Michael Schilf

Getting an agent can seem like an impossible task: no one wants to read your script unless you’re represented, yet…

Whenever I hear this question, I remember a few years back when I screened A History of Violence for my scene…

The action world is full of memorable one-liners. Gangster films have sinister mobsters and ruthless hoodlums. Dramas are all about…

Beginning screenwriters often make the mistake of letting characters talk, and talk, and talk... Talking heads might work for the playwright,…

Mama Gump says, “Life’s a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Well, not always. Eat too much,…

As we conclude this series (see Part One, Part Two, and Part Three), let’s take a look at some final…

Writing, acting, and directing are all essential elements to analyze (see Part One and Part Two), but what about shooting…

Even though the screenplay may be the “most vital” element in a film, as Hitchcock clearly states (see How to…

Many films are made to entertain. But cinema can also educate, indoctrinate, or propagate by allowing us to experience multiple…

The thing is, in Hollywood, nobody reads. Scripts live and die everyday from “the pitch”. And there’s a big difference…