Saturday Hot Links
Time for the 349th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other…
Time for the 349th installment of Saturday Hot Links, your week’s essential reading about movies, TV, streaming, Hollywood, and other things of writerly interest.
Box Office: July Fourth Revenue Soars 29 Percent Over 2017, Hits 5-Year High.
‘The First Purge’ Leans In to Political Chaos to Sell Horror.
‘Uncle Drew’ is the Latest Box Office Hit Based On a Commercial.
Sony Accidentally Uploaded an Entire Movie to YouTube Instead of a Trailer.
Lasse Hallstrom, Joe Johnston to Share Director Credit on ‘Nutcracker and the Four Realms’.
Superhero Cinema Gets Some Much Needed ‘Faith’.
Why Are So Many Female Superheroes Stuck in the Past?
Hollywood’s Weird “Twin Film” Habit.
James Mangold Says Toxic Fans Will Scare Off Quality Filmmakers And “Hacks” Will Take Over.
Did ‘The Last Jedi’ Ruin Your Childhood? James Gunn Tells Angry ‘Star Wars’ Fans to ‘Go to Therapy’.
Christopher McQuarrie is “Cured” Of Wanting To Direct ‘Star Wars’ Film After Brush With Toxic Fandom.
Movies Don’t Have to Define You.
‘2018 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour’.
DreamWorks Animation Launches Shorts Program with ‘Bird Karma’ and ‘Bilby’.
‘Halloween’ Actress Daisy McCrackin Was Kidnapped and Held for Ransom, Three Suspects Arrested and Face Life in Prison.
Jar Jar Binks Actor Says He Considered Suicide After ‘Star Wars’ Backlash.
Will Ferrell’s Roger Ebert Movie Is Officially Dead: ‘Russ & Roger’ Producer Explains the Reason Why.
Remembering ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Head’ at 50.
How ‘Yellow Submarine’ Made The Beatles ‘Lovable’ Again.
How Hollywood confronted the Vietnam veteran experience.
The Worst Nuns of Cinema.
New Jersey’s $85 Million Film and TV Tax Credits Bill Signed by Governor.
Strike Talk Swirls Around Stalled IATSE Film & TV Contract Negotiations.
European Parliament Rejects Controversial Copyright Law.
German Box Office Drops 17 Percent in First Half.
In the Future, All Your Favorite Movies Will Be Greenlit By Artificial Intelligence.
‘You Must Remember This’ Is Back With an Investigation of Hollywood’s ‘Urban Legends’.
Nothing Is More American Than ‘Simpsons’ Writer Bill Oakley’s Fast Food Reviews.
MoviePass Starts Adding “Peak-Pricing” Surcharges.
‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ May Not Be Made for These Times.
Netflix’s Content Budget for 2018 Balloons to $13 Billion.
Netflix Is №1 Choice for TV Viewing, Beating Broadcast, Cable and YouTube.
Netflix Testing ‘Ultra’ Subscriptions, Which Could Make Users Pay More For the Same Service.
Listen: 3rd & Fairfax (Episode 103).
Listen: Scriptnotes (Episode 357).
Screenwriting Master Class tip of the week
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Since launching SMC in 2010, Tom Benedek and I have worked with writers of all backgrounds and interests in the context of numerous private script workshops. Here are testimonials from two:
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“Working with Scott in a private workshop arrangement through SMC greatly accelerated my screenwriting knowledge and craftsmanship. Scott is a most dynamic, gifted and generous educator. He offered a holistic, character-driven approach to story that helped bring out my best as a writer. The flexible syllabus of the mentorship invites exploration of creative impulses without fear of losing direction or purpose. The script on which Scott consulted placed in the top one percent of the 2011 AFF screenwriting competition and has opened industry doors. Most importantly the SMC has cemented lasting self confidence in my abilities as a writer.” — Gyan Alexander, screenwriter of “Convinced” (Semifinalist, Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition)
People who have done private script workshops through Screenwriting Master Class include professional screenwriters, actors, directors, best-selling non-fiction authors, playwrights, and novelists, as well as beginning, intermediate and advanced writers.
We offer one-on-one sessions with any of our popular group workshops:
Pages II: Rewriting Your Script
For those who want a comprehensive approach to learning the craft — immersing yourself in screenwriting theory, then putting that to use in developing an original story and writing a complete draft — there is The Quest, a unique 20 week program.
The Quest changed my life. It gave me the structure to be immersed in screenwriting and the flexibility needed to write and accommodate work and family life. Not only did I come out with a quality screenplay, but a practical approach that I can apply to each script I write.
Scott’s instincts as a mentor are spot on. He can tell the difference between when you need encouragement and when you need a good kick in the pants. Under his guidance, you become the kind of writer you want to be, the kind that doesn’t need to wait for inspiration.
You can spend your time reading through screenwriting inspiration, tips or shortcuts, thinking it will help more than actually doing the work, or you can take the leap and do The Quest.
— Taylor Gordon
Here are three big reasons to consider an SMC private script workshop:
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