Go Into The Story

Great Scene: “Full Metal Jacket”

Private Pyle declares “I am in a world of shit” and his subsequent actions prove the point.

The Business of Screenwriting: The Phone Call

“They want your script.”

Page One: “Glass Onion” (2022)

Written by Rian Johnson

In reading the script for The Menu, I am struck by the relevance of what producer Larry Gordon told…

I call it: The Whammo Theory.

Brian, we can generally suggest specific camera shots w/o use camera jargon. For example:

Flying above suburban American. Below, a tree-lined street.

2023 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 13

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Script Analysis: “The Menu” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

Update: 2022–2023 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 42 Total, 1 New Script

It’s that time of year again when studios and production companies make available PDFs of movie scripts for award season.

Great Scene: “Frost/Nixon”

A late night phone call from a drunk ex-President to his interviewer.

Page One: “The Fabelmans” (2022)

Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner

As I was reading the script, I was swept up in the absurdist quality of the storytelling.

In reading the rest of the script, that association with Parasite proved to be closer and closer as the story evolved from drama to comedy…

Learn How to Generate, Develop, and Assess Story Concepts

My upcoming one-week online Core: Concept class begins Monday, January 30.

Script Analysis: “The Menu” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

2023 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 12

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Screenwriting 101: Amy Berg

“At the end of the day, the only thing that really defines a person is the choices they make. The characters in your scripts should be no…

Page One: “Cha Cha Real Smooth” (2022)

Written by Cooper Raiff

2023 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 11

Write some scenes. Win a great prize.

Script Analysis: “The Menu” — Part 1: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the critically acclaimed horror-thriller. Download. Read. Discuss.

Great Scene: “The Fabulous Baker Boys”

Here’s a great scene involving music: In the 1989 movie The Fabulous Baker Boys, Susie (Michelle Pfeiffer) vamping it up atop a Steinway…

On Writing

“Comedy is the riskiest form, the riskiest genre. There’s a simple logic to comedy, especially when it comes to film or literature: if…

Page One: “Elvis” (2022)

Screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner

Three Keys to Writing in a Distracting World

I become fully engaged in my writing when I am fully engaged with my characters.

“There are no screenwriting rules”

No matter what you have read or may have heard. Perhaps the source is a so-called screenwriting “guru.” Maybe it’s a friend. A member of…

Great Scene: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

One of the most memorable scenes in one of the most memorable John Hughes movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986).

Interview (Video): Rian Johnson & The Daniels

The writer-directors of Glass Onion and Everything Everywhere All at Once in conversation about their story-crafting process.