Scott Myers

Script To Screen: “Cool Hand Luke”

A key scene from the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson, novel by Donn Pearce. IMDb plot summary: A man refuses to conform to life in a rural prison. Here is a boxing scene from the movie’s script: EXT. BARRACKS CLOSE ON LUKE

Daily Dialogue — December 17, 2014

Dalton Russell: I got a question for ya’. You get it right, I give you more time. Keith Frazier: And? Dalton Russell: You know what happens if you don’t. Which weighs more: all the trains that pass through Grand Central Station in a year — or the trees cut down

Update: Award season screenplay downloads (NEW: Unbroken)

It’s that time of year again when studios 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. If you want to get these scripts first, come here. No one posts them faster than

Writing A Script, Part 7: Script Diary

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline Today, Part 7: SCRIPT DIARY The last thing I do before I

Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: American Hustle

We’ve had a successful relaunch of the GITS Script Reading & Analysis series. I say relaunch because we have done this type of thing before. For the next month, I will be spotlighting previous movie scripts we have studied. Today: American Hustle (2013) Written by Eric Warren Singer, David

Interview (Video): David Seidler

Another in an excellent Creative Spark series of videos from Academy Originals, this one with David Seidler whose screenwriting credits include Tucker: The Man and His Dream and The King’s Speech, the latter for which he won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. A wonderful few minutes with Seidler

2014 Black List: Final

Yesterday morning, the 2014 Black List was released to the public. Here is the list ranked per the number of votes each script received along with loglines: Catherine the Great by Kristina Lauren Anderson (51) Sophia Augusta takes control of her life, her marriage, and her kingdom becoming Russia’s

Movie Trailer: “Tracers”

Written by Leslie Bohem, Matt Johnson, Kevin Lund, T.J. Scott Wanted by the Mafia, a new York City bike messenger escapes into the world of parkour after meeting a beautiful stranger. IMDb

Writing Goals: 2015 [Part 2] — Assessing Where You Are

This series of daily posts, starting yesterday and going through next Friday (M-F), is not about resolutions which we make on December 31 and break by January 30… or sooner. This is not about wish lists and ephemeral fantasies. This is about each of us committing ourselves to ply

Screenwriting 101: Stephen Gaghan

When I moved to Los Angeles, I wrote spec screenplays. I was really poor, and I thought I was just gonna do this for a while to make a little money so I could write novels. I thought movies were a second-class art form. I condescended to it — I

Daily Dialogue — December 16, 2014

SPADE: Alright, I’ve got another suggestion. It may not be as good as the first one, but it’s better than nothing. You want to hear it? GUTMAN: Most assuredly. SPADE: Give them Cairo. GUTMAN: (Chuckles) Well, by gad, sir… CAIRO: And suppose we give them you or Miss

Update: Award season screenplay downloads (NEW: The Gambler)

It’s that time of year again when studios 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. If you want to get these scripts first, come here. No one posts them faster than

Writing A Script, Part 6: Outline

Here’s another in a series of posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Today Part 6: Outline I start by transcribing the content of the cards into a new

Interview: Patty Jones (2013 Nicholl Winner)

Patty Jones’ original screenplay “Joe Banks” won the Vancouver based writer a 2013 Nicholl fellowship. Here are links to the five installments of the entire interview: Part 1: “I was a pretty heavy reader. Even if you fall off it when you’re a teenager and you get into other

Go Into The Story Week In Review: December 8-December 14, 2014

Links to last week’s most notable posts: Alisha Brophy & Scott Miles Holiday Animation Card Daily Dialogue Theme for Next Week: Negotiation Declare Your Independents — Vol. 40 Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: The Silence of the Lambs Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: The

Black List 2014 — Final Updated List

Beginning at 1PM Eastern / 10AM Pacific, I will be continuously updating this year’s Black List writers as their scripts and names are released via Twitter [#BlackList2014]. UPDATE #1 PROFESSOR PASGHETTI — Jeff Feuerstein MORGAN — Seth W. Owen  I AM RYAN REYNOLDS — Billy Goulston GIFTED — Tom Flynn  ROAD TO OZ — Josh

Writing Goals: 2015 [Part 1] — Looking Back

I thought I would reprise something I’ve done this time the last few year with the hope it would benefit as many of you as possible in taking concrete steps forward next year with your writing aspirations. It’s a very simple thing, really — setting goals — but for many,

On Writing

“What is either a picture or a novel that is not character?” — Henry James

Daily Dialogue — December 15, 2014

INT. POLICE STATION HALLWAY KORBEN: Found him… AKANIT: (tense) Send someone to negotiate! KORBEN: Mind if I go? I’m an excellent negotiator. COP 1: Uh… Sure, go ahead. Korben gets ready. COP 1: We’re sending someone in who’s authorized to negotiate. INT. POLICE STATION Korben walks quickly

“Twas the night before Black List…”

Screenwriter Chris McCoy has made the Black List three times (Get Back, Good Looking, Good Kids), so he knows of what he speaks when he composed these four tweets last year: “‘Twas the Night Before Black List and all through the LA / Writers were nervous — could this help them get

Declare Your Independents — Vol. 40

GITS development assistant Wendy Cohen here, and welcome back to Declare Your Independents, our new series highlighting the latest developments in the world of independent film! This week… The Best Undistributed Films of 2014 The 15 Best Movie Soundtracks Of 2014 The 72nd Annual Golden Globes Nominations Are Announced THR

Screenwriting News (December 8-December 14, 2014)

Brett Butler and Jason Butler writing-directing sports drama comedy “First Round Down”. Karen Croner adaptation “Tribes of Palos Verdes” with Relativity Media. Justin Doble writing untitled science fiction project for Sony Pictures and Bad Robot. Nicky Gogan and Paul Rowley writing psychological thriller “Morocco” for Kasbah Films. Dallas Hallam

Video: Screenwriter Lecture by Steven Knight

Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises, Peaky Blinders, Locke) speaks about three specific craft areas in relation to his works: structure, dialogue and protagonists. Via BAFTA.

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

Paul Thomas Anderson and the cast of Inherent Vice discuss the movie after its premiere at the New York Film Festival: The movie’s ‘paranoia’ trailer: The Inherent Vice movie site here.

Daily Dialogue — December 14, 2014

C.C. Baxter: Sorry, Mr. Sheldrake. J.D. Sheldrake: What do you mean, sorry? C.C. Baxter: You’re not going to bring anybody to my apartment. J.D. Sheldrake: I’m not just bringing anybody; I’m bringing Miss Kubelik. C.C. Baxter: Especially not Miss Kubelik. J.D.