Scott Myers

RIP: Glenn Frey

2016 is kicking our cultural ass. David Bowie. Gone. Alan Rickman. Gone. And now Glenn Frey. Passed away. While I never met him, Frey had a house in Aspen, so when I lived there playing music from 1978–1980, he could be seen around town. I played in some clubs

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 18

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 18. 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

Script Analysis: “Trainwreck” — 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

Interview (Written): Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (“The Big Short”)

A WGA interview with The Big Short director and co-writer Adam McKay and co-writer Charles Randolph. This week, the pair got nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for the movie’s script. On the surface, McKay and Randolph are as alike as calculus and fruit punch. The

On Writing

“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations. Plot is observed after the fact rather than before. It cannot precede action. It is the chart that remains when an action is through. That is all

Daily Dialogue — January 18, 2016

Christof: (Whispering) Truman Truman turns to the sky. Christof: You can speak. I can hear you. Truman: Who are you? Christof: I am the creator… of a television show that gives hope and joy and inspiration to millions. Truman: And who am I? Christof: You are the star. Truman: Was

Movie Analysis: “Creed”

This week, we analyzed the movie Creed, screenplay c-written by Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington, story by Ryan Coogler, based on characters by Sylvester Stallone. IMDb plot summary: The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 17

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 17. 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

Screenwriting News (January 11-January 17, 2016)

Mike Binder adapting his novel “Keep Calm” for New Line Cinema. Emma Donoghue adapting her novel “Frog Music” for Monumental Pictures. Grant Pierce Myers writing Untitled Treasure Hunt Project for Warner Bros. Pictures. Paula Pell sells comedy pitch “Do Nothing Bitches” to Universal Pictures with Tina Fey and Ronda Rousey

Interview (Audio): Orson Welles

A series of interviews between Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles. If you’re a fan of movie history, this is a wonderful listen. “I first met Orson Welles toward the end of 1968,” says Bogdanovich in his introduction, “and not long after we began taping our conversations for a book

Interview (Video): Orson Welles

Orson Welles talks about Citizen Kane in this 1960 interview from the BBC Monitor series. Via Eyes On Cinema.

Daily Dialogue — January 17, 2016

“Mmmmmm, Juicy Fruit.” — One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, novel by Ken Kesey The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Surprise. Trivia: Author Ken Kesey was so bitter about the way the filmmakers were “butchering” his story that he vowed never

Daily Dialogue theme next week: Farewell

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Farewell! Suggested by stetsonhayes. “Hey, you bastards, I’m still here!” Papillon (1973) If “parting is such sweet sorrow,” as Shakespeare suggests, we ought to be able to summon up 7 great farewells from movie history! The usual drill: * Copy/paste dialogue from

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 16

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 16. 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

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 221st installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other things of writerly interest. Oscars 2016: All the Nominees. Oscars 2016: All the Major Snubs and Surprises. Oscars 2016: The Biggest Shocks, Snubs & Surprises. Oscars 2016: Shocking Stats

Movie Analysis: “Creed” — 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

Interview (Written): Gary Whitta

An Uproxx interview with screenwriter Gary Whitta whose writing credits include The Book of Eli and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Is the screenwriting industry a vicious one? I don’t know if “vicious” is the right word but I’ve been doing this for long enough to know

Daily Dialogue — January 16, 2016

TERMINATED EMPLOYEE 1: This is what I get in return for 30 years of service for my company? And they send some yo-yo like you in here to try to tell me that I’m out of a job? They should be telling you you’re out of a

Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling

16 movies produced. 15 movies #1 at the box office. Worldwide B.O. gross over $9 billion. Average B.O. per film: $600M+ by far the highest average per film of any studio in Hollywood history. It’s not just dollars and cents, it’s also quality storytelling. 26 Academy

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 15

Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 15. 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

ATX Festival, Black List Partner for TV Writing Program

From the Hollywood Reporter: ATX Television Festival and The Black List are looking to bring a new wave of voices to TV writers’ rooms. The Austin-set fest and Black List have partnered with USA Network, FX Networks, Sony Pictures Television, Bad Robot Productions and Carlton Cuse Productions on a

Movie Analysis: “Creed” — 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

Watch a Deleted Scene From ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Via Speakeasy at the Wall Street Journal: The Blu-ray/DVD release of “Straight Outta Compton,” the biopic about influential rap group N.W.A., is scheduled for Jan. 19. Among the features on the disc is a deleted scene showing Nicole Young as she visits her boyfriend-turned-husband,

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Name That Tune!

So I posted a DLWTTW the other day suggesting the value of ‘star-casting’: …that reminded me of “star-casting,” where a writer imagines ‘casts’ certain actors to ‘play’ the roles of various characters in the screenplay they are writing. In comments, Désirée said: Stupid advice, I would say. Then

Daily Dialogue — January 15, 2016

JOANNA DRAYTON: He’s so calm and sure of everything. He doesn’t have any tensions in him. He knows what he believes and what he thinks is right and why, and where he’s going. Oh, Mom, there’s one thing I must tell you. He was married before,