Fresh ideas...

Cannes begins the ride up to the Oscars and what a line up. I can’t wait. But before we consider the new entrees it is time to remind ourselves of the Best Screenplay nominations and winners of 2025. For me there were a couple of real standouts Sing Sing, being one of them. Nominated in the Adapted Screenplay category, I mention the film for its humanity, and what in every respect was a wonderful uplifting film, that unfortunately few may see. The link below tells you a lot about the genesis, which I include to offer an example of how and where one may find ideas for stories. Reading the newspaper is a must, I read three every day, that includes a foreign newspaper. You simply never know what you might find to save in your box of goodies.

https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/culture/article/sing-sing-movie-based-hudson-valley-prison-19753473.php#

Ultimately, for me the 2025 winner in both categories, original and adapted was, The Brutalist. An outstanding film in every way and which very much includes its exceptional screenplay. Three and a half hours long, it was a gamble the producers and director Brady Corbet took, and who in opinion should have won Best Director.

And now on to fresh ideas…

The most frequently given advise to screenwriters is, “if you can see it don’t say it” encouraging writers to limit the dialogue in lieu of action and on which I beg to differ. Take for example September 5, another best original screenplay nomination in which the film is pretty much all dialogue. The visual is almost entirely the tightly squeezed confines of an improvised television control room on location, while the event itself is all seen at a distance, and at a minimum, as the reporters attempt to report on what is happening. Then, we have at the other extreme, the glorious film FLOW, which had no dialogue.

All this proving what I firmly believe, which is that there is no right or wrong way to write your script. Each fresh idea calls for fresh thinking. That goes to structure too, which is as much the responsibility of the screenwriter as is the dialogue. Once again, each story depends entirely upon the expanse of the writer’s vision and what she/he is wanting to convey.

Remember most creativity comes from an openness to surprise, and coupled with creativity, eventual success, comes from persistence, hard work and long hours, and not least, determination.

That’s it this time. Thank you for reading my blog and I look forward to hearing from you. Please leave a COMMENT in the box below, then click on the button on the right that says - POST COMMENT. If you would like to read more about learning the basics of Screenwriting please click on the TUTORING link. Or, to learn more about a one time script analysis, or periodic consulting on a script that you are currently working on, click the CONSULTING link.

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See you next time.