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Russell Edwards Screenwriter

Screenwriting - Fancy a Break?

5/3/2021

Want to take a break from writing sceenplays?

Why not have a go at writing some short stories?
Have a go at turning one of your scripts into a novel, or even a short story?
Consider taking a scene from one of your scripts and turning it into a short story?
Try something completely different for a change!

Favorite TV Shows Of 2020

8/12/2020

POSSIBLE SPOILERS! Does this serve fans of the Star Wars universe, yes it does. Is this a good thing, yes it is. There's a lot to like here. Characters, music and direction. The Mandalorian still needs a crew. It would help change things up a bit. Add a new dynamic to the show, Disney need to take advantage of Disney Plus. Delivering content online is the way to go! You have all this great source material. Books! Comics! Video games! Looking forward to watching the next season. Gold Star!

Seasons one and two - really good! Sofia Helin does a wonderful job as Saga. Lacking empathy perhaps? May watch the final two seasons. This was remade as the Tunnel. Stick with the original.

Season 2. Homelander! Is he realy the most powerful superhero? There's always someone stronger. Enjoying this. It's not too late. A sequel to Dredd (2012) would be good! TV series!

Enjoyed this season as much as the first. Hopefully, they'll make a third season and wrap things up. Hanna and Marrissa need to take down the organization, and bring things to a satisfying close.

The Uppers mixing with the Lowers. The final season! Dialogue - Julian Fellowes. How does he do that? If you like your period dramas, this one is worth checking out. Music - direction - wardrobe. Awesome! Just need to watch the movie. Perhaps Amazon will get it on Prime at some point. Spoilers - happy to see things worked out for certain characters. Took long enough.

All eleven seasons. Spooky Mulder and Skeptical Scully. Just as good as anything that's on today. Season 6 Episode 3. The Triangle. By far one of the best epsiodes. Writing - camera work - music.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Does this pander to the fans? Absolutely. Wasn't sure if I was going to stick with this. His ship gets stripped by some jawas? He sets his ship down on some ice, a long way from his destination. Seems a little imcompetent. Putting that aside, this is very good. There's a lot to like here, from the familiar locations to the characters. I did have two gripes until the last episode. No jetpack? He doesn't keep a speeder bike on board his ship. I know this is titled the Mandalorian, but he needs a crew. Maybe even a new ship at some point. It did look like he was going to get a crew, but that didn't happen. Gina Carano's character would have been a welcome addition, so would a droid. IG-11 or similar. Also a big walking carpet, not neccesarily a wookie, but something along those lines. Hopefully, Disney will consider doing other series, and link them altogether some how. This series needs expanding! GOING OFF ON A TANGENT. When Disneyplus has more new content and sorts out its back catalogue I will return.

The previous season was good, but this was better. Although, some of the secondary characters didn't appear to get much screen time. Definitely worth watching.

2002! Missed this the first time round. And I have to say, it holds up well. There's a lot to like here. The story spans a period of five decades, to the cast, the music. Everything works. If you're a fan of the X-files, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, then you'll enjoy this. If you're more Independence Day, probably not. Definitely worth a watch.

From what I've read, a TV series has been in development for quite some time. Firstly, the positives, it's great that they managed to get this up and running. There's a lot to like here. From the characters, to the situations they find themselves in, to the direction of the fight sequences, and chase scenes. My only real criticism, is the two timelines that you need to follow. It can get a little disorientating at times while trying to keep track of what's going on. This is just one opinion. While interesting, the origin story needs to be knocked on its head, and they should just concentrate and focus on what's going on in the present. We could spend more time with the main characters. Hopefully we'll see these sleeper agents coming together to bring down the organization.

I haven't read the books, but this is by far one of the best sci-fi series out there at the moment. From the detail and design of the ships, planets, to the soundtrack that sounds awesome on a 5.1 system. Great characters and storylines make for an enjoyable watch. The creators and writers, and everyone involved have done an excellent job bringing this universe to life.

Michael Hirst (The Tudors) writes all this! Lots of gold stars for this series. Costumes. Sets. Scenery. Music. Casting. Most excellent! A few familiar faces popped up as the series progressed. Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) – Linus Roache (Law and Order). Not sure what Michael Hirst is working on at the moment, but he should consider doing a series about Robert the Bruce. Only have one question, where are all the helmets with the horns? Definitely worth watching. Looking forward to the final season. Gold stars!

I really hope they make a second season. This first season consisted of ten episodes which is more than enough. James Purefoy (Rome) does an outstanding job as usual, as do the other actors. Great writing and direction. Looking forward to what the writers' room bring to the table next.

Station 19 is pretty good, but I prefer this. There's more fire-fighting. I'm in the middle of the 2nd season and enjoying it. The episode with the derailed train was most awesome. Eamonn Walker is great as the Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51.

Splash (1984), but different! This is not a series I envisaged myself enjoying, but... There's a lot to like here. Is the pilot script out there?

When you have a lot of time on your hands, you need interesting things to watch. Aerial America and Aerial Britain.

The last time I watched a medical drama was way back in 2009. That was when ER finished, which was a sad day. That was a good series back in the day. There have been plenty of medical dramas on since then, but none that interested me. This kept being advertised on Amazon, and I kept putting it off. I have no idea how accurate or realistic it is, but there's a lot to like here. There's a good dynamic between the characters, and plenty of chemistry. Anupam Kher's character adds a lot to the show, as well as Freema Agyeman. For the writers trying their hand at writing a pilot or two, definitely worth reading the pilot script for this. Writing - Reading - Watching.

Is there anything new here? Maybe - maybe not. But, it was nice to see some familiar faces back on screen. SPOILER - Introducing Jonathan Frakes (Number One) as they did, added some well deserved humor to the show. Hopefully, the writers will consider bringing his character back in some capacity. Is this a show for the fans of the TV series and films, absolutely. Will the writers bring back more of the old crew? Worth watching.

Enjoyed the first two seasons, so I thought I'd better catch up. While I enjoyed seasons 3 and 4, they did seem to meander, and not have any end goal. Worth watching, even it's only to see the costumes and set designs. Wish they'd been given another season to close out the series properly. Don't want to spoil anything, but season 4 ended abruptly, leaving the viewer with way too many questions, and no real answers to anything.

Firstly the negative, and this is just one individual's opinion. The narrative involving the women's liberation and feminism movement seemed out of place. Felt like it should be in another documentary. Putting that aside, this is a very informative and interesting documentary. A very candid and insightful look from the perspective of the victims and people related to Ted Bundy.

Definitely worth watching, if you like sci-fi. Good chemistry between all the actors. The soundtrack sounds good on a 5.1. And you could do worse than read the pilot script, especially if you're considering having a go at writing a pilot script. I believe it's been canceled, but it does have an ending, rather finishing on a cliffhanger, as far as I know. Looking forward to watching the final season when it becomes available to Prime members for free.

Enjoyed this season to a certain extent. The first season is much better. This one is worth a watch, but the Venezuela storyline is at times hard to believe. The narrative is straight forward, and easy enough to follow. Just wish they had dug deeper into Ryan's character more. What makes him tick? Should they make another season, hopefully they'll look at what made the first season so good.

Screenwriting - The Screenplay Was So Good!

25/2/2020

Deadpool' took seven years to get to the motion picture screen, and I use that as my measurement. That tested me and my patience more than anything I could've imagined because the screenplay was so good."
- Rob Liefeld

James Herbert - Domain

16/2/2020

Screenwriting - Goals! Goals! Goals!

28/1/2020

Set yourself some writing goals.
Quality should always trump quantity.
11 - 12 Months

Four pilots.
Feature script rewrite.
Possibly, one new feature script.

Screenwriting - Write Good Scripts!

6/1/2020

I read a few of those books on how to write a screenplay, but, just like I told you with the school thing, once again, most of those books are written by someone who’s never written a good script. You look at the writer’s credits and they’ve written one episode of The Golden Girls or something. People who write good scripts, write scripts. They don’t write books about writing scripts.”
― Rob Zombie

James Herbert - Lair

31/12/2019

The dreaded blank page.

19/12/2019

12 weeks give or take.
Enough time to get this feature rewrite done.
Pages written so far: 98 Finished for now. 27/4/2019

Pilot.
16 weeks give or take.
Enough time to get a first draft written.
Just need to figure out the story. Not too difficult then.
Pages written so far: 59, 1st draft. Rough draft. Vomit draft. 27/6/2019

Pilot
16 weeks give or take.
First draft.
Just need to figure out the story. Not too difficult then.
Pages written so far: 59, 1st Draft. 22/8/2019

Pilot
14 weeks give or take.
FIrst Draft.
Last project of the year.
Pages written so far: 57, 1st Draft 12/09/2019

Pilot
Final project of the year.
Pages written: 54, 1st Draft 17/11/2019

Rewriting
14 weeks give or take.
December 19th

Yippee!

It's been a while since I've seen one of these.

The Rats - James Herbert

4/12/2019

Screenwriting - Persistence

28/11/2019

You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.

That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”

― Octavia E. Butler

Robotech - The Macross Saga

23/10/2019

IMDb

Screenwriting -- Writing a Pilot

12/10/2019

When it comes to writing.

I don't think there's any one way of doing it.
But if you're considering having a go at writing a pilot or two. Or more.
This might help.

This is the way I do it.
And may be the reason why I watch so much TV.

You can read all the books on writing, but I personally think the best way is to do this.

1. Get your hands on some pilot scripts. There are plenty of them on the internet. After watching so many TV shows this year, I wish the streaming services and networks would release the pilot scripts for them. Not sure if that's possible, but it would be awesome. There'll be a list of some pilots that you should definitely read below.

2. Once you have a number of these pilot scripts. Ten would be a good number to start with. DON'T READ THEM YET.

3. Find where these series are being shown. Streaming services. Networks. Or you could just buy them on Blu-ray. Then watch them.

4. Then read the relevant pilot script.

5. Look at how the story unfolds on the page, then compare the script to how the action and dialogue unfolds on the screen.

6. Look at the act breaks.
Does the show have a TEASER?
How many acts does the show have?
Is it four or five acts?
Do they stick a tag on the end?
How long are the scenes?
How many scenes are in an act?

7. But the most important questions for me personally?
Does the pilot hold your interest?
Are the characters interesting?
Are the characters asking questions at the end of the pilot?
Is the storyline interesting?
How are the characters introduced?
Is the story familiar, but also different to what you've watched before?

8. What type of series is this?
A limited series with a limited number of epsiodes.
Is this idea one that will last for more than one season?

There are plenty of pilot scripts, but these are good ones to check out.

Watch pilot. Read script. Watch pilot.
Break them down.

Chernobyl
True Detective
Altered Carbon
Godless
Justified
Breaking Bad
Stranger Things
The 100
The Expanse
The Killing
The Sopranos

Screenwriting - Writing is Rewriting

19/9/2019

Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with the first draft to the point where one cannot change it is to greatly enhance the prospects of never publishing.
- Richard North Patterson

A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born - Harry Harrison

24/7/2019

Dances With Wolves - John BarRy

23/7/2019

The Matrix (1999)

18/7/2019

MORPHEUS
Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real?
What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you
know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

IMDb

Screenwriting - Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite

8/7/2019

Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. If it still doesn’t work, throw it away.
- Helen Dunmore

Mouse Guard Demo

27/6/2019

AWESOME!

the warlock of firetop mountain

20/6/2019

ferris bueller's day off (1986)

15/6/2019

FERRIS
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and
look around once in a while, you could miss it.

IMDb

John Hughes

Donnie darko (2001)

1/6/2019

FRANK
Come closer.

IMDb

Tears for Fears

favorite tv shows of 2019

1/6/2019

I'd forgotten how good this series is. A great shame that it was canceled so early. The movie sort of did it justice when it came out. Not sure if they've considered it, but it would be awesome if they could bring it back for a one-off six-part mini-series. What made this series great was the writing, chemistry between the actors, and the lack of sci-fi gibberish that you usually get in sci-fi series. It also looks and sounds great. Would definitely be up for seeing this lot back on screen.

My first introduction to hip-hop was The Show by Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick. Way back in 1985. After that I was hooked. The first album I bought was in 1986, Street Sounds Hip Hop Electro 11. And this pretty much got me into the world of hip hop and rap. Just Say Stet by Stetsonic and Monster Beat by Awesome Foursome. The other tracks are great, but these two have always stood out for me. It all changed in 1988 when someone let me borrow NWA Straight Outta Compton. This is a great documentary series that delves into how hip-hop and rap came about and its origins. There are plenty of artists on here that I've never heard of, and plenty that I have. If you grew up listening to '80s and '90s hip-hop and rap, then this is a series you'll appreciate. If I was going to ask why I like this type of music. A few words spring to mind. Energy. Passion. Creativity. Storytelling. Rhythm and Rhyme. All someone needs to do now, is a series about the evolution of R&B.

I've been in two minds about this one, but after some consideration, I'm going to give it the thumbs up. While the story is a little touch-and-go at times, it kept me interested and entertained enough to watch this first season. Visually this looks great. This world has quite a cyberpunk, Blade Runner feel to it. And the cast is quite something. Joel Kinnaman again! He's here, there and everywhere! If you watch a lot of TV shows, probably not as much as me, you'll recognize a lot of faces. Looking forward to seeing how they develop these characters in the next season.

Structure. Story. Character development. Dialogue. Performances! From the opening episode to the last two. This is extremely well written on so many levels. The casting is superb. If I was handing out GOLD STARS, this would be on the list. And it's a limited series. A beginning, middle and a very satisfying ending. At least as satisfying as the subject matter allows. Worth watching!

If you like westerns, then you'll definitely like this. The opening episode really sets the scene. Don't want to spoil it, but when the Marshal drops to his knees and looks up. Whoa! Awesome performances all round. Superb cast. Jeff Daniels! Wow!

Got thoroughly bored with The Walking Dead. Always doing the same things over and over. Let's build a community, or let's try living with these people at this community, only to find out they're not quite as they seem. No one ever wants to figure anything out, or go anywhere. So, I decided to leave that series behind, and look elsewhere. Now, this isn't the best, or the worst, but it does have its moments. The opening episode and the last one in this first season. I'm currently watching Z Nation, while that also has its moments, the tone for that series is completely different to this. And FAST ZOMBIES that get slower as they decompose is a major plus. Definitely worth checking out.

Okay, firstly, as someone who writes. I'm a big fan of Travis Beacham's original script for this. It's such a great piece of writing. Now that's out of the way. I really enjoyed this. I was a little sceptical come the end of the first episode, but as the show went on, I warmed to the characters and the actors playing them. The last thing I saw Orlando Bloom in was something set in South Africa. It's nice seeing him back in the world of fantasy. Cara Delevinge puts on a good performance as Vignette. Haven't seen her in many things, but this is definitely her best role. From what I've seen of her. Keep up the good work. My only concern involves bringing this series to an adequate close. One more season, possibly two. I don't want to find out that it's been cancelled half way through a season. One more thing, these guys would be great at turning Fable (computer game) into a series.

Where to start. Theme tune. The music. The 80s movie references. Then there's the writing, the characters, dialogue, how this season plays out. It's all awesome. SPOILER: One of my favorite scenes, when Back to the Future is playing , and we have Alan Silvestri's soundtrack in the background. Definitely worth watching, but try not to binge watch. Also, if you've written, or planning on trying your hand at a pilot. Get your hands on a copy of the pilot script and the show bible written by The Duffer Brothers. DEFINITELY WORTH READING!!!

This was cancelled.Then picked up. Why was it cancelled? Anyway, this is real good. Just like the writing. And Tom Ellis as the Devil. That's a plus. Just wish Amazon Prime would sort out the next season.

It took a while, but the writing and direction, and chemistry between the actors started to take shape. And, they decide to cancel it. Ludicrous. And, Emily Beecham as the Widow. That's a gold star. Emily Beecham is Lady Jessica.

At first, I thought 5 episodes. Nope, watched them all. Only real issue, the teeth. They all have clean, pearly white teeth. Must have great dentists. Excellent.

Thing with movies, you have a limited amount of time to tell a story. And if it's based on a book, well, usually the movie just isn't as good. This is good. More time to develop characters, and to show us who they really are.

Season 7. The Wall has fallen. The Knight King is coming. Jaime seems a little conflicted. And Viserion has become an undead Ice Dragon, who breathes blue dragon fire. Things are hotting up.

Billy Bob Thornton. This and Bosch. Two shows worth watching.

Decided to add this. Watched it last year. All three seasons. 1st season, amazing. Fantastic writing. Excellent dynamic between Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy's characters. Everything about this season is great. We then get into the 2nd season. Everything changes. SPOILERS: Purefoy's character is caught, and executed. This completely changes everything. After this, the whole series went downhill. There's a scene where Kevin Bacon's character dreams he helps Purefoy's character escape. Had this actually happened. The series would have had some serious legs. FBI agent and serial killer go on the run to track down serial killer cult. That would have been interesting and entertaining. However, the writing just lost focus. Especially when you get rid of the main antagonist. Worth watching the 1st season.

This finished in 2015? Shame. There's a lot to like in this series. The acting, dialogue, direction, I could go on. SPOILER: While 13 episodes seems like a lot, the final season seemed a little rushed, but it's still worth watching, if only for the performances. If they can do a movie for Deadwood, they should consider doing one for this, or even a three or six-part episode run. Definitely worth a watch.

If you're familiar with the 1973 movie, then you should definitely consider giving this a go. The first season is worth watching as a continuation of that story. As for the second season, it's good, but not as good as the first. Felt like the writers were aiming for a wider audience with the introduction of the kids. The horror seemed a little toned down. From a writing point of view, get your hands on the pilot script. Definitely worth reading, and digesting. Especially if you're trying your hand at writing pilots.

AWESOME! And they canceled this before it even got going, what insanity is this? Madness. I did glance at an article about why it was canceled. Cost too much to produce! Who knows! This is a great show that depicts the main character really well. Not only that, it has the Blue Devil in it. This has the potential to open up a whole new DC universe. Justice League Dark on TV. I do hope they figure out a way to bring this back. Not only does it look good, but the soundtrack sounds awesome on a 5.1 setup! A wasted opportunity. Very disappointing.

Harrowing! Thought-provoking! Possible SPOILERS. There are many scenes that stand out in this, but off the top of my head. There are these three. The firefighters going into that situation, and not knowing anything about what they're getting themselves into. The scene where they're throwing the contaminated materials off the rooftop, and the scene with the wife of the firefighter sitting on the bed by herself, next to the empty baby crib. There's so much going on this, from the opening scenes to the final scenes. Performances. Direction. Music. The way the material and subject matter is handled, and conveyed to the audience. This is heavy! If I were handing out GOLD STARS, this would be getting several! For the writers out there, who are considering trying their hand at a pilot or two, get your hands on the scripts. I haven't read them yet, but I will at some point. Then watch the episodes, then read the scripts again. Craig Mazin and company get a GOLD STAR!

This is a very tightly written season. Narrative threads are kept to a minimum, so it's very easy to follow. More time is spent with the main characters. Makes for a much better season than the last one. I do hope these series find a new home, and that Marvel (Disney) are at least considering some more. Hopefully, we'll get another Defenders at some point, and a Daredevil.

So, this is cancelled along with Jessica Jones, Daredevil, The Defenders, and all the other Marvel series. Why? If Disney can create Disney+, then they can come up with a service for all these types of series, and shows. It's a no-brainer. These are good series. As I write this, I'm watching Jesssica Jones, Season 3. Trish is looking very athletic! I do hope Disney figure this out.

BIg fan of the original series. Very interesting and entertaining. Not as bloody or as intense as the first three seasons. And the performances are great. Would love to read the pilot script for this. This is definitely worth checking out. Having real footage intertwined in the story adds a little depth and realism as it unfolds. Will be interesting to see how the writers' room develop the story threads, and how far they take this series. Looking forward to the next season.

Out of everything that I've watched this year, this is by far the most creative and imaginative. The writers and the creative people behind this prequel have really done their homework. Digging deep into the mythology of this world, and respecting the source material created by the great Jim Henson. They've really gone to town on this. From the music, to the set design, to the actors chosen to do the voices. I have to agree with the comments in the making of documentary, CGI puppets just wouldn't have worked. My only concern is, don't overshoot. Bring this saga to a close. One season. Possibly two more. Beginning. Middle, and an End. Warrick Brownlow-Pike and Simon Pegg doing the voice for Chamberlain. I hope that's right. Gold star!! Looking forward to what they bring next. 10/10

Excellent writing. Shame it's not on any more. But, there's probably only so far you can take these characters. Matt Bomer could be an older, wiser Superman. Should things ever change at Warner Brothers. As they appear to be doing at the moment.

I've concluded that if your name is Tom, and you're a jobbing actor. You should move to NY or LA. This is very good, and like Tom Ellis, Tom Mison puts on a great performance as Ichabod Crane. Not sure how the current season fairs as there appears to have been a few changes made to the cast.

The accents took a little while to get used to. But this is awesome. The special effects, music. It's just good. And Thomas Jane is a bonus. One of his best roles.

The film was good. But this offers so much more. Character development. Giving us more depth to who they are. Something which is difficult to do in a two hour movie.

Last season wasn't bad, but it seemed a little rushed. This is a heck of a lot better. Looking forward to next season.

Okay. Spoilers. The negative first. Seemed a little quick to get things wrapped up. One minute we're here, then there, then it's all over. Then there's the way it was filmed. I'm guessing they did it for realism, but it would be nice to see what the heck is going on in a scene. Some story choices seemed a little odd. Some characters were a little shortchanged, considering what they had gone through. Enjoyed it for the most part. Will miss these characters. They really put Arya through the wringer. The first episode seems so long ago now. Who knows, if Maisie Williams is up for it, maybe HBO could do a 3-part mini-series in three, four years. Since Arya's gone off travelling. That could be fun.

Where to start. The average running time. 26 minutes or thereabouts. Then there's the writing. And the performances. Peter Serafinowicz's performance as the Tick. I think they changed the costume slightly. Actually, everyone is pretty good. Especially, Yara Martinez. Looking forward to the 3rd season. Well, that's not very good. They've cancelled this. Let's hope they can find a new home for this.

Before I get started, I thought that this was an original. But it isn't. It's based on a comic book. Now, I have to get this out of the way. Accents! And Simon Pegg. You could remove his character, and it probably wouldn't make that much of a difference. He needs more scenes! That's all I'll say on that. There are a few other areas of concern, but nothing that stopped me from watching all eight episodes. I hope they do one or two more seasons, and then wrap it up, and not leave us hanging on some cliffhanger because they decided to cancel it.

First two seasons. Just awesome. Mireille Enos steals the show. The third season is good. But the best thing about this series. The series gets to close at the end of the fourth season. There's actual closure for these characters, which means we're not left hanging with some cliffhanger that's not going anywhere. Oh, and if you're considering writing a pilot. I'd suggest reading the pilot script for this. Then watching the pilot. It's WORTH READING.

screenwriting - You must be your own critic

28/5/2019

You have to remain flexible, and you must be your own critic at all times.
- Hans Zimmer

screenwriting - shadow 19

16/5/2019

AWESOME!

clearhorizonminiatures.com

Jon Spaihts

Screenwriting - characters

8/5/2019

Characters that don't get along with each other are far more interesting.

IMDb