What craft tools make a low-budget, contained, period drama riveting?

Explore how narrative POV, interweaving relationships, hooky dialogue, and even the screenplay format itself make the script for BLUE MOON - that runs largely in real time about an obscure songwriter in the 1940s - one that attracts world class talent and Academy Award nominations.

While Stu is still on show and we are between the 2026 Oscar nominations and the actual ceremony, our patreons selected BLUE MOON for this one-shot and boy are Mel and Chas glad they did. They dive into many lessons learned in previous episodes, like our character-driven episode… or analysis of French scenes in Adolescence… or the story-telling power that comes from the audience knowing the ending from biopics.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - BLUE MOON
00:02:19 - Summary of Key Learnings
00:13:34 - Controlling narrative POV
00:27:49 - Using screenplay FORMAT to reflect the emotional story
00:39:27 - Interweaving relationships
00:56:46 - Repetition and pop culture references in dialogue
01:07:54 - Key learnings in full
01:16:02 - Patreon thanks!

LINKS

Read the script for BLUE MOON on Script Slug

See the slug line breakdown at https://melkillingsworth.substack.com/p/blue-moon-scene-headings-breakdown

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-01: Do screenplay gurus win you Oscars?
• DZ-68: Using narrative POV to structure KNIVES OUT
• DZ-118: Adolescence and tension through questions
• DZ-90: Raising (a different kind of) Stakes
• DZ-35: Driving Characters or Character-Driven?
• DZ-63: Tools for Better Dialogue - Hook and Eye

More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter.
You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

How does Film Noir show us terrible people doing terrible things without endorsing it?

Mel and Chas continue to explore what Noir (the genre) can teach writers of all other genres. In particular:

• how to keep the audience on side of characters doing reprehensible things
• how to control your audience understanding of those reprehensible actions
• distinguishing between characters undergoing transformative arcs against discovering their true natures

In finding the common craft tools of Noir over 100 years, this Part 2 looks at two modern noirs - DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) and WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) - after Part 1 looked at the classic DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done. Thanks Chris.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - Using noir as a lens

00:01:56 - DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS

00:31:33 - WOMAN OF THE HOUR

01:04:30 - Key Learnings

01:08:50 - Thank you Patreons!

LINKS

Shot Zero on the noir-set of noir shots in WOMAN OF THE HOUR

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-123: Flawed characters & noir
• DZ-03: Making unlikeable protagonists compelling
• DZ-110: Voiceover

More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter.

You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

What can Film Noir teach us about character arcs and audience engagement?

In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn't endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures?

Part 1 focuses on two (now classic) noirs: DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE.

While Part 2 looks at two more contemporary examples DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESs and WOMAN OF THE HOUR.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 - Cold Open
• 00:00:17 - Flawed Characters and Noir
• 00:16:40 - Double Indemnity
• 00:53:38 - The Long Goodbye
• 01:21:15 - End of Part 1

LINKS

• Mel's A Brief History of Queer Coding in Film: Part 1 - https://melkillingsworth.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-queer-coding-in-film-part-1

More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter.

You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.