Movie Trailer: “The Double” Screenplay by Richard Ayoade and Avi Korine, novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky A comedy centered on a man who is driven insane by the appearance of his doppleganger. IMDB Release Date: 4 April 2014 (UK) Comment Archive
Movies You Made: “How to Break Up with Your Mother” March is Movies You Made month at Go Into The Story where we feature the work of some independent filmmakers. Today: How to Break Up With Your Mother. Production notes from writer-director Lawrence Zoeller: “How to Break Up with Your Mother” is a dark comedy made in 2011. The
On Writing “Don’t write about a character. Become that character, and then write your story.” — Ethan Canin
Daily Dialogue — March 3, 2014 “You can’t handle the truth! [pauses] Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago,
Your guide to the 86th Academy Awards Some links and info for tonight’s Oscars. But first, my predictions for the two most important awards. Why, screenwriting, of course! Best Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave, John Ridley Best Original Screenplay: Her, Spike Jonze Okay, some links! The Week: Your definitive Oscar prediction list. Mashable: Your complete
Go Into The Story Week In Review: February 24-March 2, 2014 Links to the week’s most notable posts: 2014 WGAW Feature Access Projects Honorees Announced Billy Wilder with his writing partner I.A.L. Diamond [video] Character Type: Companion Character Type: Healer Character Type: Rebel Character Type: Visionary Character Type: Warrior Daily Dialogue Theme for Next Week: Lecture Dolby Presents:
Movies You Made: “Strangers” March is Movies You Made month at Go Into The Story where we feature the work of some independent filmmakers. Today: Strangers. Production notes from the movie’s director writer-director Eric Yang: Strangers is a story about two strangers whose plans for a one-night-stand take a turn
Studying Aristotle’s “Poetics” — Part 23: Unity of Action As I’ve been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again: Aristotle’s “Poetics”. I confess I’ve never read the entire thing, only bits and pieces. So I thought, why not do a weekly series with
Screenwriting News (February 24-March 2, 2014) Jonathan Abrams sells comedy pitch “Diplomats” to Twentieth Century Fox, Tim Story to direct. Josh Boone adapting Stephen King novel “The Stand” for Warner Bros. and CBS Films, Boone to direct. Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen adapting book “Console Wars” for Sony Pictures with Goldberg and Rogen to direct. Aaron
Interview [Video]: Scott Z. Burns A DP/30 interview with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns whose writing credits include The Bourne Ultimatum and Contagion. Comment Archive
Daily Dialogue — March 2, 2014 “Ah! Ah! AHHHH!” — Alien (1979), screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, story by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is agony. Trivia: The rumor that the cast, except for John Hurt, did not know what would happen during the chestburster scene is partly true.
Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Lecture Thanks to Illimani for this week’s theme: Agony. Next week we enter into the halls of academia with this them: Lecture. “You teach yourselves the law, but I train your minds. You come in here with a skull full of mush; you leave thinking like a lawyer.” Of course,
Movies You Made: “Cleetus Redbone: Apparition Apprehension” March is Movies You Made month at Go Into The Story where we feature the work of some independent filmmakers. Today: Cleetus Redbone: Apparition Apprehension. Production notes from the movie’s director David McClellan: essentially this was shot in 2 days at 2 locations — all with friends and people in
Spec Script Sale: “Winter’s Night” In a competitive bidding situation, Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired adventure fantasy spec script “Winter’s Knight” written by newcomers Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton. From Deadline: After much back and forth Saturday involving Sony, Universal and a last-ditch overture from Warner Bros, Sony finally closed its deal for
Great Scene: “Young Frankenstein” Ah, the old song-and-dance routine. A Hollywood staple. Images of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron swooping across the silver screen. And of course, that incomparable duo Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle from the fantastic comedy Young Frankenstein (1974). Adapted by Gene Wilder and
Saturday Hot Links Time for the 125th installment of Saturday Hot Links. Today: The 86th Academy Awards Edition! The Oscars will piss you off, but you’ll keep watching. The 2014 hater’s guide to the Oscars. 5 shocking statistics about gender inequity and the Academy Awards. 10 fun and fascinating facts about
Interview [Written]: Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”) A THR interview with writer-director Wes Anderson on the eve of the premiere of his newest movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. THR: I gather that the first in the series of dots that led to you making your first feature happened at the University of Texas. How did you
Daily Dialogue — March 1, 2014 “Please, Jack, no. I’m frightened.” — Brazil (1985), screenplay by Terry Gilliam & Tom Stoppard & Charles McKeown The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is agony, suggested by Illimani. Trivia: Early title for Brazil was “1984 and a 1/2”, an ode to Federico Fellini and 8½ (1963), but
Words of inspiration to first-time writers… …from the GITS community. Updated with some recent additions. Offered to every writer, but especially those just starting out on their creative journey. We spend our lives searching within ourselves for something majestic, something big enough for people to take notice. If only for a moment. That’s what writing
Screenwriting Lessons: Michael Arndt [Part 5] Back in 2012, I ran a 5-part series of screenwriting lessons based on what Michael Arndt says and writes. Here is Part 5 which gets into story beginnings. I don’t know who went to the trouble of creating this doc — if someone out there can find the source,
Spec Script Sale: “The Bringing” In a competitive bidding, Sony Pictures acquires horror spec script “The Bringing” written by Brandon Murphy and Philip Murphy. From Deadline: The spec’s basis is on a woman, Elisa Lam, who was found dead in the water tanks on the roof of the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. That’
Dolby Presents: “Silent” — a Short Film Via @Dolby: “Silent” is an animated short film created by Academy Award® winning Moonbot Studios (http://http://moonbotstudios.com). It celebrates how storytellers, inventors, and technology work together to create cinema magic. The story follows two street performers who dream of bringing their “Picture and Sound Show” to life. When
Movie Trailer: “Fading Gigolo” Written by John Turturro Fioravante decides to become a professional Don Juan as a way of making money to help his cash-strapped friend, Murray. With Murray acting as his “manager”, the duo quickly finds themselves caught up in the crosscurrents of love and money. IMDB Release Date: 18 April
Character Type: Visionary “They can see into the future… or think they can. They perceive possibilities when others see only walls. Often the power of their perceptions are matched by their zeal.” Those of you who have followed my blog for some time or taken courses with me through Screenwriting Master Class know
Great Character: Andy Hanson (“Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”) This month’s theme: Great Philip Seymour Hoffman characters. Today: Guest poster Jason Cuthbert looks at Andy Hanson from the 2007 movie Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, written by Kelly Masterson. What kind of older brother convinces his weaker-willed younger sibling to plot a robbery of their
