Go Into The Story

This is how serious Pixar is about story

Amidst a little THR article on Pixar co-founder and head honcho James Lasseter, how he and his wife Nancy started their own winery 11 years ago, there’s this interest most interesting tidbit: Everyone knows that John Lasseter, who’s set to receive a star Nov. 1 on the

GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Shakespeare In Love” — Dialogue

A 5 part series on the 1999 Academy Award winning screenplay. We wrap up our week long analysis of the script Shakespeare in Love by considering its use of dialogue. The standard set of questions: * What do you consider to be the most memorable lines, either good or… not so

Great Character: Hauru / Howl (“Howl’s Moving Castle”)

There are so many great characters in the movies of famed Japanese writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, but I will pick Hauru (Howl) from the film Howl’s Moving Castle [screenplay by Miyazaki, based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones]. A plot summary from IMDB: When an unconfident young woman

Daily Dialogue — November 4, 2011

JOE. The Mouth of Truth. The legend is that if you’re given to lying, you put you’re hand in there it’ll be bitten off. ANN. Ooh, what a horrid idea. JOE. Let’s see you do it. She looks up worried, but seeing Joe looking at her

Writing Mantra: On the other hand…

One of the best ways for writers to combat the dreaded Voices Of Negativity. Those pages you’re working on? They suck. That sentence you just wrote? Good chance that sucks, too. In fact the whole damn story, if you’re honest with yourself… you will have to admit there’

“We make a lot of shitty movies”

The very words of long-time head of Universal Ron Meyer. Via Movieline: Appearing at the Savannah Film Festival to speak to students and members of the public at the Savannah College of Art & Design, special guest Meyer — founder of CAA, President/COO of Universal Studios, and the longest-

Movie Story Type: Gender Bender

Story Type: Gender Bender 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

What “Field of Dreams” reminds us about storytelling

I remember watching the movie Field of Dreams at the WGA theater in Beverly Hills amidst a room full of writers. Having seen dozens of movies with the same crowd before, I knew the general aura of the shared experience: A highly critical eye with an instinct toward cynicism. In

GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Shakespeare In Love” — Themes

This week we are analyzing the screenplay for the 1998 movie Shakespeare In Love (written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard), your choice for the Romantic Comedy sub-genre. You may access the 1998–06–04 version of the script here. Today we discuss the script’s themes. There are

The Business of Screenwriting: Commencement of principal photography

When your movie officially starts production, that triggers a writer’s payday. There are several significant days in a screenwriter’s life. There’s the phone call. Your first big paycheck. Your first day on a movie set. The day your movie premieres. Yes, those are some mighty fine days.

Daily Dialogue — November 3, 2011

ATTICUS: Now, will you identify the man who beat you? MAYELLA: I most certainly will. Sitting right yonder. — Atticus (Gregory Peck), Mayella (Collin Wilcox Paxton), To Kill A Mockingbird (1962), screenplay by Horton Foote, based on the novel by Harper Lee http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?config=http://config.

Reminder: GITS Meet-Up: LA (Saturday, November 5)!

Reminder: The first GITS Meet-Up: L.A. is on! When: Saturday, November 5 from 5PM-??? Where: The Cat and Fiddle Restaurant and Pub (http://www.thecatandfiddle.com/), 6530 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028, (323) 468–3800. Why: For Southern California-based writers and GITS readers to socialize. I’

Movie Story Type: Found Footage

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 almost

A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs

Because each of us will die… Because each of us will “die in medias res. In the middle of a story. Of many stories”… Because it is simply a beautiful piece of writing by a loving sister to her deceased brother… You should take 10 minutes and read this. Comment

GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Shakespeare In Love” — Characters

Welcome to Week 8 of the GITS Script Reading & Analysis series. This week we are analyzing the screenplay for the 1998 movie Shakespeare In Love (written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard), your choice for the Romantic Comedy sub-genre. You may access the 1998–06–04 version of

Script To Screen: “Say Anything”

A memorable scene from Say Anything (1989), written by Cameron Crowe. IMDb plot summary: A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college. Setup: Lloyd drives over to Diane’s house to deliver a message. Here is the movie version of

Daily Dialogue — November 2, 2011

“I read this study in Time magazine when I was at Cornell, which is an Ivy League school, and there were people, including my mother, who never believed I would make it into an Ivy League school. Maybe Ginger, who I met in marching in the eighth grade. And the

Introduce yourself!

Because we’ve had many changes in the past few months and a flood of new readers, I thought the first day of the new month would be a good opportunity for you to introduce yourself. So if you are a newcomer or a GITS ‘veteran,’ or perhaps you have

Movie Story Type: Mockumentary

Story Type: Mockumentary 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

“Spec Script Sales Explode in October — Highest Mark in 5 Years”

Finally one of the trades wakes up. Per The Wrap: After three years of reboots, sequels and prequels, the market for original scripts is finally sizzling again in Hollywood. No fewer than 18 spec scripts — screenplays written without a contract — were sold in October. That’s the highest monthly tally

GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Shakespeare In Love” — Structure

Welcome to Week 8 of the GITS Script Reading & Analysis series. This week we will be analyzing the screenplay for the 1998 movie Shakespeare In Love (written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard), your choice for the Romantic Comedy sub-genre. You may access the 1998–06–04 version

Screenwriting 101: Stephen Susco

“I’ve had three movies made to date: The Grudge in 2004, The Grudge 2 in 2006, and Red in 2008. That’s three scripts. I’ve written thirty-eight screenplays. The Grudge was my first film. It was my twenty-fifth screenplay.” — Stephen Susco (The Grudge, The Grudge 2,

Daily Dialogue — November 1, 2011

JAN: How did you two meet? LAYLA: Billy, you didn’t tell your mom how we met? BILLY: You tell her. LAYLA: Well. l was working as a typist for the CIA, which is a special part of the government. And Billy is a top agent with the CIA. I’

“Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ghost Stories for Young People”

The wonderful site FilmmakerIQ has come through on Halloween in a clutch way with this discovery: The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, gets delightfully campy on his 1962 Golden Records LP Ghost Stories for Young People. He ushers in the chills for the children as he narrates these spooky stories

“All Hallow’s Eve” by Charles Williams

Seeing as it’s Halloween, I thought I’d discuss my favorite ghost story: “All Hallow’s Eve” by Charles Williams. A relatively unknown member of the famed group of writers and academics Inklings, featuring such luminaries of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, none other than T.