Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts: Basic screenplay writing with reference to HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) Part VII Is Originality Fading in Hollywood?

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Some of the top movies of all time include GONE WITH THE WIND, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, BEN HUR, E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, and FORREST GUMP, none of which had a sequel. Where are the big stand-alone movies today? Of 2015’s top ten movies, seven were part of a series, and one of the remaining three could one day become the start a series. Hollywood refers to these as “franchise” movies because they become a brand, like a franchise.

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Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts Basic screenplay writing in the context of HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) Part IV Where do you begin scriptwriting?

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Where do you begin scriptwriting? Fifty years ago 20th Century Fox released Rogers and Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC. It remains a favorite of millions of moviegoers. Rodgers and Hammerstein ate, slept and dreamt their craft. It drove them. Both saw their work as something they had to devote their life to. It was their passion. Both demanded of themselves exemplary work. In a world filled with would-best they succeeded because they were creative, innovative and persistent. Before their big success with OKLAHOMA there were years of study, struggle, rejections, failures, disappointments and growth. Their passion drove them through many…

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Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts — Basic screenplay writing excerpted from HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) — Part III — For Better or for Worse

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Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts Basic screenplay writing excerpted from HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) Part III For Better or for Worse Communicating effectively requires learning and applying the basic principles of language, grammar, rhetoric, technique, and general rules that govern each genre and medium. There are three levels of such principles: general principles (which apply to most communications), genre specific principles, and media specific principles. There are also several steps involved in producing powerful communications, including movies and television programs. Here is a brief outline of the most important foundational steps in preparing your communication….

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