As No Film School's resident screenwriter, I've written a lot about screenwriting rules and ideation. And I've gone on record saying the only thing you have to follow is plant and payoff. But there are way better people put there to take advice from, like James Cameron. I do not think James Cameron needs an introduction, but if you just landed on planet Earth, Cameron is a genius director behind the Terminator movies, Titanic, The Abyss, the Avatar movies , and more. - YouTube www.youtube.com Recently, in his Masterclass, Cameron spoke about what he thinks about screenwriting rules. Cameron said, “I believe in the three-act structure, I’ve just never succeeded in doing one. Terminator is five acts, with a coda. Aliens is four acts. None of my stuff ever fits the three-act structure. I think thinking in acts is good up to a point... If you think in terms of act breaks, you‘ll create transitions that are interesting...There are plenty of books on screenwriting. Read the books. Know the rules. And then just break them.”I love it when famous people agree with me. Rules are meant to be broken. But you sort of need to know what the parameters and their values are before you can test them. Knowing the rules does not mean you're beholden to them. I think it just helps you understand audience expectations and tropes. From there, you can expand your ideas and surprise expectations, surprising the reader and showcasing your voice. Rules are there as...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Tuesday, 3 June, 2025