Go Into The Story

Great Scene: “This is Spinal Tap”

“These go to 11.”

Page One: ‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)

Written by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola

Honestly, I think with streaming services and the continued internationalization of the film and TV…

That said, it is interesting how movies evolved from single-reel films to double-reel films and so on to eventually land on two hours as…

2020 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 19

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Reader Question: Is it useful to read a bad script to see what not to do?

Can we learn something from slogging through bad screenplays?

Interview: Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson

A conversation with the screenwriters of Bill and Ted Face the Music.

Page One: ‘Almost Famous’ (2000)

Written by Cameron Crowe

2020 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 18

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Reader Question: Is a character’s transformation dictated by events or reactions to them?

“Change is not just what goes on inside a character, nor just what happens in the plot. It’s both. They are inextricably linked.”

The Business of Screenwriting: The Power of “No”

In the event you break into the business as a screenwriter, you need to be prepared to say this word: “No.”

Page One: ‘Aliens’ (1986)

Screenplay byJames Cameron, story by James Cameron and David Giler & Walter Hill, based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald…

2020 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 17

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Reader Question: What to do with a 70 page screenplay?

Is the story ‘done’ or can it be mined for additional content?

The Business of Screenwriting: The Path of Least Resistance

There is no right way to write. No correct way to approach your career as a writer. No single secret to success. You can take some of the…

Page One: ‘Adaptation.’ (2002)

Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, book by Susan Orlean

60 Second Screenwriter: What makes a great beginning of a script?

A new video series addressing key screenwriting concerns in sixty seconds.

2020 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 16

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Great Scene: “Inglourious Basterds”

Col. Hans Landa ‘chats’ with a French farmer.

Page One: ‘Ace in the Hole’ (1951)

Written by Billy Wilder & Lesser Samuels & Walter Newman

Movies You Made: “Oh, Baby!”

An award-winning live-action and stop-motion animation short film that you simply must see!

2020 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 15

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Screenwriting 101: Michael Arndt

On Tuesday, May 23, 2000, at 4:27 p.m., I sat down to write LMS [Little Miss Sunshine]. I wrote twelve pages the first day, thirty-seven…

Page One: ‘A Quiet Place’ (2018)

Screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski, story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck

2020 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 14

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

Reader Question: How do you handle songs in a screenplay?

Does including the title of a specific recorded song mark you as an amateur?