Theory of Mind
Guessing what other people are thinking is an instinctive means of social survival. Co-opt this impulse in your storytelling. Here’s how it works. Humans are [...]
The Kuleshov Effect
How a cinematic experiment led to a fundamental element of cinematic language. The Myth At some point every acting teacher quotes the oft-told story of [...]
Extending the ‘So…, But…’ chain
Extending the So…, But… tool to bring in other characters can broaden your story, as long as you maintain focus on the central character’s dilemma. Applying [...]
Stories without Psychology
The less you explain the underlying psychology behind your characters’ actions, the more the audience will engage. So, keep it to yourself. In 1936, German [...]
Subjective Storytelling and Audience Connection
Cinema creates character psychology collaboratively. The filmmakers supply the dots, and invite the audience to draw the lines. We both contribute, so we share ownership. The difference [...]
Make your Audience Come Looking
Don’t Explain, Reveal. And sometimes, Withhold. This essay builds directly on the principle explored in Don’t Explain, Reveal — that explanation weakens engagement, while discovery strengthens it. Here, [...]
Don’t Explain, Reveal
Don’t explain your story, reveal it and let the audience work things out for themselves. Aleksey Popogrebiskiy’s 2010 film, “How I Ended This Summer”, opens with [...]
Dump the Ducky
Resist the urge to explain and sentimentalise. Contemporary drama often works hard to reassure us that a flawed character is not evil — that their [...]
