#Sawyer Petrick

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Skills Required to Become a Successful Screenwriter

A scriptwriter is an individual who writes scripts for various mass media productions, such as movies, video games, and television shows. Their role is to write both original and adapted storylines that entertain, educate, and inspire their audiences. The following are important skills a screenwriter should possess to excel in their career:

Creativity

Scriptwriters need to utilize their creativity/imagination to develop characters and tell engaging stories in their scripts. Their creativity also helps to create original content, highlight complex issues using characters and storylines, and share dynamic stories that connect with their audiences. Creativity allows scriptwriters to develop original ideas and create satisfactory endings to their stories.

Research Skills

Research is critical for screenwriting as writers must obtain information about various genres, script structures, and subject matter before starting a project. Research also allows scriptwriters to find and read existing scripts, especially those of renowned screenwriters, to gain valuable insights. Through research, screenwriters ensure their work meets the required standards.

Networking

Scriptwriters need to network as it’s the best way to share their scripts with an agent, studio executive, or producer. Many cities have networking events where screenwriters meet like-minded artists and professionals who can transform a screenplay into a movie. A good script may never be discovered unless a screenwriter markets themselves to other experts who can find their talent and showcase it. Joining valuable communities where issues affecting screenwriters are discussed is a great way to network and become an expert screenwriter.

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Character Development in Scriptwriting

Scriptwriting is the art of conveying a story through audio, visual, behavior, and dialogue. In contrast to writing a novel, which focuses on just telling a story, scriptwriting engages the audience by telling them the story's events. At the heart of every script are the characters and their development.

Character development involves defining a mission, including assigning specific mannerisms and voices for each character. It builds dynamic relationships among them to drive the story's narrative. It also seeks to present realistic character strengths and flaws to make the story relatable to the audience.

The protagonist serves as the story's main character and drives the primary goal of the story. Most of the time, the protagonist gains favor with audiences as the good guy, even though they have flaws. Often, the flaws help create the problem and tension that build the excitement in the story. Next, the antagonist, or the bad guy, becomes at odds with the protagonist. The antagonist creates the conflict and drives how the main character develops from beginning to end to achieve their goals.

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The Speech and Whole Picture Films

Trained in film and screenwriting at The New School, Sawyer Petrick is a freelance writer in New York City. One of Sawyer Petrick’s industry credits is consulting on the script for The Speech in the late 2010s.

Written by Jermaine Burrowes and Julie Petrusak, The Speech is a feature film that tells the story of an illiterate man who is tasked with delivering a speech to commemorate his daughter’s graduation. Viewers follow this character as he learns to read and write at his advanced stage of life.

The Speech is an early creation of the Brooklyn, New York-based production company Whole Picture Films. Jermaine Burrowes and Julie Petrusak founded Whole Picture Films to make “unique” and “entertaining” works such as The Speech.

Over the years, the productions of Whole Picture Films have received numerous awards. The Sundance Institute’s artist guidance and support Episodic Program selected the Whole Picture Films television series The Brooklyn Piece as a finalist.

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With Daniel Jones and Darren Waller, NY Giants Take Offensive Strides

With a background in screenwriting and media studies, Sawyer Petrick is an avid basketball player and NFL fan who follows the New York Giants. As the Giants head into a new season, Sawyer Petrick is watching developments on a team looking to take its offensive performance to a higher level.

The Giants’ first mission of the postseason was negotiating a contract to secure Daniel Jones as their long-term quarterback. With a four-year, $160 million deal inked in March, the focus shifted to providing Jones with an improved offensive arsenal, and the Giants signed the Raiders’ tight end Darren Waller just a week later. They next signed free agent wide receiver Parris Campbell, a solid (if unspectacular) option with the Colts over four seasons.

These acquisitions tied into head coach Brian Daboll’s strategy of building a team not on star power but on solid positional players with proven consistency. Waller is the closest to having breakout potential, as he showed flashes with the Raiders across the 2019 and 2020 seasons before hamstring issues took their toll. Described as a “problem creator” who can stretch the defense, Waller should fit nicely alongside returning players Wan’Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard.

In a podcast, Darren Waller described a process of collaborating with Daniel Jones in reviewing film and designing strategic elements to test out in practice. In a process “with no type of ego,” he imparted insights from the Raiders’ offense, which is similar in many ways to the Giants, in addressing offensive deficiencies.

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An Introduction to the Four-Act Screenplay

Sawyer Petrick is an aspiring screenwriter based in New York City. During his time at Whole Picture Films, Sawyer Petrick consulted on scripts for the film The Speech and the web series The Look, in addition to writing a script for The Look.

Screenwriters can break down a film’s structure in a number of ways. One of the easiest ways to break down a script is to divide it into acts. While many individuals may be familiar with the three- and five-act structures, there are alternatives, such as the four-act structure.

The acts in a four-act film are the setup, the rising action, the crisis, and the resolution. This structure stands in opposition to the three-act structure, in which the rising actions and crisis are grouped in the same act. In addition to situations where screenwriters struggle to pace their stories using a three- or five-act structure, the four-act structure is also useful when a film is based around a key event that takes place at the story’s midpoint.

The first act of a four-act film plays out the same as any other movie. The second act typically introduces a subplot as complications create tension for the protagonist. The second act ends with a scene or event that dramatically raises the stakes for the remainder of the narrative.

The third act is defined by a crisis, which usually involves the main character attempting and failing to stop a problem or reach their goal. All conflicts in the film should consistently increase throughout the third act, to the point that it seems the protagonist has completely run out of options.

Finally, the fourth act sees the protagonist formulate a new plan, usually based on a lesson they have learned or new skill acquired during the story. The final act consists of both the climax and denouement, the latter of which is a short period of resolution that ties up any outstanding story points.

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How to Play Better Defense in Basketball

A strong defensive strategy is critical for success in basketball, as it is in any sport. The entire team needs to understand and execute its defensive strategy. But what does it take to play great defense?

One of the first steps toward becoming a formidable defender is mentally accepting the challenge of defending. Defensive play demands an extreme degree of toughness and determination. A great defender is not born but made. You must decide that defense is something you care about to improve. So change your mindset first.

The better you know your opponents, the better you'll be able to defend them. So take some time to study their strengths and weaknesses. Watch videos of their games and see how they like to attack. The more you know about your opponents, the easier it will be to stop them.

To play great defense, you must be on the same page as your teammates. This starts with communication. Ensure you talk to your teammates before, during, and after the game. Let them know where you want them to be and what you're going to do. And when the game is over, talk about what went well and what needs to be improved.

One of the most important things you can do on defense is to stay disciplined. This means not reaching in for fouls, not biting on pump fakes, and staying in front of your man. If you can stay disciplined on defense, you'll be able to stay in control of the game and give your team a better chance to win.

When it comes to defense, maintaining balance is of the utmost importance. Smart offensive players attack off-balanced defenders to produce shots for themselves or their teammates. Staying balanced allows you to react quickly to movements and actions from the offensive team. Top defenders have powerful core muscles. Strength in the hip flexors, abdominals, and buttocks will improve your stability and speed in lateral movements. You can increase your foot speed by jumping rope.

One aspect of a solid defensive strategy is forcing your opponent to take tough shots. Good court positioning and constant communication among teammates are essential for this. By closing in on the ball carrier and denying them the option of passing to an open teammate, you can compel them to settle for a less effective shot. Also, keeping your attention on blocking easy shots can greatly help your team's defense.

Playing basketball often involves physical contact. Successful defenders have mastered the ability to use their bodies to their advantage. Forcing your opponent to change their intended receiving position by employing an arm bar or your lower body is one such scenario. You'll learn to employ physical play lawfully as you gain experience and face stronger opponents.

You must constantly learn more about the position to improve your defensive skills. The best way is to talk to and watch exceptional defenders. You can also watch video breakdowns on YouTube to learn their moves and techniques.

When everyone on the team knows their role and responsibilities, they can work together to defend effectively against the opposing team's attacks. So next time you're practicing or playing a game, ensure you clearly understand your team's defense strategy.

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The Importance of Restaurant Customer Reviews

Thanks to sites, such as Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, Top Table, and Yelp, diners can check restaurant reviews before visiting. Customer reviews are the go-to place for business information. For a restaurant, this can make or break your business. Happy customers generate positive reviews and feedback for your restaurant.

Daily, restaurants see more customers than other businesses, such as retail stores and auto shops. Customers have opinions about your facility, food quality, and service. Writing or posting online reviews is an easy and quick way for them to express such thoughts. Positive reviews bring attention and rank your restaurant among the favorite destinations to dine at.

Because customers are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing where to eat, they rely heavily on past reviews. No matter how attractive a restaurant looks or how many items are on your menu, customers will first look up online reviews to decide whether ordering or visiting your restaurant is worth their time and effort.

According to a TripAdvisor survey, online restaurant reviews influence 94 percent of diners in America. With positive reviews, your customers can be assured that your food is safely prepared, delicious, and worth choosing.

Customer reviews provide a learning opportunity for your restaurant business. Reviews are also powerful sales and marketing tools. Neutral or negative reviews allow you to develop and learn, while positive reviews may help your restaurant discover what works and doesn’t. Online reviews may contain great ideas your business can leverage, such as improving customer relations and removing roadblocks in the customer experience or journey.

Your team can follow up with customers for poor reviews to prevent potential customer churn. Customer churn or attrition is when someone stops visiting your restaurant and goes to your competition. Customer reviews can direct you to specific pain points and help you craft bespoke responses to address specific problems.

Although customers who leave negative reviews might never revisit your restaurant even after you respond to their concerns, future potential customers may notice your willingness to improve through your responses or actions. This may make your customer relations crew look more customer oriented, leading to fewer negative reviews and potentially boosting customer retention.

Customer retention is the ability of a business company to retain current customers. This is impacted by the number of new customers your restaurant acquires daily. For example, according to Harris Poll, 75 percent of consumers will not patronize or visit a restaurant with negative reviews about cleanliness.

Obtaining and sharing positive reviews is a good way of fighting customer attrition and boosting retention. So, don't be satisfied with only receiving five-star reviews; make sure you share them widely, so everyone knows how good your restaurant is.

Restaurants benefit much from word-of-mouth marketing. Online reviews, however, have one benefit over word of mouth. Your restaurant can track consumer opinions through online reviews, something not possible with traditional word-of-mouth strategies.

A word of caution, though. Much as online reviews are becoming increasingly popular, there is a danger of rigging the system through user-generated content. Your restaurant must, therefore, avoid the temptation of financially inducing or giving gifts to customers to leave positive reviews, as that can amount to fraud and customer manipulation.

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Basketball - Understanding the Rules of the Game

Invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith in Massachusetts, basketball has become a popular sport around the world. It was included in the Olympics as a demonstration sport in 1904 and then as a medal event in 1936.

Basketball is played on a court that is rectangular in shape and measures 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. The outer lines of the court are demarcated clearly. The court is divided into two halves. At the center of each of the halves is a basketball post with an elevated hoop, into which players shoot the ball to score points.

Encapsulating the hoop is a large semicircle, which marks the three-point line. Players who make shots from behind this line earn three points, while those who make them inside the line earn two points.

A basketball team typically has 12 players. However, only five can play in a game at any given time. Coaches can make endless substitutions during a game.

A basketball game begins with a ball toss by the referee at the center of the court. Two players, one from each team, reach for the ball as it goes up in the air. The one that gets the ball starts out playing offense, while the other side plays defense.

The team on the offensive has to get the ball to the opponent’s half and shoot it through their hoop to score. The team playing defense will try to stop them from doing this, either by intercepting their passes, stealing the ball, or blocking their shots. If the team playing offense scores, or the defensive team steals the ball from the offensive team, the ball moves to the possession of the other team, and they get to play offense.

Players move the ball from one end of the court to the other by dribbling it (bouncing it off the ground) as they walk or run up the court. They may also pass it to their teammates.

A player with the ball has to dribble it with one hand as they move. Dribbling with both hands at once is a violation leading to loss of possession. If the player dribbling carries the ball with both hands, they have to stop moving and either shoot or pass, although they may move around a point with their pivot foot firmly on the ground to make a pass beyond the reach of an opponent near them.

Players on either side have 24 seconds of possession in which they try to move the ball from their end to the opponent’s end and score. If they do not do so, possession goes to the other side. Further, once a team gets their ball to the opponent’s half, they cannot return it to their half.

The International Basketball Association requires basketball games to go for four 10-minute quarters (40 minutes in total). In the United States, however, the National Basketball Association requires games to extend over four 12-minute quarters (48 minutes in total). At the end of the game, the team with the highest score wins. If the teams tie, the game goes into a five-minute overtime.

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Tips for Getting a Screenplay Read

A recent college graduate, Sawyer Petrick holds a bachelor of arts in film from The New School, where his feature screenplay, Peace Be Upon You, was accepted into the school’s 9th Annual Voice/Over Script Reading Competition. Formerly a writer with Whole Picture Films, Sawyer Petrick worked on the script for the film, The Speech. For new screenwriters, it is important to consider the genre carefully with creating a screenplay. Getting a dramatic screenplay greenlit is notoriously difficult, as dramas are hard to finance and rarely achieve strong returns. Similarly, avoid comedy, as these require a large budget to translate internationally, and therefore, have limited appeal. Choose a strong title for the screenplay that hooks viewers’ interest and clearly indicates the genre. To ensure the script is free from grammatical and spelling errors, proofread carefully with the help of an editor. Finally, create a script that falls between 94 and 109 pages; this provides enough content to create a movie with a running time of approximately 90 minutes.