Scott Myers

Script Analysis: “The Incredibles” — Part 4: Themes

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Plot Wednesday: Characters Thursday: Themes Friday: Dialogue Saturday: Takeaways Today: Themes. I have

The Business of Screenwriting: They don’t think like you (Part 1)

So we’re sitting in the office of a studio executive. At this point, K-9 has been produced, we’ve sold a pitch to Warner Bros., and have an overall studio deal. All good news, right? Well, somehow we have managed to do something (I forget what) to irk

Daily Dialogue — August 11, 2016

Hannibal Lecter: No! I will listen now. After your father’s murder, you were orphaned. You were ten years old. You went to live with cousins on a sheep and horse ranch in Montana. And…? Clarice Starling: And one morning, I just ran away. Hannibal Lecter: No “just”, Clarice. What

Reader Question: Do query letters still work?

The odds are long, but query letters can work if you make it part of a holistic strategy of which the single most important part is this: Focus on writing a great story. Ryan, the short answer is yes, query letters can work. However, you have to look at the

Script Analysis: “The Incredibles” — Part 3: Characters

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Plot Wednesday: Characters Thursday: Themes Friday: Dialogue Saturday: Takeaways Today: Characters. Characters are

Spec Script Deal: “Genesis”

20th Century Fox acquires science fiction spec script “Genesis” written by Andrew Baldwin. From Tracking Board: Went into several studios with multiple interested parties before ultimately landing with Kinberg when Fox submitted a winning bid. The story details are being kept under wraps, but the script is being described as

Great Scene: “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”

In a comedy, there’s nothing better than coming up with a great set piece, something the writers and actors can milk for all it’s worth — and then some. A classic example is the Black Knight scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). I suspect that countless

Daily Dialogue — August 10, 2016

CURNOW: It’s funny. I’ve been thinking. You know what I miss? I miss green. Trees and…and grass. I love green. FLOYD: I love a hot dog. CURNOW: Astrodome. Good hot dogs. Floyd: Astrodome? You can’t grow a good hot dog indoors. Yankee Stadium. September. Hot dogs

“Embracing the Content Bubble”

A guest post from Tom Benedek, screenwriter (Cocoon) and co-founder of Screenwriting Master Class: Loving the Love — Playing the Subplots — Embracing the Content Bubble A couple of years ago, some TV executives talked about a content bubble. Two years later: David O. Russell is setting up a TV series

Script Analysis: “The Incredibles” — Part 2: Plot

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Plot Wednesday: Characters Thursday: Themes Friday: Dialogue Saturday: Takeaways Today: Plot. In every

Screenwriting 101: William Goldman

“I don’t know what it means, a ‘perfect script’. I think you want to basically figure out the fucking story and stay on the story as long as you can and as closely as you can, and end it. When you start telling yourself, ‘I want to write a

Daily Dialogue — August 9, 2016

EXT. BEACH — LATER Joel sits on a log, a paper plate of chicken and corn on his lap. People warm themselves at the fire. Joel watches couples talking, kissing, Rob sharing a joint with a guy. JOEL: You were down by the surf. I could just make you out in

Dispatch from the Front Line: Dan Benamor on making the movie “Initiation”

Over the years, I’ve done what I can to support and promote independent filmmakers. In that vain, today another in an occasional series of guest posts called Dispatches from the Front Line: Dan Benamor shares his experiences in co-writing and making the movie Initiation which is being released

Script Analysis: “The Incredibles” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule: Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Tuesday: Plot Wednesday: Characters Thursday: Themes Friday: Dialogue Saturday: Takeaways Today: Scene-By-Scene

On Writing

“Psychoanalysts in France, structuralists in the United States and France, conservative, liberal and left-wing thinkers in contemporary schools of linguistic philosophy agree about one thing; man became man not by the tool but by the Word. It is not walking upright and using a stick to dig for food

Daily Dialogue — August 8, 2016

HISTORIAN: Now we have certain artifacts here, which we date from 1950 to 2000. We’d like any information you can give us on them. Very little exists. For instance (hands Miles a photo). MILES: Uh, this was Joseph Stalin. He was a communist. I was not too crazy about

Screenwriting News (August 1-August 6, 2016)

This week’s writing deals and movie project news. Matt Altman sells spy thriller spec script “Red Widow” to STX Entertainment. Nathan Atkins writing remake of the 1988 horror movie “Pumpkinhead” for A Bigger Boat Productions. Donald Diego sells romantic comedy spec script “The Wedding Years” to Lakeshore Entertainment. Aaron

Spec Script Deal: “Red Widow”

STX Entertainment acquires spy thriller spec script “Red Widow” written by Matt Altman. From Deadline: Described along the lines of the Bourne series and Salt, and echoing A History Of Violence, Red Widow flips convention with a female lead at the center of the revenge thriller-cum-political conspiracy tale.

Video: 3 Hour Documentary on Billy Wilder — “Billy, How Did You Do It?”

One of the truly great websites dedicated to the history of movies is Cinephilia & Beyond. The webmaster and I have known each other through our interactions almost as long as GITS has been active. One reason I love the site is it constantly searches for rare videos online. The

Daily Dialogue — August 7, 2016

Speaker: Now tonight we have with us the son of Margaret and the late C.J. Reed of Portland who has witnessed this war first-hand. And I for one see no reason why we here at the liberal club shouldn’t listen to what Jack Reed has to say.

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Recollection

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Recollection, suggested by Will King. “I can remember absolutely everything, young man. That’s my curse.” Citizen Kane (1941) There are entire movies like Citizen Kane and Forrest Gump in which characters in the present recollect the main plot which occurred in the

Spec Script Deal: “The Wedding Year”

Lakeshore Entertainment acquires romantic comedy spec script “The Wedding Year” written by Donald Diego. From Deadline: A female millennial who isn’t sure she is the marrying type has her relationship and commitment issues put to the test when she is invited to 15 weddings in the same goddamn year.

“Conversations With Wilder”: Part 26

Billy Wilder is my all-time favorite filmmaker. Consider just some of his movies: Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Blvd. (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), an oeuvre that demonstrates an incredible range in a filmmaking career that went from

Daily Dialogue — August 6, 2016

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT Joe and Valerie are having supper. The TV is on in the background. Joe is energized. Valerie is quiet. TV (MATT FREI): The nightmare scenario of an attack on a major city is as real, if not more real, than it was a year ago… JOE WILSON:

Starting September 1st: The Zero Draft Thirty 2016 Autumn Challenge!

It all started with this blog post in October 2015: Who’s with me to pound out a script in November? That led to this: Zero Draft Thirty: Write a Script in a Month Challenge. Every day for 30 days in November, I did a Zero Draft Thirty post with