Scott Myers

Daily Dialogue — July 2, 2010

Jasper: So, the Human Project is havin’ this dinner and all the wisest men in the world are there… Theodore Faron: [scoffing] Human Project, why do people believe this crap? You know even if these people existed with these facilities in these secret locations, fuck me, that’s strong! Even

How They Write A Script: John Michael Hayes

Alfred Hitchcock worked with several great writers, one of them being John Michael Hayes, who wrote the screenplays for Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), The Trouble with Harry (1955), and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). After he and Hitchcock had a falling out, Hayes went

How I Write A Script, Part 9: Second Draft

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline Part 7: Script Diary Part 8: First Draft PART 9: SECOND DRAFT

Hal Asby remembered

Mike at B-Scene Films made sure I saw this FNB editorial on director Hal Ashby. Why Ashby? Check this out: Ashby was an editor (he handled cutting duties on movies like “The Cincinnati Kid,” “In the Heat of the Night” and the first “Thomas Crown Affair”) before making his

Scene Description Spotlight: “Ed Wood”

A period piece. A bio-pic of an enigmatic character. A drama with absurd comic elements. The 1994 movie Ed Wood is all of these — and more. As a result, it is critically important for the movie’s screenwriters Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski to communicate the story’s tone

Daily Dialogue — July 1, 2010

Ripley: Ash, can you hear me? *Ash*?   Ash: Yes, I can hear you.   Ripley: What was your special order?   Ash: You read it. I thought it was clear.   Ripley: What was it?   Ash: Bring back life form. Priority One. All other priorities rescinded.   Parker: The damn company. What about our

How They Write A Script: Nancy Meyers

“I think you’re only going to get noticed by following your own instincts and doing original work, and writing the thing that only you can write.” Nancy Meyers was for many years part of the Meyers & Shyer writing team that produced numerous hit movies including Private Benjamin (1980)

How I Write A Script, Part 8: First Draft

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline Part 7: Script Diary PART 8: FIRST DRAFT Finally, we get to

Spec Script Sales: “The Legacy” and “The Return of the Magi”

Per Variety: Double Nickel Prods. has acquired a pair of spec scripts from high-profile mystery authors: “The Legacy,” by Gregg Hurwitz, and “The Return of the Magi,” by mother-and-daughter team P.J. Lambrecht and Traci Lambrecht.  — —  “Legacy” is a drama wrapped around a perfect crime centering on

Screenwriting 101 — Bruce Joel Rubin

“Often I just trust that an idea that comes to you once will come again. That’s not always true, but so much of the technique of writing is in the moment. If you watched a particular newscast or read a particular article in the paper, had a fight with

Daily Dialogue — June 30, 2010

“Hey guys. Woah, Big Gulps, huh? All right! Welp, see ya later.”  — Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey), Dumb & Dumber (1994), written by Peter Farrelly & Bennett Yellin & Bobby Farrelly The Daily Dialogue theme this week is favorite dialogue from favorite movies of GITS readers. Dumb & Dumber suggested by

How They Write A Script: Larry Kasdan

Writer-director Lawrence “Larry” Kasdan is a prolific talent who has written movies in almost every genre including the thriller Body Heat (1981), possibly greatest action adventure movie of all time Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), arguably the best of the Star Wars movies The Empire Strikes Back (1983)

How I Write A Story, Part 7: Script Diary

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline PART 7: SCRIPT DIARY The last thing I do before I type

Spec Script Sale: “Step Dawg”

Per IOTG, Morgan Creek has bought comedy spec “Step Dawg” from writer Jeff Tetrault. Plot details from Deadline: Morgan Creek bought Step Dawg, a comic script by Jeff Tetreault about a 30-ish man who returns home to discover that his single mom plans to marry his former high school

Hollywood Tale

“I came out here with one suit and everybody said I looked like a bum. Twenty years later Marlon Brando came out with only a sweatshirt and the town drooled over him. That shows how much Hollywood has progressed.”  — Humphrey Bogart

Daily Dialogue — June 29, 2010

Plainview: They should have put you in a glass jar on a mantlepiece. Where were you when Paul was suckling at your mother’s teat? Where were you? Who was nursing you, poor Eli- one of Bandy’s sows? That land has been had. Nothing you can do about it.

How They Write A Script: Alvin Sargent

Alvin Sargent is one of the most well-respected screenwriters in Hollywood. He’s the brother of Herb Sargent who up until his death in 2005 was president of the WGA, East and is married to long-time Hwood producer Laura Ziskin. One look at his screenwriting credits — Paper Moon

How I Write A Script, Part 6: Outline

Here’s another in a series of posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character development Part 5: Plotting. PART 6: OUTLINE I start by transcribing the content of the cards into a new Word

Spec Script Sale: “Hell to Pay”

Per Variety, Mandate Pics acquires revenge spec “Hell to Pay” from writers Vlas and Charley Parlapanides: The spec centers on a man who returns home from the military and becomes the fall guy to settle his father’s gambling debt to the mob. The Parlapanides brothers are repped by WME

On Writing

“Having imagination, it takes you an hour to write a paragraph that, if you were unimaginative, would take you only a minute. Or you might not write the paragraph at all.”  — Franklin P. Adams

Daily Dialogue — June 28, 2010

“Damn, and my motor coils were just getting warmed up.”  — Mitsuo Iwata (Shôtarô Kaneda), Akira (1988), screenplay by Izô Hashimoto and Katsuhiro Ôtomo, based on the graphic novel by Katsuhiro Ôtomo The Daily Dialogue theme this week is favorite dialogue from favorite movies of GITS readers. Akira is suggested by

Reader Question: How to create unforgettable characters?

Open forum question from Mahmoud: I think I have question that I don’t know if you answered it or not. But here goes. How to make powerful unforgettable characters? I know this question is kinda tough, but help us in giving ways to get into the character, you making

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Don’t Finish That Scene

Let’s say you’re in the middle of writing a script — and it’s a slog. You’re finding it really tough to drag your ass onto the chair and start writing the next scene. Well, let’s roll back the clock. What if yesterday, you hadn’t finished

Video Interview: Frederico Fellini

This is a gem: A 1965 interview with the great screenwriter-director Federico Fellini. We think of Fellini as a director, but did you know he has over 50 film-writing credits including La strada (1954), La dolce vita (1960), 8½ (1963), Giulietta degli spiriti (1965), Fellini — Satyricon (1969), Roma

Daily Dialogue — June 27, 2010

Queen: Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind and darkness I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face.   Magic Mirror: What wouldst thou know, my Queen?   Queen: Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?   Magic Mirror: Famed is thy