McGuffin by Hitchcock from isaac niemand on Vimeo.
Any way you spell them, they’re a screenwriting staple. (via Movie City Indie)
Glossary
On protagonists
In earlier posts, I’ve talked about protagonists and heroes at length. Yesterday Michael Goldenberg offered a a new description that I love:
The protagonist is the character that suffers the most.
In one sentence, both definition and practical advice. Perfect.
Shoe leather and bric-a-brac
Artful Writer has a great list of shorthand jargon from the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker school of comedy. Even if you never end up using the terms, they provide a useful guide to the do’s and don’t-do’s of comedy writing.
While you’re reading up, check out John Roger’s comedy glossary at Kung Fu Monkey. (Link via Artful Writer)
Glossary: Residuals
RESIDUALS
Payments made to a film or television writer when his or her work is sold to another venue, such as a feature film sold on DVD, or a network television episode shown in syndication. These fees are negotiated and collected on behalf of the writer by the Writers Guild of America.