Scott Myers

Screenwriting News (January 25-January 31, 2016)

Gregory Bernstein and Sara Bernstein scripted spy thriller “Official Secrets” moving forward with Clear Pictures Entertainment and The Solution Entertainment Group. Mark Boal scripted Detroit riot project moving forward at Annapurna Pictures. Gregory Crewdson and Juliane Hiam adapting drama novel “The Deepest Secret” for Marc Platt Productions. Jared Hess and

Movie Analysis: “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens”

This week, we have been reading, analyzing, and discussing the movie Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt, based on characters by George Lucas. IMDb plot summary: Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat

Interview (Written): William Monahan

A /film interview with William Monahan (The Departed, Kingdom of Heaven, and The Gambler) whose newest movie is Mojave, which he wrote and directed. The movie stars Oscar Issac and Garrett Hedlund. Usually in this scenario, there’s an average joe and the villain, and the former has to stoop

Daily Dialogue — January 31, 2016

“There goes my last lead. I feel all dead inside. I’m backed up in a dark corner, and I don’t know who’s hitting me.” — The Dark Corner (1946), screenplay by Jay Dratler and Bernard C. Schoenfeld, story by Leo Rosten The Daily Dialogue theme for the week:

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Abandoned

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Abandoned, suggested by ymep1. Open Water (2003) Psychological abandonment. Physical abandonment. Emotional abandonment. Or sharks! Whatever angle you want to take, do it and let’s come up with 7 great movie scenes. The usual drill: * Copy/paste dialogue from IMDb Quotes or some other

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 30

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 30. January 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. January 31: Type FADE OUT / The End. 31 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. Whatever. Goal: Rewrite an existing draft. I’m doing it with a Zero Draft I knocked out in November. You’re invited

Interview (Part 6): Anthony Grieco (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Anthony Grieco wrote the original screenplay “Best Sellers” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently Anthony and I had an excellent phone conversation in which we covered a lot of territory, his background and how he got into writing, a deep analysis of “Best Sellers”, and a discussion

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 223rd installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other things of writerly interest. Sundance 2016: Amazon Lands Huge Deal for Sundance Sensation ‘Manchester By the Sea’. Sundance 2016: How Netflix and Amazon Are Dramatically Shaking Up the Market.

Movie Analysis: “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” — Takeaways

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of

Daily Dialogue — January 30, 2016

“Yes, Daddy, I’ve seen it. This is the murderer. Murderer, murderer.” — The Third Man (1949), screen play by Graham Greene The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Accused. Today’s suggestion by Katha. Trivia: The huge ferris wheel that Martins and Lime ride on in the Prater was erected

“Useful Lessons I Learned From Having Screenwriters for Parents”

When I lived in L.A., my oldest son Will attended Wildwood School. Founded in 1971 as a kind of proto-hippie alternative school, among the Westside set Wildwood was known for having Type A parents in Type B clothes, both intense, yet laid back. While not as jam packed

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 29

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 29. January 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. January 31: Type FADE OUT / The End. 31 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. Whatever. Goal: Rewrite an existing draft. I’m doing it with a Zero Draft I knocked out in November. You’re invited

Interview (Part 5): Anthony Grieco (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Anthony Grieco wrote the original screenplay “Best Sellers” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently Anthony and I had an excellent phone conversation in which we covered a lot of territory, his background and how he got into writing, a deep analysis of “Best Sellers”, and a discussion

Movie Analysis: “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” — Dialogue

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of

Black List Happy Hours Coming to Your City!

I posted this a few weeks back: Since 2014, The Black List has hosted happy hours on the first Wednesday of every month at Melrose Umbrella Company in Los Angeles, where hundreds of screenwriters come, meet fellow writers, hang out, and talk shop over a few drinks. But we don’

Daily Dialogue — January 29, 2016

INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE — DAY Flynn is in. He shuts the door. FLYNN: May I come in? SISTER ALOYSIUS: A third party would be required. FLYNN: Yup — what was Donald’s mother doing here? SISTER ALOYSIUS: We were having a chat. FLYNN: About what? SISTER ALOYSIUS: A third party would

Trainwreck: A Study in Character = Function

Some people may look at the movie Trainwreck as being an entertaining, but rather innocuous project. In my opinion, that is giving the script short shrift. It’s not only quite funny, the narrative provides an interesting look at the life a young, modern woman, one who is likely representative

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 28

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 27. January 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. January 31: Type FADE OUT / The End. 31 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. Whatever. Goal: Rewrite an existing draft. I’m doing it with a Zero Draft I knocked out in November. You’re invited

Interview (Part 4): Anthony Grieco (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Anthony Grieco wrote the original screenplay “Best Sellers” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently Anthony and I had an excellent phone conversation in which we covered a lot of territory, his background and how he got into writing, a deep analysis of “Best Sellers”, and a discussion

Movie Analysis: “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” — Themes

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of

The Business of Screenwriting: The screenwriter as problem-solver

What do you see when you think about yourself as a screenwriter? A storyteller? A creative? A professional? However you see yourself, that’s not necessarily how people in Hollywood see you. This came up in a conversation with Max Millimeter: Hollywood Movie Producer Extraordinaire. I was trying to make

Daily Dialogue — January 28, 2016

TRACY: It wasn’t meant to be hurtful — I didn’t mean to hurt you, Brooke. BROOKE (shaking with fury): You don’t get to decide what’s hurtful and not hurtful. TRACY: I can only tell you my intention. BROOKE: You wrote this after ONE night with me? ONE?

Read 2016 Oscar Nominated Best Original and Adapted Screenplays

Studios and production companies have made public 9 of the 10 scripts nominated for Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2016 Academy Awards. Here are links to download them: Original Screenplay Bridge of Spies Ex Machina Inside Out Spotlight Straight Outta Compton Adapted Screenplay The Big Short Brooklyn

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 27

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 27. January 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. January 31: Type FADE OUT / The End. 31 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. Whatever. Goal: Rewrite an existing draft. I’m doing it with a Zero Draft I knocked out in November. You’re invited

Interview (Part 3): Anthony Grieco (2015 Nicholl Winner)

Anthony Grieco wrote the original screenplay “Best Sellers” which won a 2015 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently Anthony and I had an excellent phone conversation in which we covered a lot of territory, his background and how he got into writing, a deep analysis of “Best Sellers”, and a discussion