It Starts with a Map…
Over the holiday, while working away on my book, the follow-up to Save the Cat! (that has so much new information on genre that I am really having fun writing it, and can’t wait for you to see it), I was watching my favorite movie...
Borat by the Beats
The phenom that is Borat is the most talked about movie of the moment. It is outrageous in its concept, amazing in its execution, and stars a unique talent (Sacha Baron Cohen) whose Ali G. character is a mere prelude to the “Comet from Kazakistan.”...
Isn’t It About Time For…
I am in such a good mood these days. The movie business is so dynamic, there are so many opportunities for creatives like us, and I personally am feeling very optimistic about it all! This also corresponds to all the stuff happening in Cat!Land: –At...
Synthesis
The rule of threes is a part of many artistic endeavors. In a joke, the punchline always comes with the third example. In popular music, like a Beatles tune, it’s the hook sung by Paul, the “middle eight” bars of the chorus sung by John,...
Little Miss Sunshine — A Golden Fleece
Went to the movies last weekend. I really have not been seeing enough. I used to regularly have “Movie Day” when I would buy four tickets at the cineplex and see four movies in an afternoon — even if I didn’t stay for the whole...
You, Me and Dupree… and Act Three
While taking a break this weekend from the strenuosity of an amazingly busy work schedule (sorry to all whom I have not emailed), I caught You, Me and Dupree at the Sag Harbor Multiplex. Cute movie, boosted (IMO) by the last five minutes, which made...
Idea Generation
I have just finished the one-week structure seminar here at Rockport College, and may I say: wow. Great writers. Strangers to each other when they met, and who by using the Cat! method of solid logline, solid structure and solid presentation came up with brilliant,...
How Can I Be of Service?
“How can I be of service?” This is the question I asked myself years ago — and it was the turning point in in my screenwriting career. I stopped trying to please myself in my writing, and started thinking about pleasing others. The question: “What...
What Makes a Great Logline?
I am starting to see a lot more spec sales in the trades!! This makes me very happy. Maybe… FINALLY… Hollywood is looking outside the studio gates for their movie ideas. ’bout time! One recent sale I cited in my seminar last weekend was one...
Do or Die Time in Hollywood?
This summer promises to be a turning point according to Variety editor Peter Bart. In a recent column, Bart points out that the studios will be forcing their will — and their advertising budgets — on the American viewing public with yet another season of...
Upcoming Events
- There are no upcoming events.