Scott Myers

Daily Dialogue — December 3, 2015

“I need to say something. Um, it’s no big secret your mom and I are in hell right now, and, uh… Bottom line is, marriage is hard. It’s really fuckin’ hard. Just… just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing. It’s a

Time for reader questions

You got questions? I’ve got answers. Well, at least opinions. And oftentimes, the GITS community will weigh in with some great insights. While you’re at it, check out the archives of reader questions I’ve aggregated during the nearly 8 year run of this blog. Over 300 questions

Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles 3rd Holiday Animation!

In what’s become an annual tradition, screenwriters Alisha Brophy and Scott Miles, 2014 Nicholl Fellowship winners for their comedy script “The United States of Fuckin’ Awesome,” put together a holiday animation. And this year’s version is the best of the lot. Here’s the high concept: Ever wonder

How They Write A Script: Stirling Silliphant

Stirling Silliphant (1918–1996) is a Hollywood icon with numerous notable film writing credits including Village of the Damned (1960), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Charly (1968), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Towering Inferno (1974), and The Enforcer (1976). Silliphant is remembered for two hit TV series in

Great Scene: “Chinatown”

It’s often referred to as a “perfect script”: Chinatown, written by Robert Towne (with uncredited contributions from director Roman Polanski). Looked at one way, it’s simply a murder mystery, but there’s nothing simple about this movie’s plot or the characters, as this famous scene conveys — one

Daily Dialogue — December 2, 2015

COBB: But I never knew that the idea would grow in her mind like a cancer. That even after she woke… Even after you came back to reality. You’d continue to believe that your world was not real. That death was the only escape. MAL: You infected my mind.

Update: Award season screenplay downloads — 3 new scripts / 34 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: 34. Newly added script (3)

How They Write A Script: Walter Hill

We’ve discussed writer-director Walter Hill previously here and here. Noted for his distinctive approach to writing — he describes it as “haiku style” — Hill has written or directed numerous movies including The Getaway (1972), The Warriors (1979), Alien (1979), uncredited, 48 Hours (1982), and Aliens (1986). In the book,

Screenwriting 101: Greta Gerwig

“I have gotten into baseball recently, and whenever I have trouble writing, I think about the pace of baseball. It’s slow. You strike out a lot, even if you’re great. It’s mostly individual, but when you have to work together, it must be perfect. My desktop picture

Daily Dialogue — December 1, 2015

Peter: I couldn’t do it. Sullivan: I know. Peter: Pa! Pa! Sullivan: I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. — Road to Perdition (2002), screenplay by David Self, graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner The Daily Dialogue theme for the week:

Update: 2015 Zero Draft Thirty Challenge is ‘officially’ over!

It’s now Midnight on the Pacific Coast which means the 2015 Zero Draft Thirty Challenge is ‘officially’ over! What started out as a whimsical notion with this October 15 GITS post transformed into this amazing… thing. It’s going to take some time to process what has happened, but

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 30

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 30. November 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. November 30: Type FADE OUT / The End. 30 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. First draft. Rewrite. Whatever. I’m doing it. You’re invited. To learn everything you need to know about the ZDT Challenge, go

Update: Award season screenplay downloads — 1 new script / 31 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. A special note of thanks to Drafthouse Films for releasing the script for

How They Write A Script: Walter Bernstein

Walter Bernstein was born 1919 and thankfully is still with us, a screenwriter with a lengthy career in which he managed to survive 4 years in the Army during World War II and a stint during which he was blacklisted. Notable films for which Bernstein received credit: Fail-Safe (1964)

Daily Dialogue — November 30, 2015

“He doesn’t even look like a writer.” — Mistress America (2015), written by Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig The Daily Dialogue theme for the month: Writers and Writing. Today’s suggestion by Katha. Trivia: Greta Gerwig: “We don’t do improvisation and no lines are changed.” Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 29

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 29. November 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. November 30: Type FADE OUT / The End. 30 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. First draft. Rewrite. Whatever. I’m doing it. You’re invited. To learn everything you need to know about the ZDT Challenge, go

Update: Award season screenplay downloads — 1 new script / 30 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: 30. Newly added script (1)

Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Regret

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Regret, suggested by Pj Woodside. Born on the Fourth of July (1989) Regret born of despair. Regret tinged in anger. Regret as confession. Regret as acceptance. What memorable movie moments come to mind in which a character or characters express regret? Consecutive days

Screenwriting News (November 16-November 29, 2015)

Jessie Andrews writing-directing dramedy “Empress of Serenity” for Good Universe and Mr. Mudd, Bill Hader to star. Philippa Boyens adapting YA novel “The Merlin Saga” for Walt Disney Pictures. Scott Cooper rewriting-directing “White Knight” for Warner Bros. Pictures. Jon Croker adapting “The Famous Five” for Working Title Films.

Interview (Video): Nick Hornby (“Brooklyn”)

Indiewire’s Anne Thompson interviews Nick Hornby whose novels include Fever Pitch, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, and screenplays An Education and Wild. His latest: Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan, directed by John Crowley. Here is Part 1 of the interview: For Parts 2 and 3, go here.

Daily Dialogue — November 29, 2015

“Fellas, I don’t recognize the right of this committee to ask me these kind of questions. And furthermore, you can all go fuck yourselves.” — The Front (1976), written by Walter Bernstein The Daily Dialogue theme for the month: Writers and Writing. Trivia: Several people involved in this film were

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 28

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 28. November 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning. November 30: Type FADE OUT / The End. 30 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. First draft. Rewrite. Whatever. I’m doing it. You’re invited. To learn everything you need to know about the ZDT Challenge, go

Your suggestions wanted for Daily Dialogue themes!

We will be wrapping up a month’s worth of Daily Dialogue posts on the theme: Writers and Writing, that in conjunction with the Zero Draft Thirty Challenge. Now it’s time for a new batch of Daily Dialogue themes! And I want your suggestions! Here’s what we’re

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 214th installment of Saturday Hot Links. One Year Later: Inside the Sony Hack. Announced: 2016 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations. For Your Consideration: The 10 Biggest Surprises of the 2015 Spirit Awards Nominations. UnPacking the Spirit Award Nominations: What they Might Mean for the Oscar Race. Why

Interview (Audio): Phyllis Nagy (“Carol”)

An Awards Daily podcast interview with Phyllis Nagy who wrote the screenplay for the 2015 movie Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, directed by Todd Haynes. Go here to listen to the interview.