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Screenwriting Tips
5 Ways To Make Your Screenplay Look Professional
How To Make Your Screenplay Look Professional The very first thing readers are going to notice about your script is not your story (sorry), it’s...
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Screenwriting Tips
How Do Screenwriters Contribute to Society?
How do screenwriters contribute to society? How condescending does that sound? Are they implying we don’t do anything? How dare they question screenwriters and our...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Are Strong Goals in Screenwriting?
Your goals in screenwriting can be whatever you want them to be when you start out. As I have mentioned before, give yourself a lot...
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Screenwriting Tips
Networking and Industry Connections for Screenwriters
What are some networking and industry connections for screenwriters? Making it in this industry is all about who you know, right? Well, there could be...
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Screenwriting Tips
Building a Strong Screenwriting Portfolio
What should you think about when building a strong screenwriting portfolio? What even is a screenwriting portfolio? As an amateur screenwriter, the only thing you...
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Screenwriting Tips
Essential Skills for Successful Screenwriting
The number of skills you need to become a successful screenwriter is unlimited. You are always going to be learning and honing the craft. It...
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Screenwriting Tips
Do You Need an Apprenticeship to Become a Screenwriter?
There is no book that you can read that will give you the step-by-step process on “once you do these 23 things, boom, you’re a...
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Screenwriting Tips
Understanding The Role Of A Screenwriter
Let’s understand the role of a screenwriter and the process of screenwriting a little bit better. I mean, it’s pretty simple. You just write the...
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Screenwriting Tips
How To Become A Screenwriter
“And I’d like to thank the Academy…” Stop right there. You are too far ahead. I mean, you can practice your speech if you want,...
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Screenwriting Tips
How Do Artists Get Over Imposter Syndrome?
How do artists get over imposter syndrome? So I’m not sure if they ever do, or even if they even should, right? Certainly, if you’re...
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Screenwriting Tips
If You Want To Be A Movie Writer
If you want to be a movie writer, learn how to write television first, and that’s because story is story. If you’re writing a feature...
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Screenwriting Tips
What’s The Difference Between “Walla” and “Chuffa”?
What’s the difference between WALLA and CHUFFA, because they’re similar? WALLA is basically just background murmuring. Let’s say we do a scene at a baseball...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Does A Showrunner Look For In A Script?
Hey, everyone. Michael Jamin. So part two of What Does a Showrunner Look For When Reading a Script? At least, what do I look for?...
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Screenwriting Tips
Why Is It So Important To Create?
Hi, it’s Michael Jamin and today I want to talk about why I think living a creative life is so important, even if you will...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Is The Difference Between Pilot, Put Pilot, And Presentation?
What’s the difference between a pilot, a put pilot, and a presentation? A pilot is just the first episode of what everyone hopes will be...
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Screenwriting Tips
Why Do Movie Executives Love TV Writers?
Hi, I’m Michael Jamin. I’m a professional television writer for 26 years, and today, I’m going to talk about why I think it’s better to...
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Screenwriting Tips
Why Should Writers Study Acting?
Hi everyone, it’s Michael Jamin. More viewer mail today. Someone writes, was there anything else you did besides writing and sending out scripts to break...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Makes My Screenwriting Class Different?
Hi, I’m Michael Jamin. I wanted to talk a little bit more about the course. I’ll give you this background as well. Why is it...
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Screenwriting Tips
Who Owns Your Pilot?
If you sell your pilot, does the studio own it and can they later revise it without you? Well, first of all, anytime you sell...
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Screenwriting Tips
Why Is Television So Formulaic?
Hi, I’m Michael Jamin. I’m a television writer and a phrase that I hear a lot, which always gets under my skin is, why is...
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Screenwriting Tips
Why Do People Read Stories?
Hey, Michael Jamin here. School’s in session, which is why I got the lockers we’re in school. So here’s the question for you? Why do...
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Screenwriting Tips
When Should You Use Jokes In Your Script?
Hey, it’s Michael. So today I want to talk to you about the power of jokes and well, why you have to be really careful...
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Screenwriting Tips
What’s In A Name?
What’s in a name, right? Shakespeare asked that question. One of my pet peeves as a screenwriter is when I would see lazy names on...
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Screenwriting Tips
What’s The Difference Between Content And Craft?
Someone asked me an interesting question. They want to know what I thought the difference was between content and craft, and I think it really...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Do You Say In A Production Assistant Job Interview?
What to say when interviewing for a PA job? First, remember that production assistant is an entry-level job. Anyone with a resting heart rate above...
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Screenwriting Tips
How Can I Find A Writer For My Idea?
I have a great idea for a TV show. How do I find a writer? Well, you don’t. That’s like saying “I have a great...
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Screenwriting Tips
Can Shoe Leather Sometimes Work?
Don’t Write Shoe Leather, Part 2. Yesterday, I posted about shoe leather, which is basically the boring stuff in your script. Stuff that doesn’t advance...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Is Shoe Leather?
Don’t write shoe leather into your script. Shoe leather is an inside term. It’s what we call moments that are real and true, but they...
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Screenwriting Tips
Do Character Names Matter?
Don’t use lazy character names. I’m a professional television writer. I read a lot of scripts, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when...
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Screenwriting Tips
Should I Write Music Cues In My Script?
Don’t write music cues into your script. First of all, that’s not your job. In features, that job belongs to the director. In television, that...
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Screenwriting Tips
Does Having An English Degree Make You A Credible TV Writer?
Would having a degree in English make you look more credible? If you wanted to get a TV job, that’s a good question. There’s no...
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Screenwriting Tips
Do TV Writers Get Fan Mail?
Do TV writers get fan mail? In my 26 year career, I’ve only once gotten fan mail. That was on a show called “Out of...
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Screenwriting Tips
Do Writers Have Interns?
Do screenwriters accept interns or allow people to shadow? Not that I know of, no. I mean, what could be gained from watching me sit...
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Screenwriting Tips
Actors – Do You Need To Worry About Being Typecast?
Aspiring actors need to worry about being typecast, right? No, you need to worry about being cast. You need to get your face out there....
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Screenwriting Tips
Are You In Fear, Or Are You In Faith?
Yesterday, I had a post that got a ton of great comments and I think people really liked this one. It was about the one...
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Screenwriting Tips
How Do I Impress A Showrunner?
Comedy writers, when you’re on staff for a sitcom, you’re often expected to pitch multiple jokes for every line of dialogue. This is a script,...
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Screenwriting Tips
Breaking Into Hollywood Requires Nepotism, Right?
So breaking into Hollywood is all about nepotism, right? Well, not in my experience. So when I got into Hollywood, not only did I not...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Is the Cushiest Job For An Actor?
What’s the cushiest job for an actor? Well, I’m a professional television writer. And in my opinion, there’s no cushier job than the lead actor...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Do Aspiring Writers Need To Be Careful Of?
If you are an aspiring author, playwright or screenwriter, you need to hear this. Your work is not limited to the projects that you’re currently...
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Screenwriting Tips
What’s The Difference Between A “Company” And A “Push” Move?
Aspiring filmmakers, what’s the difference between a company move and a push move? So when you’re on location and you’re done shooting and it’s time...
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Screenwriting Tips
Are Sitcom Laugh Tracks Real?
Are sitcom laugh tracks real? Well, it depends on the sitcom. So there are two types, you have single-camera shows and multi-camera shows. A single-camera...
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Screenwriting Tips
Advice For People Overseas Looking To Break Into Hollywood
Here’s a question I got. Any advice for someone wanting to get into PA work from the UK? I’d be more than happy to relocate...
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Screenwriting Tips
Any Advice For Aspiring Screenwriters?
What advice do I have for high school and college students who want to get into screenwriting? Well, at some point, maybe not now, but...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Is The Biggest Post Audtion Mistake An Actor Can Make?
Actors, do not make this post audition mistake. I see this happen a lot when I’m casting a part for one of the TV shows...
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Screenwriting Tips
Actors – Rehearse The Word “Action”
Actors, rehearse the word “action.” This is important. You just booked apart. You’ve been practicing it all week. Now you arrive on set. You’re nervous....
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Screenwriting Tips
Should Actors Use Props When Filming?
Actors, be careful when using props. As a general rule, actors love to use props. It just makes things more fun and more interesting. Now...
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Screenwriting Tips
What Roles Will I Get As An Actor?
If you are an aspiring actor, it’s important to know, realistically, what kind of roles you’re going to get. Part of the joy of acting...
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Screenwriting Tips
Entry-Level Jobs in Hollywood
Hi, I’m Michael Jamin. I’m a professional television writer. I’m here to talk about entry-level jobs to break into Hollywood. These are low-level jobs that...
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Screenwriting Tips
How To Get Hired as a Production Assistant
If you want to break into the film or television business as a writer, director, producer, or anything, one of the smartest things you can...
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Screenwriting Tips
How To Get Hired As A Writer’s Assistant
Why Do I Want To Be A Writer’s Assistant? If you want to break into television as a writer, the job that you want to...
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