"[A plan to] mindfully craft how you move through the world." Mary-Lou Zeitoun, author
"Endlessly interesting..." Mary Dickie, author
Overcome obstacles, defeat your doubts and sideline the bad guys and make your world the Best Movie You’ve Ever Seen.
About the book
The heroes in our films do it; now it’s your turn. Blockbuster Living braids our love of filmed entertainment and its formula of success onto our daily routine of family, love, work, faith, and the big question that is always lingering: what do we really want?
Answer the call to action and find your true self, whether you’re stuck at the beginning or ready to commit.
LEARN HOW TO:
Recognize essential narrative guideposts using the films we love.
Essentials of the traditional Hollywood plot: 1st act catalyst, plot points, midpoints and more illustrated with the great movies and real life.
Slay doubt and debate.
You are not alone: Most heroes hem and haw in their first acts. Get the proof that yours has begun and take intentional action to go forward.
Make location, wardrobe, and the small details count.
Understand how every decision, from where we live to what we wear, serves the main action of your story.
Stay focused and on-story.
Take clues from Hollywood filmmaking and build moments of personal growth and satisfaction for your award winning role.
Deal with life’s villains and antagonists.
It's your story NOT the bad guys'. Put villains to good use and make the hero– you– stronger.
Apply film industry best practices for success.
Put yourself in the role of key crew and learn how they work to create the magic of a great story.
Hoopla
"With his singular, comic yet empathic voice, Ainsworth employs his experience as a filmmaker and professor to pitch a new paradigm that can help you intentionally shape your life. Using diverse references, from Aristotle to Emerald Fennel, Blockbuster Living is a fresh and current way to mindfully craft how you move through the world. It is also a master class in screenwriting."
Mary-Lou Zeitoun, author of "13" (Porcupine's Quill) and "Jamilah at The End of the World" (Lorimer)
"In Blockbuster Living, Andrew Ainsworth doesn’t just uncover and analyze the structures and tropes of moviemaking; he applies those structures and tropes to our real lives with humour and insight. Referencing many different movies and weaving in his own story, with its drama, tragedy and seemingly random turning point, he helps us identify our most important plot points and catalysts, understand our purpose and make the decisions that can lead us to our own happy endings.
...it’s an endlessly interesting book with lots to think about."
Mary Dickie, author
Filmmaker and educator Andrew Ainsworth transposes what works in Hollywood storytelling onto real life. More than self-help advice, this is an invitation to understand and feel the patterned details of our dramatic life and all the possibilities that come with it.
Andrew Ainsworth
Educator and filmmaker Andrew Ainsworth has finally arrived in Hollywood. After over 25 years in television and film production and teaching and administering film, acting, and media programs in Canada, he finds himself living less than half a mile from the former lot of MGM Studios where The Wizard of Oz was shot.
How he got here begins with awards and accolades as writer and director of various film, kids’ TV and media projects including The Cheer Story, about a murdering cheerleader mom and the Canadian classic Dudley the Dragon. It continues with a stellar turn as a film professor and associate dean at Canada’s largest college, where he taught all aspects of filmmaking, developed curriculum, and was at the forefront of training faculty to use media in the classroom and online.
And then the movie-worthy catalyst arrived: His partner was offered a job in L.A. in 2020. (More on catalysts in Chapter 7.) Delighted to join her to go south but unable to work due to visa restrictions, Andrew began writing Blockbuster Living. Inspired by getting to Hollywood– a long-simmering dream– and seminars he gave at teacher’s conferences titled “Making Your Class the Best Movie Your Students Have Ever Seen,” in the mid-2010s, Andrew decided it was time to write the book.
Andrew has an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science from McGill University in Montreal, an MA in Film Production from the University of Texas, and an MEd in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Toronto. He is also an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre where he was a Director Resident.
Blockbuster Living is his first book. You can contact Andrew here.
Along the way and always on the lookout for new ways of seeing the world, he co-created Humber’s data-driven storytelling platform StoryLab, launched the first UAV (drone) certificate in Canada’s college system, and developed a YouTube talk show fixated on booking Justin Bieber.
