10 Screenwriting Tips

1) Ignoring film rules only works if you get to make all your movies on your own little island – McQuarrie

2) Explore concepts that allow you to create characters audiences have never seen before –
introduce unexpected characters into their screenplays, an easy way to turn stereotypes on their head. An african with a chinese name.

3) Don’t drop your reader into a blender in the first few minites. Pay a tremendous amount of attention to orienting your reader into your story.

5) CONFLICT ALERT –the best drama is packed with conflict. A character who wants something and a character who doesn’t want to give it to him. Now you have a sceane and many sceans for a story.

6) A CLEAR MYSTERY the audience can easily follow.

7) Characters should speak in their own unique voice  and own way.

8) Always think like an actor when writing characters – McQuarrie
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9) You must be smarter than the reader in the subject matter you’re writing about

10) When writing a group of characters, make sure to create dynamics WITHIN the group – They all have side friendships, people they like and dislike, histories, guys they trust and don’t trust. Here,

10 lessons on film acting

1) When speaking to an actor off-camera, look into one eye and stick with it.

2) Film acting is, in large part, reacting and listening.

3) While rehearsing something with a fellow actor, if a crew member can come up and recognize you’re rehearsing vs. having a real conversation, then you aren’t doing it right.

4) An actor relaxes in front of the camera by concentrating, and knowing that you have no enemies on set, everyone’s on your side and doing their best to make you look your best for the movie.

5) The camera catches everything you do, so don’t be afraid to play things subtley.

6) If you’re going to smoke on-screen, you must plan it absolutely perfectly, don’t mess up the continuity.

7) All actors steal certain gestures and behaviors from other actors — but the best actors make these gestures their own.  Steal from the best, and make it your own.

8) You can make four pictures as an actor in the time it takes a director to make one — so if you’re an actor planning on becoming a director, consider the financial aspect.

9) A majority of movie acting is relaxation.  If you’re knocking yourself out, you’re doing it wrong.

10) Theater acting is an operation with a scalpel, movie acting is an operation with a laser.

source ( http://nofilmschool.com)

Entertainment in storytelling

Audiences want the emotional experience and entertainment.

Does the story take the audience to an unfamiliar place?
Does the story have luxury?
Does the story have things you can't have?
Does the story have fantasy?
Does the story have war or extreme violence?
Does the story have large crowds/armies?
Does the story have exotic foreign locations?
Does the story have sex/romance?
Does the story have booze/drugs?
Does the story have guns?
Does the story have murder?
Does the story have other crime?
Does the story have juicy gossip/scandal?
Does the story has music and rhythm?
Does the story have dance?
Does the story have fun?
Does the story have humor?
Does the story move fast?
Does the story have elements of another interesting time period?