Scott Myers

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 125th installment of Saturday Hot Links. Today: The 86th Academy Awards Edition! The Oscars will piss you off, but you’ll keep watching. The 2014 hater’s guide to the Oscars. 5 shocking statistics about gender inequity and the Academy Awards. 10 fun and fascinating facts about

Interview [Written]: Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”)

A THR interview with writer-director Wes Anderson on the eve of the premiere of his newest movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. THR: I gather that the first in the series of dots that led to you making your first feature happened at the University of Texas. How did you

Daily Dialogue — March 1, 2014

“Please, Jack, no. I’m frightened.” — Brazil (1985), screenplay by Terry Gilliam & Tom Stoppard & Charles McKeown The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is agony, suggested by Illimani. Trivia: Early title for Brazil was “1984 and a 1/2”, an ode to Federico Fellini and 8½ (1963), but

Words of inspiration to first-time writers…

…from the GITS community. Updated with some recent additions. Offered to every writer, but especially those just starting out on their creative journey. We spend our lives searching within ourselves for something majestic, something big enough for people to take notice. If only for a moment. That’s what writing

Screenwriting Lessons: Michael Arndt [Part 5]

Back in 2012, I ran a 5-part series of screenwriting lessons based on what Michael Arndt says and writes. Here is Part 5 which gets into story beginnings. I don’t know who went to the trouble of creating this doc — if someone out there can find the source,

Spec Script Sale: “The Bringing”

In a competitive bidding, Sony Pictures acquires horror spec script “The Bringing” written by Brandon Murphy and Philip Murphy. From Deadline: The spec’s basis is on a woman, Elisa Lam, who was found dead in the water tanks on the roof of the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. That’

Dolby Presents: “Silent” — a Short Film

Via @Dolby: “Silent” is an animated short film created by Academy Award® winning Moonbot Studios (http://http://moonbotstudios.com). It celebrates how storytellers, inventors, and technology work together to create cinema magic. The story follows two street performers who dream of bringing their “Picture and Sound Show” to life. When

Movie Trailer: “Fading Gigolo”

Written by John Turturro Fioravante decides to become a professional Don Juan as a way of making money to help his cash-strapped friend, Murray. With Murray acting as his “manager”, the duo quickly finds themselves caught up in the crosscurrents of love and money. IMDB Release Date: 18 April

Character Type: Visionary

“They can see into the future… or think they can. They perceive possibilities when others see only walls. Often the power of their perceptions are matched by their zeal.” Those of you who have followed my blog for some time or taken courses with me through Screenwriting Master Class know

Great Character: Andy Hanson (“Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”)

This month’s theme: Great Philip Seymour Hoffman characters. Today: Guest poster Jason Cuthbert looks at Andy Hanson from the 2007 movie Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, written by Kelly Masterson. What kind of older brother convinces his weaker-willed younger sibling to plot a robbery of their

Daily Dialogue — February 28, 2014

“Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” — To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), screenplay by Horton Foote, novel by Harper Lee The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is agony, suggested by Illimani. Trivia: Despite the novel winning the Pulitzer Prize, the studios were not interested in buying up

Screenwriting Lessons: Michael Arndt [Part 4]

Over the years, I have featured screenwriter Michael Arndt numerous times. Two reasons. First, he is a terrific writer witness two films he wrote: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Toy Story 3 (2010). Second, evidently he has spent a good deal of time reflecting about the craft of screenwriting witness

2014 WGAW Feature Access Project Honorees Announced

From the WGAW: Los Angeles — The Writers Guild of America, West has announced its 2014 Feature Access Project honorees, recognizing nine WGAW members who competed in the Guild’s diversity screenwriting program. This year’s FAP honorees and their screenplays are: Radha Bharadwaj — Final Boarding Soo-Hyun Chung — Faith Q.

Movie Trailer: “Svengali”

Written by Jonny Owen Svengali tells the story of Dixie (Jonny Owen), a postman from South Wales, and a music fanatic. All his life he’s dreamed of discovering a great band and then one day, trawling through YouTube, he finds them… ‘The Premature Congratulations’. He hunts them down and

Character Type: Rebel

Tradition. Ordinary. The Way Things Are. Enter… The Rebel. Those of you who have followed my blog for some time or taken courses with me through Screenwriting Master Class know how fascinated I am with character archetypes, specifically how there are five — Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster — which recur in

Writing and the Creative Life: “The hard is what makes it great”

Wisdom about writing and creativity from the movie ‘A League of Their Own’. Jimmy Dugan: Taking a little day trip? Dottie Hinson: No, Bob and I are driving home. To Oregon. Jimmy Dugan: [long pause] You know, I really thought you were a ballplayer. Dottie Hinson: Well, you were wrong.

Daily Dialogue — February 27, 2014

Andrew Beckett: What do you call a thousand lawyers chained together at the bottom of the ocean? Joe Miller: I don’t know. Andrew Beckett: A good start. (beat) Excellent work, counselor. Thank you. Joe Miller: It was great working with you. (beat) I better go. See you later Andrew

The Periodic Table of Storytelling

From AVClub: Graphic designer James Harris has taken the periodic table of the elements, which catalogs the basic building blocks necessary for all life in the universe, and done something useful with it. Harris’ Periodic Table Of Storytelling takes several of the film, television, and video game clichés assembled so

Screenwriting Lessons: Michael Arndt [Part 3]

Over the years, I have featured screenwriter Michael Arndt numerous times. Two reasons. First, he is a terrific writer witness two films he wrote: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Toy Story 3 (2010). Second, evidently he has spent a good deal of time reflecting about the craft of screenwriting witness

Stephen Fry’s 2014 BAFTA Awards final comments

For a fleeting moment in time, there was a video on YouTube with the entirety of this year’s BAFTA Awards ceremony. But alas, the YouTube gods yanked it away. So we will have to make do with this: And a transcript of Fry’s closing comments: That’s all

Movie Trailer: “Godzilla”

Max Borenstein (screenplay), Dave Callaham (story) A giant radioactive monster called Godzilla appears to wreak destruction on mankind. IMDB Release Date: 16 May 2014 (USA)  Comment Archive

Character Type: Healer

“Educated and intelligent, combined with their calling to make people well, the Healer is generally a character others put their trust in. Oftentimes this is a key to the patient’s ultimate well-being… or their downfall if they put their faith in a false Healer.” Those of you who

Script To Screen: “The Artist”

A cute scene that turns into a significant plot point from the 2011 silent movie The Artist, written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius. Plot Summary: A silent movie star meets a young dancer, but the arrival of talking pictures sends their careers in opposite directions. Here is the scene from

Daily Dialogue — February 26, 2014

WITH THE STAMPEDE Mortally wounded, Mufasa makes a valiant leap up a steep incline. He climbs up loose rock that gives way. He struggles up the incline and climbs just beneath a rocky overhang. He digs his claws in and dangles. ANGLE — SCAR Looking down at his brother, who clings

Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

It’s a lonely thing… writing. Even if we take our gear to the local coffee joint, surrounded by the buzz of caffeine fueled activity, the existential act of writing is a one-on-one thing: The Writer and the Story. Sometimes the words flow like a fine wine. Often,