Go Into The Story

The next Go Into The Story Read and Analysis Script: “The Invitation”

Read the script for the acclaimed indie thriller and discuss next week.

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 281st installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…

Update: Elizabeth Chomko’s “What They Had”

The 2015 Nicholl Fellowship winning script gets a green light.

Interview: Edgar Wright and Walter Hill

A conversation about the cult 1978 car chase thriller “The Driver”.

Daily Dialogue — March 18, 2017

“He’s dating a fat-ass hipster chick! I hate his stupid guts! I’m gonna disembowel him! He only likes her ‘coz she’s old! She’s probably…

Raymond, thanks for your comments.

That said — and coming from a specific perspective of dealing with students who default to using dialogue to move the plot forward — it is…

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 17

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

Spec Script Deal: “Space Race”

Universal Pictures acquires spec script “Space Race” written by Daniel Kunka. From Deadline:

Conversations With Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

Writing and the Creative Life: “The hard is what makes it great”

Jimmy Dugan: Taking a little day trip? Dottie Hinson: No, Bob and I are driving home. To Oregon. Jimmy Dugan: [long pause] You know, I…

Daily Dialogue — March 17, 2017

“I envy your normal life. It seems that envy is my sin.”

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 16

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

Why are we fascinated with ‘Bad Guys’?

So many current TV series feature anti-heroes. Why?

Spec Script Deal: “Infinite”

Paramount Pictures acquires science fiction spec script “Infinite” written by Ian Shorr. From Deadline:

Conversations With Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

The Business of Screenwriting: Cynicism

The screenwriter is droning on and on about how he got screwed.”It was a great script. Seriously. Sold it as a pitch. Sold it in the room…

Daily Dialogue — March 16, 2017

Mrs. Robinson: Drive down the block. Benjamin: Mrs. Robinson, Elaine I have a date. We’re going for a drive. Mrs. Robinson: Do exactly as I…

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 15

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

2016 Spec Script Deals and Analysis

Download free 24 page PDF to learn about Hollywood development market.

Spec Script Deal: “Twin Blades”

Cristal Pictures and The Donners’ Company acquires action comedy spec script “Twin Blades” written by Ingrid Eskeland-Adetuyi. From…

Conversations With Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder. Cameron Crowe. Conversation and creative insight.

Great Scene: “The Fabulous Baker Boys”

Here’s a great scene involving music: In the 1989 movie The Fabulous Baker Boys, Susie (Michelle Pfeiffer) vamping it up atop a Steinway…

Daily Dialogue — March 15, 2017

“Don’t you just take the past and put it in a room in a basement and lock the door and never go in there? That’s what I do. And then you…

Zero Draft Thirty 2017 Spring Challenge: Day 14

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

Gender as Represented in Spec Script Deals: 1991–2016

Updated to include last year’s numbers. Bottom line: Little change.