TV Series Storytelling - Commercialism vs. Creativity

In the cut-and-thrust world of television drama series production, can creativity work hand in hand with commercialism or does one override the other?   Read More

Secrets of Breaking into the Industry - Part 2

Fail as often as you can. I can’t overemphasize the importance of failure as a pathway to success. You see and hear this everywhere: You cannot possibly succeed without failing first and learning from your failures along the way. That thought should be self-evident, but as we exist in such a success-driven society, it can be hard to remember that failure is a key component of the creative process.   Read More

Secrets of Breaking into the Industry - Part 1

I've made films. I'm making films, not only as a filmmaker, but as a dealmaker, marketer, entertainment lawyer, producer, facilitator, distributor, talent evaluator, and more. I know what it's like to be a beginner. To have questions. And to feel uncertain of the right moves to make on pressure-packed movie sets where minutes can mean thousands or millions of dollars.   Read More

Battle of the Paradigms

How many books on screenwriting have you read? The sheer number of works written on the craft of screenwriting can overwhelm writers. Each of the more well-known books is authored by screenwriting teachers who market their own models for structuring a story from FADE IN to FADE OUT. Dave Trottier, author of the long-established screenwriting guide The Screenwriter’s Bible, shares his thoughts on how to decide on the value of particular screenwriting books, and thus, their formulas, and whether all are necessary to learn.   Read More

InkTip Advice: More on Writing the Synopsis

When pitching a script by way of submission query, a synopsis can help a reader decide whether to read your script. This article is written by Jared Wynn, who oversees producer membership on InkTip. Jerrol recently asked me to write a synopsis for him, and instead of boring you with the actual conversation, I’ll entertain you with how I imagine it might have gone...   Read More

Five Quick Tips to Make Your Script Listing Incredibly Attractive to Producers

Out of all of the departments I worked in at InkTip, I spent the most years working in our producers department. This meant I discussed with them which scripts listings on InkTip they found effective – in other words, which attracted them the most and potentially led to being optioned – and noted what some of those writers did to create that effect. While some writers used different strategies, what most consistently did to make their script listings shine brightest became clear.   Read More

Loglines Using the Seven Basic Elements of Screenplays

A screenplay consists of seven basic elements. What do you do with these elements? Answer: You put them together into what is known in the industry as a LOGLINE.   Read More

Interstellar: 5 Trademark Christopher Nolan Techniques

The biggest movie from perhaps the most popular director in Hollywood today. Here are five techniques that Christopher Nolan uses to great success in Interstellar.   Read More

Selling Your Own TV Series

CAN WRITERS SELL THEIR OWN TV SERIES? Writers? NO. Writers who are reading this article…YES! And I’ll tell you how, if you go with me on this for a few minutes.   Read More

Opening a TV Pilot (The Good Wife, Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead)

When an InkTip-approved producer starts to read your script, you’ve already piqued their interest with your dynamic logline and hooked them with your compelling synopsis and intriguing résumé, but now you need to reel them in with precise execution on the page, and that begins with a great opening sequence. Nowhere is this more important than on television where every season a new batch of pilots contend for an audience.   Read More