Scott Myers

Script Analysis: “The Artist” — Part 3: Sequences

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: Major Plot Points Wednesday: Sequences Thursday: Psychological Journey Friday: Takeaways Today: Sequences. A

Script To Screen: “The English Patient”

A moment of obsessed love explored in this scene from the 1996 movie The English Patient, screenplay by Anthony Minghella, novel by Michael Ondaatje. IMDb plot summary: At the close of WWII, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing

Daily Dialogue — January 21, 2015

Mad Dog Tannen and his gang tow Marty McFly through the town at the end of a rope, ending at the new court house construction. TANNEN: We got ourselves a new court house. High time we had a hangin’. Tannen wraps the rope around Marty’s neck and Marty is

Twitter Rant: @MysteryExec on the Importance of Screenwriters

Yesterday @MysteryExec went on a Twitter rant in response to a profoundly dumb article in Variety penned by Peter Bart: Are Screenwriters Becoming Obsolete in Hollywood. Rant reprinted by permission: https://twitter.com/MysteryExec/status/557226313820299264 Audiences are realizing it as the process becomes more evident, folks recognize the fundamental

Interview (Part 2): Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles (2014 Nicholl Winners)

Alisha Brophy and Scott Miles wrote the original screenplay “The United States of Fuckin’ Awesome” which won the duo a 2014 Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting. Alisha, Scott and I had a great interview which I will be rolling out in 6 installments this week. Today in Part 2, Alisha and

Video: Michael Arndt on “Beginnings: Setting a Story Into Motion”

I’m currently teaching a one-week session of my Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling class and one of the writers in the class — Kenny — surfaced this video from Michael Arndt, screenwriter of Toy Story 3 about story beginnings. It is quite instructive: Takeaway: * Arndt subscribes to Three Act

Classic 60s Movie: If….

January is Classic 60s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Will Leitch. Movie Title: If…. Year: 1968 Writers: Screenplay by David Sherwin (from the original script ‘Crusaders’ by David Sherwin and John Howlett) Lead Actors: Malcolm McDowell, David Wood, Richard Warwick Director: Lindsay Anderson IMDB Plot Summary: In

Movie Trailer: “Spy”

Written by Paul Feig A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster. IMDb Release Date: 22 May 2015 (USA)

Script Analysis: “The Artist” — Part 2: Major Plot Points

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: Major Plot Points Wednesday: Sequences Thursday: Psychological Journey Friday: Takeaways Today: Major Plot

Screenwriting 101: Christopher Hampton

“I’m not sure I’ve ever written a film with a traditional structure — I don’t believe in any of those rules for writing screenplays. What that gives you is a formula, and inevitably the result will be formulaic. I’ve always refused to do treatments, but I can

Daily Dialogue — January 20, 2015

Wyatt Earp: All right, Clanton… you called down the thunder, well now you’ve got it! You see that? [pulls open his coat, revealing a badge] It says United States Marshal! Ike Clanton: [terrified, pleading] Wyatt, please, I… Wyatt Earp: [referring to Stilwell, laying dead] Take a good look at

2015 Dialogue-Writing Challenge

Several years back, I coined this screenwriting mantra: Read Scripts. Watch Movies. Write Pages. To encourage GITS followers to embrace these three key practices, I have run a variety of blog series. Read Scripts 30 Days of Screenplays [2013] 30 Days of Screenplays [2014] Go Into The Story Script Reading

Interview (Part 1): Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles (2014 Nicholl Winners)

Alisha Brophy and Scott Miles wrote the original screenplay “The United States of Fuckin’ Awesome” which won the duo a 2014 Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting. Alisha, Scott and I had a great interview which I will be rolling out in 6 installments this week. Today in Part 1, Scott and

Audio: Flannery O’Connor reading “A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Flannery O’Connor is one of my favorite authors. Here is a rare audio recording of O’Connor reading one of her short stories “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. The rest of the audio recording: Part 2, Part 3. HT for the link: Mental Floss. Comment Archive

Classic 60s Movie: The Odd Couple

January is Classic 60s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from John Henderson. Movie Title: The Odd Couple Year: 1968 Writer: Neil Simon, based on his play Lead Actors: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau Director: Gene Saks Plot Summary: Two friends (neat, fussy Felix Ungar and messy, laidback Oscar Madison)

Movie Trailer: “To Write Love on Her Arms”

Screenplay by Kate King Lynch & Nathan Frankowski A drama centered around Renee Yohe and her battle with drugs, depression, and other life issues that ultimately leads to the founding of charity group To Write Love on Her Arms. IMDb

Script Analysis: “The Artist” — 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: Major Plot Points Wednesday: Sequences Thursday: Psychological Journey Friday: Takeaways Today: Scene-By-

On Writing

“If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.” — W. Somerset Maugham

Daily Dialogue — January 19, 2015

JENSEN: Get me out of here, Clay… CLAY (O.S.) (THROUGH RADIO): There’s a fire exit thirty yards north of your position. Jensen, heading for it… BIG SECURITY 1 (O.S.): Freeze like a statue, pretty boy! Jensen slow turns to find THREE GUNS trained straight at him. Major

Go Into The Story Week In Review: January 12-January 18, 2015

Links to last week’s most notable posts: Black List featured on CBS “This Morning” Classic 60s Movie: Blow Up Classic 60s Movie: Cool Hand Luke Classic 60s Movie: Lawrence of Arabia Classic 60s Movie: Lonely are the Brave Classic 60s Movie: The Graduate Classic 60s Movie: The Sound of

Interview: Craig Mazin

Craig Mazin is a successful screenwriter in the comedy genre whose movie credits include RocketMan (1997), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Scary Movie 4 (2006), Superhero Movie (2008), The Hangover Part II (2011), Identity Thief (2013) and The Hangover Part III (2013). With fellow screenwriter Ted Elliott, he hosted the informative

Screenwriting News (January 12-January 18, 2015)

Nika Agiashvili drama crime “Punch It” for Storyman Pictures. Dan Antoniazzi and Ben Shiffrin writing comedy “Nine Lives” for EuropaCorp. Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley sell comedy pitch “Psych” to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Cliff Dorfman adapting “Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion” for Relativity Media. Gillian Flynn writing

Classic 60s Movie: The Sound of Music

January is Classic 60s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Mike Dobbins. Movie Title: The Sound of Music Year: 1965 Writers: George Hurdalek, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, Ernest Lehman, Maria Von Trapp. Lead Actors: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer Director: Robert Wise IMDb Plot Summary: A woman leaves an

Interview (Written): Paul Thomas Anderson (“Inherent Vice”)

Rolling Stone interview with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, focusing on his newest movie Inherent Vice. Do you remember the first time Pynchon’s work came across your radar? It’s a little messy up here [taps forehead], but I think I tried to tackle Gravity’s Rainbow first, based on

Daily Dialogue — January 18, 2015

“Oh my God. I’m back. I’m home. All the time, it was… We finally really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!” — Planet of the Apes (1968), screenplay by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, novel by Pierre Boulle