Think before you leap. [video]

From a coffee cup to an iPhone to the bible, tools are essential to the human experience. In the short film, THE BLACK HOLE, a witless office worker finds the ultimate tool, only to be trapped by it’s limitations.A clear goal or motivation makes a story understandable. Risk and/or conflict make it engaging. Twists keep it interesting. This film has all three, and does it in just under three minutes.

THE BLACK HOLE shown at the May, 2009 Cannes film festival.

This is another case of a great story where no dialog is necessary. Like the short film, A THOUSAND WORDS, the best story telling needs a minimum of words. Film is first and foremost, a visual medium. Words should be used sparingly, if not at all. A foundational rule for good screenplay writing is, show it, don’t say it. It’s best to learn the characters through the choices that they make. Choices demonstrate motivations. Actions do speak louder than words.

See the short film, A THOUSAND WORDS…

The power of story in promotion.

This promotional short film tells a compelling, intricate story of adoption. A great mix of narrative over multiple stories that intersect in the end. Produced and Directed by my friend, Andy Anderson, at Paradox Media Group.

Who to write without words. [video]

Writing novels and films is very different. In fact, one of the biggest differences between novels and films is how the emotions and thoughts of characters are conveyed. In novels, this is done primarily though a narrator or character telling the reader their inner thoughts. In writing parlance, this is also known as the inner dialogue. Assuming that the characters have a colorful inner life, this can make for a great novel. But in films this present a unique challenge because there is no way to hear it.
Show it, don’t say it.

The challenge for the screenwriter is how to get this powerful inner dialogue to the screen. If characters speak their thoughts, it often seems forced or didactic. Another method is narration. But this can only be used for one character, and get’s old fast. And narration doesn’t use films greatest power – the image.

A foundational rule in good writing is, show it, don’t say it. It’s best to learn the characters through the choices that they make. Choices demonstrate motivations. Actions do speak louder than words.

A THOUSAND WORDS, directed by Ted Chung.

The short film below tells an engaging story with no dialog. It has a clear narrative, inciting incident, romantic goal, road trip and some surprising twists. Great use of the camera, too. See it all done in just four minutes.