10 Essential Documentaries That Every Aspiring Screenwriter Needs To See
There's no one way to tackle the subject of screenwriting: as Paul Simon once sung, "one man's ceiling is another man's floor." When you approach this competitive and notoriously difficult realm of creative endeavour, that notion really couldn't be closer to the truth - we're all inspired in completely different ways, and there's no right or wrong to be had. Everybody who puts pen to paper has their own unique reasons for wanting to get into the screenwriting game, too, be it for the recognition and money, or because we simply feel like we're ill-suited to do anything else. In a lot of cases, it's a combination of both. Whatever your reason, I genuinely believe that every aspiring screenwriter would do well to check out the 10 documentaries I've assembled here. Whereas some of these docs are closely linked to the subject of screenwriting, many of them are inclusive of the filmmaking process as a whole. But to understand screenwriting, it's massively important that we understand the business, too - nearly all of the movies I've included here will give you the chance to better glimpse the screenwriter's place within the context of the movie production. Best of all, though, each one of these movies is packed to the brim with useful tips, hard-learnt lessons, expert opinions and lots and lots of Hollywood history. Trust me: watching these documentaries will vastly improve your knowledge and know-how with regards to what is Hollywood's most inherently rewarding and terribly disheartening profession...Welcome to a new series of articles were running here at WhatCulture, prior to a new section of the site that will be opening up soon one which will focus entirely on the subject of screenwriting.
Previously, I've explored the screenwriting mechanics working behind The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus and Django Unchained. I've also offered out a few handy tips for beginners who might just be getting into screenwriting, andrecommended the screenplays that I believe every aspiring writer should get acquainted with. Today, I'm focusing on some documentaries that absolutely anybody interested in the craft will benefit from checking out...