Scott Myers

A “Star Wars” Day Message from NASA

May the Fourth be with you! Via Indiewire. Comment Archive

Screenwriting News (April 28-May 4, 2014)

Jordan Cahan rewriting comedy “Sick Day” for Universal Pictures, Johnny Knoxville attached to star. Derek Connolly sells supernatural horror comedy “Cloaked” to Warner Bros. Lucinda Coxon adapting drama novel “The Danish Girl” for Working Title, Tom Hooper attached to direct. Frank E. Flowers adapting untitled LeBron James sports drama for

Classic 90s Movie: “Se7en”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from David Germinario. Movie Title: Se7en Year: 1995 Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker Lead Actors: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow Director: David Fincher IMDB Plot Summary: Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer

Interview [Video]: Paweł Pawlikowski (“Ida”)

A DP/30 interview with Ida co-writer and director Pawel Pawlikowski. Here is the plot summary for Ida: Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi

Daily Dialogue — May 4, 2014

“I’ll be back.” — The Terminator (1984), written by James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd, based on “Outer Limits” episodes by Harlan Ellison The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Nemesis, suggested by Alejandro. Trivia: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous debut line ‘I’ll be back’ was originally scripted as ‘I’

Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Lying

As we wrap up this week’s theme — Nemesis as suggested by Alejandro — next week, we sojourn into a thematic territory Nemesis figures would likely feel quite comfortable with: Lying. Think of all the great movie characters who have lied. To save their skin. To manipulate people. To twist events

“The Seven Wonders of Preston Sturges”

If there is one person to whom we can point as writing and selling the first feature length spec script, it’s Preston Sturges. The year was 1933 and the script was The Power and the Glory. Directed by William K. Howard, Sturges received a credit of “Original Screenplay” for

Interview [Part 6]: Amma Asante, Director, “Belle”

Amma Asante has been an actress, TV writer-producer, and movie director. Her latest is the period piece drama Belle, written by Misan Sagay and directed by Asante. The movie opens this Friday, May 2nd in theaters across North America. I had an engaging and informative conversation with Amma after

Saturday Hot Links

The 132nd installment of Saturday Hot Links. Today: The Three Bob Hoskins’ Best Roles Edition. Mona Lisa (1986) Actor Bob Hoskins dies at the age of 71. Interview with Bob Hoskins. Here are your summer movie sequels in inforgraphic form. We are very near the end of civilization as we

Classic 90s Movie: “Boyz n the Hood”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Erika Horton. Movie Title: Boyz n the Hood Year: 1991 Writer: John Singleton Director: John Singleton Lead Actors: Lawrence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut IMDB Plot Summary: John Singleton’s portrayal of social problems in

Interview (Written): Jim Jarmusch

An Indiewire interview with Jim Jarmusch: Jim Jarmusch is member of that elite (non-existent) club of multi-hyphenate, fiercely independent filmmakers that have covered almost every role in the filmmaking process. Included in this group are the likes of Robert Rodriguez, Julie Delpy and Shane Carruth. For Jarmusch, music

Daily Dialogue — May 3, 2014

“Who killed my sister? Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?” — The Wizard of Oz (1939), screenplay by Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, adaptation by Noel Langley, based on a novel by L. Frank Baum The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Nemesis,

From Deal to Real: Another way of looking at transformation

The screenwriting classes I teach can be an incredible learning experience for everyone involved, including myself. For example, the current 1-week course Create a Compelling Protagonist, there’s been so much activity — great discussions as well as participants workshopping their story’s Protagonist — I’ve had to extend the

Interview [Part 5]: Amma Asante, Director, “Belle”

Amma Asante has been an actress, TV writer-producer, and movie director. Her latest is the period piece drama Belle, written by Misan Sagay and directed by Asante. The movie opens this Friday, May 2nd in theaters across North America. I had an engaging and informative conversation with Amma after

Infographic: The Creative Process

Via @speeknocker: That goes along with this one from the other day: Now we have two scientifically proven visual representations of how the creative process works. So we got that going for us! Comment Archive

Lupus Awareness Month & “Empower: Fight Like A Girl”

May is Lupus Awareness Month and this initiative is great! Via Jennifer Quintenz: At the present time there is no cure for lupus — but research is ongoing. This is where you can help — even if you don’t have a PhD in medical research. In an effort to help raise

Movie Trailer: “Lucy”

Written by Luc Besson A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. IMDB Release Date: 8 August 2014 (USA)  Comment Archive

Classic 90s Movie: “My Cousin Vinny”

May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from John Henderson. Movie Title: My Cousin Vinny Year: 1992 Writer: Dale Launer Lead Actors: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Fred Gwynne Director: Jonathan Lynn IMDB Plot Summary: Two New Yorkers are accused of murder in rural Alabama

Great Character: Patricia Franchini (“Breathless”)

This month’s theme: Attractor characters. Today: Patricia Franchini from the 1960 movie Breathless, written by François Truffaut. This French New Wave mission statement movie Breathless united several pioneer members of that director-as-author “auteur” style that sprang up from the galvanization of many independent French filmmakers’ initial roles

Daily Dialogue — May 2, 2014

Hans: The following people are to be released from their captors: In Northern Ireland, the seven members of the New Provo Front. In Canada, the five imprisoned leaders of Liberte de Quebec. In Sri Lanka, the nine members of the Asian Dawn movement… John McClane: [listening on the radio] What

Why I gave away 30 story ideas in 30 days

In April when I ran the “A Story Idea Each Day for a Month” [A.S.I.E.D.F.A.M] series, several GITS readers emailed me wondering if I’d lost my mind. Why give away story ideas? I don’t think I’ve gone insane, although the

Interview [Part 4]: Amma Asante, Director, “Belle”

Amma Asante has been an actress, TV writer-producer, and movie director. Her latest is the period piece drama Belle, written by Misan Sagay and directed by Asante. The movie opens this Friday, May 2nd in theaters across North America. I had an engaging and informative conversation with Amma after

Supercut: The Greatest Television Shows of All Time

Via Jim Casey (@Thepadtech). A lot of great shows there, but would have loved to see: The Dick Van Dyke Show I Love Lucy The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Homicide Northern Exposure St. Elsewhere L.A. Law Hill Street Blues Ally McBeal Treme How about you? What

7 in 10 U.S. TV watchers are ‘binge viewers’

Via Worldscreen: NEW YORK: In a new survey conducted by Miner & Co. Studios, seven out of ten U.S. TV watchers identified themselves as “binge viewers,” defined as those who watch three or more episodes of one series in a single sitting. The survey found that 17 percent of

Movie Trailer: “Map to the Stars”

Screenplay by Bruce Wagner Complex look at Hollywood and what it reveals about Western culture. IMDB Comment Archive