Scott Myers

Interview [Written]: Mike Cahill (“I Origins”)

A WGA interview with Mike Cahill, writer-director of the new movie I Origins. With I Origins, writer-director Mike Cahill is now two for two telling human stories through science. His first feature, co-scripted with Georgetown classmate Brit Marling, Another Earth, presents parallel universes explained by theoretical physics’

Daily Dialogue — July 26, 2014

Max Kenton: His name is Atom. Can we get him a fight? Charlie Kenton: I don’t think he was ever a boxing robot. Bailey Tallet: He’s a G2, built in early 2014. He’s a sparring bot. Charlie Kenton: They must have built robots like this one that

Declare Your Independents: Volume 22

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… Notes on the Best Indie Movies of 2014 So Far 2014 TIFF Lineup Revealed 2014 Venice Film Festival Lineup Announced Hot Hollywood

Interview [Part 5]: Jason Mark Hellerman

One script that received a lot of attention in the 2013 Black List is “Shovel Buddies” by Jason Mark Hellerman (it garnered 22 votes). I was quite struck by the story — “Over 24 hours, four teenage friends try to complete the “Shovel List” (a will/bucket list) left for them

Spec Script Sale: Untitled Arabian Nights Project

Warner Bros. acquires fantasy adventure untitled Arabian Nights spec scriptment written by David Weill. From Deadline: In a most unusual spec script deal, Warner Bros has preemptively acquired an untitled “script-ment” from tyro screenwriter David Weil. Essentially, the studio bought the blue print for a 7-part movie franchise

Found: Online Song Lyric Generators

This post may be of interest to a small niche among writers, but if you are writing a script that involves someone who is a songwriter. Or perhaps your story features a singer and you want to use original lyrics. Guess what I found? A bunch of online song lyric

Movie Trailer: “The Bronx Bull”

Screenplay by Rustam Branaman & Martin Guigui, based on the book by Chris Anderson & Sharon McGehee & Jake LaMotta A combination “before the rage” and “after the rage” of world middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta’s tumultuous life and times. IMDB Comment Archive

2014 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 19

As noted in this recent post: In May, it was 90s movies. In June, it has been 30 Days of Screenplays. What is that but the first two of three from that essential screenwriting mantra: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. Can you see where I’m going for July?

Great Character: Shannon Mullins (“The Heat”)

The Great Character theme for the month: Action Comedy. Today: Shannon Mullins from The Heat. Prior to the 2013 action comedy The Heat, director Paul Feig and actress Melissa McCarthy previously made magic, and $288,383,523, with the marital blockbuster Bridesmaids. Replacing bridal gowns for badges and guns, Melissa

Daily Dialogue — July 25, 2014

“Hey, laser lips, your mama was a snow blower.” — Short Circuit (1986), written by S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Robot. Trivia: As per the original movie’s attempt to portray a living robot in the “real world”, every part of Johnny and his

The Physics of Story Concepts

One of the aspects of teaching that is fascinating to me is how situations arise which engender new metaphors and takes on content that not only enlighten the writers who take my courses, but also provide new insights for me. For example in my current Core II: Concept class, the

Interview [Part 4]: Jason Mark Hellerman

One script that received a lot of attention in the 2013 Black List is “Shovel Buddies” by Jason Mark Hellerman (it garnered 22 votes). I was quite struck by the story — “Over 24 hours, four teenage friends try to complete the “Shovel List” (a will/bucket list) left for them

Daily Dialogue Topic Index

I have been hosting this blog for over six years now and since just about Day 1, I have been blown away by the people who follow it. Aspiring writers, professional writers, screenwriters, TV writers, novelists, playwrights, poets, musicians, directors, producers, managers, agents, execs, actors, and on and on. Comments

Movie Trailer: “Fifty Shades of Grey”

Screenplay by Kelly Marcel, novel by E.L. James Literature student Anastasia Steele’s life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey. IMDB Release Date: 13 February 2015 (USA)

2014 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 18

As noted in this recent post: In May, it was 90s movies. In June, it has been 30 Days of Screenplays. What is that but the first two of three from that essential screenwriting mantra: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. Can you see where I’m going for July?

Writing and the Creative Life: The Tactile Experience of Writing

Words. Created. On. Paper. A few years back, I was sitting in my office letting my mind wander when a thought suddenly occurred to me: Why do I call what I do ‘writing’ when so little of the process involves the actual physical act of writing. I mean, literally pen

Daily Dialogue — July 24, 2014

Wally’s meter fully charges. His head slowly rises from his box.  Blinks. The cockroach hops with joy. Eve is relieved. …She holds out her hand to him. EVE  (with love) Wally… Wally gives her a blank stare. He turns away from Eve.  Motors out the truck.  She grabs him.

Update: Gender in Spec Script Sales

Earlier this month, I posted this, an update on spec script sales by gender from 1991–2013. GITS reader Rich Kachold went through each of the sales from 2013 and caught a few discrepancies, so the Black List team went through everything one more time, this time including some sales

Interview [Part 3]: Jason Mark Hellerman

One script that received a lot of attention in the 2013 Black List is “Shovel Buddies” by Jason Mark Hellerman (it garnered 22 votes). I was quite struck by the story — “Over 24 hours, four teenage friends try to complete the “Shovel List” (a will/bucket list) left for them

Video: “The History of Comic-Con”

In 4 minutes: Via FirstShowing. When K-9 shot in San Diego in 1988, I remember waking up with a hangover one morning after a night carousing with the film crew, then stumbling out of the elevator in my hotel in search of coffee to find myself surrounded by costumed

A proposal about uncredited screenwriters

I recently posted an interview with Joss Whedon in which he talked for the first time about his work rewriting the script for the movie Speed. Here is an excerpt: Whedon: In my whole career, I’ve never had to talk about it. I’ve never signed a copy of

Movie Trailer: “The Wedding Ringer”

Written by Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender A comedy about a loner and the friendship he forms with the guy he hires to pose as the best man at his upcoming wedding. IMDB Release Date: 16 January 2015 (USA)  Comment Archive

2014 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 17

As noted in this recent post: In May, it was 90s movies. In June, it has been 30 Days of Screenplays. What is that but the first two of three from that essential screenwriting mantra: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. Can you see where I’m going for July?

Script To Screen: “Lost In Translation”

The ending scene from the 2003 movie Lost In Translation, written by Sofia Coppola. Plot Summary: A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo. Here is the scene from the script: INT. CAR - DAY In the backseat, Bob leans back

Daily Dialogue — July 23, 2014

TYRELL: Well, Mr. Deckard? Deckard is looking at Tyrell and wincing indecisively. He doesn’t get it. Are they playing with him? TYRELL: (continuing) Perhaps some privacy will loosen your tongue, Mr. Deckard. He turns to Rachael TYRELL: Would you step out for a few moments, Rachael? Rachael exits looking