Award – ETB

Kathryn Bigelow at the DGA

The reception for Kathryn Bigelow at the DGA was lovely and the program was heart-felt and was a wonderful tribute to an amazing woman. But I couldn’t help remembering a Women in Hollywood article I had read the week before. It recounts the rather dismal reality in the aftermath to Bigelow’s stunning achievement.

Directors Roundtable: When a scene doesn’t work

Discussions on casting and performances between Ben Affleck, David Fincher, Lisa Cholodenko, Ethan Coen, Darren Aronofsky and Tom Hooper

Award Awards Ben Affleck Character Characters David Fincher Emotional Toolbox ETB Film Filmmaking Films Hollywood Laurie Hutzler Movies Nine Character Types Roundtable Screenplay Screenplays Screenwriting Script Scripts Scriptwriting TV Video videos Writing

McKee on 2011 Best Screenplay

Here is Robert McKee’s views on Best Screenplay and on stories based on history, fact or actual people’s lives. Like McKee, I believe that a writer’s first duty is to the emotional truth of the story, not factual accuracy. That’s why it’s FICTION.

Academy Award Academy Awards Award Awards Character Characters Emotional Toolbox ETB Facebook Film Films Laurie Hutzler Mark Zuckerberg Movies Nine Character Types Oscars Robert McKee Screenplay Screenplays Screenwriting Script Scripts Scriptwriting TV Writing

“King’s Speech” and “Fighter” lead the SAG Awards

The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. What do you think?

Film

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble
Inception

Television

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Comedy Series
Modern Family

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (TV Comedy)
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (TV Comedy)
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Miniseries/TV Movie)
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Miniseries/TV Movie)
Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

Academy Awards Award Awards Character Characters Emmy Emotional Toolbox ETB Film Films Golden Globes Laurie Hutzler Movies Nine Character Types Oscars Screenplay Screenplays Screenwriting Script Scripts Scriptwriting The King's Speech TV Writing

The Black Swan & The Social Network

Two of the most highly acclaimed and most talked about movies of the 2011 Awards season are The Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John J. McLaughlin and The Social Network Directed by David Fincher and written Aaron Sorkin adapted from a book by Ben Mezrich. Both are Power of Reason films with Power of Reason protagonists.

Award Awards Ballet Billy Elliot Black Swan Character Characters Darren Aronofsky David Fincher Donnie Darko Emotional Toolbox ETB Facebook Film Films Golden Globes Jake Gyllenhaal Laurie Hutzler Mark Zuckerberg Movies Nine Character Types Screenplay Screenplays Screenwriting Script Scripts Scriptwriting Social Media Social Network TV Writing

Mad Men – Emmy Winner

Mad Men won 2010 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. The show is about the world of advertising; a world of illusion, sleight of hand and outright deception. It is a quintessential Power of Truth story and is anchored by a wonderful Power of Truth protagonist, Don Draper/Dick Whitman (Jon Hamm).

Award Awards Character Characters Clint Eastwood Don Draper Emmy Emotional Toolbox ETB Film Films Hilary Swank Laurie Hutzler Mad Men Movies Nine Character Types Screenplay Screenplays Screenwriting Script Scripts Scriptwriting TV Writing

Idealism Wins at the Oscars

Pixar won the 2009 Oscar for Best Animated Feature with Up. All seven Pixar films released since the creation of the category have been nominated. Five have taken home the Oscar: Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up. Three of those five Oscar winners— Up, The Incredibles and Ratatouille— are Power of Idealism films.

Academy Awards Animation Award Awards Cartoon Character Characters Children Disney Emotional Toolbox ETB Family Film Films Finding Nemo Kids Laurie Hutzler Movies Nine Character Types Oscars Pixar Ratatouille Screenplay Screenplays Screenwriting Script Scripts Scriptwriting The Incredibles TV Up Wall-E Writing

Two Oscar Contenders – Up In The Air and The Hurt Locker

Two of the most talked about characters in Oscar-nominated pictures this year are emotionally damaged men deployed to handle bombs in people’s lives. Their approaches to this assignment are very different.