Vladislav Nikitin's Lounge Discussions

Roberto Dragonne
Character's description

I have this character who I can imagine perfectly (in fact I already have an actress in mind for the role), but is it necessary to describe her physically on the script? I think that just by saying that she is happy and passionate for music is enough, right?

Linda Hullinger

Thanks, Beth. I will check it out today. Some people wake up and drink coffee and read the newspaper. I drink coffee and read Stage 32 posts. I really do enjoy this site. :-)

Beth Fox Heisinger

That's great, Linda! I do the same thing every morning: coffee and Stage 32. ;)

Roberto Dragonne

That John August tip is amazing, thanks Beth. Also thanks for the link.

Marvin Willson

Remember three important things... Wardrobe, hair and makeup. Check out @femscriptintros twitter account It's hilarious.

Roberto Dragonne

Thanks Marvin, I checked it out, it is great indeed.

Steven Harris Anzelowitz
Who are your top (10) favorite screenwriters of all time?

I am a screenwriter just like to know what you other "Happy Writers" think.

Mark William Chambers

Alexander Payne, Eric Roth and Richard Linklater.

Anna Stinnett

I love Joss Whedon, Eli Roth, Shane Black, Tarantino, Lynch, and Guillermo del Toro

Ben Trebilcook

Hi Steven, nice straight-forward post. For me, it was simply the films I loved and grew up watching and then discovering who wrote the films, THAT was when I was inspired to write. I've written simila...

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David Anthony

Aaron Sorkin, Neil Simon, David Mamet, Larry Gelbart

Baljinder Singh Gill

David S Goyer but don't mention Batman v Superman

Vladislav Nikitin
Writer's Block? Max Landis's advice

Max Landis (American Ultra, Victor Frankenstein), a prolific Hollywood screenwriter with more that 25 scripts sold, shares his advice on overcoming a writer's block by reversing a premise of an established narrative. Has anyone ever tried that? Did it work for you? https://youtu.be/Jm4mt5eycsc...

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Vladislav Nikitin

Unfortunately, it always happens that whenever I share something of this guy, instead of talking about what he has to say people ignore that and jump onto talking about his persona...

Jody Ellis

He has a big personality for sure. But like I said, Hollywood connections aside, he is obviously a highly intelligent person and isn't a slouch when it comes to writing. I thought American Ultra was awesome.

Vladislav Nikitin

Have you seen Me Him Her or Mr Right?

Jody Ellis

Not yet!

Mark W. McIntire

Thanks for sharing this. Max is a kick to listen to and so refreshing.

Anthony Cawood

Happy to give it a read when finished, PM me.

Terence Campbell

Nice work

Edward A Haynes Jr

Amazing job!

Jim Gloyd

HAHA good twist!

Anthony Cawood

Thanks Jim!

Vladislav Nikitin
Lack of Tragic Stories in Film

To put it simply, a tragic story is the one that doesn’t have a happy end. But it’s more than that. In a common story we expect a hero to go through hardships to find new perspective and knowledge, so that s/he can overcome the challenges. Or that the hero should just punch harder to win. A tragedy,...

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Zlatan Mustafica

I Think the market really changes as the world changes itself. Why are comedies and "happy ending movies", as you call it, Vladislav, so popular and have been for years now is a reflection of people´s...

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Zlatan Mustafica

And I agree with Bill, by the way. Award winning movies are by far mostly tragedies or heavy dramas. For good reason too because they make for a compelling story and if executed well, the Oscar is you...

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Vladislav Nikitin

It's great to hear feedback from fellow writers and filmmakers. I think I need to clarify a little bit on what I think constitutes tragedy. The hero dying in the end doesn't mean the story is tragic i...

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Steven Michael

What's interesting to me about all of your thoughtful posts is the story within the real story. People like happy endings and uplifting films. Posts here have described why that is so - the world and...

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Bill Costantini

Vlad - you've covered a lot of ground in your original post and subsequent thoughts. If I'm reading your viewpoint (and Kubrick's) correctly, you believe that if the hero doesn't accomplish "the goal"...

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Vladislav Nikitin
The Coen Brothers a.k.a Roderick Jaynes on Editing (and other cool stuff)

While editing Hail Caesar in Adobe Premiere, the great Joel and Ethan Coen (editors under a pseudonym Roderick Jaynes) look back on the dangers of editing in the past and cutting off fingers, as well as how some forgotten linear editing techniques should be reintroduced to the Adobe Premiere. http:/...

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Pat Savage

Excellent thanks for sharing this!

Amanda Toney

"Nobody shoots anything in black and white anymore" - hmm...wonder if the Coens are telegraphing one of their future projects?

Jeff Jennings

That was a great and insightful piece. I wonder if any of their film cutting skill were transferable to digital cutting. Do people how once cut film edit differently than those how never did? Vladislav thanks for sharing.

Clare McGlinchey
Vladislav Nikitin

Thank you for sharing this

Timothy Dee

I joined Stage 32 just this second. This is the first posting I saw. If I could have chosen any post on the whole site to read first, this would have been it. Serendipity? We'll see. Wonderful resource. Thank you for so generously sharing it.

Lisa Boffo

Thanks for sharing!

Melissa Tracht

More great info on Grants - 1000 Ways to Finance Your Movie (including Grants) and

http://www.filmproposals.com/ways-to-finance-your-movie.html and http://www.desktop-documentaries.com/documentary-fil...

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Steven Harris Anzelowitz

@Melissa Tracht - This is a great link for all us independent film makers. This is what makes Stage 32 such a great community. We share with each other our experience, strength and hope so that each and every one of us 500,000 members WORLDWIDE can have our own "SUCCESS STORY" Very Cool!!!

Sandra Mayer
Screenwriting tactics.

I am writing a short screenplay in which the antagonist is deaf. I want to have sceens that he is in filmed without sound. I don't know how to write that in the original screenplay. Would it look something like this? INT. TRAIN STATION - MORNING - SILENCE Or would I just write it in the first senten...

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Beth Fox Heisinger

Ah ha, yes! Thanks for confirming, Regina. Much appreciated. That was my assumption. Perhaps I should have been more clear. Yes, the use of MOS seems much more fitting for production/post, not so for a spec script. :)

Sandra Mayer

Thanks everyone for their comments. I will rewrite into the description as I belive that the absence of sound is integral to the story.

Regina Lee

fyi, I think Emi has the right solution. I'm literally reading a pilot script now with a beat about a vision problem, and I thought about your sound note. For example: INT. TRAIN STATION - MORNING A train rumbles loudly by. IN JOHN'S POV - Silence.

Regina Lee

And please, no one say that a screenwriting book disdains the format I suggested. This script I'm reading as we speak was written by a writer on a TV show on one of the major broadcast networks, and s...

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Sylvia Marie Llewellyn

Great thread! I learned something new. Thanks all. @Sandra... because you wrote it twice... it's scenes... not sceens. :-)) All the best to you.

Vladislav Nikitin
A hack-editor!

Hello, I need work

Stage 32 Staff - Julie

Vladislav - to the point, I like it! Is recommend taking time to network with the over 500,000 creatives on the site - contribute to lounge discussions so we can learn more about you... Organically that will always lead to work :) welcome!

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