Scott Myers

Dispatch From The Quest: Christian Fontenot

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

Story concept suggestion

In one of the Go On Your Own Story posts this week, I asked readers how they go about generating story concepts. There were some interesting observations. Here is my response: An interesting array of approaches. It goes to show that just as there is no right way to write,

Go On Your Own Quest — Week 2: Concept

The 2013 version of The Quest is in Week 2. 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: “August: Osage County”

Tracy Letts (screenplay), Tracy Letts (play) A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. IMDB Release Date:

Movie Story Types: Found Footage

Movie Story Type: Found Footage In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and sub-genres like Romantic Comedy or Mystery Thriller. Then there are story types, a shorthand way to describe a specific narrative conceit that is

Great Character: Hanna (“Hanna”)

This month’s theme: Heroines. Today’s guest post by Jason Cuthbert features Hanna from the 2011 movie Hanna, screenplay by Seth Lochhead and David Farr, story by Seth Lochhead. Canadian screenwriter Seth Lochhead, student of the esteemed Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film & Television program, devised the

Daily Dialogue — July 26, 2013

Professor Terguson: Is she right? ’Cause I know that’s the popular version of what went on there. And a lot of people like to believe that. I wish I could, but I was there. I wasn’t here in a class room, hoping I was right, thinking about it.

Reader Question: Shouldn’t a writer figure out the craft on their own?

A question from @AndrewMcDermot1: Is there really no point where screenwriters should be encouraged to work some of this stuff out for themselves? Andrew’s tweet is in response to this post which raised the haunting specter of screenplay paradigms. And if you troll online screenwriting sites for no more

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

Declare Your Independents: Volume 2

Wendy Cohen here and welcome to another edition of Declare Your Independents, our new series highlighting the latest developments in the world of independent film. This week… TIFF announces its festival lineup! Read early Oscar predictions from the festival’s slate here. Just In: The Venice Film Festival reveals its

Go On Your Own Quest — Week 2: Concept

The 2013 version of The Quest starts Week 2 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: “12 Years a Slave”

Screenplay by John Ridley, based on “Twelve Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. IMDB Release Date: 26 December 2013 (New Zealand)

Movie Story Type: Frustration Comedy

In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and sub-genres like Romantic Comedy or Mystery Thriller. Then there are story types, a shorthand way to describe a specific narrative conceit that is almost always tied directly to

The Business of Screenwritng: I can do that!

Note: For some reason, lately several people have tweeted or emailed me about how I got into screenwriting. So I am posting this again as it describes the pivotal moment in that process, my own Call To Adventure. It’s 1986. About 12:30AM. At Charlie’s nightclub in Ventura,

Daily Dialogue — July 25, 2013

Annie: Are you fucking kidding me? Annie’s Mom: Annie? Annie: No, mom. Mother fucking Paris? I told you about Paris, Helen! I told you about this whole idea! Lillian: Annie, calm down… Annie: No, Lillian! What are you gonna go, you’re gonna go to Paris with Helen now?

Warner Bros. — Black List partnership

Important news from the Black List: We are pleased to partner with Warner Bros. to further diversity within their screenwriting ranks by identifying up to four diverse screenwriters who have not yet earned $25K in aggregate for their screenwriting work to receive a two-step WGA-minimum blind deal (over

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: Jay Eden — Part 3

For the last few weeks, I have turned attention to screenwriters, TV writers, and filmmakers who are on the front edge of making their mark in the business. Their insights, so recently on the outside looking in, reflect the excitement of breaking in, yet the challenges of attempting to carve

Audio Q&A: Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (“The Way Way Back”)

Wendy Cohen attended a recent screening of The Way Way Back in which co-writers and directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash did an extensive Q&A. You may listen to that audio here. [soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/scott-myers-15/way-way-back-nat-faxon-and-jim[/soundcloud]

Go On Your Own Quest: Week 2 — Concept

The 2013 version of The Quest starts Week 2 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: “Gravity”

A clip from the movie that debuted at the recent Comic-Con: Written by Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón Astronauts attempt to return to Earth after debris crashes into their space shuttle, leaving them drifting alone in orbit. IMDB Release Date: 4 October 2013 (USA)  Comment Archive

Movie Story Type: Revenge

In Hollywood movie circles, there are genres like Horror or Science Fiction, cross genres like Action-Thriller or Drama-Comedy, and sub-genres like Romantic Comedy or Mystery Thriller. Then there are story types, a shorthand way to describe a specific narrative conceit that is almost always tied directly to

Script To Screen: “2001: A Space Odyssey”

A pivotal scene from the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. Summary: Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest. Here astronaut Dave has

Daily Dialogue — July 24, 2013

“You fucked my wife!” — Raging Bull (1980), screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin, book by Jake LaMotta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is tantrums, suggested by Aarthi Ramanathan. Today’s suggestion is by Kalen. Trivia: Mardik Martin wrote the most traditional,

Screenwriting Tip: Muck up your plot

Imagine this: Here is your Protagonist at the Beginning. And way over there, 120 pages away is where your Protagonist will finish up at the Ending. In between, the Beginning and the Ending is this thing I call the Plotline, and I want you to envision it just like it