Go Into The Story

What makes a movie a big budget and a small budget?

There are critical choices a writer can make at the script stage which directly influence a project’s budget… and its potential viability…

Spec Script Deal: “Ruby”

Amazon Studios acquires action spec script “Ruby” written by Kat Wood. Via Deadline:

Page One: ‘Inside Out’ (2015)

Screenplay by Pete Docter & Meg LeFauve & Josh Cooley, story by Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen

Is My Screenplay Big Enough to Be a Movie?

This is a fundamental question screenwriters must ask themselves at all stages of a screenplay’s development and writing. Why? Because…

The Curse of Shiny Object Syndrome

“It’s not quite ADD/ADHD. It’s more that a new idea captures your imagination and attention in such a way that you get distracted from the…

Page One: ‘His Girl Friday’ (1940)

Screen play by Charles Lederer, from the play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur

Hollywood’s New Four-Quadrant Movie Model

You need to know: The old Four-Quadrant Model has changed.

There are three kinds of people in Hollywood

Story. Some get it. Some kinda get it. And some… well…

Page One: ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)

Screenplay by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness, story by Wes Anderson, inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig

Screenplays are stories, not formulas

“If you go in with formula, you come out with formula.”

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: Adopt a Different Writing Persona

This is a first in this humble blog’s history: Another Dumb Little Writing Trick That Work, only this one isn’t my idea, but from some…

Page One: ‘The Godfather’ (1972)

Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola novel by Mario Puzo

Stacking projects

One key to the craft: Learning how to manage several projects at once.

Screenwriting 101: Matthew Federman

“Biggest mistake writers make when pitching is getting bogged down in details. Think about it like a great movie you saw recently that…

Page One: ‘Ghostbusters’ (1984)

Written by Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis

Writing Dialogue

There are many intangibles about the craft of screenwriting. Much of that derives from the fact that story itself is organic. Stories —…

On Writing

“I read everything. I read my way out of the two libraries in Harlem by the time I was thirteen. One does learn a great deal about writing…

Page One: ‘Get Out’ (2017)

Written by Jordan Peele

Sundays with Ray Bradbury

A new series featuring reflections on writing from the famed writer.

Interview (Video): Scott Beck and Bryan Woods

A half-hour conversation with the originators and co-writers of the smash hit movie A Quiet Place.

Page One: ‘Gattaca’ (1997)

Written by Andrew Niccol

Great Scene: “American Beauty”

Today’s great scene comes courtesy of writer Alan Ball and the fantastic dark satire he wrote American Beauty (1999). This is a hauntingly…

Video: Aaron Sorkin Answers Screenwriting Questions

Inquiries lobbed at one of Hollywood’s most famous screenwriters.

Page One: ‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)

Screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon, story by David Howard

Dumb Little Writing Tricks That Work: 1 Page A Day

1 month prep + 4 months writing + 1 month rewriting = 2 scripts per year.