Justin Kownacki

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Don't Look Up is a good example of three-act structure in Hollywood movies
Storytelling

Three-Act Structure in Movies, Explained

Most Hollywood films follow the same three-act structure. Here’s how it works, and why almost every screenplay uses it.

By Justin, 1 year ago
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker movie poster
Storytelling

The Mystery Box Is Broken, and Here’s How to Fix It

From Lost to Game of Thrones to The Rise of Skywalker, the “mystery box” style of storytelling is coming up short. Here’s why — and how to fix it.

By Justin, 3 yearsApril 5, 2020 ago
Storytelling

Why Damien Chazelle’s First Man Feels So Empty

Why, despite some stellar filmmaking, does First Man fail to satisfy?

By Justin, 4 yearsOctober 27, 2018 ago
The Hollywood Sign over Los Angeles
Business Advice

11 Surprising Facts About How Movie Box Office Works

How Hollywood and America went crazy over box office reports… and why the numbers aren’t always what they seem.

By Justin, 5 yearsJune 6, 2018 ago
Black Panther movie poster
Storytelling

Why Black Panther and Wakanda Are the Keys to Marvel’s Future

How the success of Black Panther changes action movies and lays the groundwork for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

By Justin, 5 yearsFebruary 19, 2018 ago
Lucas Hedges as Danny and Saorise Ronan as Lady Bird
Storytelling

10 Subtly Amazing Moments in Lady Bird

Lady Bird is a movie that does nearly everything right. Here’s why Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut works so well.

By Justin, 5 yearsJanuary 23, 2018 ago
Jessica Chastain and Idrid Elba in Molly's Game
Storytelling

The Story Problems in Molly’s Game

Molly’s Game is missing three key ingredients that keep the story from being truly satisfying.

By Justin, 5 yearsJanuary 18, 2018 ago
Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) open a trunk in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
Storytelling

The Real Hidden Genius of Pulp Fiction

When Pulp Fiction debuted in 1994, writer-director Quentin Tarantino was hailed as a filmmaking genius, and his movie rewired filmmakers’ brains for the next 20 years. The film earned tons of buzz for a number of valid reasons: its unexpected revival of John Travolta’s career its profanity-fueled pop culture dialogue Read more…

By Justin, 6 yearsNovember 26, 2016 ago

Popular Posts

  • • What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?
  • • This Storytelling Flaw Ruined the New Star Wars Trilogy
  • • Why Does Every Marvel Movie Tell the Same Story?
  • • Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Conflict
  • • How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

Latest Posts

  • • Worldbuilding and Exposition: 6 Writing Tips from Dune
  • • Writing a Perfect Scene: Bunk vs. Omar in The Wire
  • • Screenwriting Lessons from ALIENS
  • • The Story Problem at the Heart of the Snyder Cut
  • • WandaVision's Biggest Question Gets Deep
  • • Why The Queen's Gambit Is Such Smart Storytelling

Frequent Topics

  • • DC
  • • Game of Thrones
  • • Marvel
  • • Star Wars

What Writing Skill Do You Want to Improve?

  • • Character
  • • Pacing
  • • Plot
  • • Story Structure
  • • Theme
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