Saturday Hot Links
Time for the 123rd installment of Saturday Hot Links!
The All Hail Sid Casear Comic Genius Edition!
Great Caesar’s Ghost: On the passing of Sid Caesar.
Sid Caesar’s influence on comedy will never die.
Snow is on the ground in 49 U.S. states.
The one literary reference you must know to appreciate “True Detective”.
The Samurai secret to always being at your best.
How Criterion Collection brings movies back from the dead.
40 weird word origins [video].
Here’s why you should worry about the Comcast-Time Warner deal.
50 most romantic movie moments of all time.
The latest Broken Projector podcast here.
How your busy schedule could be controlling your mind.
32 famous people rejected by Saturday Night Live.
11 naughty-sounding scientific names (and what they really mean).
10 naughty pre-Code films [video].
A look at the 50 most generous donors of 2013.
Alfonso Cuaron Reddit AMA here.
The secret of the Ouija board.
Film, TV industry’s diversity doesn’t look like America’s, report says.
This is the oldest star astronomers have ever discovered.
Awesome Charlie Rose interview: An hour with Bill Murray [video].
11 of Bill Murray’s greatest Letterman appearances [video].
What exactly is curling.
How can animation be killing the toy industry.
Bruce Springsteen announces U.S. tour dates.
86th Academy Award Best Picture posters get LEGO treatment.
The secrets of the happiest couples [infographic].
Could it be possible: “Firefly” to return as a limited series.
Solving the mystery of memory.
Why you need to pay attention to Icelandic cinema.
Topher Grace just launched a blog called Cereal Prize.
Martin Scorcese and the male gaze [video].
6 filmmaking tips from Martin Scorcese.
How Brooklyn neighborhoods got their names.
Jon Oliver’s new TV series gets a name.
Hollywood reacts to the death of Shirley Temple Black.
Work smarter, not harder: 21 time management tips.
Channing Tatum starts writing Magic Mike sequel.
Why do we kiss.
You can now stream 10 new Amazon pilots.
5 real-life events predicted by “Simpsons” jokes.
Five writer-teurs: Screenwriters with a style as distinctive as any director.
25 movies with similar plots released the same year.
This world map shows where every Disney movie is set.
50 original movies slated for 2014.
Exclusive chart: The most watched TV shows of all time.
11 fun facts for Blazing Saddle’s 40th anniversary.
Hollywood female stars paid way less after they turn 35 [infographic].
These are the best unproduced screenplays with female protagonists.
Recapping the Sundance sales: A complete list of festival pick-ups.
GeekTyrant: 150 movie lines and catch phrases.
Why Her could re-shape sci-fi romance.
40 most likeable movie criminals.
Finally did the demise of the video store kill “word of mouth”.
Screenwriting Master Class tip of the Week: Recently several people have inquired about what classes Tom Benedek and I offer at Screenwriting Master Class. Well, here is what we have scheduled through June:
February 24: TV: Writing the Original Pilot Script (Tom Benedek)
March 10: Craft: Writing Scenes — Tarantino Study Models (Tom Benedek)
March 17: Craft: Character Introductions (Scott Myers)
March 24: Pages I: The First Draft — Introduction to Screenwriting [TB]
March 31: Craft: Character Development Keys (Scott Myers)
April 7: Breaking in — Network Hollywood (Tom Benedek)
April 14: Pages II: Rewriting Your Script (Scott Myers)
April 28: Craft: Create a Compelling Protagonist (Scott Myers)
May 5: Craft: Rewrite Boot Camp (Tom Benedek)
May 12: Craft: Write a Worthy Nemesis (Scott Myers)
May 19: Pages TV: Original Pilot Script Workshop (Tom Benedek)
May 26: Craft: The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling (Scott Myers)
June 2: Craft: The First 15 Pages (Tom Benedek)
June 16: Pages II: Rewriting Your Script (Tom Benedek)
June 23: Pages I (Scott Myers)
June 30: Craft: TV — The Half Hour Pilot (Tom Benedek)
Some observations:
* All of the classes are online which means you can take them from anywhere in the world and participate almost totally on your own schedule.
* The Craft classes focus primarily on specific aspects of the… what else… craft of screenwriting and TV writing. For example starting Monday, I will be teaching a class called Handling Exposition in which we drill down into a key subject that I’ve not seen handled at any depth anywhere else.
* Many writers find the Craft classes so helpful, they enroll in the Craft Package which enables them to take 8 of the courses for about half-price. Plus this allows writers to access the material for all of the courses immediately, so they can go through the content on their own time as well as join each 1-week session as they are offered.
* We offer several workshops including Prep: From Concept to Outline, one of our most popular courses because you not only develop your story to the point you can type FADE IN with confidence, you also learn a proven, professional approach to prep-writing which you can adopt and adapt for all future writing projects. I will be leading the next Prep session which begins March 3.
* The Prep, Pages I: First Draft, and Pages II: Rewrite workshops are great for numerous reasons. They provide weekly deadlines to propel you through the writing process. Feedback from participants through written message board comments and in live teleconferences can provide remarkable insights into your story. And, of course, either Tom or I are there to help steer and oversee the entire process.
* If your interest is writing for TV, Tom offers several classes in that area, and the response of writers who have participated in his courses rave about them. Tom’s next session is TV: Writing the Original Pilot Script which begins February 24.
* In addition to these classes listed here, I also offer the 8-part Core curriculum from July through December, offering a comprehensive, coherent take on screenwriting theory, what I call Character Based Screenwriting. If you don’t want to wait, you can enroll in the Core Package which enables you to access all of the Core content instantly so you can immerse yourself in at your own pace.
* Finally we do offer one on-site course: The Quest Writing Workshop. The next session is scheduled for March 13–16, 2014 in Santa Monica, California. We have an excellent group enrolled already and there is one (1) slot left, so if you are interested in learning more, go here.
Tom and I have over 60 years professional experience with screenwriting and TV writing. We have over 20 years experience teaching the craft. That means we not only know what we are talking about, we know how to communicate it. We love stories. Movies. And working with writers. We are good at what we do.
As I always say, you can learn the craft on your own. How? Read scripts. Watch movies. Write pages. If you have talent, immerse yourself in the craft and are persistent in your pursuit of knowledge and experience, you don’t have to spend a dime to master the tools of screenwriting.
However many writers will benefit from a more structured education. To avoid mistakes. To speed the learning process. To gain confidence in an honest, yet supportive evaluative environment.
Tom and I honestly believe there is no better place to do that than Screenwriting Master Class.
We look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
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