Tony Gilroy

How do character goals, tactics, and fears create subtext automatically?

Or, how focusing on good drama will result in good subtext. We often hear how subtext is important for good screenwriting. We’re here to tell you it isn’t. Good subtext is a result of good drama, and your focus should be on creating that good drama. But how… →

1 AUG 2025

How do you dramatise a protagonist's internal journey through their final decision?

In this episode, Stu and Chas focus solely on the final choices made by protagonists and how that reflects their character journey and successfully, or not, dramatises the internal… →

18 JUN 2025

How do audience questions shape scenes?

Inspired by our earlier episodes on sequences, Chas and Stu narrow their focus to look at the atomic unit of screen storytelling: the scene. In particular, we breakdown how question and answers prompted in the audience structure individual scenes… →

1 MAY 2023

How do you maintain hope in the face of, er, screenwriting

Time for our annual backmatter episode, where we drop any ruse of any objectivity, and fully embrace our subjective opinions… →

31 DEC 2022

How can unfilmables enhance the experience of your script?

*AKA Why your screenwriting guru is wrong *… →

7 AUG 2019

What gives your sequences their intensity?

Chas and Stu are joined for the fourth time by the inestimable Stephen Cleary - this time to take a deep dive into sequences. A real deep dive. A 3+ hour deep dive… →

8 JUL 2017

How can writers make use of their time when hitting LA?

In another backmatter-only episode, Stu & Chas zig-zag through a range of topics. We talk about Chas’ experience(s) hitting both Los Angeles and the Austin Film Festival, effective networking, career capital, the art of receiving feedback, and Stu’s harsh Three Strikes Rule. We look back at the most important lessons we’ve learned about storytelling in 2016 and that leads us to talk about character choices in a little-known and little-talked about film called ROGUE ONE… →

15 JAN 2017

How do screenwriters get away with using coincidences in their stories?

Remember that time in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS when Bruce suddenly - magically - returned to Gotham, and you were like “WTF?!” Well, it turns out that many of the best films have moments that are just as coincidental or contrived (or a flock of Giant Eagles) and yet get away with it. Does Pixar’s “rule” that it is ‘cheating to use coincidences to get your characters out of trouble’, always apply… →

15 SEP 2015

Does manipulating time on the page make your script feel more cinematic?

Chas and Stu are joined by Khrob Edmonds - an award-winning filmmaker - to discuss manipulation of time… →

16 DEC 2014

How can the middle of your film pivot so much that it pulls the rug out of your audience?

Stu and Chas embark on the first of a series of explorations into the dreaded Second Act. Their first stop is midpoint reversals or shifts, a plot point bang in the middle of ACT II that changes the protagonist’s goal, raises the stakes and potentially leaves your audience leaning forward and asking “How the hell is this going to end?&rdquo… →

8 JUL 2014

Can forcing your audience to ask questions - and then answering them - trigger an emotional response?

Stu and Chas delve into audience point of view - not character point of view! Does your audience know more, less or the same as your characters? And does changing this within a scene trigger or heighten the desired emotional response… →

27 APR 2014