Scott Myers

Great Character: Dana Barrett (“Ghostbusters”)

With Halloween approaching, our theme this month is Supernatural Characters. Today in his regular weekly guest post, Jason Cuthbert looks at Dana Barrett from the the 1984 movie Ghost Busters, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The imaginative science fiction and fantasy realms of cinema have been rather generous

Daily Dialogue — October 25, 2013

Cora refuses to get in the wagon, puts up a fight. She’s about to get punched in the face when Quigley and his sheathed gun, step in. QUIGLEY: I don’t reckon the lady’s all that anxious to get in your wagon. CORA: Roy? Oh, Roy, it’s

Reader Question: How to manage time and writing?

Reader question from Nick: What is your writing routine like? You must be busy with the blog, your development job, teaching, etc. How much time do you dedicate to screenwriting? Okay, time management. Here are three tips that I swear by: #1: “Do the other stuff first.” I begin each

Dispatch From The Quest: Troy Klith

Over the course of the 24 weeks I am working with the writers in The Quest, each will write a weekly dispatch to share with the GITS community. There are several reasons for doing this, the main one educational: Hopefully you will learn something of value for your own understanding

Interview: Seth Lochhead — Part 3

Seth Lochhead’s original screenplay Hanna made the Black List in 2006 and was produced, then released in 2011, the movie starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Bana. Seth’s background is an interesting one, so I was pleased when he agreed to do a Q&A with

Spec Script Sale: “Attach”

Paramount acquires science fiction spec script “Attach” written by screenwriter-director Chris Gorak. From THR: The script came with a visual test that Gorak directed and sparked a bidding war, with multiple studios involved. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it is described as in a similar vein

“Writing equals butt on chair” (*)

I can’t take credit for this line. I’ve seen it associated with Oliver Stone: “Writing equals butt on chair.” (*) Seems simple enough, right? At some point, you have to plant your ass on seat and write the damn pages. However you will notice the (*) I added to this

Movie Trailer: “The Book Thief”

Markus Zusak (novel), Michael Petroni (adaptation) While subjected to the horrors of WWII Germany, young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. Under the stairs in her home, a Jewish refuge is being sheltered by her adoptive parents. IMDB Release Date: 8 November 2013 (USA)

Hidden Movie Gem: “Hudson Hawk”

Today’s Hidden Movie Gem guest post comes from Jon Stark. Movie Title: Hudson Hawk Year: 1991 Writer: Story by Bruce Willis and Robert Craft. Screenplay by Steven E. deSouza and Daniel Waters Lead Actors: Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, Andie MacDowell, and James Coburn Director: Michael Lehmann Plot Summary: “A

Writing and the Creative Life: What are you afraid of?

The single greatest inhibitor to creativity is fear. Do you recognize any of these voices? I am afraid of typing FADE IN. I am afraid I won’t be able to finish this script. I am afraid I don’t have enough talent. I am afraid the words won’t

Daily Dialogue — October 24, 2013

Arthur: Well, this was some meet cute. Iris: Sorry? Arthur: it’s how two characters meet in a movie. Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men’s pajama department. The man says to the salesman, “I just need

Austin Film Festival: Schedule

I have been invited to the Austin Film Festival this year, so for those of you who will be in attendance, here is my schedule: Friday, 9AM [Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room]: The Black List Days after the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Black List online service, Franklin

Dispatch From The Quest: Waka Brown

Over the course of the 24 weeks I am working with the writers in The Quest, each will write a weekly dispatch to share with the GITS community. There are several reasons for doing this, the main one educational: Hopefully you will learn something of value for your own understanding

Interview: Seth Lochhead — Part 2

Seth Lochhead’s original screenplay Hanna made the Black List in 2006 and was produced, then released in 2011, the movie starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Bana. Seth’s background is an interesting one, so I was pleased when he agreed to do a Q&A with

“Why Hollywood Movies Are Plummeting at Japan Box Office”

From Variety: Hollywood no longer dominates box office in the third-largest market in the world. A decade ago, foreign films released in Japan grabbed a 67% market share ($1.4 billion gross), but that percentage fell to 34.3% ($689 million) in 2012 — the fifth straight year foreign films

“One [blank] at a time”

This is a handy screenwriting mantra: “One [blank] at a time.” When you write a script, you will have ups and downs, good days and bad days. And while it’s great to set writing goals [when I write a first draft, it’s 5 pages per day], sometimes that

Movie Trailer: “Neighbors”

Screenplay by Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien A couple with a newborn baby face unexpected difficulties after they are forced to live next to a fraternity house. IMDB Release Date: 9 May 2014 (USA)

Hidden Movie Gem: “Tras el Cristal”

Today’s Hidden Movie Gem guest post comes from shari14. Movie Title: Tras el Cristal Year: 1987 Writer: Agustí Villaronga Lead Actors: Günter Meisner, David Sust, Marisa Paredes, Gisèle Echevarría Director: Agustí Villaronga Plot Summary: In Spain, the former Nazi doctor Klaus tries to commit suicide jumping off the roof

Daily Dialogue — October 23, 2013

NICK: My name is Arden. CONCIERGE: Oh yes, Mr. Arden. I believe that uh… (Concierge glances over Nick’s shoulder at Ellen, she waves him off) NICK: Huh? CONCIERGE: Oh, nothing. (rings for bellhop) Suite A. NICK: Oh, suite A? CONCIERGE: It’s our best. NICK: I’d rather not

2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowship winners

The five winners of the 2012 Academy Nicholl Fellowships: Frank DeJohn & David Alton Hedges, Santa Ynez, Ca., for their screenplay Legion Patty Jones, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, for Joe Banks Alan Roth, Suffern, N.Y., for Jersey City Story Stephanie Shannon, Los Angeles, for Queen of Hearts Barbara Stepansky,

Dispatch From The Quest: Miranda Sajdak

Over the course of the 24 weeks I am working with the writers in The Quest, each will write a weekly dispatch to share with the GITS community. There are several reasons for doing this, the main one educational: Hopefully you will learn something of value for your own understanding

Interview: Seth Lochhead — Part 1

Seth Lochhead’s original screenplay Hanna made the Black List in 2006 and was produced, then released in 2011, the movie starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Bana. Seth’s background is an interesting one, so I was pleased when he agreed to do a Q&A with

“Netflix to begin ordering movies”

Via ScreenDaily: Netflix is currently talking to producers about its movie plans and is open to all feature genres. Chief financial officer David Wells said: “On the movie side, I would keep my mind wide open to what those films would be and what they would look like. The driver

“Get the damn thing done!”

In my view, there is only one rule when it comes to writing a first draft and that is this: Get the damn thing done! You have to start somewhere. And one of the most fundamental values of having a first draft in hand is it gives you something on

Movie Trailer: “All Is Lost”

Written by J.C. Chandor After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face. IMDB Release Date: 18 October 2013 (USA)