Being Professor Pauly, I see a lot of student films. The filmmakers change but, even as some succeed because of vision and originality, others die the death in absolutely painful fashion, because the makers of these films fell victim to a few booby traps that you’d think would be easy to avoid, yet can blow […]
Long story short: Between the years of 18 and 22 I wrote a million words. It was the beginning of my life as a scribbler, a journal that covered my last years in Westchester County, my college years in Ithaca, New York, and London circa ’79 to ’81. The million words was written on long […]
Write in camera angles, your script won’t get read past page 1 by any professional reader. This is kindergarten stuff. Even my freshman at Columbia know enough not to do it. You don’t tell the director how to direct. Period. So why the confusion around parentheticals? When you write a parenthetical, you’re telling the actor […]
Name ten silent film stars from the year 1912 or before. Don’t Google it. I’ll wait…. Done? Having trouble? Ok, let’s make it easier: Name any ten movies from 1912 or before. No Googling… No luck? Ok, let’s make this easy: Name any 10 film stars from the entire Silent era. Those of you who […]
Avoid unnecessary parentheticals Let the director direct and the actor act. Don’t presume to dictate the smallest gesture. No smiling, sighing, smirking or hand gestures that don’t directly impact plot. The actor, when filming the scene on page 63, is not going to remember you wanted him to point with his right hand before the […]
