Month: May 2019

In this post I’m going to discuss three basic principles that form the foundation of a good scene. First, a scene must cause a change for the characters; next, a scene needs to accomplish multiple goals at once; finally, a good scene needs subtext. Change Within a Single Scene At the end of a scene…

Game of Thrones reached popularity not just because of the sex and the violence (though that helped), but because the characters felt so incredibly rich and interesting. However, in the final seasons, some of those characters have begun to feel flat, dull, and most importantly, one dimensional. So, where does dimensionality come from? Borrowing (very…

A lot of shows and movies, and not just Game of Thrones, have relied on surprising or shocking moments as a form of “story telling.” And, as we’ve seen with Seasons 6-8, surprising moments the audience didn’t see coming are often shallow and disappointing. Let’s examine why. Cause and Effect. This is the heart and…