person is not intrinsically motivated then it may turn out to be a non-synergistic extrinsic motivator, which reduces the level of engagement in the endeavour.

Short-term time pressure can be negative in that it does not allow the mind to engage in the endeavour at various cognitive levels. It does not allow rich ideas to formulate through the process of incubation. Intrinsically motivated individuals will benefit from short term time pressure and goals (sets cognitive forces in motion) and will generate richer ideas through incubation over the longer term.

Academy Award Winner Best Film uses The Hero's Journey

The following SUMMARY uses Million Dollar Baby - Academy Award Winner Best Film 2005 as an example. It should be noted that there are two heroes in this story, a) Maggie and b) Frankie:

Call to Adventure - where the hero is pushed to resolve a challenge. Maggie needs to escape her White Trash roots and Frankie needs to resolve issues concerning his daughter.

Refusal of the Call - where there is refusal, resistance, warning and foreboding. Frankie refuses to train Maggie.

The Supernatural Aid - where a mentor encourages the hero along the path. Eddie (Morgan Freeman) begins to help Maggie with her training and simultaneously guides Frankie towards her. As is usual, the supernatural aid has a challenge of his own (Danger Barch).

First Threshold - where a point of no return is crossed. Maggie persists in the gym. There is no dissuading her or going back for her.

Physical Separation (Belly of the Whale) - where the hero physically separates from his Old World and heads into the Transformation. Willie leaves Frankie, who has little else to do but train Maggie.

Transformation (Road of Trials) - where the hero significantly, but not completely, transforms. Maggie becomes a professional boxer.

The Ideal and the Seizing of the Sword - where the hero faces a difficult choice and journey to (often) the heart of the antagonism. Maggie buys her family a house and Frank takes on the role of father.

Rebirth Through Death - where the Hero is reborn. Eddie saves Danger Barch from the gym bully; Maggie doesn't know what to do about the bear.

Atonement with the Father - where the hero confronts the obstacle to the apotheosis. Maggie loses to the blue Bear.

Apotheosis - where the hero has the illumination. Maggie should have listened to Frank and protected herself.

Ultimate Boon - both hero and heroine get a family.

Refusal of the Return - where the hero is repulsed by his Old Self or, on a practical level, there is refusal on some level. Frankie refuses to go back to the gym.

Magic Flight - where the hero attempts to escape from the antagonism or, for some reason, is unable to confront it. Frankie takes Maggie away and attempts to find doctors who can reverse the situation.

Rescue for Without - where the hero is pulled back toward his or her challenges. Maggie's family return; Frankie wants to replace them and resists their arrival.

Crossing the Return Threshold - where the hero confronts the antagonism. Maggie loses her legs and asks Frankie to kill her.

Master of the Two Worlds - where the antagonism is defeated. Frankie kills Maggie.

Freedom to Live - where the hero is freed from the antagonism. Frankie does not return to the gym.

The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero's Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

Movie Outline Software Launches Hollywood Script Express

Hollywood Script Express offers scriptwriters, wherever they are in the world, the ability to upload a screenplay and have it professionally printed and bound to industry standards from one of their Los Angeles Printing Partners and shipped the same day by FedEx or hand delivered by courier. This facility especially benefits out-of-state and overseas screenwriters who normally spend a great deal of money on shipping and cannot easily present their documents in Hollywood's industry-specific format.

"As a writer based in London, this always proved an obstacle for me when I needed to send a script to Hollywood" explains Dan Bronzite, CEO of Movie Outline Software. "First I had to order the US letter size paper (we use A4 in the UK) pre-three-holed-punched (we have two or four hole punches) and brass brads (we use different types) and then ship my script via an international courier which would cost a fortune. With HSX we have streamlined the entire process so that writers can submit their scripts to agents, producers, studios and contests at the click of a button."

Submission Tools & Tracking

Once you have created an account with Hollywood Script Express, you can customize your calendar, track submissions, manage contacts, log responses, view graphical statistics and collate feedback. All of your script management tools are conveniently centralized into a single online interface that allows you to focus on the creative writing process and not the technicalities of the business. Additional screenwriter specific services will soon be available to Hollywood Script Express clients including coverage and proof-reading.

Intellectual Property Registration

Hollywood Script Express' intellectual property registration service assists in establishing proof of your work's completion date by providing a digital timestamp for your uploaded script and a documented record of your claim to authorship. Your encrypted file is stored securely for five years with the option to renew and you will receive a Registration Certificate and Unique Registration number.

Sign up for Free:
http://www.hollywoodscriptexpress.com/register.aspx

Service Features:
http://www.hollywoodscriptexpress.com/releases/240409.html

Moviemakers Challenged To Make Feature Length Movie In Two Weeks

An informal exchange on Twitter has turned into a legitimate international movie making challenge that will see completed movies screened all over the world. Participants have only two weeks in May to shoot and edit their movie which must be at least sixty minutes in duration. Many of the moviemakers are already posting updates to Twitter and personal blogs as they prepare for shooting.

Chuck Tryon, author and professor of film and media studies at Fayetteville State University, says that Gershbein, who has previously worked at Pixar and Dreamworks, was inspired to create the Two Week Film Collective after participating in Alejandro Adams' roundtable on self-distribution. Tryon is "intrigued by Reid's attempt to combine two indie cinema practices that I find especially appealing: creating new, often temporary sites for screening movies and encouraging conversations about the production process (and the films themselves)."

Award winning filmmaker Lucas McNelly is one of the independent moviemakers answering the challenge enthuses "You spend two weeks in hell making a film that no one expects to be any good at all. And if you can clear that hurdle and make something people actually want to see, you've got a film that you can say, ‘We made this in two weeks on a Twitter challenge'." He concludes that "there's festivals that would love to show a film like that."

Portsmouth born Mike Peter Reed is another award winning filmmaker taking part. His previous feature 'Crooked Features' was shot over two weeks in 2004 but edited over several more weeks. "You don't have to mad to work here" says Reed, "but then you'd just be a regular moviemaker wouldn't you." He says that initially "I thought they were beyond mad, that the world does not need more mumblecore. Then I got to thinking that if I could design a premise to fit the constraints of the challenge then it would be worth doing for the heck of it." After discussing an abstract musical premise with local writer Matt Smart "suddenly things clicked and we went into idea hyperspace. We have what we consider a good twist, we've really approached this like any typical narrative only with an added element of the experimental - and a ridiculous deadline."

Since the initial call for entrants went out there has been a healthy response from the global independent moviemaking community and it's still not too late to join the Two Week Film Collective. "If you are interested in reviewing these films, participating or moderating the roundtable discussions, or have ideas for topics of discussion, then please let us know via twitter @thraveboy and we will add you to this list" remains the call on Gershbein's blog.

Website: http://www.royalbaronialtheatre.com/

Write a Screenplay - Screenwriting - Watchmen (2009) by Kal Bishop

Watchmen (2009), is a classic Hero's Journey (Monomyth) story. Again, this demonstrates that a successful screenplay cannot be written without a deep understanding of this structure.

Some of the 510+ stage Hero's Journey stages follow:

Call to Adventure: Kovacs tries to convince Dreiberg to help find the assassin.

Refusal of the Call: Dreiberg and the others don't believe that an assassin is after the Watchmen and they don't want to go back to that Superhero life.

Supernatural Aid: Dr Manhattan

Crossing of the First Threshold: the memories induced by the burial/

Belly of the Whale: Laurie leaves Manhattan and moves in with Dreiberg. She's left the Old World and Self and is heading for the New.

Road of Trials: the hunt for some sort of truth

Seizing the Sword: Kovacs finds his Arch Enemy and forces the truth out of him etc...; Blake came to him before he died.

Near Death Experience and Rebirth: Kovac's recollection of the time he first committed murder: the child's death and his rebirth after that.

Atonement with the Father: Dreiberg can't get it up; the inner issue needs to be resolved.

Apotheosis: Dreiberg knows that the issues are resolved when they return to fighting crime in the Owl Ship.

Ultimate Boon: Laurie and Dreiberg use the Owl Ship to help fight crime.

Refusal of the Return: Kovacs fights his old foes in prison.

Rescue from Without: Laurie and Dreiberg rescue Kovacs.

Master of the Two Worlds: Manhattan kills Kovacs for the sake of world peace; doesn't mind taking the blame.

Freedom to Live: Laurie and Dreiberg together; Mrs Jupiter and Laurie work it out; Veidt is almost forgiven, Manhatten goes to another galaxy and perhaps will create some life.

Learn more...

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/

You will receive a free sample file by entering your email address at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/

Screenplay Templates - Monsters Vs Aliens (2009) by Kal Bishop

Monsters Vs. Aliens (2009) is a classic example of the 510+ stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth). Again, this movie indicates that you cannot write a successful story or screenplay without a deep knowledge of this template. Some of the stages of the Hero's Journey within this story follow:

a) There is the Susan's detachment from her Ordinary Self and Ordinary World, represented by her selfish fiance Derek Dietl.

b) There is the magical gift: quantonium that transforms her into Ginormica.

c) There is the unwilling nature of the transformation and then the coming round to it - initially Susan wants to return to normal and then finally accepts her New Self.

d) There is the Old World Romantic Challenge that is lost and detached from - again Derek Dietl.

e) There is the Major Threshold Guardian, who the monsters must overcome before they can move further on - which they do in the Golden Gate Brodge sequence.

f) There is the disappearance of the Old World - though still there, it disappears in that it is no longer as it once was.

g) There is the Physical Separation, where Susan is lifted into the alien UFO.

h) There is the slow dissolution of the Old Self in the spaceship.

i) There is the Seizing the Sword - when the monsters all rescue Susan from the clones.

j) There is the New Name, representing the New and Ultimate Self - Ginormica.

k) There are the Final Conflict sequences, which follow the set pattern from Initial Loss to Letting Go to Inner Resolve to Victory, including the Multiple Catharsis and more.

Learn more...

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/

Image comparisons and a free sample file also at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Five Tips For Writing a Cartoon Screenplay by Chad Troftgruben

Writing a script or outline is highly recommended when it comes to any form of multimedia. So even if your Flash cartoon is simple, a screenplay will greatly enhance the flow and success of your film. Coming up with ideas can be tough as well, but that's what this article is for! Here are five tips (listed in no particular order) to keep in mind when writing a script for your cartoon.

Write What You Know. If you're having a hard time coming up with ideas, try to find inspiration in everyday things. For instance, maybe you have a friend that is a bit eccentric. Turn his/her personality into a character in your cartoon. Or maybe something funny happened to you at work. Morph and tweak that encounter into an idea you can use in your script. Alternatively, take a boring situation and turn it into something fun (inject fiction into it and so on). People can relate to situations like waiting in traffic or sitting in a classroom. If there's a certain movie or story you like, take inspiration from that (but don't copy it). The world we live in is full of ideas, waiting for you to grab and use.

Length. Let's face it, people have short attention spans. Today, with sites like YouTube, people want short and funny videos. We are talking anywhere between one and three minutes. If you push that you risk losing or not grabbing an internet audience. Now, maybe the YouTube audience isn't something you want to tap. That's perfectly fine. You should always write what you want and if your script is long and you like it, then by all means go for it. After all, maybe you want to submit this film to a festival as opposed to a site like YouTube. Or maybe you don't care who views your movie. Just keep in mind the shorter the movie, the greater the success on the internet. So, how can you judge how long your cartoon will be based on the script? A good rule of thumb for a screenplay is one page equals one minute of footage.

Keep It Within Your Means. Writing an epic battle with thousands of soldiers fighting may sound cool, but will you be able to animate it? Cartoons offer more freedom compared to live action film but they require work all the same. Try new things and push your boundaries but don't let yourself get bogged down with impossible tasks.

Be Adaptable. The good thing about writing down your ideas is that you can always tweak or change them later. When you start animating you may find you can't quite follow your original script. You may discover you can't quite animate something right or a piece of dialogue could be funnier. Whatever the case, keep an open mind and your movie will benefit from it.

Write Multiple Drafts. Usually the first draft of your script is not the final draft. After writing your script it may be a good idea to show it to others or even step away from it for a day or two. After returning you may see things you can fix or make flow better. Of course this also falls in line with my adaptability tip too. The bottom line is to have fun and write something you are proud of.

Would you like to learn how to create animated ads, logos and cartoons? Then you'll want to check out IncredibleFlashTutorials.com The site features a bunch of FREE online video tutorials for you to watch and follow along with. They also have advanced lessons on drawing and other Flash techniques!