The first scene in a movie has many jobs to do. Not only must it nail down the tone, time and place where the story is being told, it must also tease the journey ahead. It’s no wonder some writers spend months conceiving and writing the first five pages of their screenplay.
Anyone who’s been following the television industry – whether you write TV or simply watch it – knows the industry has changed dramatically over the past few years. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon have upped the anti when it comes to fresh new shows like Stranger Things and rebooting classic stories like The Handmaid’s Tale. We’re also watching more limited series like the six-episode show Alias Grace instead of 22-espisode procedurals.
If you’ve got a great idea for a movie centered on a romance the first thing you need to do is understand the structural differences that define each romance genre. Here are the three primary romance genres and some thoughts on how to approach them.
Myths and Monsters goes deep into Euro-centric stories, exploring the myths from ancient Greece, fairy tales and the Viking sagas. ScreenwritingU breaks down all six episodes.