David Wappel
David Wappel is a feature writer. Recent work includes the screenplay for Long Gone By, now available on HBO. He was named a Top 25 Screenwriter to Watch in 2020 by the ISA and is the 2019 Stowe Story Labs Fellowship winner. He is an avid Shakespeare and Tolkien fan.
Articles by David Wappel
Breakdowns
6 MINS READ / January 24, 2023
Breaking Down Breaking Bad According to Dan Harmon's Story Circle
Breaking Down the Iconic Breaking Bad Pilot Using Dan Harmon's Story Circle
Breakdowns
5 MINS READ / January 19, 2023
Breaking Down Arrested Development
Breaking down Arrested Development Using Dan Harmon's Story Circle
Breakdowns
8 MINS READ / January 17, 2023
Breaking Down Doctor Who’s The Runaway Bride According to the Classic 5-Act TV Structure
Let's Break Down Doctor Who The Runaway Bride According to the 5 Act Structure
Breakdowns
8 MINS READ / December 27, 2022
Breaking Down the Downton Abbey Pilot According to Classic 5 Act Structure
Downton Abbey by Julian Fellowes is a masterpiece in period drama. Let's break it down using the classic 5 act structure.
Breakdowns
4 MINS READ / December 22, 2022
Breaking Down Succession Using The Five Act Structure
Let's Break Down HBO's Masterpiece Succession Using the Five Act Structure
Breakdowns
7 MINS READ / November 8, 2022
Breaking Down Inception
Inception is a Sci-Fi masterpiece that delves into the dreamworld. So, what can we learn from breaking it down into scenes and beats?
Breakdowns
6 MINS READ / November 8, 2022
Breaking Down Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Breaking Down Pirates of the Caribbean According to Save the Cat
Breakdowns
6 MIN READ / September 13, 2022
Breaking Down Casablanca According to Syd Field’s Paradigm
Why is Casablanca considered a classic film? We breakdown Casablanca according to Syd Field’s Paradigm so you don’t have to.
Breakdowns
6 MIN READ / September 1, 2022
Breaking Down Red Notice According To Save the Cat
Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds star in Netflix’s Red Notice, which as a modern day Hollywood film fits nicely into Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat Beat Sheet.
Breakdowns
5 MIN READ / August 11, 2022
Breaking Down The Matrix According to Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
The Matrix was one of the most influential films of the 90s, and it can be broken down according to Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.
Story
4MIN READ / May 24, 2022
The Unbearable Weight of Going Meta
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a successful meta movie. Let’s take a look at this film and learn tips on how you can write your own meta narratives and characters.
Story
5 MIN READ / May 19, 2022
The Viking Hamlet: Comparing "The Northman" to Shakespeare
Comparing Robert Eggers’ "The Northman" and William Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" provides interesting insights into both stories.
Character Development
5MIN READ / May 4, 2022
What Is a Flat Character in Film?
Here’s a look at why we don’t want flat characters, with examples of round characters that are fully developed.
Character Development
6 MIN READ / April 7, 2022
Breaking Down "The Batman"
The latest adaptation of The Batman gives a fresh take on a classic character.
Story
5MIN READ / April 5, 2022
What Is a Feature Film?
A feature film is more than just its length. It is an art form separate from short films.
Story
6MIN READ / April 5, 2022
9 Best Screenplays To Read (For Any Screenwriting Lesson)
Reading screenplays is a great way to learn the craft of screenwriting. Here are some of the best screenplays to read and learn from.
Business
7MIN READ / March 9, 2022
How to Pitch & Sell Your Script
The steps to take to pitch your script or your story in a meeting. Helpful hints for pitching a screenplay.
Technique
6 MIN READ / March 2, 2022
How To Write a Film Treatment in 5 Steps: Examples Included
Film treatments for features and television show scripts and screenplays can be difficult. Here are tips on how to write a treatment.
Formatting
5 MIN READ / February 14, 2022
The Three Types of Short Films
Out of all the different types of screenplays, short films are unique. Let's look at the three main types of short films.
Story
7 MIN READ / January 20, 2022
The 15 Best Adapted Feature Screenplays of All Time
Looking for some inspiration for your screenplay? These 15 adapted screenplays may not be what you expected...
Character Development
5 MIN READ / January 17, 2022
The War Within: Exploring Internal Conflict in Character
What makes characters feel human? What truly drives their actions? Breathe new depth into your story by exploring external internal conflict.
Technique
5 MIN READ / December 30, 2021
What is Mise En Scène in Screenwriting?
Mise en scene refers to everything that is within the frame on screen, including actors, sets, props, background, and more. Understanding how to place these ideas in a script can help a production team further the story’s artistic vision.
Business
6 MIN READ / December 29, 2021
How To Write for Television
Are you curious about how to write for television? TV Scripts are a different beast to films but the industry now offers more freedom and big budgets.
Story
6 MIN READ / December 8, 2021
How Murder Mysteries Hook Us
How do murder mysteries hook us in? By planting clues, planning reveals, and putting the Why behind the Who, you can write a murder mystery that satisfies the audience.
Character Development
8 MIN READ / November 25, 2021
Top 5 Greatest Movie Villains of All Time
Examining some of the greatest movie villains of all time can give great insights into how to create a great villain for any story. Take at look at these top 5 greatest movie villains of all time.
Technique
5 MIN READ / November 20, 2021
Screenwriting 101: What Is Chekov’s Gun?
What is Chekhov’s Gun and why is it used in film? This term is an important screenwriting term to know and utilize.
Formatting
5 MIN READ / November 12, 2021
How to Structure a Horror Movie
Have you ever wondered how to correctly structure a horror movie? There are patterns that show up in well-received horror films.
Formatting
5 MIN READ / October 5, 2021
How to Correctly Format Your Screenplay: Using Capitals, Italics & Underlines
Do you know how to correctly capitalize, use italics and underlines in a screenplay? We'll show you how.
Story
7 MIN READ / September 23, 2021
8 Essential Screenwriting Exercises to Hone Your Craft
These 8 screenwriting exercises will help any screenwriter focus and hone their craft. From character point-of-view to writing without an inner critic, there’s something for every skill-set.
Technique
5 MIN READ / September 21, 2021
High Concept vs. Low Concept: What's the Difference?
What's the difference between high concept vs. low concept stories? This article contains examples, and how the term is thought of in the industry.
Formatting
12 MIN READ / September 16, 2021
How To Write a Script
Are you an aspiring screenwriter? There are many of ways to get your story to the page. We breakdown the most important steps about how to write a script.
Character Development
6 MIN READ / May 20, 2021
Character Breakdown: Cassandra, From “Promising Young Woman”
There are many ways to “break down” a character, and figuring out which paradigm is most useful to you can be difficult. Here's how.
Formatting
8 MIN READ / May 5, 2021
How To Choose a Screenplay Outline Strategy
How do you outline? There are many ways: Here's a guide on how to find a method that works for you.
Business
10 MIN READ / September 25, 2020
How To Protect Your Screenplay
A guide on protecting your screenplay from theft, maintaining credits, and understanding copyright, with legal case studies of recent stolen scripts.
Business
12 MIN READ / August 22, 2020
How to Make a Movie – The Job
Once you know how to write and how to network, the next step to being a working screenwriter is just that: working. Here are insights into the day-to-day life of a working writer and what you can learn from them.
Business
14 MIN READ / August 14, 2020
How to Network as a Screenwriter – The Industry
Networking as a screenwriter doesn’t have to be hard. It takes time, but putting your best foot forward will have you not only making movies and television, but doing so with people you like.
Business
14 MIN READ / August 7, 2020
How to Be a Screenwriter – The Craft
David Wappel explains how to be a screenwriter for the first episode of our series “From Bedroom to HBO”.
Productivity
8 MIN READ / July 3, 2020
10 Techniques to Develop Your Writing Method
David Wappel explores 10 writing exercises to develop your writing method and how you should adapt them to your preferences as a writer.
Character Development
5 MIN READ / May 29, 2020
The Benefits of Pre-Existing Relationships in Your Script
Pre-existing relationships can benefit your script in many ways such as providing natural exposition or the feeling of a lived in world.
Technique
9 MIN READ / May 7, 2020
Breaking Down the Monologue
David Wappel analyzes the different kinds of monologues and gives some tips to write your own.
Story
5 MIN READ / May 2, 2020
The Inciting Incident: Definition and Case Studies
The inciting incident is an essential part of your screenplay. So, what is it?
Technique
5 MIN READ / April 23, 2020
The Present Tense, and When NOT To Use It in Screenwriting
The present tense is the most used in screenwriting. David Wappel explains why and how other tenses can provide storytelling opportunities.
Technique
5 MIN READ / March 26, 2020
Why Nouns and Verbs Are the Most Important Words in Your Script
David Wappel explains why nouns and verbs do the heavy lifting in your script and how you can use adjectives and adverbs to supplement them.
Technique
4 MIN READ / March 12, 2020
How to Pick a Genre for Your Movie
David Wappel examines genre and the questions you can ask yourself about your project that will help you understand which box it fits in.
Technique
7 MIN READ / February 21, 2020
3 Tips to Writing Good Dialogue
Good dialogue can make or break your script. In this article, David Wappel lists three tips to keep in mind when writing dialogue.
Story
8 MIN READ / January 24, 2020
Action Lines – What Can They Accomplish?
In this article, we’ll look at how to convey action visually without explicitly labeling camera shots and movement, and without resorting to using “we see.”
