Scott Myers

Spec Script Sale: “Mercy Road”

Cheyenne Enterprises acquires action drama spec script “Mercy Road” written by Roy Freirich. From TheWrap: “…an action drama set in the world of counterfeit life-saving medication.” This is an option deal. By my count, this is the 3rd spec script sale in 2014. There was 1 spec script sale

The Toughest Scene I Wrote: Bob Nelson (“Nebraska”)

Once again, Vulture does screenwriters a solid: In this series, Vulture has been speaking to the screenwriters behind 2013′s most acclaimed movies about the scenes they found most difficult to crack. What pivotal sequences underwent the biggest transformations on their way from script to screen? In this article, Bob

Movie Trailer: “A Field in England”

Written by Ben Wheatley, Amy Jump Fleeing for their lives, a small party abandon their Civil War confederates and escape through an overgrown field. Thinking only of what lay behind, they are ambushed by two dangerous men and made to search the field. Psychedelia, madness and chaotic forces slowly overtake

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: Part 2

Last Monday, I posted this about an occurrence that happens with irritating regularity in the online screenwriting universe: The contentious specter of so-called screenwriting ‘rules’: What happens is pretty much this: * Somebody posts something about how there is a rule against doing this or that. * That circulates as people

Screenwriting 101: Richard Curtis

“One of my big rules, if I had any rules for screenwriting, would be to let things sit there and stew. Because the two times that I’ve written films, just thought of them and written them, have been the two times I’ve just put them in a drawer

Daily Dialogue — January 14, 2014

Jack Lipnick: Is that him? Is that Barton Fink? Let me at him. Let me put my arms around this guy. Let me hug this guy. How the hell are ya? Good trip? My name’s Jack Lipnick. You know that. You read the papers. Lou treating you all right?

2014 Film and Television Writers Calendar

While you were busy hammering back egg nog and champagne over the holidays, the folks in our little part of the world (The Black List, Go Into The Story, The Black Board) were busy creating a gift for the online writing community: The 2014 Film and Television Writers Calendar You

Interview: Barbara Stepansky (2013 Nicholl Winner, 2013 Black List) — Part 1

Barbara Stepansky’s original screenplay “Sugar in My Veins” not only won the filmmaker a 2013 Nicholl fellowship, it also landed on the 2013 Black List, so I was excited when she agreed to do an interview to see what we could learn from this talented young filmmaker. Today in

The Toughest Scene I Wrote: Writer-Director Spike Jonze (“Her”)

Once again, Vulture does screenwriters a solid: In this series, Vulture has been speaking to the screenwriters behind 2013’s most acclaimed movies about the scenes they found most difficult to crack. What pivotal sequences underwent the biggest transformations on their way from script to screen? In this article, Spike

Movie Trailer: “Calvary”

Written by John Michael McDonagh After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him. IMDB Release Date: 11 April 2014 (Ireland)  Comment Archive

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: Part 1

Last Monday, I posted this about an occurrence that happens with irritating regularity in the online screenwriting universe: The contentious specter of so-called screenwriting ‘rules’: What happens is pretty much this: * Somebody posts something about how there is a rule against doing this or that. * That circulates as people

On Writing

“Self-doubt is the best friend and the worst enemy of the writer. Because being a writer isn’t like being a tennis player or a boxer, where you presumably have to hunt down and ruthlessly eliminate the source of any flickering shadow of suspicion that you might not be

Daily Dialogue — January 13, 2014

STEPHEN: How about the commas in dates? Are we supposed to circle those too? CAITLIN: Let’s just get this done, okay? MICHAEL: What the hell is this? CAITLIN: Marty told us to circle all the commas in the last issue, so he could show us how we used them

Go Into The Story Week In Review: January 6-January 12, 2014

Links to the week’s most notable posts: Daily Dialogue Theme for Next Week: The Boss GITS Interview: Writer-director Tze Chun (Cold Comes the Night) Great Character: Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) Great Scene: The Usual Suspects Happy Birthday, HAL 9000! Interview (Video): Spike Jonze and cast

Interview: Tze Chun

Tze Chun is a talented young filmmaker who first gained attention with his indie drama Children of Invention. Indiewire describes his latest movie Cold Comes the Night, starring Alice Eve and Bryan Cranston, as a “tightly wound noir thriller.” Having screened the movie myself, I concur wholeheartedly. Here are links

Matthew Hickman: Reflections of an Independent Screenwriting Fellowship Winner

Less than a month ago, there was this announcement: The Black List and Cassian Elwes have announced the winner of their first Independent Screenwriting Fellowship. Unrepresented screenwriter Matthew Hickman will attend the upcoming Sundance Film Festival with the producer behind 2013 awards contenders Lee Daniels’ The Butler, All Is Lost,

Happy Birthday, HAL!

In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, the we learn the computer HAL 9000 became operational on January 12, 1997… which means today is HAL’s 17th birthday! Some HAL related trivia to celebrate the adolescent’s birthday! HAL 9000 never once says, “Good Morning, Dave,” despite this line being

Studying Aristotle’s “Poetics” — Part 18(A): Complication and Denouement

As I’ve been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again: Aristotle’s “Poetics”. I confess I’ve never read the entire thing, only bits and pieces. So I thought, why not do a weekly series with

Screenwriting News (January 6-January 12, 2014)

Scott Adams sells science fiction thriller spec script “Slingshot” to Benaroya Pictures. Mark Bomback and Matt Reeves writing Planet of the Apes 3 for 20th Century Fox with Reeves to direct. T.J. Cimfel and David White writing supernatural horror “Weep” for BoulderLight Pictures. James Frey sells YA science fiction

Interview [Video]: Spike Jonze and the cast of “Her”

Writer-director Spike Jonze, and cast members Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde discuss the new film Her after its world premiere at the 51st New York Film Festival. Interesting to hear the germ of the story concept came to Jonze over 10 years ago. Sometimes stories

Daily Dialogue — January 12, 2014

Mother walks into the room and triggers the motion sensor. Donald Crease: This is what’s in Cosmo’s office. Best motion sensor on the market. Mother: And watch this. He breathes in front of the sensor, and it goes off. Donald Crease: Also responds to thermal differentials. Martin Bishop:

Daily Dialogue theme for next week: The Boss

Your mission, should you choose to accept… wait. That was this week’s theme: Explain the mission. Well, you still have a mission! And that’s to give me your suggestions for this week’s theme: The Boss, recommended by kevinpgoulet. “It would be really great if you could take

Interview (Part 5): Writer-Director Tze Chun (“Cold Comes the Night”)

Tze Chun is a talented young filmmaker who first gained attention with his indie drama Children of Invention. Indiewire describes his latest movie Cold Comes the Night, starring Alice Eve and Bryan Cranston, as a “tightly wound noir thriller.” Having screened the movie myself, I concur wholeheartedly. It opens in

Great scene: “The Usual Suspects”

The ‘big twist!’ Is there any movie ending more satisfying than a scene sequence where you realize the writer has totally played you, set you up to think one thing, then through the course of events in the scene, methodically let you in on the secret the writer has carefully

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 119th installment of Saturday Hot Links! Today: The Monty Python And The Flying Circus In German Edition! Sundance Film Festival 2014: Why this year’s Sundance is all about arrested development. Sundance Film Festival by the numbers [infographic]. Ben Gibbard, Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock score Sundance films.