George Thomas Jr.s' "Action! Romance! Intrigue!" screenwriting blog
Visual storytelling and the craft of screenwriting
As a former newspaper reporter, I was happy to see “The Post” fast-tracked to production and wide release. Director Steven Spielberg has said the urgency was a direct reaction to the Trump presidency, but, from a screenwriting and journalistic perspective, the film resonates beyond cinematic confines. It speaks to the core problems plaguing the media today, and reminds us why democracy is at risk. Continue reading ““The Post,” fake news, democracy, and the war on journalism”
Given the many flavors of comedy and personal taste, is it even possible to create something that is universally funny?
The Writers Guild of America’s list of the 101 funniest scripts ever written may be more definitive for some than others, but, if nothing else, the list reflects how broad comic appeal can be.
While the top five films appear to have little in common, at the heart of each lie shared elements of Continue reading “The best comedy writing starts with characters”
One week into the Trump Administration, did you ever think you’d be associating the phrase “rogue twitter accounts” with the U.S. National Park Service, NASA, and numerous other Federal agencies? In this odd new world, the free exchange of ideas once again is under attack. And with changes coming to the Federal Communications Commission, so, too, is net neutrality. Continue reading “Censorship, net neutrality, and preserving the Internet”
While it may be difficult to find humor in these “unpresidented” times, the last thing you may be in the mood for is a “political” film recommendation, but “Dick” is no ordinary political film. Continue reading “Humor for ‘unpresidented’ times: Political comedy “Dick””
So Daniel Craig is done, perhaps, being James Bond?
Fine, then. Why not Emily Blunt? Continue reading “Emily Blunt: The perfect next Bond”
To this day “
Grab a seat at the table with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Lawrence Kasdan during their 1978 story development conference sessions for “Raiders of the Lost Ark“
You most likely remember him as Ned Ryerson from the brilliantly original “Groundhog Day
Invariably the best and most entertaining films are dense with clever-yet-subtle setups and payoffs, and “War Games“
How you introduce your main character not only affects how the audience perceives your character, but, more importantly, whether the audience is likely to be emotionally engaged with your character, and, therefore, your story. Without that engagement, your story is dead because Continue reading “How to introduce your main character”