Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project — Scripts and Screenwriting
In order to be a good screenwriter, you have to do more than learn about screenwriting. Indeed you must immerse yourself in the world of cinema. There are several reasons for this:
* It is important to know at least something of the history of filmmaking in order to have a context in which you can write our own stories.
* You gain inspiration from seeing, studying, and analyzing movies and screenplays.
* Every time you see a movie, analyze a screenplay, read a book about film, you learn something about the craft.
* There is a Gestalt understanding of the screenwriting craft you gain from our lifetime experience of cinema.
* If you expect to work in Hollywood, it’s critical you have a broad exposure to movies in order to be able to traffic in the countless film references people in the industry use every day.
I’m sure you can add other reasons to this list. Suffice to say to have any realistic chance of becoming a working screenwriter, you need to immerse yourself in the world of movies.
And so this: “Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project.” Consider this a very poor man’s / woman’s version of film school, cobbling together titles, links, and resources you can use to go into the movies. There are five subject areas:
* Movies
* Scripts and Screenwriting
* Film Analysis and Criticism
* Filmmakers
* The Evolution of Filmmaking
The concept is this: I will create a post each day this week for each subject area. Included in each post is a list of resources. You may add suggestions in comments. I will update the original post as need be. Then I will create a link under List for Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project where you can access these five pages. Occasionally I will re-post them for additional suggestions and update the lists.
No, this is not the equivalent of an MFA from NYU or USC. But it reflects what I believe to be true as articulated in this mantra:
Read scripts.
Watch movies.
Write pages.
If you do that, if you immerse yourself in the world of movies and practice the craft of writing on a daily basis, you will exponentially increase your chances of success as a screenwriter.
For Subject Area II: Scripts and Screenwriting, see you below the fold!
SUBJECT AREA II: SCRIPTS AND SCREENWRITING
Scripts
- CASABLANCA
Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
2.THE GODFATHER
Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
3.CHINATOWN
Written by Robert Towne
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
4.CITIZEN KANE
Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
5.ALL ABOUT EVE
Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on “The Wisdom of Eve,” a short story and radio play by Mary Orr
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
6.ANNIE HALL
Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
7.SUNSET BLVD.
Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr.
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
8.NETWORK
Written by Paddy Chayefsky
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
9.SOME LIKE IT HOT
Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond. Based on “Fanfare of Love,” a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
10.THE GODFATHER II
Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather”
FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
11.BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
Written by William Goldman
12.DR. STRANGELOVEScreenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern. Based on novel “Red Alert” by Peter George
13.THE GRADUATE
Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb
14.LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence
15.THE APARTMENT
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
16.PULP FICTION
Written by Quentin Tarantino. Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary
17.TOOTSIE
Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal. Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
18.ON THE WATERFRONT
Screen Story and Screenplay by Budd Schulberg. Based on “Crime on the Waterfront” articles by Malcolm Johnson
19.TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Screenplay by Horton Foote. Based on the novel by Harper Lee
20.IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Screenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett & Frank Capra. Based on short story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Contributions to screenplay Michael Wilson and Jo Swerling
21.NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Written by Ernest Lehman
22.THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King
23.GONE WITH THE WIND
Screenplay by Sidney Howard. Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell
24.ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth
25.THE WIZARD OF OZ
Screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf Adaptation by Noel Langley. Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
26.DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain
27.GROUNDHOG DAY
Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis. Story by Danny Rubin
28.SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
29.SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS
Written by Preston Sturges
30.UNFORGIVEN
Written by David Webb Peoples
31.HIS GIRL FRIDAY
Screenplay by Charles Lederer. Based on the play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
32.FARGO
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
33.THE THIRD MAN
Screenplay by Graham Greene. Story by Graham Greene. Based on the short story by Graham Greene
34.THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman. From a novelette by Ernest Lehman
35.THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
36.MIDNIGHT COWBOY
Screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy
37.THE PHILADELPHIA STORYScreenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart. Based on the play by Philip Barry
38.AMERICAN BEAUTY
Written by Alan Ball
39.THE STING
Written by David S. Ward
40.WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
Written by Nora Ephron
41.GOODFELLAS
Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book “Wise Guy” by Nicholas Pileggi
42.RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
43.TAXI DRIVER
Written by Paul Schrader
44.THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood. Based on novel “Glory For Me” by MacKinley Kantor
45.ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
46.THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven
47.THE MALTESE FALCON
Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
48.THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
Screenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle
49.SCHINDLER’S LIST
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
50.THE SIXTH SENSE
Written by M. Night Shyamalan
51.BROADCAST NEWS
Written by James L. Brooks
52.THE LADY EVE
Screenplay by Preston Sturges. Story by Monckton Hoffe
53.ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN
Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward
54.MANHATTAN
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
55.APOCALYPSE NOW
Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr
56.BACK TO THE FUTURE
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
57.CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Written by Woody Allen
58.ORDINARY PEOPLE
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent. Based on the novel by Judith Guest
59.IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Screenplay by Robert Riskin. Based on the story “Night Bus” by Samuel Hopkins Adams
60.L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy
61.THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Screenplay by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris
62.MOONSTRUCKWritten by John Patrick Shanley
63.JAWS
Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
64.TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
Screenplay by James L. Brooks. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
65.SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
Screen Story and Screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green. Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
66.JERRY MAGUIRE
Written by Cameron Crowe
67.E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Written by Melissa Mathison
68.STAR WARS
Written by George Lucas
69.DOG DAY AFTERNOON
Screenplay by Frank Pierson. Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore
70.THE AFRICAN QUEEN
Screenplay by James Agee and John Huston. Based on the novel by C.S. Forester
71.THE LION IN WINTER
Screenplay by James Goldman. Based on the play by James Goldman
72.THELMA & LOUISE
Written by Callie Khouri
73.AMADEUS
Screenplay by Peter Shaffer. Based on his play
74.BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
Written by Charlie Kaufman
75.HIGH NOON
Screenplay by Carl Foreman. Based on short story “The Tin Star” by John W. Cunningham
76.RAGING BULL
Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage
77.ADAPTATION
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean
78.ROCKY
Written by Sylvester Stallone
79.THE PRODUCERS
Written by Mel Brooks
80.WITNESS
Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace
81.BEING THERE
Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski. Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski
82.COOL HAND LUKE
Screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce
83.REAR WINDOW
Screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich
84.THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on his novel
85.LA GRANDE ILLUSION
Written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak
86.HAROLD & MAUDE
Written by Colin Higgins
87.8 1/2Screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rond. Story by Fellini, Flaiano
88.FIELD OF DREAMS
Screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson. Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella
89.FORREST GUMP
Screenplay by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom
90.SIDEWAYS
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett
91.THE VERDICT
Screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed
92.PSYCHO
Screenplay by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch
93.DO THE RIGHT THING
Written by Spike Lee
94.PATTON
Screen Story and Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North. Based on “A Soldier’s Story” by Omar H. Bradley and “Patton: Ordeal and Triumph” by Ladislas Farago
95.HANNAH AND HER SISTERS
Written by Woody Allen
96.THE HUSTLER
Screenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Walter Tevis
97.THE SEARCHERS
Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May
98.THE GRAPES OF WRATH
Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
99.THE WILD BUNCH
Screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah. Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner
100.MEMENTO
Screenplay by Christopher Nolan. Based on the short story “Memento Mori” by Jonathan Nolan
101.NOTORIOUS
Written by Ben Hecht
Another thing you can do is read and study screenplays by genre, writing style, and theme. Here is a list of screenplays created by the Go Into The Story community:
Action Writing
Aliens
Alien (Walter Hill and David Giler draft)
The Bourne Identity
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Dark Knight, The
Die Hard
Gladiator
Fight Club
Last Boy Scout, The
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Matrix, The
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Robocop
Salt
Star Trek
Terminator 2
Comedy Writing
40 Year-Old Virgin
A Fish Called Wanda
Airplane
American Pie
Broadcast News
Dazed and Confused
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Dr. Strangelove
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Hangover, The
Harold and Maude
His Girl Friday
Legally Blonde
Liar, Liar
Little Miss Sunshine
Mean Girls
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Parenthood
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Ratatouille
Shrek
Some Like It Hot
Tootsie
Wedding Crashers
When Harry Met Sally
Young Frankenstein
Dramatic Writing
All About Eve
Before the Devil Knows Youíre Dead
Breaking Away
Bridge on the River Kwai, The
Brokeback Mountain
Casablanca
Chinatown
Cool Hand Luke
Dead Poet’s Society
Deer Hunter, The
Dog Day Afternoon
Fahrenheit 451 (Darabont Draft)
French Lieutenant’s Woman, The
Godfather, The
Godfather, The — Part 2
Good Will Hunting
Jaws
Kramer vs. Kramer
Michael Clayton
Moon
No Country for Old Men
One Flew Over the Cuckooís Nest
Platoon
Rocky
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Shakespeare in Love
Shawshank Redemption, The
Shawshank Redemption, The (93 draft)
Thelma & Louise
Unforgiven
Up in the Air
Verdict, The
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
You Can Count On Me
Fantasy Writing
Big Fish
Brazil
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Groundhog Day
Killing on Carnival Row
Many Deaths of Barnaby James, The
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Pan’s Labyrinth
Princess Bride, The
Stranger Than Fiction
Wizard of Oz, The
Horror Writing
Black Christmas (1974)
Carrie
Exorcist, The
Halloween
Howling, The
Mist, The
Nightmare on Elm Street
Poltergeist
Rosemaryís Baby
Scream
Shining, The
Thing, The
Zombieland
Thriller Writing
Basic Instinct
Blood Simple
Buried
Fatal Attraction
Fugitive, The
Jaws
Lookout, The (1998 Draft)
Memento
Rear Window
Se7en
Silence of the Lambs, The
Signs
Sixth Sense, The
What Lies Beneath
Zodiac
Character Writing
Adaptation
Almost Famous
American Beauty
As Good As It Gets
Blade Runner
Crying Game, The
Diner
Erin Brockovich
Fargo
Finding Nemo
Forrest Gump
Harold and Maude
Graduate, The
In Bruges
Juno
Moonstruck
Office Space
Ordinary People
Platoon
Sunset Boulevard
Traffic
Dialogue Writing
A Streetcar Named Desire
Annie Hall
Barton Fink
Big Chill, The
Broadcast News
Bull Durham
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Casablanca
Departed, The
Double Indemnity
Fargo
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Glengarry Glen Ross
Goodfellas
Hospital, The
Inglourious Basterds
Miller’s Crossing
Network
North by Northwest
Ordinary People
Parenthood
Princess Bride, The
Repo Man
Roxanne
Rushmore
Say Anything
Sunset Boulevard
To Kill A Mockingbird
Untouchables, The
When Harry Met Sally
Emotional Depth
Amadeus
Apartment, The
As Good As It Gets
Big
Body Heat
Boogie Nights
Braveheart
Breakfast Club, The
Breaking Away
Bridge on the River Kwai, The
Broadcast News
Bull Durham
Buried
Casablanca
Children of Men
Chinatown
Citizen Kane
Crying Game, The
Dead Poets Society, The
Deer Hunter, The
Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The
Dog Day Afternoon
E.T.
Elephant Man
Erin Brockovich
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Exorcist, The
Fatal Attraction
Field of Dreams
Finding Nemo
Forrest Gump
Godfather, The
Godfather, The — Part 2
Good Will Hunting
Graduate, The
Grapes of Wrath, The
History of Violence, A
How Green Was My Valley
Hurt Locker
In Bruges
Indecent Proposal
It’s a Wonderful Life
Jerry Maguire
Juno
Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Knocked Up
Kramer vs. Kramer
Lawrence of Arabia
Lion King, The
Little Miss Sunshine
Local Hero
Moon
Moonstruck
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Natural, The
On the Waterfront
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Next
Ordinary People
Pan’s Labyrinth
Parenthood
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Platoon
Precious
Pretty in Pink
Princess Bride, The
Rachel Getting Married
Rebel Without a Cause
Rocky
Rosemary’s Baby
Roxanne
Say Anything
Schindler’s List
Searching for Bobby Fisher
Se7en
Sex, Lies and Videotape
Shawshank Redemption, The
Shrek
Sideways
Silence of the Lambs, The
Sixth Sense, The
Slumdog Millionaire
Stalag 17
Sweet Hereafter, The
Taken
Taxi Driver
Thelma & Louise
This Boy’s Life
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tootsie
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Traffic
True Grit
Unforgiven
Up
Up in the Air
Verdict, The
Visitor, The
Wall-E
Witness
Wizard of Oz, The
Wrestler, The
You Can Count On Me
Flashback Writing
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Forrest Gump
Hours, The
Ordinary People
Robocop
Shawshank Redemption, The
Silence of the Lambs, The
Sixth Sense, The
Slumdog Millionaire
Sunset Blvd
Narrative Voice
48 Hours
A Clockwork Orange
Ace Ventura
Adaptation
Body Heat
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Chinatown
Fahrenheit 451
Inglourious Basterds
Last Boy Scout, The
Notting Hill
Usual Suspects, The
Nonlinear Writing
(500) Days of Summer
Adaptation
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jacob’s Ladder
Memento
Out of Sight
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Style Writing
(500) Days of Summer
Alien (Walter Hill & David Giler draft)
Balls Out
Basic Instinct
Beaver, The
Broadcast News
Crash
Election
Get Shorty
Go
Heathers
Lethal Weapon
Local Hero
Matrix, The
Network
Pulp Fiction
Raging Bull
Repo Man
Romancing the Stone
Scream
Trainspotting
Up in the Air
Wall-E
Subplot Writing
A Serious Man
Adaptation
American Graffiti
As Good As It Gets
Back to the Future
Big Chill, The
Dark Knight, The
Diner
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Little Miss Sunshine
MASH
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Pan’s Labyrinth
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pulp Fiction
Syriana
Traffic
Voiceover Writing
A Clockwork Orange
Adaptation
All About Eve
American Beauty
Annie Hall
Apocalypse Now
Big Lebowski, The
Bull Durham
Casino
Double Indemnity
Fight Club
Forrest Gump
Goodfellas
How Green Was My Valley
Informant, The
It’s a Wonderful Life
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Royal Tenenbaums, The
Shawshank Redemption, The
Stand By Me
Sunset Blvd.
Taxi Driver
To Kill a Mockingbird
Trainspotting
Usual Suspects, The
A majority of these scripts are available for free online. Your best bets to find them:
There used to be many other public online script resources, but lawsuits by movie studios resulted in several of them shutting down. That said, the two above have thousands of scripts online. And if there’s one you can’t find at MyPDFscripts, contact Sheridan there and ask if he can find one. He is remarkably good at sourcing scripts.
It goes without saying that all of this is for educational purposes only.
Another thing you should do is read current spec scripts. Those are a bit trickier to come by. The best resource I know is The Tracking Board which has a forum with an extensive database of spec scripts. It is a subscription site and you have to agree not to share scripts you access from the site — again for educational purposes only — but you can find a vast majority of spec scripts that are in circulation at The Tracking Board.
Screenwriting
In terms of screenwriting, while there are a zillion books and DVD series by various screenwriting ‘gurus’ out there, I will not list any of them here. First, I don’t want to promote any particular approach over another. Second, if I list one, then everybody will want their book included, and I don’t want to open those floodgates. Third, in all honesty, you do not need to read anybody’s book on screenwriting to learn the craft. Rather focus on the primary source material: scripts and interviews with actual screenwriters.
Screenwriter Interview Books
“American Screenwriters: The Insiders’ Look at the Art, the Craft, and the Business of Writing Movies,” edited by Karl Schanzer & Thomas Lee Wright
“Backstory: Interviews With Screenwriters, Volumes 1–4,” edited by Patrick McGilligan
“The Craft of the Screenwriter,” edited by John Brady
“The New Screenwriter Look at the New Screenwriter,” edited by William Froug
“The Screenwriter Looks at the Screenwriter,” edited by William Froug
“Screenwriter: Words Become Pictures,” edited by Lee Server
“Screenwriters: The Best in the Businesss Discuss Their Craft,” edited by Joel Engel
“Oscar-Winning Screenwriters On Screenwriting: The Award-Winning Best in the Business Discuss Their Craft,” edited by Joel Engel
“Screenwriters’ Masterclass: Screenwriters Talk About Their Greatest Movies,” edited by Kevin Conroy Scott
“Why We Write: Personal Statements and Photographic Portraits of 25 Top Screenwriters,” edited by Lorian Tamara Elbert
It’s amazing how many of these books are available to buy used for next to nothing. In fact, I just purchased one for twenty-five cents!
Reading scripts and interviews with screenwriters is a direct way of learning the craft of screenwriting as well as immerse yourself in the world of movies.
If you have any recommendations or suggestions for additional resources in terms of scripts and interviews with screenwriters, please post in comments, and I will add to the OP as warranted.
Tomorrow: Film Analysis and Criticism.