Question: “How many scenes does a movie have on average?” Question: How many scenes does a movie have on average? A reader question from pictopedia: You mentioned that you’re starting to construct a story with 10 backbone units. “Save the Cat” embeds a similar basic set into around 40 units (beats, moments, scenes) I guess. I’m wondering if
“Upcoming movies: Awesome or awful?” How about a snarky appraisal of some upcoming movie projects courtesy of Salon.com’s columnist Andrew O’Hehir’s “Beyond the Multiplext” column: OK then, here’s a pop quiz for pop-culture mavens. First, identify each of the following proposed movie projects. Second, identify which one I just
Interviews: Robert McKee Some interviews with arguably the world’s most notable screenwriting ‘guru’ — Robert McKee. This StoryLink interview offers an excellent distillation of the core principles upon which McKee has built his overarching theories re story and screenwriting. Here is an excerpt: Q: Are there basic components to what makes for a
Screenwriting 101: Julius Epstein “The point of view that words should be minimized in movies is just ridiculous! The technical aspects are not important. It’s the words, it always gets back to the words. The people who suffered the highest percentage of failure were novelists and short story writers. Because, in their form
Question: “What about TV spec scripts?” Another open forum question — this one from Rob: Alongside my features I’ve been working on a couple of TV spec scripts as samples. What’s the process/timing for submitting these if you’re looking to get hired as a staff writer? Rob, a couple of things. First, by
“Neill Blomkamp Would Love to Return for a District 9 Sequel” From our friend Alex Billington at FirstShowing.net, the love-fest for District 9 continues unabated: It’s pretty much inevitable that we’ll see a sequel to District 9. The film made an impressive $37.3 million over the weekend, not only surpassing expectations, but making more than its
“The 10 Worst Movie Trailers Of All Time” The Huffington Post is currently running this poll rating “The 10 Worst Movie Trailers Of All Time.” Here are five of them: 1. Birdemic This trailer is completely amazing in that it sets you up to think you’re going to watch a teen film about dancing your way through
Hollywood Tales “When [Larry] Cohen is writing a screenplay, there are certain things he will not do. He will not rely on an outline. Over the years, he has found that organization and planning make his stories fall flat… He will not use a computer. ‘Oh, no,’ Cohen says on being asked
“Spielberg’s DreamWorks finally lands movie funds” Man, this took a long time: Nearly a year after embarking on plans to relaunch DreamWorks as an independent studio, Steven Spielberg finally has the financial means to greenlight his own movies. Today, DreamWorks said it had finalized the first phase of a long-in-the-works funding deal that
Question: “What about a script with all ethnic cast?” Another open forum question: From Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist: dumb question… am I wasting my time if I write a spec screenplay that has an all-South Asian cast? Seriously. I am really asking you this. many L.A producers always turn their nose up at “ethnic” screenplays and let’
“‘District 9’ invades top of box office” Analysis of the weekend box office in this Variety article, specifically re District 9: In the U.S., “District 9” performed at the top of its class, opening bigger than such sci-fi titles as “Minority Report,” which had mega talent wattage in Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise, and last
“Independent Filmmakers Distribute on Their Own” Well, this is pretty damn fascinating: When “The Age of Stupid,” a climate change movie, “opens” across the United States in September, it will play on some 400 screens in a one-night event, with a video performance by Thom Yorke of Radiohead, all paid for by the filmmakers themselves
“Cast set for ‘Straw Dogs’ remake” I’m posting this to cite yet another remake, right? Screen Gems has set James Woods, Dominic Purcell and Willa Holland in “Straw Dogs,” the Rod Lurie-directed reimagining of the 1971 Sam Peckinpah film. Wrong! I’m posting this because the Protagonist is a “Hollywood screenwriter”: Lurie wrote the
On writing “Writers have an island, a center of refuge, within themselves. It is the mind’s anchorage, the soul’s Great Good Place.” — Wright Morris
Question: “How to hit the right pace at the script’s beginning?” An open forum question from Antonio: Thanks for creating the Open Forum. Just one question: I’m new to scriptwriting but not to short stories etc, but what I’ve found when I’ve been given feedback on spec scripts, is that one person will say move it along, there’
“Ponyo” I neglected to cover the release this weekend of Ponyo, the latest animated movie from renowned Japanese writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, whose credits include Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). Here are some reviews of Ponyo: Daily Vairety Hollywood Reporter Los Angeles Times New
“Stephen King’s Screen Addiction” Do you realize how many Stephen King stories have been adapted into movies, TV mini-series, and TV series? IMDB.com lists 111 writing credits. That list includes such noteworthy movies as Carrie (1976), The Shining (1980), Stand by Me (1986), Misery (1990), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and The Green
Video interview — Neil Blomkamp (District 9) Today’s interview is with first-time screenwriter and director Neil Blomkamp whose debut effort is the much anticipated — at least by me — District 9. Blomkamp, who co-wrote the screenplay with Terri Tatchell, has a background in 3D animation and visual effects, which clearly came in handy with District
Daily dialogue — August 16, 2009 “All the best people have bad chests and bone diseases. It’s all frightfully romantic.” — Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet), Heavenly Creatures (1994), screenplay by Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson Comment Archive
Question: “What about CAPATILIZATION in scene description? An open forum question from Daveed: “What’s the current rule on the use of CAPITALIZATION in scene descriptions? I hear that it should be avoided, but even recent scripts of successful films still use it.” Re the “rules” of screenplay format and style, let’s be clear: It’s
Spec script sale:”Doc & Howie Whack a Granny” Montecito Picture Co. picks up comedy spec “Doc & Howie Whack a Granny” from TV writer-producer Steve Leff: The comedy revolves around two men who inadvertently kill a frail elderly woman when they neglect to help her carry groceries up stairs. On the plus side, the incident puts them
Interview — Stuart Beattie Today’s interview is with screenwriter Stuart Beattie. Beattie’s writing credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Collateral (2004), 30 Days of Night (2007), and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). You’ve done spectacle before, with “Pirates.” I recall there
Daily dialogue — August 15, 2009 “Mr. and Mrs. Sheriff. So sweet. So helpless against what is coming.” — The Stranger (Ben Foster), 30 Days of Night (2007), screenplay by Steve Niles and Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson, based on the comic by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith Comment Archive
“Good news: You’re hired. Bad news: Write it in six weeks” A Martin Grove column from The Hollywood Reporter about screenwriter Stuart Beattie and how he wrote G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in six week: Stuart Beattie got good and bad news in September ’07 as screenwriters were winding down to go on strike. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura was
