New AI tools such as ChatGPT have provoked considerable debate about whether screenwriters should use them to generate story and character ideas and help write their screenplays. But what about doing the opposite and writing the old-school way: with pen and paper?

Screenwriting books, script gurus and academic courses love to stress the importance of following these rules when writing a screenplay. As these examples show, though, the screenwriters of successful and well-loved films broke these rules to good effect.

Giving and receiving feedback on a script is a critical part of the screenwriting process. It helps writers see what they are missing in a story; what’s working and what needs more development; what will engage audiences and what might confuse them.

The film industry has always been a hub for creative minds to showcase their talent, but sometimes it can seem impossible to make it big in such a competitive market. As hard as it may be, certain directors emerge from humble beginnings to become influential figures in the industry.

Here are some lessons we learnt from looking at nearly 150 scripts from our last Get It Made competition, which you may find of value when writing your own screenplays for short films.

I’m sure lots of writers enjoy doing a deep dive, ”under the hood” look at scripts as much as I do. So I always thought it would be both enjoyable and instructive to do this with others. And if book lovers can have book clubs, why can’t screenwriters have script clubs?