Scott Myers

Update: Gender as represented in spec script sales

Yesterday I posted this: Kudos to Susana Orozco who went through every single transaction in The Definitive Spec Script Sales List from 1991–2012 and discovered this: The story has now been picked up by TheWrap. We present the numbers to contribute information to an ongoing, important conversation about diversity

Interview: Daniel Kunka — Part 5

Screenwriter Daniel Kunka wrote the 2009 movie 12 Rounds and has sold two high profile spec scripts: Agent Ox and Bermuda Triangle. In addition, Daniel is working on the project “Crime of the Century” with Chris Morgan producing. Recently Daniel and I had an excellent conversation which I am happy

Spec Script Sale: “Criminal”

Millennium Films acquires action spec script “Criminal” written by Douglas Cook and David Weisberg. From Deadline: This one is an action movie about the right man in the wrong body. In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative’s memories, secrets and skills are

Showrunner Rules from Jeffrey Lieber: Numbers 191–200

Jeff Lieber is a screenwriter and TV writer. His movie credits include Tuck Everlasting and he is currently an executive producer of the USA Network series “Necessary Roughness.” On Twitter (@JeffLieber), he has run a series of tweets called Showrunner Rules. For background on Jeff and this Twitter series, go

Movie Trailer: “Insidious: Chapter 2”

Screenplay by Leigh Whannell The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. IMDB site Release Date: 13 September 2013 (USA)

30 Days of Screenplays, Day 21: “When Harry Met Sally”

30 Days of Screenplays, Day 21: “When Harry Met Sally…” Why 30 screenplays in 30 days? Because whether you are a novice just starting to learn the craft of screenwriting or someone who has been writing for many years, you should be reading scripts. There is a certain type of

Great Character: Guido (“Life is Beautiful”)

This month’s theme: Father figures. Today’s guest post by Jason Cuthbert features Guido from the 1997 movie Life Is Beautiful, written by Vincenzo Cerami and Roberto Benigni. “Life is Beautiful,” or “La vita è bella” in its original Italian language, is a dynamic 1998 romantic comedy drama that

Daily Dialogue — June 21, 2013

BRODY: Come here. Give us a kiss. SEAN: Why? BRODY: Because I need it. Get out of here. HOOPER: The door was open. Mind if I come in? I’m Matt Hooper. ELLEN: Oh, hi. Ellen Brody. HOOPER: Your husband’s home? I’d really like to talk to him.

“Nothing succeeds like failure”

I want to continue to consider The Quest Initiative, specifically how to process the experience of not getting selected for it. I started into it with this post yesterday, the thrust of which is two points: * I have been wrong before, so if I didn’t pick your story, use

Brendan Fraser “Kickstarter” campaign

Onion Studios Embed PlayerEdit descriptionwww.theonion.com Via Indiewire. And just so you know, it’s from The Onion, so… it’s a joke. Seriously, I have gone over this in my mind multiple times and I just don’t get it. If you are an actor or director or

Interview: Daniel Kunka — Day 4

Screenwriter Daniel Kunka wrote the 2009 movie 12 Rounds and has sold two high profile spec scripts: Agent Ox and Bermuda Triangle. In addition, Daniel is working on the project “Crime of the Century” with Chris Morgan producing. Recently Daniel and I had an excellent conversation which I am happy

Spec Script Sale: “Outside the Wire”

42 in a co-production with Odd Fellows Entertainment acquires action thriller spec script “Outside the Wire” written by Rob Yescomb. Logline: Under wraps, but said to have military and sci-fi elements. Yescomb is a video game designer. This is his first spec script sale. He is repped by

Gender as represented in spec script sales

Recently we have seen quite a few studies and analysis pointing out gender inequity in the entertainment business including independent films, television, even the theater. Now we can add spec scripts to the mix. Kudos to Susana Orozco who went through every single transaction in The Definitive Spec Script Sales

Movie Trailer: “The Spectacular Now”

MTVNPlayerEdit descriptionmedia.mtvnservices.com Screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, novel by Tim Tharp A hard-partying high school senior’s philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical “nice girl.” IMDB Release Date: 2 August 2013 Read my interview with Neustadter and Weber in

30 Days of Screenplays, Day 20: “Platoon”

Why 30 screenplays in 30 days? Because whether you are a novice just starting to learn the craft of screenwriting or someone who has been writing for many years, you should be reading scripts. There is a certain type of knowledge and understanding about screenwriting you can only get from

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs [Part 19]

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything you wanted to know about specs Part 19: The value of a spec script… even if it doesn’t sell. I’m guessing that perhaps 90% of the people who follow this blog at some point in their lives will write a spec script. And

Daily Dialogue — June 20, 2013

INT. DINING ROOM. Alvy and the Halls are eating Easter dinner. The sun is pouring through a big picture window, shining on a large, elegantly laid out table. Alvy sits, at one end,- rubbing his nose and chewing, the Halls flanking him on either side: Mr. and Mrs. Hall, Grammy,

Update: The Quest Initiative

After reviewing over 2,000 loglines that were submitted by nearly 1,000 writers for The Quest Initiative, I have whittled it down to 10 finalists. Starting right now, I will be sending emails to those 10 writers to begin the interview process. Assuming they are all interested in going

Interview: Daniel Kunka — Part 3

Screenwriter Daniel Kunka wrote the 2009 movie 12 Rounds and has sold two high profile spec scripts: Agent Ox and Bermuda Triangle. In addition, Daniel is working on the project “Crime of the Century” with Chris Morgan producing. Recently Daniel and I had an excellent conversation which I am happy

Hot Topics: The Black Board

A weekly update from Shaula Evans, moderator of The Black Board: Cool news! UK script editor and novelist Lucy V. Hay was kind enough to write a guest post series for us this week as a special exclusive for The Black Board: The Three Big Writing Questions… Answered, by Lucy

Movie Trailer: “Evidence”

Written by John Swetnam A detective hunts down a killer using video footage shot by the victims of a massacre at an abandoned gas station. IMDB Release Date: 19 July 2013 (USA)

30 Days of Screenplays, Day 19: “Broadcast News”

Why 30 screenplays in 30 days? Because whether you are a novice just starting to learn the craft of screenwriting or someone who has been writing for many years, you should be reading scripts. There is a certain type of knowledge and understanding about screenwriting you can only get from

Script To Screen: “The Verdict”

One of the great monologues in recent cinema, taken from the 1982 movie The Verdict, screenplay by David Mamet, novel by Barry Reed. Plot summary: A lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling. Here is

Daily Dialogue — June 19, 2013

Marko suddenly arrives bearing cartons of take-out food. MARKO: Chow time! David takes the cartons from his hand. DAVID: Chinese! Good choice. He pops the lid on one of the cartons and approaches Michael with it. DAVID: Guests first. Michael hesitates. DAVID: It’s only rice. Don’t you

The theology of “This is the End”

Unlike most moviegoers this weekend, I passed up on a certain big blockbuster that opened like hotcakes and instead went to see This is the End. Why? First, I’ve been tracking this project since the pitch teaser went online in June 2008: Second, This is the End has been