The Rarity of Rug-Pulls in the Modern Era of Entertainment
Pulling the rug out from under an audience is tricky work these days. We’ve all seen so many hours of entertainment, even the casual viewer has become well-versed in narrative structure, the tropes of Hollywood storytelling, and genre clichés. For a screenwriter, trying to write a screenplay that will surprise an often jaded audience becomes […]
HBO’s “Watchmen” Advanced the Classic Comic in a Timely Fashion
Adaptations for film and TV are a tricky lot. Is the source material filmable? Is what worked on the page or stage a guarantee it will translate properly to the screen? Even the length determined for an adaptation can affect the success of it. The decision to adapt Watchmen as a 2.5-hour theatrical release in […]
Emmy-Nominated TV Writer David Mandel Goes Wide On “VEEP”
David Mandel wrote the final episode of the highly-acclaimed TV series VEEP. He is a storied screenwriter who boasts writing credits on popular TV comedy shows including Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. VEEP is a political satire that cuts close to the bone. It’s a fine line between comedy and reality. But VEEP […]
It’s a New Era Of Anything Goes For Scripted Television
For anyone interested in writing for television, or for any viewer wanting something different from the standard TV fare, 2019 represents a new era of “anything goes.” If rules are meant to be broken, scripted series television has embraced that philosophy with a vengeance. It’s a revolutionary time for the industry as the norms of […]
The Seven Reasons Why We’re in the Golden Age of Documentaries
When the Best Documentary Feature category at the 2019 Oscars is so chock full of worthy competitors that the heralded likes of Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Three Identical Strangers, Dark Money, and The Shirkers weren’t even nominated, you know documentaries have reached a golden age. Just look at the weekly releases on Netflix, HBO, […]
