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Don't Let Your Imagination Get the Best of You: a Message from NY Times Editor Hugo Lindgren

01.5.13 @ 12:36PM Tags : bigidea, creativeprocess, creativity, writersblock, writing

Ideas are great, but in having ‘too many’ of them, you run the risk of overloading yourself, compounding your creative schedule to a point you can’t actually manage, or worst of all — never actually getting the thing written, or shot, or otherwise made — whatever the case may be. The editor of The New York Times, Hugo Lindgren, has just written a powerful self-case study about the many undeveloped story and concept kernels he’s had, why they never got off the back burner, and where all the time seems to have gone — in other words, a creative thinker’s worst nightmare. Whether you’re a writer, a shooter, a director, or a film editor, you might want to check out Hugo’s editorial, because you might see a lot more of yourself in his words than you may expect. More »

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'3:10 to Yuma' Screenwriter Derek Haas on the Importance of the Big Idea and Pacing in Screenplays

09.11.12 @ 8:38PM Tags : bigidea, derekhaas, pacing, screenwriting, watch

Two areas where beginning and aspiring screenwriters tend to stumble when putting together a screenplay are “the big idea” and pacing. For “the big idea,” this means, “Does this story need to be told as a movie and will it keep audiences engaged for 90-120 minutes?” Engaging the audience, however, starts on the page. Screenwriter Derek Haas (Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma, The Double) goes into more detail about the importance of the big idea and pacing in screenplays in the short video below. More »