Screenwriting 101

Sorry, Moby Dick, you've been put on hold. Soon, this entire blog will be just a series of GIFS.

Have you ever thought about writing a movie?

I started a screenwriting class! We listen to lectures, read screenplays, watch movies, and begin the process of writing our own.

The first screenplay and film we studied was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

(Sorry, break time. My dog is throwing up in the backyard.)

William Goldman wrote the screenplay, and let me tell you, it is ENTERTAINING!

Here's one example: "As he finishes speaking BUTCH delivers the most aesthetically exquisite kick in the balls in the history of the modern American cinema." OMG, right? Now, screenplays are ALL about visualizing the action, and who can't envision that?

So, if you get a chance, read the screenplay and then watch the movie. It's interesting to see how much, if at all, the director strayed from the screenplay.

Next up, Thelma and Louise. Two ladies going on a little road trip. Hmmm...this is how it begins.

And, well, if you haven't seen it, I'm not going to tell you how it ends. One warning, though. There is a very rough scene that changes the whole trajectory of the story. The screenplay was written by Callie Khouri. First time screenwriter. Came up with the idea while driving. Won the Oscar for screenplay.

Excuse me, while I...

There is one weird scene that's not in the script. It involves a bicyclist on a road bike in the middle of the desert.

I would really like to know the story behind that sequence. So, if Ridley Scott could get back to me on that.

I loved the chemistry between the characters in both of these movies, along with the all-around coolness of the films. I laughed. I cried. I took a break to let my dog out. Until next time, read a screenplay, watch the movie, and enjoy the show!