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How To Write a Screenplay

Learn how to write a screenplay through detailed analysis of feature films.

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Writers on Writing with Billy Wilder

December 10, 2013 By William Robert Rich Leave a Comment

Writing a movie is a mixture of architecture and poetry.

~Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder was a master of his craft, whether it was directing or screenwriting. Just watch The Apartment, Double Indemnity, or Some Like It Hot. In this interview, shot sometime in the mid-90’s, he offers a lifetime of wisdom on the writing, directing, collaboration, and the state of industry. For further reading on Wilder, check out Cameron Crowe’s Conversations with Wilder.

Billy Wilder Screenwriting Tips

November 1, 2012 By William Robert Rich Leave a Comment

Have you seen Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, or Some Like It Hot lately? Well, they still hold up. Given that all of them are over half-a-century old, that’s saying something. With a career that lasted over 50 feature films, giving us some of the most memorable movies of all time, future screenwriters will be studying Billy Wilder’s films for a long time.

The list below was sourced from an excellent read, Cameron Crowe’s Conversations with Wilder.

Billy Wilder Screenwriting Tips

10 Screenwriting Tips from Billy Wilder

  1. The audience is fickle.
  2. Grab ‘em by the throat and never let ‘em go.
  3. Develop a clean line of action for your leading character.
  4. Know where you’re going.
  5. The more subtle and elegant you are in hiding your plot points, the better you are as a writer.
  6. If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.
  7. A tip from Lubitsch: Let the audience add up two plus two. They’ll love you forever.
  8. In doing voice-overs, be careful not to describe what the audience already sees. Add to what they’re seeing.
  9. The event that occurs at the second act curtain triggers the end of the movie.
  10. The third act must build, build, build in tempo and action until the last event, and then—that’s it. Don’t hang around.

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