GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Galaxy Quest” — Structure This week we are analyzing the screenplay for the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxay Quest, story by David Howard, screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon. You can download the script here. Here is a scene from the movie: http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?shortid=sUwy Today we discuss
Spec Script Sale: “Savage Planet” Sony with the preemptive purchase of the spec script “Savage Planet” from writer Cole Haddon. Logline: N/A. Haddon is repped by ICM and Anonymous Content. Note: This marks Sony’s 5th spec script acquisition in 2012. They only procured 7 in all of 2011. It also puts them into
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 24 This is the third year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today’s story: A heated wax museum war takes shape in Hollywood: Dissing Angelina Jolie normally isn’t the best way to get ahead in this town. But tough times call for tough tactics in
Screenwriting 101: John Hill “I mention the concept of ‘great scenes’ in a movie script because that’s what we’re always trying to write. Terrific scenes are the coin of the screenwriting realm. But what are some characteristics of great scene construction? * Protagonist start the scene under tremendous pressure, the emotions already sky-
Daily Dialogue — April 24, 2012 EXT. DIRT ROAD — SUNRISE Dawn with her rose-red fingers rises over a dusty country road. A car chugs over the horizon. NARRATOR As far as con man stories go, I think I’ve heard them all. Of grifters, ropers, faro fixers, tales drawn long and tall. But if one
Reader Question: What’s the low-down on screenwriting contests? From Marc Teichmann: Is there a website or database somewhere with a list of grants available for screenwriters? I know of the Nicholl contest, but what other ones? I absolutely love writing, and I feel like if I just had more time to work I could be so much better,
Joss Whedon: Feminist Per Vulture: On the same day the cast of The Avengers was assembling for its London premiere, the film’s writer-director Joss Whedon was in New York, attending the twentieth anniversary celebration of Equality Now. In fact, Whedon penned some comic skits for the ceremony, with actors like Laura
Deep Focus: The Go Into The Movies Project — Movies 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
GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Galaxy Quest” Welcome to Week 18 of the GITS Script Reading & Analysis series. This week we will be analyzing the screenplay for the 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxay Quest, story by David Howard, screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon. You can download the script here. Here is a trailer for
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 23 This is the third year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today’s story: Man Fakes Mom’s Obit To Get Time Off: BROOKVILLE, Pa. — Authorities in northwestern Pennsylvania say a man published an obituary for his living mother in a ploy to get paid bereavement
On Writing “Respect the genre you’re writing in. In an effort to put your own stamp on it, don’t ignore the established conventions of that genre — or you’ll alienate your core audience of loyal buyers.” — Kathleen Krull Comment Archive
Daily Dialogue — April 23, 2012 Pocahontas: Mother, where do you live? In the sky? The clouds? The sea? Show me your face. Give me a sign. We rise… we rise. Afraid of myself. A god, he seems to me. What else is life but being near you? Do they suspect? Oh, to be given to
GITS Script Reading & Analysis, Week 18: “Galaxy Quest” After a highly successful outing last time with the script for the movie Michael Clayton, up next is the excellent 1999 science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest, story by David Howard, screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon. You can download the script here. Our schedule for the week-long analysis:
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Action [Part 1] If you are a screenwriter, you should know about Anita Loos. Loos was one of the most influential writers in the early stages of American cinema, associated with 136 film projects per IMDB. Married to writer John Emerson, the pair wrote one of the first books on screenwriting in 1920:
Movie Trailer: “Ruby Sparks” A novelist struggling with writer’s block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence. Written by Zoe Kazan IMDB site Release Date: 25 July 2012
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 22 This is the third year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today’s story: Paralympian Eyeing The Olympics After Crash Miraculously Un-Paralyzes Her: Paralyzed from the hip down since she was 13, Monique van der Vorst was an accomplished paralympian cyclist. She won two silver
Screenwriting News (4/16–4/22/12) Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie may be about scientology. Nice article about Chris Colfer (“Glee”) and his screenplay for the new movie Struck By Lightning. Academy Award winning screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) interview. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love) hired to direct “Focus” from their
Video Interview: Fritz Lang and William Friedkin Once again the Internet gives movie fans a video treasure. Here is a 1974 conversation between director William Friedkin (French Connection, The Exorcist) and famed German director (Metropolis, M). DangerousMinds provides this overview of some of the subjects Lang and Friedkin cover: And so it is with Lang, as he
Daily Dialogue — April 22, 2012 Myra: Where are we goin’? Jerry: Take a look in that glove compartment there. I wanna show you somethin’. It’s a marriage license. Myra: I… I thought you had to stand there and say something. Jerry: Well, it’s only a permit, Myra. Myra: Oh, so we ain’t
Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Voice-over narration After a week’s worth of romance courtesy of Teddy Pasternak’s suggested theme of marriage proposal, this week we go stentorian with a new theme: Voice-over Narration [courtesy of Lloyd Morgan]. There is a conventional wisdom that Hollywood types don’t like voice-over narration. Witness this scene
Congratulations, Stage 32! There’s a celebration going on in another corner of the online screenwriting and filmmaking community: Stage 32. From a post by its co-founder Richard Botto: Seven months ago, when we launched Stage 32, our wish was to make the world a little smaller for those whose calling was
Scene Description Spotlight: “Basic Instinct” Let’s say you’re writing a sexy thriller. Per the concept of narrative voice, you should write scene description that is… well… sexy and thrilling. This approach paid off handsomely for screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, who in 1992 wrote a spec script called “Basic Instinct” that sold for $3M, the
A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 21 This is the third year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Today’s story: Surprise Twins: Man Sues Fertility Clinic: A father of 4-year-old twins is claiming his ex-girlfriend stole his sperm and impregnated herself at a fertility clinic and is now suing
Saturday Hot Links Welcome to another installment of Saturday Hot Links! Today: The Rube Goldberg Machine Edition! The complete Cannes Film Festival lineup. In honor of National Poetry Month, here are 10 celebrities reading famous poems aloud. Would you pay more for movie tickets to hit films and less for flops? That’s
Written Interview: Joss Whedon (“The Cabin in the Woods”) Interview in Vulture with Joss Whedon, co-writer of The Cabin in the Woods: Has it been tough for you, talking about this movie without giving away too much? It’s been tough. It’s been tough for Lionsgate, who have been very mindful of spoilers while promoting the movie.
