Truby Brekdown: District 9

Spoiler alert: this structure breakdown contains information about the plot.

District 9 is a perfect example of the primary story strategy on which the worldwide entertainment business is based: use a popular genre as a vehicle to carry a larger theme.
A genre is a story model, but to understand the supreme power of genre in international cinema you have to break down both of those words.

“Model” involves the meaning package, like love, action, detective and science fiction. Why are there different story models? Because each expresses a different theme, each gives the audience a different strategy for how to live a good life.

“Story” means narrative drive, by far the single biggest element in a movie’s popularity worldwide. District 9 is more proof that movie stars don’t cause blockbusters, narrative does. For years I’ve been crying in the wilderness that the movie star strategy is the second biggest fallacy in movie history, right after the French auteur theory that says that the director, not the writer, is the author of the film.

Read the rest of John Truby's fascinating article: District 9 Breakdown

12 Great Japanese TV Drama Shows

Japanese Television Dramas, while not easily accesible to Western audiences, are nothing short of excellent. Often adapted from popular manga series, novels or hit movies, they have been winning generations of fans all over asia for decades.

in addition to Hero, Hana Yori Dango (which is a classic Japanese manga series first adapted into a TV drama series in Taiwan before Japan, Korea and China followed suit), Waterboys and Bayside Shakedown whose movie versions have all hit the big screen, here are 12 Japanese Drama TV Shows you absolutely should know about.

Raindance Open Evening

We are opening the door to the boiler room so you can get a glimpse of that goes on behind Raindance.

Have a chance to hear a short presentation from our writing, directing and producing tutors, get a Raindance Film Festival update, and ask as many qustions as you want.

Sign up for a course and get an extra discount.

Stay on and have a drink on us.

What? Open Evening
When? Tuesday 25 August 6:30 - 8:30pm followed by Networking Drinks
Where? 10 Craven Street Rehearsal Rooms, London WC2N 5PE
How much? FREE - get on the guest list party@raindance.co.uk

How To Start A Screenplay

Everyone has their own method, but here is a sure-fire way to motivate yourself to get going.

Written by Raindance script tutor, Josh Golding.

How To Start A Screenplay

Take 12 Kids To A House And Chop Them Up

What do the movies Reservoir Dogs, Alien and Blair Witch Project have in common?

They are shot in a limited number of locations - in some cases, in just one location.

For a list of over 60 commercially successful films that were shot in one location, or one room, come over and look at my Raindance website One Room Films

Do documentary filmmakers need story structure too?

Who says documentaries don't have story consultants? Or worry about structure? Read John Truby's Breakdown: Earth

What a Film Director Does After You Shout CUT!

Your are shooting like mad. You are on a take. You shout CUT!

What happens in the next 10 seconds - there are ten essentials you need to do, and six of them need to happen in 10 seconds.

Read the list here

Top 10 Songs From Movies Performed By Characters

We are just going flat out in the office - 8am - 10pm - looking at film after indie film - trying to figure out the marketing and PR strategy this year - a strategy made a lot more interesting by the lack of commercial sponsorship this year thanks to the excesses of our financial leaders.

[Is this pompous? I hope not)

Anyway, for refreshment, every once and a while I check my email, and lo and behold, what a treat today held: A new article by the much-missed and hugely talented Charlie Burroughs (co-creator of this blog, but now back in the States)

I'd advise you to kick back and take 5 minutes to read this article. And another 25 minutes if you want to remember what some of those really great songs

Top 10 Songs From Movies Performed By Characters

Getting Film Development Finance

You have scoured underground theatre and have a list of actors so sizzling hot you can hardly wait to launch their careers in the movies.

At film festivals you have seen scores of shorts and debut features from which you have short-listed several directors you would like to work with.

All of this has been at your own expense.

Finally, after meeting dozens of writers and reading hundreds of screenplays, you finally have a script that you really believe in.

You visit a printer and get some flashy business cards made up with your name as producer on them. But this is still no guarantee that you will get your movie made.

You need money.

Read the article:

www.raindance.org