Have you ever been to the Calgary Airport? They have my all-time favourite baggage claim in the world: a display of dinosaurs completely tearing up luggage and their contents. Now, what do dinosaurs (and this exhibit) have to do with filmmaking? It’s a story about what the general public never see: Behind-the-scenes. In story, we […]
The Oscars are Coming, the Oscars are Coming!
Love movies, do ya? Well then ya gotta love the Oscars! In prep for the Academy Awards on Sunday, are you seeking out and watching the nominated films? Well, how about some different kind of prep this year to add depth to your Oscar experience this year… 1. Read the Oscar-nominated screenplays. You can […]
Laundry Writing
I not talking about dirty laundry… okay, I kinda am. Think you don’t have time to write? Well, if you can fit laundry into your schedule, then you have at least some time! Scenario 1: The Laundromat. Heave your loads to the laundromat. Dump the dirty garments into a row of machines and get them […]
Diving Into The Three Wells at Tea & Ink Writing Club
I was requested to mentor again at the Tea & Ink Writing Club and happily agreed. To do something a little different, this time I brought Matthew Kalil’s book “The Three Wells of Screenwriting” (a wonderful new MWP book on my bookshelf). It’s a book to get the inspiration juices flowing. From the book, I […]
Date Stamping A Movie Scene… Creatively
So you want to suggest what time of year it is in a movie scene? Sure, there are the standards: blossoming flowers = spring green leaves on trees = summer coloured leaves in piles = fall snow = winter Beyond location weather, you can – of course – use clothing to signify weather and time […]
INK: Table-Cloth Plotting
In honour of the completion of my thesis novel, I have to tell you about my table cloth. “Really?” you may ask. “Really,” I say. It’s an awesome table cloth: red with yellow stripes in its pattern. It’s my Plotting Table Cloth. When it comes to planning out a story, writers use all kinds of […]