tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81146991605871729712011-11-27T16:43:35.502-08:00film news for the filmmakersKashnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-16126803943607651562011-02-23T02:25:00.000-08:002011-02-23T02:37:04.755-08:00

Steve Carell just signed in to play to protagonist in the screen adaptation of Dogs Of Babel. Screenwriter Jamie Linden (Dear John) adapted the script from the novel by Carolyn Parkhurst.The story is interesting enough as a book: Paul Iverson, a linguistics professor, returns home one day to find his wife dead in their backyard. Police rule her death an accident, but Paul is not quite sure. The

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-52861161751110023072010-12-13T20:41:00.000-08:002010-12-13T20:43:58.975-08:00

The untold story about wild rabbits which lived between the Berlin Walls. For 28 years Death Zone was their safest home. Full of grass, no predators, guards protecting them from human disturbance. They were closed but happy. When their population grew up to thousands, guards started to remove them. But rabbits survived and stayed there. Unfortunately one day the wall fell down. Rabbits had to

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-83159823680667693392010-12-13T19:58:00.000-08:002010-12-13T20:32:54.947-08:00

WGA 2011 Best Comedy Nominees:Not that it matters, prizes never really matter. But I really doubt that WGA has any notion of the term 'comedy'. Check out their 2011 nominees for Best Comedy TV Series:30 Rock, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, The Office.It sounds like a list from couple of years back, doesn't it? Why would they put The Office on their list, and not the much better Parks and

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-53441160315352035062010-11-01T00:33:00.000-07:002010-11-01T05:26:30.013-07:00

I was never a big fan of reality, documentries, and any material that tried to show me real things on my screen. I love the stuff that looks too good for any reality. Not fake, not ice-cream shots, but still - crafted.I never saw the Adam Rifkin's movie Look, that was kind of successful when it was released in 2007. But now the same Rifkin brings the same Look - to the TV screen. A TV series

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-3636364788058333742010-10-17T03:33:00.000-07:002010-10-17T03:43:30.253-07:00

I was trying to write about an affair without letting my wife know about it. I was writing about my experiences, girls’ flats, things like that.This is what John Lennon said about the lyrics to his song Norwegian Wood. I wonder if Haruki Murakami read this citation when he wrote his book by the same title.Here's John telling us more about how to write about private things and still keeping your

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-18050741011373849662010-10-10T05:52:00.000-07:002010-10-10T06:00:26.794-07:00

After giving us a lesson in set design on Boardwalk Empire, the guys at HBO are showing off their creativity also on the set of Mildred Pierce. The movie was shot in NYC, an the set just looks so good. I thought the way the cars are driving reverse is funny. And i wonder if the production used the same crew from Boardwalk Empire for the Mildred set.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-73466607787150174502010-09-27T23:42:00.000-07:002010-09-28T00:10:55.247-07:00

I first thought of studying film after watching an Ozu film. It was so amazingly quiet and intense that I felt an urge of expressing myself the same way. So real and yet so surreal. After getting to know the Asian film industry slightly better, I knew it wasn't that all Japanese or Taiwanese films were were composed like this - in fact most of them tried to do what they saw in western films - but

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-24565438863314857502010-09-22T21:10:00.000-07:002010-09-22T21:14:04.589-07:00

Tim Burton wrote this poem to his friend and alter-ego Johnny Depp, and also made the illustration. Tim Burton is so very talented, this is no news, but this poem reveals a bit more about his relations to Johnny. But maybe poems are just poems.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-79299402344117538452010-09-17T09:40:00.000-07:002010-09-17T09:47:23.958-07:00

I just came across this wonderful youtube video on the HBO channel, in which they show (time lapse) how the set for Boardwalk Empire was built. The set is a recreation of Atlantic City Boardwalk area in the 1920. Great video, not sure if it's relevant for any of you on your next production though.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-57609556470524114182010-09-15T07:19:00.000-07:002010-09-15T07:32:49.775-07:00

I recently watched (in two short nights) the second season of United States of Tara. I love this show, and although some points are questionable script-wise, I think this show is really one of the best in the last decade, and this decade was the renaissance of Television.Why do I love United States of Tara so much? Because it's deep, in a shallow way (and no way the other way around), because the

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-12213387231617920572010-09-02T20:09:00.000-07:002010-09-02T20:15:41.915-07:00

The Japanese anime director and writer, Satoshi Kon, died earlier this week (August 24th), a short time before his 47th birthday. He had cancer, and before he died he wrote a goodbye letter, which his family placed on his blog. It's in Japanese, but thanks to some dedicated fans, was quickly translated into English.Here's the translation of his last letter, "goodbye":Sayonara (Goodbye) How could

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-11112163821301090372010-08-29T21:59:00.001-07:002010-08-29T22:05:27.958-07:00

This week on the New Yorker is a piece on John Lurie, the young man from Jim Jarmusch first films. It reminded me on Fishing with John, a series he made not too long ago. I think it's a terrific piece of art, I watched it online and I think this one deserves a special night at the cinema, or a special week. I'd love to watch it on a huge screen in the dark. It's magical, and it's a rare case in

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-16156023735605592092010-08-21T21:48:00.000-07:002010-08-21T21:56:07.847-07:00

One of the best scriptwriters blogs out there is definitely ScriptShadow. I'm a dedicated reader of this blog, and I often bother reading the scripts he recommends. I don't have time to read the bad scripts, but I know I should: reading a script that doesn't work is one of the best learning methods there is.Script Shadow latest post is about The Escort, an excellent comedy script that got one of

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-47718195167002777802010-08-16T21:06:00.000-07:002010-08-16T21:17:08.342-07:00

Let's have it.John August, the scriptwriter and the blogger, gives a good advice for scriptwriters that are stuck with characters they don't know too well:If you’re having a hard time finding a character’s voice, get him talking about something unrelated to the scene at hand.ScriptShadow, the blog and the shadow, writes a book review about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Worth reading, after

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-8447484098934273872010-08-08T23:57:00.001-07:002010-08-09T00:07:00.001-07:00

It's not a tricky question, but it is a question with many different answers. To answer this I must now first where do you want to study film. The NYU for example is a private university, hence expensive one, but it run its film programs in two locations: New York and Singapore. bet lets step out of the box for a second. The first question in that case must be: Why do you want to take film

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-13798524425349589642010-08-03T20:01:00.000-07:002010-08-03T20:07:15.143-07:00

So last week (or was it this week? I'm losing track of time) YouTube changed their maximal length of uploaded videos from 11 minutes to 15 minutes. This is really an improvement for all the young filmmakers who wish to publish their short films. Usually 15 minutes is the maximal length for shorts in festivals etc., so most filmmakers follow that rule.I'm not sure what was the reason YouTube

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-22572381847670145562010-07-28T20:53:00.000-07:002010-07-28T21:13:13.822-07:00

Christopher Nolan, whose new film Inception (2010) is making a little history these days, was always an interesting screenwriter. Ever since his debut feature film, Following (1998), Nolan had his interest in morals, and in the situations those morals are twisted again and again.Nolan also loves to play with structure and time, and with the subjective perception vs. the reality, or the outside '

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-66759208363843863632010-05-30T22:40:00.000-07:002010-05-30T22:56:35.208-07:00

A few years back, when I was living in London, I joined Shooting People (www.shootingpeople.org). I enjoyed being part of a community of filmmakers, even if it didn't mean much. I wasn't doing much those days, mainly rewriting a script with no results, but ShootingPeople gave me some hope.And, some connections too. Networking is part of any game, and in times like this, when you're writing and

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-1517469842395698962010-04-07T02:26:00.000-07:002010-04-07T02:31:18.650-07:00

Something I read today:I've written all my life, both non-fiction and fiction. i've wanted to tell stories all my life. but writing fiction - specifically screenplays as i've done little short story writing and no novels - has always been very difficult, painful and not a process i would ever describe as one i enjoyed.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-51819297401092734402010-04-07T00:12:00.000-07:002010-04-07T00:25:08.355-07:00

An interesting post I've read on the Twelvepoint blog. There's this agent, he represents both screenwriters and book writers. Now, he thinks screenwriters should write prose as well. Why? Read on.No, you know what? Don't read. You're just escaping writing again, aren't you? I'm just going to quote this agent here, very short, so you could go back to whatever it is that you are writing at the

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-72448544304876407722010-03-20T13:12:00.000-07:002010-03-20T13:20:33.565-07:00

Today I found this great page on the website of The Guardian. It's a collection of writers' 10 tips for writing fiction. Some are serious, some less so, but it's interesting for sure. It's not always relevant for screenwriters, but first of all, many screenwriters write other things too. And besides, screenwriting is still not too far from fiction writing, in some senses. Neil Gaiman had one

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-76408046645550436062010-03-10T01:32:00.001-08:002010-03-10T01:44:03.844-08:00

I want to begin with the conclusion here. WTWTA is a good movie. Many doubted the possibility of adapting a 100-words-book into a full length feature film, and the (earlier?) draft of the script received a hard criticism from its reader, but the end result is stunning.I think the problem of most people with the movie was the lack of action, or, perhaps, the lack of conflict. Also in the book, the

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-81650008468809017092010-03-05T00:49:00.000-08:002010-03-05T01:25:27.361-08:00

Oscars are coming, and the best part of the ceremony is the speculations on the winners of this year's golden man. Myself I have my hopes and fears, but here are the biggest name on the business making theirs:Oscar 2010 speculation listRoger Ebert will be probably right in most Oscar categories. Pretty much the sane version of the Oscar Bingo. He even admits it by saying: I can't remember a year

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-30988483239867256922010-02-24T04:11:00.000-08:002010-02-24T04:16:43.814-08:00

I read an interview with a screenwriter, jack Sekowski, and he said:It's frustrating since I go to the movies and see that most of the stories told are fairly simple. So why am I driven to make things more complex...thereby giving myself more work? I don't know the answer to that.I sometimes feel exactly the same, but the truth is that even what seems very simple and straight forward on screen is

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-12448923996009599652010-02-10T01:25:00.000-08:002010-02-10T01:33:21.981-08:00

Lately I found this page on wikipedia, about the Enneagram of Personality. It's a very comfortable way to look at your script's characters and understand their personality pattern. There are nine patterns: The Reformer, The Helper, The Achiever, The Individualist, The Investigator, The Loyalist, The Enthusiast, The Challenger, The Peacemaker. The Enneagram describes those personality patterns,

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-55949684877152094162010-01-26T13:01:00.000-08:002010-01-26T13:02:52.667-08:00

What I learned: Once you have your gimmick down, once you have your hook, forget about it. Forget about how you’re going to sell the thing. Switch your focus over to the story and the characters. Make them the best they can possibly be. I think that’s the problem with a lot of today’s writers. Is they rely too much on their premise. They think that that’s going to do all the work for them. It’s a

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-11349374408275625072010-01-10T03:02:00.000-08:002010-01-10T03:11:31.481-08:00

The community is on fire: a script analyst who owns a website called ScriptShadow publishes unproduced scripts online and writes an analysis. Wired Magazine and John August already posted articles against this habit of our secret guy. I myself only discovered him after reading those articles. I find this website a real treasure, but I also understand the problems it creates. No writer would want

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-2179190071538502652010-01-08T08:40:00.000-08:002010-01-08T10:44:02.077-08:00

As a struggling scriptwriter myself, it is sometimes funny to meet other scriptwriters on the street and find that they are looking to get some ideas from me for how to make it into the industry. It is funny but totally understandable. In this business it seems like anybody who got one script produced is a very successful writer. Perhaps it is so, but it is not the kind of success you feel every

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-68431684119925659062009-10-28T02:17:00.000-07:002009-10-28T04:59:32.851-07:00

As a screenwriter you maybe have the movie running in your head, but what you should aim for is your audience, meaning the readers of your script (and not the viewers of the produced piece). The scriptwriter's weapons are sentences, and words. We deal with art in time, and we want to reflect the time feeling in our script. You should be able to control your reader's reading tempo: when does he

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-91001095379933699082009-10-19T23:19:00.000-07:002009-10-19T23:29:48.061-07:00

so I've been away, finished my studies, decided there's nothing for me in the screenwriting business, built some websites, cut my hair, and now I'm ready to write again.But enough about me. There's a new journal for screenwriting, published by Intellect. The first issue is free online, and you can find it here. I saw the TOC and it looks promising, now I'll take my time and delve into the

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-55185279726076606752008-07-13T02:18:00.000-07:002008-07-13T02:50:42.991-07:00

Couldn't resist to adding this picture, though it has little to do with the subject of this post. The only connection is that those puppies are mixed Spaniel/Prince Charles and therefore quite British in origin.After months of USA dreams I finally came to realize a degree in the UK would fit me much more. Why? Well it's closer to where I live now, and I can work and live there not on a student

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-927980058412585792008-06-15T01:42:00.001-07:002008-06-15T01:45:45.864-07:00

"The good writer seems to be writing about himself, but has his eye always on that thread of the Universe which runs through himself and all things."– Ralph Waldo Emerson"The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself."– Albert Camus "There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn't because the

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-15732347355267813692008-06-09T03:32:00.001-07:002008-06-09T03:44:50.065-07:00

For me, writing a monologue is a real tough business. I like to use minimal number od spoken words in my scripts, and my characters never give lectures. So it always seems contrived when I put a monologue in their mouth. Unless, of course, I do it good. And there are ways to write a good monologue.What is a monologue, and why do we need it?the whole idea is that monologue consists of change. The

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-37297355176941677822008-06-09T00:32:00.001-07:002008-06-09T00:32:53.824-07:00

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-1682697999841371992008-06-07T02:27:00.000-07:002008-06-07T02:39:02.281-07:00

Adam Sandler is an actor I really like in dramas and really don't like in comedies. Now his new film is out, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and from the title alone I could tell you it's crap.The story is about an Israeli who arrives NY to be a hairdresser. The original name of the Israeli was Boaz, a real Israeli name. Then they changes it to Zohan, which is nothing. For me it really said a lot

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-28682790517904276942008-06-06T01:34:00.000-07:002008-06-06T01:47:53.093-07:00

As part of the student film festival in tel Aviv, I went to the screenwriters' lab with Tawfik Abu Wael. It wasn't really a workshop, it looked more like a local version of Actors' Studio (a show I enjoy a lot). Only the interviewer wasn't as bright as the bearded man at Actors' Studio.Tawfik was charming. Very good looking, say what he thinks and never takes himself too seriously. I enjoyed

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-67252274189802385392008-06-03T22:58:00.000-07:002008-06-03T23:10:05.220-07:00

I loved No Country for Old Men, and after watching the trailer of the new Coen brothers' film, I can't wait to watch it. Seems like the summer film I'd enjoy. I also like the title: Burn After Reading.I've always loved their films, also the way they write their script is great, making reading a pleasure.I thought Blood Simple was excellent, also Miller Junction. Barton Fink is great, but a bit

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-68438761670768023432008-06-03T13:58:00.000-07:002008-06-03T14:05:17.930-07:00

sometimes you have a very dull scene. Like, you need to show a conversation between two guys and it really has nothing special in it. Make it visually interesting so your audience (and readers) will have an extra detail to hang on to.The bandaid on Wallace's nape is a great example. We feel Bruce's pain, and we don't need to see Wallace's face. It's actually much better without seeing it. The

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-43761393635511492432008-06-01T02:23:00.000-07:002008-06-01T02:42:31.764-07:00

The location you choose for your script is very important. This of course is also true for the smaller scale pieces, your scenes, but i'll talk about the general location of the script. A few points to think about when choosing the place where the action happens:1. The location defines the world of your script. Or, better say, you define the world by choosing the locations. Say you write a

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-10133168633847772242008-05-29T09:32:00.001-07:002008-05-29T09:49:44.502-07:00

The above image is from Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, NY, a film I can't wait to see, even though the critics didn't go wild at Cannes. But somehow I don't believe critics (I thought 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days wasn't THAT great) and I think festivals are just money machine and a good reason for the movie biz people to travel.Today I want to talk about how you write your protagonist. Since you

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-32749497132484467532008-05-28T08:19:00.000-07:002008-05-28T08:41:25.331-07:00

I took this photo using my cell phone. It was a very hot day in university, and the black guys painted the black boards white.The student film festival starts next week, so all classes are canceled (so we can enjoy the festival's screenings and workshops). I hope to get a seat for the meeting with Godard, and for the screenwriting workshop (they only allow 35 students in this one, which is really

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-82572804482837746962008-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:002008-05-24T06:44:56.813-07:00

The documentry controversial filmmaker Michael Moore thinks the ex-pop queen is a natural born filmmaker. "She's sort of entered my realm," Moore said. "When I saw it, I thought, 'Wow, it's like she's been making these films for years.'"Madonna's film, I am because we are, takes place in Africa. I still remember watching "Swept away" (directed by Guy for his wife) and thinking the original

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-81805117578681464312008-05-23T09:14:00.000-07:002008-05-23T09:32:08.294-07:00

I was supposed to work today on the next 10 pages of my feature script, and also do some rewriting on the first act. But instead I went to the swimming pool in the morning, and then met my friend Sharon in the afternoon on the beach. But, writers must live too! So I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about it. Just write faster.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-51569847629238487162008-05-22T05:13:00.000-07:002008-05-22T05:37:30.759-07:00

The pink capsule is the last thing I was able to do on photoshop before school started again. Since then I didn't touch photoshop, dreamweaver, and I miss it very much. I just received a tutorial from Lynda.com that I can't wait viewing. In the summer, I guess.Anyways, here's a great tip for writing dialogue. We had to go and record conversations and bring it to class, so I did some eavesdroping

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-60204268787504225152008-05-20T09:52:00.000-07:002008-05-20T09:57:46.208-07:00

Steve Kaire, the pitch guru, or the script sale guru, or simply a very talented man in getting those lights turning GREEN, has some tips. He says it's the material the scriptwriter chooses that makes all the difference. So writers should think good before they start writing their scripts. Here are his tips:#1 (most important; most difficult): Your premise has to be original and unique; or it

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-8551164833256142472008-05-19T10:51:00.000-07:002008-05-19T11:07:16.561-07:00

The characters you choose define the action and carry your premise through to its conclusion. They must have in place on page one, the power and will to engage the central conflict of your story.Knowing your characters You should know your characters well enough, so you could write them into any situation. Scenes from the past, day dreaming scenes, or any other scene that might not be in

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-82699289067121877562008-05-18T07:05:00.000-07:002008-05-18T07:27:15.845-07:00

Dialogue has two functions, to give information and to reveal character. It represents the internal and external life of your character. External dialogue is what you say; internal dialogue is what you mean.The way a character speaks provides the context of the character’s world in terms of culture, class, age, region, time, education, attitude and personality. Listen to your characters speak.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-88565352212746631462008-05-16T05:47:00.000-07:002008-05-16T06:09:40.897-07:00

For my course at UCLA Extension I had to write a coverage for Benny and Joon. When writing coverage, you want to focus on 2-3 main issues, strengths or weaknesses of the script. You write a synopsis (1.5-2 pages) and comments (1 page). The comments include your opening paragraph, a paragraph on plot, on characterization, on dialoge (not a must) and a summary. Writing Coverage: the opening

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-3653690830339006752008-05-15T01:10:00.000-07:002008-05-15T11:18:04.823-07:00

Every story has a beginning, middle and an end – setup, development and resolution. In the setup we’re introduced to the world of the story and the characters that inhabit that world. What is the story about? What is the world like? What time are we in; present, past or future? What is the genre, drama or comedy, mystery or horror, sci-fi or fantasy? Who is your main character and who supports h/

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-17541503566787689042008-05-14T12:45:00.001-07:002008-05-14T12:58:31.801-07:00

Write a monologue of yourself. It should be a story taken from your life.Then put the page aside and say the monologue out loud.You'll find out how different things are said when they are actually SAID.This excercise works best when practiced in a group, because the main thing that affects the way you speak is the listeners. This is why on the written monologue you probably mentioned things you

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-74259703513041912442008-05-13T11:48:00.000-07:002008-05-13T12:32:02.923-07:00

Stanislavsky wrote seven questions any actor should ask himself when approaching a play. This works great for writers as well, also writers for the screen. At the end, it's all about the human drama. Stanislavsky developed those questions by asking actors he thought were good how they did it. He believed any actor can be a good actor, it's only a matter of technique. Here are the questions:1.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-49041585171587266342008-05-12T04:26:00.000-07:002008-05-12T04:29:08.966-07:00

Just saw that Martell's new tip is about late start, which is a crucial factor of a good script that grasps you from the first frame. Here's the link. Many have said before, start latest, finish earliest. It may not be good for every aspect of life, but for scriptwriting it's a sure bet.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-4939580990324827432008-05-12T03:57:00.000-07:002008-05-12T04:23:59.173-07:00

A serious writer writes every day for a certain amount of hours. A serious writer doesn't need to find that time frame every day, it's more like a computer program that works on schedule. I've decided the best time for me is the morning.5 good reasons for writing in the morning1. It's early, your mind is still blured, you're almost between the dream world to this world. It varies a lot, some

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-84815843937731642462008-05-08T23:48:00.001-07:002008-05-09T00:03:04.845-07:00

There's never an end to the process of learning, and that's a great feeling. However, I am just too busy at the moment to really have the time to write nothing, or write bad scenes. I am a student, which means I must write very good scripts, or I'm wasting valuable time. Not yet money, besides my own, but hey, that's even more important.So I sat down to write the next 10 pages of my script,

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-33818051270384122412008-05-06T14:45:00.000-07:002008-05-06T14:48:31.334-07:00

news are part of screenwriting. So here's the latest issue around here. I'm not saying it's worth a script, but for sure it's worth publicity.Here's the NY Post article on Israel's PM Olmert newest scandal, that maybe, finally, will bring him down.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-27724502383989292382008-05-06T13:42:00.000-07:002008-05-06T14:01:59.508-07:00

The semester started yesterday. So far I'm really excited cos my courses are so interesting, and I can't wait to sit and write the assignments. One course is less scriptwriting and more prose, which is something I for sure enjoy. The teacher is Sami Berdugo, who's also nominated this year for the Sapir Prize. I need to read his book. Funny thing, Berdugo reminded me of this man I once knew, and

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-22212486622768545952008-04-29T11:00:00.001-07:002008-04-29T11:29:48.234-07:00

"One of the most important talents a screenwriter can have is the ability to see a situation from every character's point of view - to make the decisions your character would make. These skills can be put to use on the business side by putting ourselves in the shoes of the potential buyers for our screenplays. If we can imagine what it's like to be the villain of our script, it shouldn't be all

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-84063378994377806252008-04-27T01:11:00.000-07:002008-04-27T01:52:22.722-07:00

Still on the UCLA Extension course. Actually I take two courses now, and it's a tough job. They both demand a lot, much more than what I do for my classes at tel Aviv University. They don't spoil you in those online courses. I guess they say that as long as they save you the travel, they can give you some extra work. Maybe they have a point.It's great, now I have to write the first 10 pages of

Kashnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-49274590309206773832008-04-02T01:06:00.000-07:002008-04-02T01:15:07.427-07:00

The above polaroid is taken from a designer's website, squidfingers he's called (or Travis). I love his patterns, I use it sometimes when I build sites, and I wish I could use them for my floors. Don't you feel like the gap between the cyber world and the real world is sometimes just too great? If I could use google to find my keys every morning. Or use my finger to pick a color from my room for

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-49477685245435585792008-03-30T00:21:00.000-07:002008-03-30T00:41:02.553-07:00

Last night I watched two films. The first one was Taken (Director: Luc Basson). It was again the only film to watch at the cinema next to my house. It was better than I've expected (I really had zero expectations from this film), but still. The action scenes were annoying, blurred with some ugly visual effect and cut way to fast to understand who was punching who. But it was clear the good guy (

Kashnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-40858484588703947552008-03-29T00:50:00.000-07:002008-03-29T01:10:43.932-07:00

So i had to stay in bed for a couple of days after the visit at the doctor. I took the time to read the book I took from the library: Alternative Scriptwriting. It turned out to be a pretty good book, and I especially enjoyed reading the chapters about genre (working with genre / working against genre). The authors discuss changing a motif in an existing genre or mixing genres, and they explain

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-90765168368380811922008-03-26T00:35:00.000-07:002008-03-26T00:56:44.184-07:00

They showed two Jim Carrey films on TV this week: The Truman Show and Fun with Dick and Jane. I just love Jim Carrey, and this is not something that happened too quickly. It took me some time, and especially Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to understand this guy is not only masks (though I also really loved The Mask). I think it was when I saw him on Liar Liar I thought I like him when he

Kashnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-16745234833664536992008-03-25T05:34:00.000-07:002008-03-25T05:52:23.771-07:00

Bill Martell tells us all about the difference between SLANG and JARGON. I find it very important now, as I write a script with a scientist as my protagonist. Martell taks about using original slang in your movies rather than the real-but-boring we all know already. Cool.John August advices a Tisch graduate about her next steps. I hope myself to take the screenwriting MFA in 2009 so it's

Kashnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-76138712567000032922008-03-25T04:58:00.000-07:002008-03-25T05:28:54.755-07:00

I'm huge. I'm really puffed. I didn't know pregnancy makes you puffed. It's weird. I don't recognize myself in pictures. Somehow in the mirror it looks alright. But the pictures - they don't lie. Today was the last day at school, I had the japanese cinema class. Was ok, we talked about Ran of Kurasawa. Tomorrow I have the amniotic fluid test, after which I must stay in bed for 48 hours. So I

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-22665812798003840992008-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:002008-03-24T07:52:07.218-07:00

This is the last week of the semester (actually this year a trimester). I don't care what I'll do - I'm just happy the summer is here and I can get up early and write. It doesn't yet happen in the rythme I want (every day for a fixed amount of hours) - but it will.Also, as you see in the picture above, my belly is getting bigger every day, so soon with a baby I will have to get up early. I love

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-17910315577441736762008-03-20T01:44:00.000-07:002008-03-20T01:56:49.792-07:00

I really enjoy reading other writers' blogs. First off, I see I'm not the only one who needs eye drops after too many screen hours. Second, sometimes they really have good tips or interesting adventures to share. Go to my link list of the best scriptwriters bloggers I found. Each one of them has its style of blogging. I love them all.This morning I saw on the Vanity Fair online those great old

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-33687331060792902832008-03-19T01:11:00.000-07:002008-03-19T01:12:41.914-07:00

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-23614260325153462562008-03-18T06:18:00.000-07:002008-03-18T07:49:49.396-07:00

I let the class read my script yesterday. It's not being read out loud on this class, each one reads and then we all discuss it. My first scene was not completely understood by all. Actually, I think only 3-4 students understood the subtext. Though I was disappointed, it only meant one thing: I needed to make my point more obvious. How do you make the information in your script be clear but not

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-901017425474934072008-03-16T22:37:00.000-07:002008-03-16T23:03:33.516-07:00

Yesterday my short script was read in class. It's an interesting an important experience, to hear your words. Normally it would be done by actors, but here my friends from class read it. It's a very weird feeling, to hear your script being read. Sometimes it sounds like it's too slow. Sometimes you lose track.My teacher loved it. Also most of the students, I think. You can never really know.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-27200579428682870892008-03-16T02:07:00.001-07:002008-03-16T02:31:35.952-07:00

I'm so happy that in two weeks starts my semester break. I have tons of things I plan to do during this month (no exams, total freedom, yay). The course I took at UCLA Extension (Online) was over last Wednesday. The next one will only start on April 9th so I have two weeks of pure free time to work on my beat outline.A few days ago I got the newsletter from Creative Screenwriting and it

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-75476635737125585862008-03-04T09:14:00.000-08:002008-03-04T09:41:05.271-08:00

Like every Tuesday i opened my day with 90 minutes of Japanese cinema. I take this seminar at university, so at the end of the year we must write a 20 pages essay about any issue we choose from the very wide spectrum of Japanese Cinema. Today we discussed the japanese family, and how it's presented in various films. As in every Japanese film, also in family matters the Giri (the obligations one

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-10400251838550838612008-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:002008-03-03T10:33:48.164-08:00

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-67659567994473139142008-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:002008-03-03T10:28:13.630-08:00

Just wanted to say, The Verdict is a great script. The writing style is interesting, very clear and simple. The structure is pure. It's really one of the best scripts I've read, especially for a scriptwriting student to learn from.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-34567355857976723142008-03-03T04:49:00.000-08:002008-03-03T05:04:08.323-08:00

This is the time to get scared. I wanted to write the final act for my feature (a beat sheet for the third act, not the actual scenes yet). Then I've realized I need to work still on act II and the essence of my story. Without this I won't have a third act.The bad thing is that I'm supposed to send my beat sheet now (actually a few hours ago). I'm behind, but the head has its own time.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-64729655101821165932008-02-29T05:22:00.000-08:002008-02-29T05:57:30.410-08:00

When I was a kid I had this book, how machines work, or something like that. It explained how machines work. Very smart. Anyways, I was too young to read, so I just browsed the illustrations. My favorite part of the book was a page (spread of 2 pages actually) with a big boat. The illustrated boat was cut, so you could see the inside. Now it remindes me of this film with Bill Murray, The Life

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-57431776856812782522008-02-27T01:05:00.001-08:002008-02-27T01:18:48.402-08:00

I just wrote the first skech for my second act. It's a super hard mission, your brain feels like the world, total chaos and many details. But, since its just a first skech, I had the freedom to let myself go, no fear.So I added a character, might gave it too much space, but it opened a new direction. My tutor (UCLA Extension) gave some usefull suggestions. Writing is the key here. The more I

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-87571927412623363602008-02-24T00:21:00.000-08:002008-02-24T00:45:25.778-08:00

Looking at your life like on a doll house, that's inspiring. Everything seem to have a reason. You understand the order of things. It's called perspective, I guess. But it's also meditative.Anyway, I switched departments at university: from directing to scriptwriting. It's been great, really brilliant. My work is to write now, it seems like the good life is here. No one pays me for it, but being

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-56944435655721483072007-12-30T09:34:00.000-08:002007-12-30T09:41:24.455-08:00

Check this out, a link my friend Maya sent me: http://www.lernert.nl/haas.html. Too bad I cannot attach here the actual video, it's brilliant, and sad.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-64508143572690005892007-12-27T00:22:00.001-08:002007-12-27T00:36:43.565-08:00

So I skipped the Wednesday scriptwriting class. I felt sick the whole week so I couldn't write the synopsis, though I wrote this short sequence for production. I also had a few ideas, but I couldn't sit and write. The screen is very hard for me those days. Should I take the paper block and the pen now?Anyway, we went to the first ultrasound Wednesday night. It was funny, but very predictable.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-25325821065705198352007-12-24T01:48:00.000-08:002007-12-24T02:03:11.378-08:00

Finally i feel like shooting something. After days of feeling sick and lazy, I got up this morning and..felt sick and lazy again. But I ate my porridge in front of the screen and started to write. I had to come out with an easy-to-produce idea for my directing class. the teacher got real mad coz we don't shoot nothing no more. He gave each of us a date to bring something, no matter what, with

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-70060443138294493102007-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:002007-12-21T00:05:11.463-08:00

How To: Stencil Graffiti Art 101 - video powered by MetacafeI want to be the person who does everything for himself. Less buying, more doing. Less shoping, more findings. I want to buy a sewing machine and learn. I want to become an empire (a very peacful and colorful one). I will start by making stencil art, then I will move on. My feature script is becoming darker, taking a direction I had

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-40675551085437017982007-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:002007-12-16T12:40:34.013-08:00

So it's quite clear now that my pitch in class on Wednesday won't be brilliant. I'm sick constantly, can't write, can't think. It's a 24 hour pregnancy sick, I have no idea why they gave it the misleading name of 'morning sick'. I want to die. Iwill save the world some energy if I just sleep for the next 2 months. God. But only last week my teacher discovered me, and this Wednesday I'm supposed

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-75195152828046799232007-12-15T03:09:00.000-08:002007-12-16T12:19:41.904-08:00

As a film student life is easy. Ideas fly like dust, you pick them up, shoot'em down. But now I want to write a script that will be sent to a director, which supposed to love it and shoot it. I stare the empty page. I write half a sentence and erase it. I google for some ideas. I browse my mind. Nothing. I'm scared.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-15565203296558213452007-12-14T01:36:00.001-08:002007-12-14T01:54:41.598-08:00

Last Wednesday we learned about characters development. We read 2 examples in class. The contact lens in my eye flipped and it took me 20 minutes to put it back where in should be. I didn't leave the class though, I waited 2 weeks for this class (last week it was canceled due to the strike). After class I talked to the teacher, telling her I'm writing a feature so my pitch next week will be for a

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-20253715091878129832007-12-10T22:44:00.000-08:002007-12-10T22:55:47.966-08:00

Last night I was at my friend Sharon. She made the 7th candle eve with some friends, most of them scientists of some sort. It was a very nice evening, and since I don't have any scientist friend, I was quite surprised to find out how they are very similar to most of my artistic friends.This morning I saw this amazing video of the big ear jerboa the zoological society filmed. This lovely creature

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-49306429505277118232007-12-09T11:57:00.000-08:002007-12-09T12:20:54.584-08:00

Since I gave up the rest of the workshop, I had some free time today. I had a meeting with one director. He won lots of awards for his two features, and the first one was a real cult movie in Israel. I won't mention his name but he's a very nice guy. Anyway, he is looking for an assistant to help him finding material for his scripts, as well as for reading the scripts he gets, sometimes in

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-17592615461180515732007-12-08T23:17:00.000-08:002007-12-08T23:46:37.337-08:00

Yesterday the cinematography workshop was all about the same. Same film students ran towards the camera (we use the Sony DSR-450), same film students complained, same film students just had a laugh out of it all. The camera was quite heavy, and I didn't feel comfortable holding it, since I think I'm pregnant and in the first weeks I need to take extra care.So Michael was guiding us through some

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-40803601799202185632007-12-07T04:14:00.000-08:002007-12-07T04:28:44.303-08:00

It was hard getting up this morning. I didn't go to the workshop. I felt so weak, and it was so stormy. Maybe I'm pregnant. I've decided to stay home. Michael Chapman and his enthusiastic crew will do without me.I started to write my first feature. I was scared at first, telling myself it's bad to start writing without a beat sheet or an outline. But My head was too dry and just writing scenes

Kashnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-71753398532307789322007-12-06T11:31:00.000-08:002007-12-06T11:52:25.985-08:00

If yesterday I was tired, today I was exhausted. From doing nothing at all. Again the tiny location was packed with strong men, all wanting to make the next tweeny to look great for the master Michael Chapman. I don't like too many people with no clear vision. I don't like working for no real intention. I had no drive. I sat and watched the monitor. Chapman sure knows how to operate a camera.

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-69799888308555779382007-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:002007-12-05T12:30:06.376-08:00

Today was the first day of the cinematography workshop with Michael Chapman, aka Chappy. It's actually the only cinematography class the Tel Aviv University gives its students on their final year (another 1-week workshop is intended for April). So there are 25 eager students, all waiting to hear the master's voice and vision.Luckily, this old master is a very laid back, easy going chap. he told

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-39589636319255783272007-12-04T10:04:00.000-08:002007-12-04T10:27:45.129-08:00

I love Kate Winslet a lot. I think she's one of the finest actors who brings every role she takes a full character. Her expressions change so much, you never think of the other characters she played. She is real.Yesterday I was watching Romance & Cigarettes. I knew it cannot be good, how else haven't I heard of this star-exploded film before? I thought the movie was not coherent, and the songs

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-36528546640809099842007-12-02T06:05:00.000-08:002007-12-02T06:21:43.296-08:00

Like every Sunday, today I had another class in Compositing for Film. The teacher, Mr. Bardanshvily, is a compositor, who worked on various Israeli films, including the seconf film of Dover Kozashvily, Matana Mishamayim as well as his first (and better known film) Hatuna Meucheret. Today we looked at two films: Leon, of Luc Besson, and Laura, a film from '44. The music on Laura was fantastic. It

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-75159228945279156112007-11-28T14:59:00.000-08:002007-11-28T15:19:58.062-08:00

That was a very good day. First, I had 4 Sufganiot (that Jewish sweet donut for Hanuka). Second, the teacher (Esti Namdar, the best and only true teacher I've had in film studies so far), she loved my scene!! We had to give in a scene that includes defamiliarization, and today she returned us the papers and asked me to read mine out loud. It was very interesting to hear my scene being read out

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-12556826839308957092007-11-27T00:13:00.000-08:002007-11-27T00:19:53.200-08:00

So I got an invitation for this new network. I'm quite skeptical about it all. I do have my facebook account, but I try not to talk about private issues on Skype. I feel there's always someone who's listening.Well anyway, Behance looks like a cool network. It's better looking, cos it's for creative minds. It also accepts scriptwriters and other writers. I haven't filled up my account yet, so it's

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-1292780717357810932007-11-25T13:52:00.000-08:002007-11-25T14:18:06.438-08:00

S as I said yesterday, I bought the ticket well a head and went tonight to the cinemateque screening of Deat at a Funeral, the new movie from Frank Oz. Wnen I told a friend of mine I was going, she said: "well, it's kind of British film, isn't it?". So when I was waiting for the movie to begin I felt my expectations were not too high. I was afraid it will be shallow, with stupid humor and long

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-37593984454250384432007-11-24T07:57:00.000-08:002007-11-24T08:10:03.963-08:00

I know it's not the way to learn the craft of scriptwriting. After all, a made film is rarely like its script. And I found out that the best way to learn scriptwriting is from small to big: first make the scene, then the sequence, then the feature. Well it might not work for all the same way, it depands what your weakness is. but Waitress is showing tonight at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, and I

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-19965114056107027032007-11-21T07:39:00.001-08:002007-11-21T07:58:03.078-08:00

I had the scriptwriting class today with my favorite teacher. She was very good, as always. we talked about subtext and we started to talk about estrangement. She also gave us back our exercises, the scenes we had to write with a dramatic event that makes things go bad. She told me that mine lacked the dramatic event, and also because the will of the character was not very clear, the result of

Kashnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-19340288386280384142007-11-19T00:27:00.000-08:002007-11-19T00:46:21.220-08:00

I know i should be working on my script now. I started to write the second draft and it feels good, some things happen, things get clearer. This situation opens itself to me.But all I can think of is grad school. I really want to start next year and not to have a gap year between my BA and the MFA. Thing is, I want to do my MFA in the US, and at a good university. So it comes to not which grad

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-28947986072071852942007-11-16T14:42:00.000-08:002007-11-16T15:04:38.916-08:00

I started to read today the script of Being John Malkovich. This will be the second script of Charlie Kaufman that I read, after Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love the way Charlie Kaufman writes, and I don't at all talk about the way the films come out. I talk about his actual writing, just the way each word means so much.I know that in screenwriting it has to work that way, because

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114699160587172971.post-22454170058368888222007-11-13T09:05:00.000-08:002007-11-13T09:26:12.289-08:00

I've decided to put all my efforts in scriptwriting. I've always enjoyed this part the most, who am I kidding. Directing is great, but until it happens...and happens the right way...I feel scriptwriting fits better to my character. I hate when things come out less than perfect, for once. I want my vision to be clear. I don't say I've given up directing, but I just think that at this point writing

Kashnoreply@blogger.com0