Scott Myers

Spec Script Sale: “The Making of Rock Hudson”

Maven Pictures acquires biopic spec script “The Making of Rock Hudson” written by Tyler Ruggeri. From Deadline: The transformation of Hudson from a shy kid into a sex symbol with rugged good looks was a tricky bit of business, in that he was forced to keep secret his homosexuality. The

Spec Script Sale: “Caught in the Act”

Atmosphere Entertainment acquires action comedy spec script “Caught in the Act” written by Steve Klayman. From Variety: Story follows an actor who is confused with a thief he is playing on a crime re-enactment show. His mistaken identity thrusts him into the spotlight of law enforcement and the underworld

Screenwriting competitions

One question I get quite often relates to screenwriting competitions. My answer has always been pretty much the same. There is the Nicholl Fellowship, the most prestigious and influential competition. The Austin Film Festival screenplay competition which has grown in importance in the last decade. Then about 4 months ago,

Movie Trailer: “Scenic Route”

Written by Kyle Killen The relationship between two old friends is tested as they are stranded in the desert. IMDB site Comment Archive

5 Screenwriting Skills: #4 — Voice

During the nearly 5 years I’ve run this blog, I have been privileged to do one-on-one interviews with a number of screenwriters, especially this year as I set a goal to post a Q&A per week for 2013. Over the course of those interviews, it’

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs [Part 6]

Part 6: Rolling out a new writer’s spec script. Spec scripts, that is. I’m guessing that perhaps 90% of the people who follow this blog at some point in their lives will write a spec script. And the other 10% are involved in buying and selling them. In

Daily Dialogue — March 21, 2013

Scott turns around on his knees, cringing, holding a cup of MILKY LOOKING COFFEE in either hand as a peace offering. SCOTT: What say we drink to my memory? Fair trade blend with soymilk? ENVY: I’m sorry, but that’s pathetic. TODD INGRAM: Dude. I can see in your

“Hollywood storms the West Wing with two movies”

Over the years, I have talked quite often about one of the fundamental tenets of the Hollywood entertainment business: similar but different [as I did here]. That is the suits are most comfortable acquiring, developing, producing and distributing projects that are similar to previous movies and TV shows, but different

Interview: Carter Blanchard (2012 Black List) — Part 3

Carter Blanchard is a great example of talent meeting persistence. His first writing credit is a short film he directed in 1989. Since that time, he has landed numerous writing assignments and sold multiple spec scripts including “Virus” (1994), “Frigid & Impotent” (1995), ”Bedbugs” aka “Dead Asleep” (2004), and “Near

“End of an Era for Daily Variety”

Yesterday marked a transition point in Hollywood. Or perhaps not. Maybe Variety’s move to stop its print publication is simply an acknowledgement that the world has moved on. Excerpts from the LAT’s take on the development: The decision shows that Daily Variety has had to grapple with the

Movie Trailer: “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2”

Screenplay by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, based on characters by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett Flint Lockwood now works at The Live Corp Company for his idol Chester V. But he’s forced to leave his post when he learns that his most infamous machine is still

5 Screenwriting Skills: #3 — Experience

During the nearly 5 years I’ve run this blog, I have been privileged to do one-on-one interviews with a number of screenwriters, especially this year as I set a goal to post a Q&A per week for 2013. Over the course of those interviews, it’

Script To Screen: “The Limey”

A pivotal scene from the 1999 crime drama The Limey, written by Lem Dobbs. Setup: An extremely volatile and dangerous Englishman goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter’s death. INT. WAREHOUSE HALLWAY. A SCRATCHING at the door. It opens. He's

Daily Dialogue — March 20, 2013

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM — CLOSE ON CAMERA MONITOR A wide angle view of a white roon, where Neo is sitting at a table alone. We MOVE INTO the monitor, ENTERING the room as if the monitor were a window. At the same moment, the door opens and the agents enter. Smith

Hot Topics: The Black Board

A weekly update from Shaula Evans, moderator of The Black Board: This week at The Black Board we’ve been talking about talking! Good dialogue vs bad dialogue Making the case for longer dialogue Differentiating dialogue: how to create unique character voices Plus in other hot topics: Audiences connect to

Interview: Carter Blanchard (2012 Black List) — Part 2

Carter Blanchard is a great example of talent meeting persistence. His first writing credit is a short film he directed in 1989. Since that time, he has landed numerous writing assignments and sold multiple spec scripts including “Virus” (1994), “Frigid & Impotent” (1995), ”Bedbugs” aka “Dead Asleep” (2004), and “Near

Culture Trends and Hollywood: Motherhood

If you’re searching for story ideas, something you should be doing, don’t overlook meta cultural trends. Hollywood certainly doesn’t. Case in point: Until Oz the Great and Powerful came out, the most successful movie of 2013 was Identity Thief, a concept every one of us has been

Movie Trailer: “What Maisie Knew”

Screenplay by Carroll Cartwright & Nancy Doyne, novel by Henry James In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents’ bitter divorce. IMDB site Release Date: 5 September 2013 (Denmark)

5 Screenwriting Skills: #2 — Knowledge

During the nearly 5 years I’ve run this blog, I have been privileged to do one-on-one interviews with a number of screenwriters, especially this year as I set a goal to post a Q&A per week for 2013. Over the course of those interviews, it’

Screenwriting 101: Scott Derrickson

“Many filmmakers, especially young ones, are afraid being ‘pigeonholed’, but that’s a pejorative word for ‘branding’, and branding is good.” — Scott Derrickson

Daily Dialogue — March 19, 2013

Policeman 1: Would you fill this bag please, sir? Withnail shakes his head Policeman 1: Are you refusing to fill this bag? Withnail: I most certainly am. Policeman 1: I’m placing you under arrest. Withnail: Don’t be ridiculous, I haven’t done anything. Listen, my cousin’s a

From Loglines to Beat sheets

As screenwriters, we not only need to know how to write a script, we also have to be able to convey our stories in multiple other ways. From elevator pitches to development meetings to conference calls with talent, our ability to share stories in a variety of narrative forms is

Interview: Carter Blanchard (2012 Black List) — Part 1

Carter Blanchard is a great example of talent meeting persistence. His first writing credit is a short film he directed in 1989. Since that time, he has landed numerous writing assignments and sold multiple spec scripts including “Virus” (1994), “Frigid & Impotent” (1995), “Bedbugs” aka “Dead Asleep” (2004), and “Near

Showrunner Rules from Jeffrey Lieber: Numbers 161–170

Jeff Lieber is a screenwriter and TV writer. His movie credits include Tuck Everlasting and he is currently an executive producer of the USA Network series “Necessary Roughness.” On Twitter (@JeffLieber), he has run a series of tweets called Showrunner Rules. For background on Jeff and this Twitter series, go

Movie Trailer: “Epic”

Written by Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember, James V. Hart, William Joyce, Daniel Shere A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in