Story Maps: Sunset Boulevard

Billy Wilder’s classic film Sunset Boulevard is a perfect example of the Story Maps method of screenwriting.

One of the main dramatic elements in the Story Map is the Central Dramatic Question — this forms the spine of the story that keeps the audience waiting for the answer to the meta-mystery of the narrative.

Sunset Boulevard opens with one of the most striking images in film history.

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Which screenwriting software is best?

Which screenwriting software do you use to format your screenplay? There’s more options than ever out there. This article in Variety (squint!) talks about the two majors, Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter, as well as the young upstarts like Scripped.com and ScriptWrite, which exist on “the cloud” (the hot phrase right now). Read more

Screenwriting Career Goals for the New Year

Continued from Page One: Screenwriting Resolutions: Craft Goals

If you aspire to get paid for your writing, you will need to balance your craft development with marketing efforts.  We writers are often most comfortable alone in front of our laptops, so it’s tough to put ourselves and our work out there. But you have to do it. There’s no way around it. Read more

Screenwriting Resolutions for the New Year


It’s that time of year again and we’re all making our New Year’s Resolutions.

Or are you avoiding them, like me? (In my defense, I’m just now finishing up a writing assignment and I wanted to maintain my focus on that, so suck on that, haters.)

Ahem. So…let’s give each other a kick in the pants, shall we? Here’s some advice, take it or leave it… Read more

“Limitless” full trailer released, formerly “The Dark Fields”

I’ve been following this film for years, ever since I covered the source book on the job for Miramax Films and they optioned it. I’ve been in touch with Writer/Producer Leslie Dixon as the project went from turnaround into production, as you can read here , so it’s safe to say I’ve been waiting for years to see this footage. Read more

Sequels to classic Miramax films, with Bob and Harvey once more at the helm?

It was a bygone era known as the late 90s. I stepped out of the elevator on the 7th floor of the Tribeca Film Center into the lobby of Miramax Films and saw the above poster, beautifully framed, for an upcoming movie named Shakespeare in Love. Read more

In praise of notecards

Beware paper cuts. And fun!

Anyone else use the old-fashioned, classic index cards to compile your scene list?

Sure, your screenwriting software has a super-cool 3D index card “mode” and you can drag-and-drop those shiny digital cards all you want and the edges will never fray and the ink will never smudge because there’s no edges and no ink.

But it’s just not the same. Read more

Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3 scripts available?

Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just offering a link to a public website.

I’m not advocating the downloading, uploading or sharing of screenplay files!

As most of you know, the major studios run campaigns to promote their films for Oscar consideration, i.e., they want the members of the Academy to vote for their movie so it will get that coveted nomination or win that pays off in more bucks and higher prestige. Read more

And the inevitable Black List cease-and-desist…

I don’t know what wingnut set up a Mediafire library with all of the Black List scripts on it, considering Fox’s $15 million lawsuit against the other Mediafire script library, but somebody did, and can you guess what happened? Read more

The Black List 2010 full list

(continued from Page One)

Here is the full Black List 2010 (the pdf is here):

Note: The numbers above the script titles represent the number of votes, thus the higher the number, the higher the placement on the list. Source: Deadline Hollywood Read more

The Black List 2010 released

It’s that time again. The infamous Hollywood “Black List” of unproduced screenplays has been released. The official site is here.

I just wrote about The Beaver script, which was the winner of the 2008 Black List and will soon be released as a movie directed by Jodie Foster and starring Mel Gibson. Several other titles from previous Black Lists have been produced, such as Juno and The Social Network. Those films weren’t produced because of the Black List, but for some of the writers and projects that make the list, it can boost their visibility in the industry.

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The Beaver script

The Beaver screenplay by Kyle Killen was the top-rated script on the annual Black List of Hollywood screenplays in 2008. The Black List compiles the best screenplays of the year in the major studio market, as voted on by a select group of industry professionals. Click on the image below for the 2008 list (note: the #’s represent votes, not ranking.  The Beaver received the most votes, 67, thus it is the top-ranked script.) Read more

Choosing a Script Service for your screenplay: “Those Who Teach” by Daniel Calvisi

script

Looking for a professional script doctor
or script service to teach you
how to write a screenplay
in the most professional, polished,
industry standard method?

Are you sick of wading through the hundreds of websites that offer “script services” or “movie script coaching?”

Think your screenplay deserves the best script doctoring and coaching you can find on the internet?

Did you hire a joker that took your money and gave you template notes or sub-standard coverage?

Are you wondering why the flashy website for a script doctor or screenplay service doesn’t have a bio page or list any credentials?

Did you pay good money to enter your script in yet another contest only to place in the “Top 25%” (whatever that means) and find out that the volunteer judges chose a boring screenplay that will never get made in Hollywood as the winner ?

Are your friends and writing group members not providing the level of detail and story solutions to truly help you take your work to the next level?

Choosing the right script service
can be a daunting task.
But it’s a crucial decision for
those looking for help with
how to write a screenplay.

A screenplay that will blow away Readers.

I should know, as I’ve been working professionally with screenplays and writers for almost fifteen years. I’ve worked as a Senior Story Analyst for major movie studios and production companies and I’ve seen the quality of writing at this level.

I was paid to give a Pass, Consider or Recommend to scripts and books being submitted by agents, managers and major stars.

In this article, I break down the basics of script services and offer some little-known tips to help you find the best script doctor for you. I will discuss…

  1. The three main types of Screenplay Coach/Consultants
  2. The inherent problems with Coverage services
  3. Writers vs. Teachers
  4. The “Triple Threat” of Screenwriting Coaches
  5. What I can offer YOU and more

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“The Walking Dead” axes its screenwriting staff – head shot or near miss?


This is an interesting story (and comments board) from Deadline Hollywood’s Nellie Andreeva:

The Walking Dead Lets Go of Writers; Considers No Writing Staff For Season 2

Writer turnover on series between seasons is commonplace but wholesale overhauls are unusual. What’s more, I hear Darabont is looking to forgo having a writing staff for the second season of Walking Dead altogether and assign scripts to freelancers.

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Google, Netflix, Comcast and a script-sharing grandma

The Man is cracking down and blood is running all over the Internets, people. This past week has been nuts in regards to digital entertainment, net neutrality, piracy and screenplay sharing.

It all began for me when I received an email from Netflix on 11/22/10 that they were raising their rates. My One DVD at a time plus streaming “unlimited” plan was going up from $8.99 to $9.99. More significantly, they were also offering a new plan for $7.99 that offers only the Instant Viewing option that streams movies and TV shows directly to your computer or television.

“The fact is that Netflix members are already watching more TV episodes and movies streamed instantly over the Internet than on DVDs, and we expect that trend to continue.” Source: Netflix Blog


So the DVD is dying. Is that it?

Not even close. Read more