Scott Myers

Daily Dialogue — May 27, 2016

“Where is pancakes house?” — Fargo (1996), written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: The Coen Brothers. Trivia: Gaear Grimsrud has 18 lines of dialogue in the entire movie and never says more than a complete sentence at one time. By comparison, Carl Showalter

Video: “The Directors Series — The Coen Brothers” (Part 1)

Perfect timing. With my 1-week online class Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling starting on Monday, May 30, along comes Part 1 of what looks to be an excellent series on the cinematic efforts of Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Here the video covers how the Coens got

Interview: Chris McCoy (2007, 2009, 2011 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters. Today: Chris McCoy is pretty unique among screenwriters in that he

“Everything is a Remix: The Force Awakens”

I have been tracking Kirby Ferguson and his “Everything is a Remix” videos since the very first one came out in 2010. So when Kirby reached out to me via email about his latest video — “Everything is a Remix: The Force Awakens” — I had to check it out. Here it

Classic 30s Movie: “Sabotage”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Jeff Xilon. Movie Title: Sabotage Year: 1936 Writers: Charles Bennett (screen play), Ian Hay & Helen Simpson (dialogue), Alma Reville (continuity), E.V.H. Emmett (additional dialogue), based on the novel of Joseph Conrad Lead Actors: Sylvia Sidney,

Writing and the Creative Life: Why creativity thrives in the dark

Back in 2009, I was up working in the middle of the night, as I always do, when I was inspired to write this reflection: Is there anything more profoundly intense than pounding out pages… Yanked from that story universe you’ve created… Then in the thick silence of night’

Daily Dialogue — May 26, 2016

“Look, let me explain something to you. I’m not Mr. Lebowski. You’re Mr. Lebowski. I’m the Dude. So that’s what you call me. That, or His Dudeness … Duder … or El Duderino, if, you know, you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” — The Big Lebowski (1998)

AMA with Black List founder Franklin Leonard

Recently it occurred to me we hadn’t had a Q&A with Black List founder Franklin Leonard in quite some time and with all the changes in the movie and TV business, as well as a host of new Black List initiatives including the Black List Table Reads

Interview: Donald Margulies (2014 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters. Today: Donald Margulies, one of America’s most widely-produced playwrights,

Script Analysis: “Big Eyes” — 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. Today: A scene-by-scene breakdown of the movie script Big Eyes. Here is my take on this exercise from a previous

Classic 30s Movie: “Bride of Frankenstein”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Marija Nielsen. Title: Bride of Frankenstein Year: 1935 Writers: Mary Shelley (novel), Adapted by William Hurlbut and John L. Balderston, Screenplay by William Hurlbut Lead Actors: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesinger, Elsa Lanchester Director: James

“Nobody Knows Anything (except William Goldman)”

I don’t often promote crowdfunding campaigns for movies, but this is an exception: Nobody Knows Anything (except William Goldman) is an upcoming documentary feature about two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter, bestselling novelist, non-fiction author and playwright William Goldman, the man behind unforgettable classics such as Butch Cassidy

Daily Dialogue — May 25, 2016

“Whatcha got ain’t nothin new. This country’s hard on people, you can’t stop what’s coming, it ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity.” — No Country for Old Men (2007), screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, book by Cormac McCarthy The Daily Dialogue theme

Go into yourself. Go into your story.

“There is only one thing to do. Go into yourself. Examine your reason for writing. Discover whether it is rooted in the depths of your heart, and find out whether you would rather die than be forbidden to write. Above all, ask yourself in the stillest hour of the night,

Interview: Kelly Marcel (2011 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters. Today: Kelly Marcel wrote the 2011 Black List screenplay Saving Mr.

Script Analysis: “Nightcrawler” — 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. Today: A scene-by-scene breakdown of the movie script Nightcrawler. Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series

Classic 30s Movie: “Duck Soup”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from David Joyner. Movie Title: Duck Soup Year: 1933 Writers: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Arthur Sheekman, Nat Perrin Lead Actors: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont Director: Leo McCarey Plot Summary: The small country of

Screenwriting 101: Jon Boyer

“A bad script written is still better than an amazing one that isn’t.” — Jon Boyer For hundreds more Screenwriting 101 posts, go here.

Daily Dialogue — May 24, 2016

“LOOK UPON ME! I’LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND!” — Barton Fink (1991), written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: The Coen Brothers. I will be teaching my popular 1 week online class “The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling”

The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling

I have two favorite contemporary filmmakers. In terms of mainstream commercial films, there is Pixar. For independent movies, there are the Coen brothers. Both are hugely successful in what they do, commercially and critically. That’s why I’m thrilled to follow up the popular Pixar class I teach with

Interview: Seth Lochhead (2006 Black List)

One of the best ways to learn the craft is read what professional screenwriters have to say about it. To that end for the next few weeks, I will be featuring interviews I have conducted with Black List screenwriters. Today: Seth Lochhead’s original screenplay Hanna made the Black List

Script Analysis: “The Big Short” — 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. Today: A scene-by-scene breakdown of the movie script The Big Short. Here is my take on this exercise from a

Classic 30s Movie: “Vampyr”

May is Classic 30s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Megaen Kelly. Title: Vampyr Year: 1932 Writers: Screenplay by Christen Jul and Carl Theodor Dreyer, based on a story by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu Lead Actors: Julian West, Jan Hieronimko, Rena Mandel and Sybille Schmitz Director: Carl Theodor

On Writing

“If I didn’t know the ending of a story, I wouldn’t begin. I always write my last line, my last paragraph, my last page first.” — Katherine Anne Porter

Daily Dialogue — May 23, 2016

“The world is full o’ complainers. An’ the fact is, nothin’ comes with a guarantee. Now I don’t care if you’re the pope of Rome, President of the United States or Man of the Year; somethin’ can all go wrong. Now go on ahead, y’know, complain, tell