Scott Myers

Update: Award season screenplay downloads — 1 new script / 43 total

It’s that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season. As in years past, we will be tracking them and posting links as they become available. UPDATE: Current total of 2015 scripts for download: 43. Newly added script (1)

How to Use Go Into The Story (Part 1): Watch Movies

With over 18,000 posts on this blog, here’s a logical question: HOW THE HELL DO I USE THIS STUFF? An end of the year series to help. Part 1: Watch Movies Many years ago, I coined this screenwriting mantra: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. Seriously, you can

On Writing

“There’s the donut and there’s the hole. You should keep your eye on the donut. All the other things that go on, they don’t matter. What matters is falling in love with the story or ideas and realizing those. There’s things going on in the world

Daily Dialogue — December 28, 2015

ELIZABETH: Jack, it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island. JACK: Oh, yes. But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has definitely improved. ELIZABETH: Mr. Sparrow. I’m not entirely sure I’ve had enough rum to allow that

Go Into The Story: 2016 Schedule

2015 was another year in which GITS mixed old and new. We continued some series which have become familiar companions through our journeys together since 2008: On Writing, Screenwriting 101, Reader Questions, and of course Daily Dialogue. We featured some recurring contests such as a Scene-Writing Challenge and a

Interview (Audio): Lawrence Kasdan (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)

An Empire interview with Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The four participants in the podcast go on to discuss the movie to great depth with several big spoilers, so only listen to the post-Kasdan segment if you’re braced for that. For more Empire

Video: “Anatomy of a Scene: ‘The Big Short’”

Adam McKay, co-writer and director of The Big Short, provides commentary on a scene from the movie: NYTLogo_gray#888888Edit descriptiongraphics8.nytimes.com This is an excellent film, I highly recommend it. Make a point to watch this movie. It’s not only great storytelling, its story is hugely

Interview (Video): J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)

A half-hour conversation between J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, co-writers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens which Abrams directed… which is why this event took place at the Directors Guild of America. It’s interesting listening to Abrams talk about directing because it’s clear much of

Daily Dialogue — December 27, 2015

BRAD: What are you guys doing for, christmas? STAN: We got the entire family flying in. 13 airport pick-ups. 4 days of listening to how gifted my nieces are. My brother thinks his daughter, the four year old..is gonna be the next, Beyonce. She’s bad and she

Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Drunk

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Drunk. “I’ll have another one of these little mothers.” The Apartment (1960) There are times when characters in our stories feel the need to get inebriated. What better way to find inspiration in their dialogue than study memorable movie scenes in which

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 218th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other things of writerly interest. ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: Breakdown of Box-Office Records. Hollywood Loved ‘Star Wars,’ But George Lucas Didn’t Love Hollywood. Michael Arndt Reveals Rejected

Writing Goals: 2016–10 Part Series

If you didn’t follow along with the series over the last two weeks and feel like you could use a good year-end reflection as well as taking time to set writing goals for 2016, here you go — all ten posts. Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 1] — Looking Back Writing

Interview (Written): Sean Baker (“Tangerine”)

Jeff Sneider from The Wrap interviews Sean Baker, writer-director of the indie film Tangerine, a microbudget movie shot on an iPhone 5s that stars transgender actresses Kitana ‘Kiki’ Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. The movie has been nominated for 4 Independent Spirit Awards. TheWrap: When I tell people how much

Daily Dialogue — December 26, 2015

PAPA ELF: I think it’s time you start your tinker training. BUDDY: Santa’s sleigh! PAPA ELF: You’re going to help me make it fly. BUDDY: I thought the magical reindeer made the sleigh fly. PAPA ELF: And where do the reindeer get their magic from? BUDDY: Christmas

Why I keep hosting this blog… and a Christmas wish for you

Because of emails like this: My name is Matti Pasanen and I’m a 22-year old student from Lapland, Finland. I study media, specializing in TV and movies at the wonderful school of Keski-Pohjanmaan Aikuisopisto. I’m currently a freshman but I have previous experience in the movie

Silent Movie: “The Night Before Christmas” (1905)

This silent movie is 110 years old. Enjoy! Some pretty solid effects for a film of that era. Comment Archive

Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 10] — Trust The Process

We pick up from last week with our year-end attempt to help GITS readers set and achieve their writing goals for 2016. To revisit the process of self-reflection from last week, here are the links: Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 1] — Looking Back Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 2] — Assessing

Video: “Star Wars Minus Star Wars — Between the Lines”

This is awesome! It’s impossible to overstate the impact of Star Wars. Its arrival in theaters on May 25th 1977 marked the end of one chapter in film history and the beginning of another. It’s a hinge on which film history swings. Upon its release, critic Pauline Kael

Daily Dialogue — December 25, 2015

COP: Attention, attention citizens. Terrible news. There’s still no sign of Santa Claus. Although the impostor has been shot down, it looks like Xmas will have to be canceled this year. I repeat the impostor has been shot down but there’s still no sign …… JACK (performed by Danny

Bob Dylan reads “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”

Since my oldest son Will is in Massachusetts with his girlfriend and doesn’t get here until December 27th, which will be our ‘official’ Christmas Eve, the three of us are going to watch Princess Bride tonight and wrap some presents. How about you? What will you be doing tonight?

“Twas the Night Before Black List…”

Funny how things become traditions here at Go Into The Story. Two years ago, screenwriter Chris McCoy uploaded this series of tweets the day before the roll-out of the 2013 Black List: “‘Twas the Night Before Black List and all through the LA / Writers were nervous — could this help

Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 9] — The Only Way Out Is Through

We pick up from last week with our year-end attempt to help GITS readers set and achieve their writing goals for 2016. To revisit the process of self-reflection from last week, here are the links: Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 1] — Looking Back Writing Goals: 2016 [Part 2] — Assessing

Video: “Star Wars: a Drunk History” (by someone who hasn’t seen the films)

This is possibly the greatest thing I’ve seen on the Internet… since yesterday. Richard Gere as Lucas. And clearly the whole Princess Leia as Darth Vader’s daughter just doesn’t work because of the incest thing. Chewbaca as a cat. Great stuff! Comment Archive

Writing and the Creative Life: Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling (Part 5)

In Part 1, we looked at a Harvard Business Review article about the influence of stories on the brain, how much of it apparently boils down to the reaction of a chemical called Oxytocin. In Part 2, we considered additional chemical reactions in the brain related to storytelling: Cortisol during

Daily Dialogue — December 24, 2015

Ronna: I have the money. I have more than I owe you. Todd: So now you’re an entrepreneur. — Go (1999), written by John August The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Christmas Frenzy. Trivia: Writer John August had originally intended “Go” to be a short film. The original screenplay