Go Into The Story

It is perhaps the most poignant moment in the movie as well as the script: Ruby and her father…

They sit for a moment.

Update: 2021–2022 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 4 New Scripts, 44 Total

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

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 5: Dialogue

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Script Analysis: “Looper” — Scene By Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Writing and the Creative Life: Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling (Part 4)

What Is / What Could Be / What Is / What Could Be / What Is…

Page One: “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009)

Screenplay by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, novel by Roald Dahl

There are several themes at work in CODA.

That veers over into another theme: family. In another iteration of this story, the choir may have played a more prominent role as a kind…

The Incurable Disease of Writing

“In psychological terms, it seems that drive is more important than talent in producing creative work.”

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 4: Themes

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Script Analysis: “Logan” — Part 1: Scene By Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

The Business of Screenwriting: Script readers — Hollywood’s threshold guardians

They may not get a lot of respect, but they are important to writers.

Page One: “Enough Said” (2013)

Written by Nicole Holofcener

Once again, we have the presence of five primary character archetypes at work in a story:

Protagonist: Ruby.

CODA's plot aligns to a T with a "conventional" approach to mainstream commercial screenplay…

Opening: We see her talent as a singer.

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Perspiration and Inspiration

Sometimes it’s all about the work. Sometimes it’s all about the un-work.

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 3: Characters

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Spec Script Deal: “Cut and Run”

New Republic Pictures acquires heist thriller spec script “Cut and Run” written by John Glenn. Via Deadline:

Script Analysis: “Little Women” — Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Page One: “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

Screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, story by George Lucas

Update: 2021–2022 Award Season Screenplay Downloads — 3 New Scripts, 40 Total

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

Script Analysis: “CODA” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of this movie which was a big hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Download. Read. Discuss.

Script Analysis: “Lincoln” — Scene By Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

Screenwriting 101: Amy Berg

“For me, there’s no set formula, but you always want your characters to lead the plot, rather than plot leading your characters. The way to…

Page One: “Empire of the Sun” (1987)

Screenplay by Tom Stoppard, novel by J.G. Ballard