filmmaking

How about some concrete screenwriting tips this week? The kind of thing that for some strange reason, they wouldn’t ever teach in my USC writing classes. Let’s talk about expository dialogue—done poorly, it can make your film a chore to watch. So here’s how to do it seamlessly. Dracula sucks blood. Renfield just sucks. By the way, I was inspired to write this issue because I tried to watch the movie Renfield, and oh my god was the writing rough. I couldn’t even get…

It seems you all liked Ernest Hemingway’s tip from a couple of weeks ago, so here’s another creative productivity tip from another famous author. In fact, it’s probably the most important lesson I ever learned for increasing my creative output, and it comes straight from your Huckleberry (Finn), Mark Twain. Ready? Here it is: “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” What does this mean? Who’s eating frogs? You, me, all of us….

🚨🚨 Hot off the presses: I just released my new short film, Witchfish! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcjXmEeZZ4M&feature=youtu.be But wait, there’s more! I also posted a full

Let me tell you a little secret that’s been a game-changer for me when it comes to actually finishing my

Last weekend I wrapped production on my first ever iPhone short film – Witchfish! Overall it was a blast, although I will probably NOT be directing / DP’ing / acting simultaneously in a film again anytime soon lol 😅

It’s Tuesday evening as I type this, and I’ve spent the last couple of days doing prep for a new short film I’m shooting this weekend. But even though the shoot itself is tiny, this project has been stressing me out! It got me wondering, am I crazy for getting really stressed before a shoot, despite being confident I can execute it well? So I asked you guys on…

Time to open the doors for more short film critiques on the Standard Story Co. channel! Instead of having you

Short one today, gotta pack a bag for my writing partner Chris’s bachelor party. If you never hear from me again, search

This is my 36th week of consecutive newsletters now, and it’s safe to say Friday Film Notes has been a rewarding experiment.

Let’s talk about the one sentence it took me way too long to learn the importance of… Loglines. What is