Scott Myers

Movie Trailer: “Out of the Furnace”

Written by Brad Ingelsby, Scott Cooper When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement fails to follow through, his older brother, Russell, takes matters into his own hands to find justice. IMDB Release Date: 6 December 2013 (USA)

Hidden Movie Gem: “Appaloosa”

Today’s Hidden Movie Gem guest post is from Kristin Kroeger. Movie Title: Appaloosa Year: 2008 Writers: Robert Knott and Ed Harris, based on the novel by Robert Parker Lead Actors: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons Director: Ed Harris Plot Summary: “Two friends hired to police a

Script To Screen: “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior”

A key scene from the 1981 movie Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, screenplay by Terry Hayes & George Miller & Brian Hannant. Plot Summary: In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits. 50. NO MAN&

Daily Dialogue — October 9, 2013

INT. LOBBY OF ZWAITER’S APARTMENT — LATE AFTERNOON The lobby is dark. Zwaiter opens the front door and steps inside. He juggles his grocery bag and reaches for the light switch. He flicks the switch, and the light’s timer starts. Avner and Robert are standing between Zwaiter and the

Questions for indie film producer Ted Hope?

I’m excited to have scheduled this week a phone interview with Ted Hope, one of the most influential individuals in the world of independent film. Here is Ted’s Wikipedia entry: Ted Hope (born 1962) is an American independent film producer based in New York City. He began work

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 (Part 2): Destin Daniel Cretton

One of my favorite movies of 2013 is Short Term 12, so I was understandably excited when its talented writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton agreed to an interview. Our hour-long conversation did not disappoint. Destin’s script “Short Term 12″ won a 2010 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. He used that

2013 Academy Nicholl Finalists

On September 27th, the Academy released the names of the 10 finalists for the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowships for 2013. Now they have made public the loglines of each of their scripts: Scott Adams Menlo Park, CA “Slingshot”: Trapped on a hobbled spacecraft, an astronaut struggles to survive not just the

Go On Your Own Quest — Week 13: Prep

The 2013 version of The Quest has entered Week 13. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by because you can Go On Your Own Quest by following the structure of The Quest to dig into screenwriting theory [Core — 8 weeks], figure out your story [Prep — 6 weeks], and write

Movie Trailer: “I, Frankenstein”

Screenplay by Stuart Beattie, comics by Kevin Grevioux, based on characters by Mary Shelley Frankenstein’s creature finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans. IMDB Release Date: 24 January 2014 (USA)

Hidden Movie Gem: “Weekend at Bernie’s”

Today’s Hidden Gem Movie post comes from David Proenza. Movie Title: Weekend at Bernie’s Year: 1989 Writer: Robert Klane Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser Director: Ted Kotcheff Plot Summary: A pair of losers try to pretend that their murdered employer is really alive, but the murderer

Screenwriting 101: Daniel Kunka

“No matter what the concept is, no matter what spectacle you put out there, nobody cares if there’s not an empathetic way into the story and you only get that with the characters you tell the story through. Every big story idea has to be followed up with ‘why

Daily Dialogue — October 8, 2013

JESSE proclaims in a sentence that seems composed just for Bob: JESSE: I guess I’ll take my guns off for fear the neighbors might spot them. CHARLEY turns from the screen door with vexation on his face. BOB’S thumb twitches as he lowers his hand to his gun.

Daily Routines of Creative Minds

Recently The Guardian came out with an article digging into the daily rituals of “creative minds” ranging from Benjamin Franklin to Marcel Proust and Georgia O’Keefe to Patricia Highsmith. They came up with 6 routines common to many creative types: 1. Be a morning person 2. Don’t give

Dispatch From The Quest: Sandy Leviton

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 (Part 1): Destin Daniel Cretton

One of my favorite movies of 2013 is Short Term 12, so I was understandably excited when its talented writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton agreed to an interview. Our hour-long conversation did not disappoint. Destin’s script “Short Term 12” won a 2010 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. He used that

Go On Your Own Quest — Week 13: Prep

The 2013 version of The Quest starts Week 13 today. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by because you can Go On Your Own Quest by following the structure of The Quest to dig into screenwriting theory [Core — 8 weeks], figure out your story [Prep — 6 weeks], and write

Movie Trailer: “The Invisible Woman”

Abi Morgan (screenplay), Claire Tomalin (book) At the height of his career, Charles Dickens meets a younger woman who becomes his secret lover until his death. IMDB Release Date: 7 February 2014 (UK)  Comment Archive

Hidden Movie Gem: “Deep Red”

Here is a Hidden Movie Gem courtesy of jwebb66. Movie Title: Deep Red (PROFONDO ROSSO) Year: 1975 Writers: Dario Argento, Bernardino Zapponi (screenplay) Lead Actors: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia Director: Dario Argento Plot Summary: An English jazz pianist living in Rome witnesses the brutal hatchet murder of a

On Writing

“Writing is finally about one thing: going into a room alone and doing it. Putting words on paper that have never been there in quite that way before. And although you are physically by yourself, the haunting Demon never leaves you — the knowledge of your own terrible limitations, your hopeless

Daily Dialogue — October 7, 2013

BILLY moves COLIN into the elevator and as the doors close looks back at BROWN, still in a Mexican stand-off. COLIN, nose broken, blood masking his face. COLIN: I can’t wait for you to try to explain this to a Suffolk County grand jury. This is gonna be

Go Into The Story Week In Review: September 30-October 6, 2013

Links to the week’s most notable posts: 13 Low Budget Movies That Made Millions Audio Q&A: Blue Caprice Audio Q&A: C.O.G. Audio Q&A: Jayne Mansfield’s Car Audio Q&A: Salinger Daily Dialogue Theme for Next Week: Assassination Declare Your

Studying Aristotle’s “Poetics” — Part 10: Simple and Complex Plots

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 (September 30-October 6, 2013)

Paul Aiello writing biblical drama “Resurrection” for LD Entertainment. Andrea Berloff writing remake of “The Legend of Conan” for Universal. Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard sell supernatural horror pitch “White Smoke” to Lionsgate. Carter Blanchard sets up pitch to adapt comic “Kindergarten Heroes”for 20th Century Fox. Brad Furman writing

Hidden Movie Gem: “Adam and Paul”

Here is a Hidden Movie Gem courtesy of Lydia Mulvey: Title: Adam and Paul Year: 2004 Written By: Mark O’Halloran Starring: Mark O’Halloran and Tom Murphy Director: Lenny Abrahmson Plot Summary: This movie follows a day in the life of two Dublin heroin addicts, Adam and Paul. Adam