Go Into The Story

Spec Script Deal: “Three Hitmen and a Baby”

Lionsgate acquires action comedy spec script “Three Hitmen and a Baby” written by Dave Matalon and Matt Altman. Via Deadline:

Page One: “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” (2005)

Written by Terence Winter

30 Things About Screenwriting: Stacking projects

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

Spec Script Deal: “Love of Your Life”

Amazon MGM acquires drama spec script “Love of Your Life” written by Julia Cox. Via Deadline:

Page One: “Geostorm” (2017)

Written by Dean Devlin & Paul Guyot

30 Things About Screenwriting: Know your genre

If you want to write in a genre, you’re wise to immerse yourself in it.

Spec Script Deal: “Out There”

Netflix acquires science fiction thriller spec script “Out There” written by Shane Van Dyke, Carey Van Dyke and Ian Levy. Via Deadline:

Page One: “The Gentlemen” (2019)

Screenplay by Guy Ritchie, story by Guy Ritchie & Ivan Atkinson & Marn Davies

30 Things About Screenwriting: Facing the odds

How to sustain creativity in the face of considerable odds against success.

The Business of Screenwriting: Trailer Moments, Set Pieces and Bits Of Business (BOBs)

You may have read countless screenwriting books. Attended seminars. Taken courses. But I doubt if you have stumbled across these three…

Page One: “Halloween” (1978)

Screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill

Create a Compelling Protagonist

Workshop and develop your story’s Protagonist in my one-week online class which begins Monday, November 4th.

30 Things About Screenwriting: When something happens… something ELSE happens

The dynamic dual nature of a screenplay universe.

Page One: “The Hills Have Eyes” (1977)

Written by Wes Craven

30 Things About Screenwriting: Immerse Yourself in Cinema

If you want to write movies, you need to love movies. And that love ought to manifest itself in a thorough, longstanding, and passionate…

Great Scene: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

Many of the best movie scenes are payoffs to plot elements that have been set up earlier in the story. Often the set-up and payoff involves…

Page One: “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” (1989)

Written by Michael Jacobs & Dominique Othenin-Girard and Shem Bitterman, characters by John Carpenter and Debra Hill

30 Things About Screenwriting: There are no screenwriting rules

There are guidelines, conventional wisdom, patterns, and principles… but no rules.

Screenwriting 101: Shane Black

“I think about the audience in the sense that I serve as my own audience. I have to please myself that way, if I saw the movie in theater…

Page One: “Hellraiser” (1987)

Written by Clive Barker

30 Things About Screenwriting: Write what they’re buying or sell them your dream

There are many writing paths. Here are two of them.

On Writing

“If you don’t know what to write, ask your story, ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ Ask that and wait. There will be an answer.”

Page One: “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” (1988)

Screenplay by Alan B. McElroy, story by Dhani Lipsius & Larry Rattner & Benjamin Ruffner and Alan B. McElroy

30 Things About Screenwriting: A spec script will not sell unless it has a strong story concept

If you write a spec script based upon the first story idea that comes into your mind, that script likely won’t sell.

Great Scene: “Young Frankenstein”

One of the most inspired comedic moments in a truly inspired film: The “Puttin’ on the Ritz” bit.