Scott Myers

Hollywood’s Business Mantra: “Similar but different”

Sequels. Prequels. Remakes. Reboots. Why do Hollywood studios choose to go this route with such familiar material? Why not fill their development slates with bold projects full of fresh ideas and innovative stories? That would run entirely counter to the working ethos which informs the studio system decision-making process,

Video: “When Words Fail in Movies”

A video essay from Fandor about the use of silence in movies: Reminder: Movies are primarily a visual medium. Yes, dialogue is important, but sometimes the best dialogue is no dialogue. Silence can speak volumes. HT Indiewire. Comment Archive

Interview (Written): Eric Heisserer (“Lights Out”)

A Creative Screenwriting interview with Eric Heisserer, screenwriter of the recent horror movie hit Lights Out: What’s the first step in taking a short and turning it into a feature length movie? The first step was to get the treatment or outline down that gave us the skeletal structure

The Business of Screenwriting: They don’t think like you [Part 2]

Note: To understand this post, you need to go back and read last week’s entry here. After we sell the spec script K-9, we are ushered around town for meetings. This is what happens when you are the ‘flavor-of-the-week’ as producers and studio execs want

Daily Dialogue — August 18, 2016

Mac heads inside the store, the Newspaper Reporter following him to the door. Newspaper Reporter: Dixie told me a lot about you. Don’t you want to tell me some things about her? She said alcohol is what licked you. You still drink? Mac heads outside. No response. — Tender Mercies

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

Spec Script Deal: “Life Itself”

FilmNation Entertainment acquires drama romance spec script “Life Itself” written by Dan Fogelman. From Deadline: The script is a multi-generational love story that weaves together a number of characters whose lives intersect over the course of decades from the streets of New York to the Spanish countryside and back.

Update: Black List Happy Hours

From the good folks at the Black List: Beginning September 7th, I will become Imbiber-In-Chief at the monthly Chicago events. More information on that in coming weeks. These are great events in convivial environments, so I encourage you to take a brief break from solitary confinement at your

Video: Mark Duplass keynote address at 2015 SXSW Festival

This just crossed my path: Mark Duplass, a director, actor, writer, and producer, discusses the migration of filmmakers to television, to the emergence of VOD and its impact on micro-budget film. Duplass has eight pieces of advice for those who want to start a career in filmmaking. He also

Great Scene: “No Country For Old Men”

The coin toss scene from No Country For Old Men (2007), screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, one of the most riveting scenes in the movie: GAS STATION/GROCERY SHEFFIELD At an isolated dusty crossroad. It is twilight. The Ford sedan that Chigurh stopped  is parked alongside the pump.

Daily Dialogue — August 17, 2016

DUDE: Begin with you, Charlie. The shotgun you keep under the bar. Pick it up by the barrels. Easy. CHARLIE: Thought you were going to ask for a drink. Been a long dry spell. DUDE: Shotgun first. Set it down. Back up. Jim, Pedro, get over there. All right, the

Reader Question: Should I reference other movies when pitching my own?

“I have heard/read that most Hollywood types believe it to be amateurish, while others feel it gives the reader a better sense of the story.” A question from mscherer: What is your take on using the infamous: ‘in the vein of…’ (or something akin) when submitting queries? For example,

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Altered States

Mark Twain is supposed to have said, “Write drunk, edit sober.” And I suspect throughout history, a goodly percentage of writers have never strayed far from some sort of hooch, firewater, or cobra piss. Understandable I suppose because a few glasses of vino can shut up our Internal Editor — “You

Spec Script Deal: “Ida Tarbell”

Amazon Studio acquires 2015 Black List script “Ida Tarbell” written by Mark McDevitt. From Deadline: …the script follows Tarbell as she digs into the Rockefeller oil empire through public documents to unearth the truth behind Standard Oil. Rockefeller would find himself against a formidable foe, the 45-year-old teacher

Screenwriting 101: Stephen Chin

“I’m an outsider, I didn’t go to film school, I didn’t grow up in Beverly Hills. But outsiders have other gifts. You have other insights, by virtue of the fact that you have lived in other worlds.” — Stephen Chin (New York Times, Aug. 12, 2016)

Daily Dialogue — August 16, 2016

“I’m Kate, um, I’m… an alcoholic. Haha. I’m sorry I don’t mean to laugh, um, just those words are… weird. Um… I mean I guess I… yeah, I don’t know if I’m an alcoholic really. I just drink, I drink a lot. And, um…

Style = Voice

Start with this question: Who tells your story? Obviously, when you sit down to create a screenplay, you write the story. But when a manager, producer, agent, or studio executive reads your script, who tells your story to them? It is someone who remains largely invisible, but whose presence is

Interview: Brooke Buffington and Maddy Curley (“Chalk It Up”)

A few years ago when I was teaching at the University of North Carolina, I met a couple of Carolina alums, Brooke Buffington and Maddy Curley when the duo participated in one of my Quest Writing Workshops. They are talented writers, engaging personalities, and passionate about movies and storytelling. This

Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: The Incredibles

Last week, we have been reading, analyzing, and discussing the script and movie The Incredibles, written and directed by Brad Bird. IMDb plot summary: A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world. Check out each of the

On Writing

“You don’t choose a story, it chooses you.” — Robert Penn Warren

Daily Dialogue — August 15, 2016

TWO-BEARS: Kid! Aw, Kid, what a time for you to fall off the wagon. Look at your eyes! SHELLEEN: What’s wrong with my eyes? TWO-BEARS: Well…well, they’re red. Bloodshot. SHELLEEN: You ought to see ’em from my side. TWO-BEARS: We’re countin’ on ya,

Screenwriting News (August 8-August 14, 2016)

This week’s writing deals and movie project news. David Bruckner adapting horror novel “The Ritual” for The Imaginarium. Joel Carpenter options script “The Ridge” Imprint Entertainment Brady Corbet writing “Vox Lux” for Killer Films, Inc., Corbet will also direct and star. Eisa Davis writig untitled Angela Davis project for

Interview (Written): Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko,” “Southland Tales”)

A Denver Post interview with Richard Kelly, writer-director of Donnie Darko, Southland Tales, and The Box. Q: There’s a strong element of dark humor in your films, but I hardly ever see you praised for it. How important is it for you as a filmmaking tool? A: It’

Spec Script Deal: “The Ridge”

Imprint Entertainment options film rights to the memoir “Two Wars” and the spec script adaptation “The Ridge” written by Joel Carpenter. From Deadline: …story about the Battle of Takur Ghar which told of the daring rescue of a fallen Navy Seal behind enemy lines has been featured on NBC’s

Interview (Written): Mike Birbiglia (“Don’t Think Twice”)

A Script magazine interview with Mike Birbiglia, writer-director and actor in the movie Don’t Think Twice: Script: In the film’s improv scenes, the performers ritually ask the audience, “Has anyone had a particularly hard day?” Is this an actual prompt for audience suggestions used in improv circles?