Written Interview: Norman Lear Today’s interview is with famed TV writer-producer Norman Lear taken from a great WGA series conducted by Dennis Faye: In 1971, after Lear filmed his “All in the Family” pilot three separate times, CBS picked up the controversial look at an American working class home. The show took
Daily Dialogue — August 6, 2011 Ben: It’s so dark in here. Sera: You’re so sick… so pale. Ben: My love. Sera: You’re my love. Ben: Do you want help? Sera: Do you want my help? Ben: I want to see you. You’re my angel. Sera: I’m right here. Ben: What
Your must-see movies So we’ve had Spielberg (allegedly). And Spike Lee. What about you? What must-see movies are on your list? Let’s narrow the focus: Which movies do you think a person must see in order to advance their understanding of screenwriting? How about we limit it to 10? Thanks
Update: Hasbro, board games, and movies The latest on Hollywood’s obsession with pre-awareness titles or pre-branded brands, this item on the board game front. From Deadline: Universal Pictures has quietly dropped out of Clue, one of the seven Hasbro games properties the studio contracted to make into movies in a ground-breaking six-
Screenwriting and Sonata Form John August had this post today: Roger Kamien’s description of the sonata form, a building block of the classical symphony, will seem familiar to screenwriters: The amazing durability and vitality of sonata form result from its capacity for drama. The form moves from a stable situation toward conflict (in
Writers on how they write: Edwidge Danticat The Wall Street Journal has a great article: “How to Write a Great Novel”, reflections by 11 novelists on how they approach writing. I’ll feature one writer per day, highlighting their process with a key excerpt from the article. Today’s writer is Edwidge Danticat, whose novels include “Breath,
Great Characters: Martin Q. Blank (“Gross Pointe Blank”) Take a hit man going through an existential crisis. Put him under pressure by sending some overzealous FBI agents after him. And an assassin. Oh, yeah, and another hit man who wants to joint the “Assassin’s Union.” Send them all off to the original hit man’s high school
Spike Lee’s list of must-see movies After I posted this featuring the alleged list of Steven Spielberg’s ‘curriculum,’ 206 must-see movies, there was considerable back and forth re the list’s authenticity including a Twitter comment from writer-director Edgar Wright asserting the list was “Fake.” Then I received this email from GITS reader
Advice to Nicholl Fellowship participants Yesterday I posted this about the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. Some of you made the quarterfinals and I asked for any advice from previous successful participants. John posted a comment I thought was quite helpful for any of who have done well in some of the major screenwriting competitions
Highlights from Spielberg DGA event, Part 2 A few weeks back, I posted this excellent analysis by Nate Winslow of a recent event at the DGA featuring J.J. Abrams and James Cameron feting Steven Spielberg. Nate has been culling through the lengthy video extrapolating highlights with an eye toward insight for screenwriters. Today Part 2 of
Spec Script Sale: “Autobahn” Spec Script Deal: “Autobahn” Inferno buys action-thriller spec “Autobahn” from writer Greg Russo. Per THR: Autobahn is the story of a washed-up ex-Formula One driver who wakes up trapped inside a BMW on the side of the Autobahn, Germany’s famed high-speed roadway, which has no
“Billion-Dollar Babies to Superhero Busts: 5 Lessons of the Summer Box Office” The Wrap just went live with this analysis. Their five lessons: 1. BIG GLOBAL FRANCHISES BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT 2. THE SEQUEL WELL IS RUNNING DRY 3. EVEN SUPERHEROES NEED A STORYLINE 4. SAY GOODBYE TO THE QUICKIE 3D CONVERSION 5. THE ’90S A-LISTERS ARE ON THE B-LIST
Writers on how they write: Margaret Atwood The Wall Street Journal has a great article: “How to Write a Great Novel”, reflections by 11 novelists on how they approach writing. I’ll feature one writer per day, highlighting their process with a key excerpt from the article. Today’s writer is Margaret Atwood, whose novels include “The
The Business of Screenwriting: Going to the movies One of the most important ways you can learn the craft of screenwriting is by watching movies. Studying them. Breaking them down sequence by sequence, scene by scene. Tracking the story’s pace and the flow of its narrative. Beyond that movies serve as a reminder… Of film as visual
Daily Dialogue — August 4, 2011 Emma Horton: You both of you have beautiful eyes and your hair is too long. I mean, I don’t care how long it gets in the back, but keep your bangs cut, OK, it’s too long. Tommy Horton: That’s a matter of opinion. Emma Horton: Just keep
Writing Question: How has learning the craft of screenwriting affected the way you watch movies? Structure, subplots, character, dialogue, pace, transitions, scenes, all of those elements involved in writing a screenplay, once you learn them, it just has to impact how you look at movies. So… How do you look at movies differently than you did before you knew about screenwriting? Do you have different
Nicholl quarterfinals? I believe the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting has sent out notices to everyone in this year’s competition who has progressed to the quarterfinal round. If you made the quarters and want to ‘celebrate’ that achievement here, feel free to post the news in comments. And to those who were
Update: Spielberg ‘curriculum’ On Sunday I posted this: Courtesy of Nate Winslow: This is a list that someone sent me during a conversation on Twitter. It’s unofficially referred to as “Steven Spielberg’s List of Movies You Have to See Before You Can Work With Him” aka “Steven Spielberg’s Curriculum.” Weirdly
Spec Script Sale: “Non-Stop” Dark Castle Entertainment acquires action thriller spec script “Non-Stop” from first-timers Don Richardson & Chris Roach. Per THR: Plot details are being kept under wraps but the project is described by those in the know as a contained, gritty action thriller centering on an air marshal flying on
Writers on how they write: Kate Christensen The Wall Street Journal has a great article: “How to Write a Great Novel”, reflections by 11 novelists on how they approach writing. I’ll feature one writer per day, highlighting their process with a key excerpt from the article. Today’s writer is Kate Christensen, who novels include “The
Script To Screen: “Silverado” An early scene in the 1985 western Silverado, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Mark Kasdan. Setup: Emmett (Scott Glenn) and Paden (Kevin Kline), who have both been done wrong (Paden’s horse and belongings stolen), enter town together. The script version of the scene: The scene in the movie: There
An idea for GITS As longtime GITS readers may remember, in the past we have done a variety of script reading and analysis series including 40 Days of Screenplays, 6 Days of Screenplays, and so on. I think it’s time to bring something like that back for these reasons: (A) To encourage GITS
“Babies to Heroes: A Field Guide to Big-Screen Men” A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis with an interesting piece in Sunday NTY. Subtitle: “Male Archetypes in the Movies.” THERE are times, particularly during the summer, when the big screen seems overrun with the alpha and omega of contemporary masculinity: the big babies of comedies and the hard-bodied manly
Infographic: The Cartoon Color Wheel As if you needed this, a fantastic way to waste several hours of your time. From Slate: Why are the Smurfs blue? Why is Doug’s Beebe Bluff purple? Our aim is not to answer these existential questions. When asked why the Simpsons are yellow, Yeardley Smith (voice of Lisa)
Writers on how they write: Dan Chaon The Wall Street Journal has a great article: “How to Write a Great Novel”, reflections by 11 novelists on how they approach writing. I’ll feature one writer per day, highlighting their process with a key excerpt from the article. Today’s writer is Dan Chaon, author of You Remind
