by Ashley Scott Meyers This week I talk with writer/producer Jon Adler. Jon's first feature is the thriller Dead Sound (2018) which is based on a horrific true story he and his friends endured. He goes into detail about the real events and how they made that vision into a movie. You can listen to... Continue Reading →
BEAST: Crafting an Unexpected Fairytale with Michael Pearce
by Angela Bourassa (@angelabourassa1) When you start studying plot structure, it becomes harder and harder to be surprised by a film. You start seeing turning points and act breaks everywhere you look. That's what makes Beast so refreshing, in a wonderfully dark and terrible way. Watching this film, I was kept in suspense from the... Continue Reading →
3 Basic Steps for Building Suspense in Your Screenplay
by Jeffrey Michael Bays (@BorgusFilm) If someone were to say that they love your latest script, but it could use more suspense, what would you do? Suspense is a part of the storytelling craft that has traditionally been left to mysteries and thrillers. I’ve been saying for a while that any genre, including romantic comedy,... Continue Reading →
Suspense: The Joy of Making Things Go Wrong
by Jeffrey Michael Bays (@BorgusFilm) Incompetent characters and failed technology are common ways to playfully frustrate the audience in a suspenseful moment. The most suspenseful Hitchcock scenes are moments where no one helps, and the audience is reminded that they are also unable to help. We are forced to watch and wait – in suspense.... Continue Reading →
What Audiences Need to Know When
This article from johnaugust.com discusses the oh-so-tricky art of revealing just as much information as you need to and finding the perfect time in your script to reveal it.