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C.S. Lewis’ 5 Writing Rules, ‘Sinners’ Juke Joint Scene Breakdown, & First Feature Guide

Author

Ryan Koo
April 28, 2025

C.S. Lewis’ 5 Writing Rules, ‘Sinners’ Juke Joint Scene Breakdown, & First Feature Guide

Hey Filmmakers,

We’re back at it with more insightful tips on screenwriting, directing, and editing so you can take your skills to the next level.

First up—you might think that The Chronicles of Narnia was C.S. Lewis’ greatest gift to the world, but have you ever read his five rules for writing? If you’re a writer and you want to level up your craft, this is a must-read.

Also, we break down the “juke joint” scene in Sinners that everyone’s talking about, discuss the two things that hold most filmmakers back, and go over what it takes to make your first feature film.

Let’s get to it!

🖌️ Screenwriting

'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' Credit: Disney

If you were a fan of fantasy when you were a kid, chances are you absolutely devoured C.S. Lewis’ iconic series of novels, The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis was a prolific and versatile writer, penning everything from science fiction novels like his Space Trilogy to satirical Christian apologetic novels like The Screwtape Letters.

Today, let’s go over his 5 writing rules.

Continue Reading - 5 Writing Tips from C.S. Lewis

🗞️ Quick Reads for Screenwriting

• 5 Screenwriting Tips from James Mangold - The Complete Unknown director gives us some spectacular advice for getting ideas onto the page.

• What Is Misdirection in Writing? Definition & Examples - Misdirection isn’t lying—it’s leading the reader one way while preparing to pull the rug.

• Writing Screenplays for Animation: A Beginner's Guide - Animation opens the door to limitless storytelling—if you know how to write for it.

🎥 Cinematography

'Sinners' Credit: Warner Bros.

Everybody and their mom is talking about Sinners right now. It’s absolutely killing it at the box office, but director Ryan Coogler’s stylish vampire horror film is making waves for more than ticket sales. Its hypnotizing and hallucinatory “juke joint” scene is truly awe-inspiring and has to be seen to be believed.

If you haven’t seen Sinners yet, that’s okay. We break down the scene below:

🎬 Directing

'Beef' Credit: Netflix

There's always an excuse not to make something. Whether it comes from the production company or an executive, people love to pass on a project because it takes real skill and courage to get things going.

But when you get that green light or self-fund, what's coming down the bend, then there are always two more things that hold every filmmaker back.

Today, we're going to unpack those topics and offer some solutions to help you out.

🗞️ Quick Reads for Directing

• Did Ryan Reynolds Learn Anything From 'Green Lantern'? - There are lessons inside every project, good or bad.

• How Did George Lucas Get 'Mission: Impossible' to Add a Spaghetti Scene? - Filmmaking is all about collaboration.

🎙️ Podcast

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins hosts a conversation with filmmakers Annapurna Sriram (Fucktoys) and Alex Burunova (Satisfaction). Fresh from their SXSW premieres, they open up about the challenges and triumphs of making their first feature films independently.

📚 Recommended Reads:

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See you next time with more filmmaking goodness! 🎬