Justin Kownacki

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screenwriting

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, 5 months ago
Dune 2021 cast promotional poster
Storytelling

Worldbuilding and Exposition: 7 Writing Tips from Dune

The most impressive thing about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune might be the way it makes a complex story understandable without dumbing it down.

By Justin, 8 monthsNovember 6, 2021 ago
Michael K Williams as Omar and Wendell Pierce as Bunk in The Wire
Storytelling

Writing a Perfect Scene: Bunk vs Omar in “The Wire”

When Bunk confronts Omar on The Wire, their argument is the perfect example of a scene that works on all 3 storytelling levels.

By Justin, 10 monthsSeptember 11, 2021 ago
Storytelling

10 Screenwriting Tips from ALIENS

These script excerpts show why James Cameron’s screenplay for ALIENS is considered one of the best sequels of all time

By Justin, 12 monthsJuly 9, 2021 ago
Promotional image of the superhero team from The Snyder Cut of the Justice League movie
Storytelling

The Story Problem at the Heart of The Snyder Cut

Why The Snyder Cut and The Whedon Cut of Justice League actually tell two different stories

By Justin, 1 yearApril 14, 2021 ago
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Battany star as Wanda Maximoff and Vision in Marvel's WandaVision on Disney+
Storytelling

WandaVision’s Biggest Question Gets Deep: Who Are We, Really?

From a philosophy perspective, the most important part of WandaVision is what the series makes us question about ourselves.

By Justin, 1 yearMarch 19, 2021 ago
Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) play chess for the U.S. Open Championship in Las Vegas in episode 3 of The Queen's Gambit
Storytelling

Why The Queen’s Gambit Is Such Smart Visual Storytelling

How specific writing, filming, and editing choices turned this story about chess and addiction into a masterclass in visual storytelling.

By Justin, 2 yearsDecember 1, 2020 ago
The season one cast of the Starz series Black Sails
Storytelling

Black Sails: How to Write Compelling Character Arcs

The ensemble cast of Black Sails proves that writing complex characters in pursuit of opposing goals creates highly compelling storytelling.

By Justin, 2 yearsOctober 30, 2020 ago
Daisy Ridley stars as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Storytelling

The Storytelling Flaw That Ruined the New Star Wars Trilogy

There’s something missing from the new Star Wars trilogy, and without it, none of the characters can find satisfying closure.

By Justin, 2 yearsSeptember 10, 2020 ago
William Zabka stars as Johnny Lawrence in the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai, a TV sequel to The Karate Kid movie franchise
Storytelling

Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Internal Conflict

Cobra Kai’s pilot episode shows why every villain thinks he’s the hero of his own story… and why he’s also his own worst enemy.

By Justin, 2 yearsSeptember 8, 2020 ago

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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
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