If you want to know about screenwriting, the first thing most people will tell you is this: Read screenplays. Lots of screenplays. And analyze them. I want to know about screenwriting, so I read a whole bunch of screenplays. And to force myself to dive a little deeper, I decided to share my analysis with the world. Thus the Storylanes Podcast. Every episode, I do a deep dive into some screenplay. I look at how it is structured, at how the pieces fit together, and at what makes it special. And I look at how closely each screenplay follows some of the more popular screenwriting models, things like three act structure, Save the Cat, and the Hero’s Journey. (And spoiler warning: a lot of great movies follow those models, but a lot don’t too.) And because I’m a computer-geek by trade, I developed a tool to help me analyze the screenplays. I use it to produce a chart that maps key elements of the screenplay. You can find each of these charts here at https://storylanes.com. I’ve learned a lot about screenwriting from preparing these episodes. I hope that listening to them will help you learn too.
In this episode we return to screenplay analysis. And we return with a good one. CASABLANCA, which in my humble opinion is the greatest screenplay ever written. Give this episode a listen and you'll find out why I think that. For more details, including links to all the things mentioned in this episode, the Storylines analysis of CASABLANCA, and the script to this episode, visit: https://storylanes.com
For the first time since before the pandemic, I directed actors and a crew in a film. This episode I talk about that experience, and how it affects DOMICIDAL. As always, for more details, including links to my latest, see http://storylanes.com.
We all have unique talents that we usually use outside of movie-making. But how can we use those to help make a film? This episode, I talk about how being a professional software engineer translates into being a filmmaker. Enjoy - and check out the script of this episode at https://storylanes.com (https://storylanes.com.)
How making a movie sometimes means you spend all your time producing instead of writing and directing. Even if you got into filmmaking to write and direct. And we've got a new title for the movie, and a new website. It's DOMICIDAL, and you can find us at http://domicidal-movie.com. Plus, of course, check us out as usual at http://storylanes.com.
We're back! And ready to discuss holding a read-through for your script. For all the scoop, read the blog here: https://www.storylanes.com/episode-22-read-throughs/ (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-22-read-throughs/)
The first thing you have to do to make a movie is you have to want it really really bad. This episode we talk about that and the challenges it provides.
Let's talk about business models - what they are, how they apply to films, what business models am I considering for SMART HOUSE. As always, check out the episode on Storylines.com for some interesting links and the script of the show.
All about script feedback. Where to get it, how to receive it, how to use it, how to give it. Check out the script and links at https://www.storylanes.com/episode-19-are-you-talking-to-me-feedback/ (http://storylanes.com).
So we're going to make a movie. Now all we need is a script. Simple, right? Maybe not so much... For more information, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-18-were-gonna-need-a-bigger-script/ (http://storylanes.com)
Season 2 is going to be all about making an independent feature. I'm applying everything I learned from analyzing scripts in season 1 and making my own film. And you can be along for the ride, because this podcast is going to cover the story of how I make the film. Today we start with how I ended up wanting to make my first feature when most of my age cohort are thinking about retirement. For more details, check us out at https://storylanes.com (Storylanes.com).
This episode we look at Jennifer's Body, the horror film from the mid 00's. As always, for more details, see https://storylanes.com.
This week we do something different: a deep dive into two scenes from Michael Clayton, the film we covered last week. We'll look at the structure of those scenes, as well as how the dialogue sings. For more info, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-15-more-michael-clayton/ (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-15-more-michael-clayton/)
A Storylanes deep-dive analysis into what's often held up by screenwriters as one terrific script. For more details, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-14-michael-clayton/ (http://storylanes.com.)
This episode we do a deep-dive analysis of The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin's script about the rise of Facebook. For more details on this episode, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-13-the-social-network/ (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-13-the-social-network/)
A Storylanes look at Parasite, the first foreign-language film to win the Best Picture Oscar. And a winner of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar. For more details, see https://www.storylanes.com/episode-12-parasite (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-12-parasite)
A Storylanes analysis of Back to the Future, the great 80's time-travel comedy written by Robert Zameckis and Bob Gale. As usual, you can find more, including the Storylanes analysis and the script to this episode, at https://www.storylanes.com/episode-11-back-to-the-future (Storylanes.com).
A Storylanes analysis of Shaun of the Dead, that great zombie comedy written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg and directed by Edgar Wright. For the Storylanes analysis, script of the episode, and script of the film, go to https://www.storylanes.com/episode-10-shaun-of-the-dead/ (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-10-shaun-of-the-dead/)
This week we turn our eyes to the world of television, and to the pilot episode for the TV series BREAKING BAD. This lets us look at all the things that a TV pilot needs to do to set up the series while still telling a great story that will bring the viewers back. Written by Vince Gilligan, this pilot is considered one of the modern class pilots. Let's see what a Storylanes look can tell us about it! For more details, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-9-breaking-bad/ (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-9-breaking-bad/).
This week we analyze JOJO RABBIT. This one's hard to categorize. It's a comedy, but also a drama with tragic aspects. While, of course, having a historical setting. It's an interesting script, and one that lets us examine a new screenwriting model, the Mazin/LeFauvre model, used by top screenwriters Craig Mazin and Meg LeFauvre. For more details, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-8-jojo-rabbit (Storylanes.com).
This week we look at GET OUT, Jordon Peele's terrific horror film that's all about race in America. There's some interesting things to note here, including a different way of using the inciting incident which is all about tone and not at all about plot. For more details, including the Storylanes chart, visit https://www.storylanes.com/episode-7-get-out/ (https://storylanes.com.)
A Storylanes deep-dive analysis of Greta Gerwig's script for 2019's LITTLE WOMEN. The script was nominated for the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture. There's some interesting things here, including interesting juggling of timelines, a couple of typographical conventions that I've already used. in a script of my own, and some great meta touches. See more details at https://www.storylanes.com/episode-6-little-women/ (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-6-little-women/)
A Storylanes deep-dive analysis into IT FOLLOWS, the 2014 low-budget horror film written by David Robert Mitchell. For more details, and to see the Storylanes graph for IT FOLLOWS, visit: https://www.storylanes.com/episode-4-it-follows (https://www.storylanes.com/episode-4-it-follows)
This week we analyze ALIENS, the great 80's sci-fi war movie. And one of the great sequels of all time - so we get to take a look at what makes a great sequel, and how ALIENS manages to be significantly different than ALIEN while still having many of the same story beats. Also, these movies give us a chance to take a look at the difference between 70's and 80's movies - ALIEN had a real cinema verite feel to it, very 70's, while ALIENS is all 80's, big action blockbuster with larger than life characters giving memorable quips as they gun down monsters. See more details on https://storylanes.com (https://storylanes.com).
This episode, we do a Storylines-style deep-dive analysis of ALIEN, the great 70's sci-fi horror film. Find out about ALIEN's clean and symmetric three-act structure, with one of the best midpoints in all of cinema and a final act that combines some of the best tools of the suspense writer. But ALIEN is also a great example of 70's gritty realism, even though it's set in a spaceship. And for more details, including the Storylanes chart, visit the Storylanes blog at https://www.storylanes.com/2020/04/23/episode-3-alien/ (https://www.storylanes.com/2020/04/23/episode-3-alien/).
We do our first deep-dive analysis of a movie, and it's a good one. DIE HARD, the great action thriller, written by Jeb Stuart and Stephen de Souza, directed by John McTiernan, and starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. For more details on this episode, and to see the Storylanes analysis, visit https://www.storylanes.com/2020/04/21/episode-2-die-hard/.
Want to know about three-act structure? Ever tried to save a cat? Do you yearn to go on the Hero's Journey? Then listen to this podcast and we'll tell you all about these screenplay models. See more information about this episode here: https://www.storylanes.com/2020/03/28/episode-1-on-screenwriting/ (https://www.storylanes.com/2020/03/28/episode-1-on-screenwriting/)
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