Scott Myers

“Films of Ridley Scott” by Kees van Dijkhuizen

An excellent video compilation by Kees van Dijkhuizen: HT to @slashfilm for the link. Comment Archive

Teaser: “Girls” by Lena Dunham

This looks fun: Written and co-starring Lena Dunham with an assist from executive producer Judd Apatow, it’s an HBO series that debuts in April 2012. Dunham first gained recognition for the movie she wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture. Here is that trailer: http://static.movieclips.com/

GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Buried” — Structure

This week we are analyzing the screenplay for the 2010 movie Buried, written by Chris Sparling. You may access the script here. Today we discuss the script’s structure. Three-act structure? A scene-by-scene breakdown? Major plot points? Sequences? Here is your chance to use your analytical muscles.

Screenwriting 101: Ron Shelton

“Movie stars like to shine. They like to have their movie-star moments. I will sometimes write a speech that I think I’m gonna cut out later, but it’ll attract the movie star. Bull Durham has the famous speech. I wrote it just to get a movie star,

Daily Dialogue — December 13, 2011

Foley: She just looked right at me. Buddy: Who? Foley: Karen. Buddy: Karen Sisco? Foley: Yeah. She’s in the lobby. Buddy: She’s in the lobby? Foley: Yeah. — Foley (George Clooney), Buddy (Ving Rhames), Out Of Sight (1998), screenplay by Scott Frank, based on the novel by Elmore Leonard

Reader Question: How to indicate a ‘jump cut’?

Reader Question: How to indicate a ‘jump cut’ in a screenplay? A jump cut is a transition to suggest a time ellipsis, a jump in time, hence the term. A question from pliny the elder: Simple formatting question: I have an overall scene where four women family members are individually

Writing Question: What are your goals as a writer next year?

We are approaching the end of the year, a good time for each of us to ponder what our goals are as writers for the next year. What? You don’t set goals and write them down? You should probably rethink that because the facts are those who write their

“Films of Christopher Nolan” by Kees van Dijkhuizen

An excellent video compilation by Kees van Dijkhuizen: HT to @slashfilm for the link.

The Black List: 2011

It’s available here now. Discuss in comments. UPDATE: From Deadline, various breakdowns of 2011 Black List scripts: Agencies Managers UPDATE #2: You can vote for your favorite of the top 10 Black List scripts at the LA Times here. Comment Archive

GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Buried”

Welcome to Week 14 of the GITS Script Reading & Analysis series. This week we will be analyzing the screenplay for the 2010 movie Buried, an example of a Contained Thriller script. To access the script, go here. As a bonus, the script’s writer Chris Sparling has agreed to

On Writing

“You can’t clobber any reader while he’s looking. You divert his attention, then you clobber him and he never knows what hit him.” — Flannery O’Connor

Daily Dialogue — December 12, 2011

Colin Sullivan: I can’t wait to see you explain this one to a fucking Suffolk County jury you fucking cocksucker. This is gonna be fucking fun! [They ride in the elevator] Colin Sullivan: Just fucking kill me. Just fucking kill me. Billy: I am killing you. [Door opens, Billy

Good news!

Tomorrow we start analyzing Buried for our GITS Script Reading & Analysis series. Remember we chose this script as an example of the Contained Thriller sub-genre. The good news: Chris Sparling, who wrote the script, has agreed to answer some questions! So after reading the script if you have

Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Elevators!

GITS reader Summertime came in with this great suggestion: What about elevator scenes? This tip from Screenwriting Tips, You Hack made me think of it. “Scenes feeling flabby and slow? Create a subconscious ticking clock counting down to the end of the scene. By setting scenes at a bus stop

“My Life on Spec: The Writing of Sideways” by Rex Pickett

Of course we all remember that entertaining slice of central California cinema style Sideways. As a reminder, who can forget this scene: Perhaps it’s because the Protagonist is a writer. Perhaps it’s because it’s a classic road trip. Maybe it’s because both males on the jaunt,

Video Interview: Diablo Cody (“Young Adult”)

Interview with Diablo Cody about her career and the new movie she wrote Young Adult: HT to @opedr for the link. UPDATE: @diablocody tweets: Go see “Young Adult” at the Hollywood Arclight this afternoon, and there might be a surprise afterward… Just saying…come with your Qs and I’ll

Daily Dialogue — December 11, 2011

“Earn this.” — Captain Miller (Tom Hanks), Saving Private Ryan (1998), written by Robert Rodat The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is World War II, suggested by Phil. Trivia: All the principal actors underwent several days of grueling army training — except for Matt Damon, who was spared so that the

GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “Buried” — Contained Thriller

We recently completed Round 13 of our weekly GITS Script Reading & Analysis series: #1: Gladiator (Action) #2: Bridesmaids (Comedy) #3: Good Will Hunting (Drama) #4: The Silence of the Lambs (Thriller) #5: Toy Story 3 (Family) #6: Pan’s Labyrinth (Fantasy) #7: Blade Runner (Science Fiction) #8: The Thing

Daily Dialogue theme for next week???

As we wrap up a week’s worth World War II dialogue, here are three suggestions for themes already on the board: Character introductions [Deaf Ears]: The thing to look for there is distinctive and interesting ways a character gets introduced through dialogue. If we can come up with seven

Short Film: “Rosa” by Jesús Orellana

The movie rights to this film by Jesús Orellana just sold to Twentieth Century Fox: Website Vimeo UPDATE: For those of you critiquing “Rosa” for a lack of story — an assessment with which I agree — compare to the short films “Panic Attack” and “The Raven”, both of which sold to

Audio Interview: Jeremiah Friedman & Nick Palmer

A quality audio interview with two hot young screenwriters Jeremiah Friedman & Nick Palmer. Last year they sold the spec script “Family Getaway” and that script made the Black List. Then they pitched and sold a remake of The Bodyguard to the same studio. HT to @tracinell for the heads-

Spec Script Sale: “Dog’s Best Friend”

Gold Circle Films acquires family comedy spec script “Dog’s Best Friend” from writer Ben August. From THR: A “free-spirited” dog and his commitment-phobic master break up a dognapping ring. And check this out: Newbie scribe August wrote the spec while living in Vietnam teaching English [emphasis added]

Spec Script Sale: “Kidnap”

IM Global acquires thriller spec script “Kidnap” from writer Knate Gwaltney. From TheWire: The movie centers on a woman whose son is kidnapped at a local mall and her subsequent race to find his abductors. Another thriller in a year when the genre has blown away everything else. Gwaltney is

Saturday Hot Links

Welcome to another installment of Saturday Hot Links, today served with jalapeno jelly! This week: The Top Car Commercials Of 2011 Edition! First the Nissan Leaf: Imagine a gas-powered everything: Remember the documentary I Am from writer-director Tom Shadyac, which I featured here? It’s going to air

Feature: Diablo Cody

An article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune about hometown gal done good Diablo Cody. Excerpts: “Never once in my life did I utter the words, ‘I want to be a screenwriter,’ before the opportunity landed in my lap. Which is really, really unusual. I just decided to do the best