FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT: EDWARD ZWICK

by Michael Chasin   Screenwriting Mentor, IAFT/Miami   The primary responsibility of a filmmaker is to return investors’ funds.  Making an entertaining film that audiences will pay to see will address that responsibility. Beyond economics and entertainment, there is another responsibility. Film’s incredible power to inform and influence demands social responsibility—telling stories that will make viewers…

THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF SCREENWRITING

by Axel Melzener Humans learn best from mistakes, especially when they’re artists. That’s why the ability to accept criticism is of vital importance to a screenwriter striving to hone his craft. One of his biggest challenges is to find mistakes in his own stories before it’s too late – meaning, before others do. Over the…