Overall Impression — A boxing match with words and wits, not muscle and brawn. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — David Frost. What’s he trying to accomplish? — Be taken seriously as an intelligent interviewer and not just a talk show host by betting Nixon to admit publicly what he never had before:… Continue reading FROST/NIXON
Tag: screenwriting
TWILIGHT
Overall Impression — A teen love story with vampires, not a vampire story with teen lovers. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — Bella. What’s she trying to accomplish? — Fall in love with Edward and have him love her back…without it costing her life. Who’s trying to stop her? — Edward (and also… Continue reading TWILIGHT
BEDTIME STORIES
Overall Impression — Ah, to be young again. Then I would have liked this movie rather than just liked that my kids liked it. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — Skeeter. What’s he trying to accomplish? — Take over control of the hotel that was promised to him as a child, build a… Continue reading BEDTIME STORIES
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Overall Impression — Gone are the quips, the easy going air of superiority. It’s an action movie, first and foremost and a well-structured one with an interesting stakes character. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — James Bond What’s he trying to accomplish? — Defeat the plans of the evil Dominic Greene (professional), keep… Continue reading QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Three Areas of Conflict
Syd Field first described the three areas of conflict your main character is dealing with, and I’ve gone back to this concept over and over again, particularly in crafting a good CENTRAL QUESTION for my stories. (The Central Question is the question that once it’s answered definitively “yes” or “no” the movie is over.) These… Continue reading Three Areas of Conflict