Go Into The Story

2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 12

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

Script To Screen: “Notting Hill”

A scene from the 1999 movie Notting Hill, written by Richard Curtis.

Screenwriting 101: Billy Wilder

“The most important invention in Some Like It Hot was to make the fact of the two male musicians disguising themselves as women a question…

Screenwriting 101: Garson Kanin

“I have no objective sense of what I do. I do it deeply and automatically, which is a result of the teaching I got from Thornton Wilder…

Page One: “In Good Company” (2004)

Written by Paul Weitz

Deadline, along with Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, are all owned by the same entity: Penske…

Deadline is a bit more complex. They really gained a foothold on the Hollywood media front covering the 2007-2008 WGA strike and, as with…

Deadline’s Strike Talk Podcast

Episode 19: Billy Ray in conversation with Rep. Susan Wild and Sen. Sherrod Brown.

2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 11

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

Writing Tip: How to Decide Which Story to Write

Are you trying to figure out which of one or more stories to write next?

On Writing

“Finishing a story is truly the most amazing experience in the world.… It’s like being on the most fantastic, perfect drugs. I feel like I…

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Written by Terry Gilliam & Charles McKeown

2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 10

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

Deadline’s Strike Talk Podcast

Episode 18: Billy Ray in conversation with movie producer Jennifer Fox.

Script To Screen: “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

The three escapees encounter the movie’s version of The Sirens.

Writing Tip: Why You Should Write Three Pages of Garbage Every Day

“Freewriting forces you to keep moving forward, keep creating, without a thought given to quality.”

Page One: “Idiocracy” (2006)

Screenplay by Mike Judge & Etan Cohen, story by Mike Judge

Update: WGA Negotiating Committee

“We have made it clear that we will negotiate with one or more of the major studios, outside the confines of the AMPTP, to establish the…

2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 9

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

Script To Screen: “Out Of Sight”

A memorable scene from the 1998 Out Of Sight, screenplay by Scott Frank, novel by Elmore Leonard.

Writing Tip: Writing Weekend

For 48 hours, nothing but writing. No Internet. No phone calls. No TV. Just you. And your story.

Page One: “Ides of March” (2011)

Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, based on a play by Beau Willimon

Video: Why Mini-Rooms Are a Problem

A Strike Roundtable with five TV writers.

2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 8

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

Writing Tip: One Page Per Day

You can write two entire spec scripts in one year if you only write one page per day. Two. Complete. Feature. Spec. Scripts.

Script To Screen: “Panic Room”

From the 2002 thriller Panic Room, written by David Koepp.