Applying the Hollywood Formula: The Protagonist and Act Two
As I explained in my post before last, I’m practicing the writing of an outline using the Hollywood Formula as a template. In order to get a feel for how the …
Bug Hunt: A Practical Example of the Hollywood Method – Part 6
I’ve spent a good chunk of the last couple of weeks dissecting the plot of the movie Aliens by seeing whether the three-character, three-act Hollywood Formula holds true within it. We’ve …
Bug Hunt: A Practical Example of the Hollywood Method – Part 5
And so we come to the final act of the movie Aliens, where, according to the Hollywood Formula, we’ll see our Protagonist resolve her issues with her Relationship Character and, in doing so, …
Bug Hunt: A Practical Example of the Hollywood Method – Part 4
Welcome back (or welcome, if you’ve just stumbled across this series) to my analysis of how the Hollywood Formula plays out in the plotting and action of the movie Aliens! As of part four, I’m …
Bug Hunt: A Practical Example of the Hollywood Method – Part 3
Okay, okay. Unlike the last time I tried to analyse Act 2, Part 1, I’m actually writing this during the day, so I won’t get the urge to nod off before …
Bug Hunt: A Practical Example of the Hollywood Method – Part 2
If you treat the Hollywood Formula as gospel, then James Cameron must be a sinner. By the end of Act One in the movie Aliens, he’s only identified one of the Formula’s …
Bug Hunt: A Practical Example of the Hollywood Method – Part 1
A few weeks ago, I caught an episode of the brilliant Writing Excuses podcast in which the hosts invited Lou Anders to talk about what he (and Dan Decker, whom …