Go Into The Story

How I Write A Script, Part 10: Third Draft

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline Part 7: Script Diary Part 8: First Draft Part 9: Second Draft

“Bass Hysteria”: An article on screenwriter Ron Bass

Screenwriter Ron Bass, who has been called “The Two Billion Dollar Man” because movies he’s written have grossed that much money at the box office, came up in a recent discussion. For those of you who don’t know about Bass, he works with a ‘team’ of researchers, assistants,

How I Write A Script, Part 9: Second Draft

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline Part 7: Script Diary Part 8: First Draft PART 9: SECOND DRAFT

Friday movie reviews

The Incredible Hulk Daily Variety Los Angeles Times New York Times Wall Street Journal [Also The Happening, Quid Pro Quo] The Happening Daily Variety Los Angeles Times New York Times Quid Pro Quo Los Angeles Times New York Times Comment Archive

Pitch sale: Untitled Mike Rich

Disney buys pitch from Mike Rich. Storyline being kept under wraps: “Studio and writer were vague on the idea, allowing only that it’s based on a true story with elements of Sleepless in Seattle and The Parent Trap.” Notice the phrase “true story.” Rich probably read a newspaper or

Spec sale: “Raindrops All Around Me”

Universal nabs comedy spec written by Neil Agnew and Eli Jorne for mid-six against high-six figures. The premise: “The story centers on a socially inept high school teacher who learns to “dumb it down” in order to fit in with the people around him.” Doesn’t sound like

On Writing

“Whenever you write, whatever you write, never make the mistake of assuming the audience is any less intelligent than you are.”  — Rod Serling

Written By: William Goldman interviews David Koepp

The WGA’s monthly journal “Written By” provides consistently good reading about the craft and business of screenwriting. They have online articles, but if you don’t subscribe to receive the hard copy of the magazine, you miss out on some nuggets. For instance, in the May 2008 issues, William

“Jay and Seth Vs. The Apocalypse”

Ya’ know, you can just blow off the whole spec script thing, shoot a trailer, and sell it in a bidding war just like these guys did: Of course, it helps if “these guys” are Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel. And you’re working with a great high concept: two

How I Write A Script, Part 8: First Draft

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline Part 7: Script Diary PART 8: FIRST DRAFT Finally, we get to

Movie release dates = traffic jam

From the LA Times yesterday, this article  describing how studio execs are having to deal with a glut of movies: “Tom Rothman and Jim Gianopulos may run a movie studio, but these days they often feel more like traffic cops, making sure 20th Century Fox’s releases don’t crash

Bitter Truth #5

“Technology was invented to complicate things even more than in the past: but infinitely quicker!” © 2008 Kurt Brown & Scott Myers

Daily Variety reviews “The Happening”

Verdict? Eh, not so good: “One might charitably describe “The Happening” as a transitional work for M. Night Shyamalan. In an attempted rebound from the critical and commercial calamity of “Lady in the Water,” the writer-director has scaled back most of his characteristic touches — the contorted horror/fantasy mythology,

How I Write A Script, Part 7: Script Diary

Here’s another in a series of 10 posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Part 6: Outline PART 7: SCRIPT DIARY The last thing I do before I type

Interview with producer Robert Kosberg

Ideas are the lifeblood of Hollywood, the foundation not only for screenplays, but also for how studios market their movies, pounding a movie’s story concept into consumers’ consciousness through a coordinated media onslaught. Side note: According to the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), marketing costs represented nearly 40%

Screenwriting 101 — Robert Towne

“The single most important question, I think, that one must ask one’s self about a character is what are they really afraid of? What are they really afraid of? And if you ask that question, it’s probably for me the single best way of getting into a character.

Open Forum

Anything you want to discuss re screenwriting… …here’s your chance. Comment Archive

Hollywood Reporter: Spielberg, Dreamworks speculation

Well, this is big news: “Steven Spielberg aims to raise more than $1 billion in third-party financing to reinvent DreamWorks as a separate company that once again owns the movies it makes.” Co-founders Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen sold Dreamworks to Viacom in a deal that

RIP: Actor who played young George Bailey

Sad news. Bob Anderson, who played young George Bailey in the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, has died at the age of 75: “But he was best known for playing the young George Bailey in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946). As a despairing George

How I Write A Script, Part 6: Outline

Here’s another in a series of posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development Part 5: Plotting Today Part 6: Outline PART 6: OUTLINE I start by transcribing the content of the cards

Hollywood Tales

“Lindsay Doran (producer), James Schamus (co-producer), Ang Lee (director) and I had met previously this month to discuss the latest draft of the script, which is what we’re all here to work through… Lindsay goes round the table and introduces everyone — making it clear that I am present

Pitch sale: “Atari”

Paramount buys Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman pitch as a starring vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio. Premise: “Project is a biopic about entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell, the creator of Atari and one of the founding fathers of the vidgame industry.” Comment Archive

How I Write A Script, Part 5: Plotting

Here’s another in a series of posts about how I approach writing a script. Previous posts: Part 1: Story Concept Part 2: Brainstorming Part 3: Research Part 4: Character Development PART 5: PLOTTING This is another part of the process that happens while I’m brainstorming, doing research, and

When inspiration hits

Tom asked a question here: “Do you remember when and where an idea hit you for one of your scripts?” I went through my list and was able to pull up these original ideas and their source: K-9: Steve Siegel, my first writing partner, owned a business in Ventura,

On Writing

“I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot.”  — Steve Martin