How do you survive in a Hollywood that seems to be a copy of itself? David Bordwell looks at the screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, Spiderman) for clues. For a long time, Hollywood movies have fed off other Hollywood movies. We’ve had sequels and remakes since the 1910s. Studios of the Golden Era relied Read MoreRead More
If you find yourself working as a bartender to make ends meet – don’t fret – it could be a great way to learn story. 1. Don’t be afraid of heavy lifting. Even the most enjoyable jobs have miserable moments. For bartending, it’s going to a venue in the afternoon to carry giant bags of Read MoreRead More
Scott Myers presents this tip from his screenwriting Masterclass, exploring the themes in the Coen Brothers’ work. This may seem an odd point to make: Follow the story. Of course, follow the story. That’s what writers do, right? Well, there are writers who follow the story. Then there are the Coens who really FOLLOW the story. Read MoreRead More
Scott Myer talks index cards and how they can help you organize your story. This is what a wall in a TV writers room may look like at any given time, cluttered with index cards. How can you use index cards? * Brainstorm: Any time you have an idea for a scene, beat, character, line of dialogue, Read MoreRead More
Screenwriting teacher John Truby covers 9 broad stroke elements behind all great films. You don’t need to go to film school to recognise the key elements of great movies. These same elements are present time and time again in the great movies, like King Kong, The Outlaw Josey Wales, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, McCabe Read MoreRead More
Screenwriting isn’t easy. Great story telling requires craft and insight – but it all starts with getting the proper formatting. Trace the roots of how the screenplay evolved from the earliest moving pictures, through the golden age of Hollywood and into the post-studio era. This video is part of the Filmmaker IQ course: “The Essentials Read MoreRead More
We’ve all seen a sensationalist news story and thought – that would make a great movie. What are the legalities? Entertainment lawyer Christopher Schiller discusses some of the basic legalities of “based on a true story” but as always with legal advice found online – to be sure, CONSULT AN ATTORNEY. First let’s start with Read MoreRead More
In this episode of “On Script” Damon Lindelof (Lost, Prometheus, Star Trek: Into the Darkness) discusses his hand in some of the most celebrated and scrutinized works of science fiction over the past five years, and how much of their success is attributed to writing stories that leave a lot up to one’s imagination.. Watch A Conversation Read MoreRead More
The BitterScriptReader tackles the age old question of what to do with your screenplay once it’s done.Read More
The minds behind Peep Show and Fresh Meat pick apart their creative process and give their top tips on writing successful comedy.Read More
Screenwriter Danny Rubin shares his 10 rules for screenwriters. The comfort of rules can be very important to a writer’s motivation because telling them the truth (there are no rules and nobody knows anything) is for most people not useful and a little intimidating. Here’s my list. It’s designed for screenwriters writing screenplays, but all Read MoreRead More
Well now you’ve heard of him: Justin Marks has written over 20 movie screenplays and seen his TV pilots greenlit — but as he explains, the life of a Hollywood scribe is far more lows than highs if your name isn’t Aaron Sorkin. Here’s a day in the life of a writer that you don’t always Read MoreRead More
