This rare audio clip of director Alfred Hitchcock and screenwriter Ernest Lehman presented by the Harry Ransom Center in Texas finds the director and writer duo developing the details for the storyline of what would become Hitchcock’s last film: HITCHCOCK: We haven’t worked out yet what Miss Rainbird’s—whether she’s religious or not. Does she ever go Read MoreRead More
Stephanie Palmer identifies what “No” looks like in the creative field and how “Maybe” and “Yes” sound in comparison. You know those stories where the hero is lied to, but doesn’t know it, and the best friend knows about the lie and has to decide whether or not to tell the hero? With rare exception, Read MoreRead More
Julie Gray takes on a common issue with writers who are just starting out – treating their characters with kid gloves. Part I So I have read – oh gosh – a thousand scripts? Fifteen hundred? Two thousand? I have no idea anymore, I’ve stopped counting. Now more than ever, I realize the value of Read MoreRead More
Jerry Flattum probes the psychopath character in Hollywood scripts and how to approach constructing these characters. Discerning the difference between psychopath and sociopath is enough to drive you crazy. Whatever the difference, the psychopath is one of Hollywood’s most favorite antagonists. A Google search reveals the question is a popular one. Psychopath has a bit Read MoreRead More
Jason Cuthbert dissects the character of Ben Sanderson from the 1995 movies Leaving Las Vegas, screenplay by Mike Figgis, based on a novel by John O’Brien. What could be more morbidly foreboding about the eerie destiny of an alcoholic protagonist than calling a movie about him relocating to Las Vegas – Leaving Las Vegas? Nicolas Cage won Read MoreRead More
James Birbige breaks down the difference between loglines and taglines, and how to approach creating this short selling point for your film. A logline is a one (or occasionally two) sentence description that boils the script down to its essential dramatic narrative in as succinct a manner as possible. A tagline is a piece of Read MoreRead More
John Yorke is a former head of drama for both the BBC and Channel 4 in the UK. Here are his top 10 tips about story creation. The architecture of all stories is pretty much the same Take just one story: a dangerous monster threatens a community and one person takes it upon himself or Read MoreRead More
Stephanie Palmer identifies a few cliches that pretty much demonstrate you don’t know what you’re doing. 1. “High concept” If your idea is high concept, it’s obvious. If it’s not, saying it is won’t help. 2. “Very unique” If it’s “unique” or even “very unique” it usually means that you haven’t done enough research to Read MoreRead More
Noah Hawley, creator of “My Generation,” reveals the open secret of pilot season for writers: “In TV, there’s no stigma to failure.” The pilot writer in January, like Schrodinger’s cat, is alive and dead at the same time. As Feb. 1 approaches, sleep becomes fitful, your mind split between equally likely scenarios. Either 1) the Read MoreRead More
Jerry Flattum sketches out and defines the meaning of “Plot” Something happens. What happens launches the film (or story). It could be an explosion, a murder, a bet, an accident, an invasion, a strange occurrence, a mystery, two people meet, getting fired, getting hired, divorce, marriage, declaration of war, press conference, award ceremony, a race, Read MoreRead More
Screenwriter Doug Richardson provides a candid look at the ugly battle for credit on a movie (which means money) and the WGA arbitration process. Ring ring. “Hi. It’s Doug Richardson. You’ve reached my voicemail. Please leave a message.” Beep. “Hi, Doug. It’s Susie from credits over at the Writer’s Guild. We have a decision on Read MoreRead More
EriK Bork distinguishes between two types of TV tomes: the workplace procedural and the personal story. I used to lament the fact that so many network series focus on cops, lawyers, and/or doctors. I tried pitching and developing multiple series about other kinds of workplaces. I felt, like many aspiring television writers do, that there Read MoreRead More
