year : 2017 104 results

How the Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter used math to write the sequel

Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples wrote the original screenplay for Blade Runner based on the Philip K. Dick story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. This time, Fancher wrote a short story that became fodder for the sequel and collaborated with writer Michael Green on the new screenplay.

Sisters go from Black Swan fashion to film in the indie drama Woodshock

Woodshock is an artistic, immersive meditation on grief. Kirsten Dunst stars as Theresa, a haunted young woman dealing with the death of her mother.

Taking the note: “Good idea, but not so good execution”

Very often screenwriters will get a funky note that goes something like this, “It was a good idea but the execution wasn’t there.” Like many notes you’ll get in your career, it could mean a lot of things. To help you sort out what it means, let’s go over a few terms.

5 Things to Know When Writing a Star Wars Spin-Off

As a young writer, it is important to understand how franchise writing works.  But where do you start?  How do you know what kind of movies Lucasfilm will want to make in the years to come?  That’s where my investigative work comes into play.

Five Tips for Writing Fast

As a screenwriter, there are times you’ll be asked to write fast. Whether it’s a class, a contest, an opportunity to submit, or an assignment—a screenwriter’s life is full of deadlines. And, at the beginning of your career, you’ll get this question “We really liked your script, what else do you have?” In that moment, you’ll realize just how important writing fast can be. Here are a few ideas on how to get those juices flowing and keep them flowing.

Five things I learned about screenwriting from Mother!

If you’ve seen any of Darren Aronofsky’s films (Black Swan, The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream, Pi), there’s no doubt he has a dark mind. But seeing his latest film Mother! makes me think he’s only just begun to tap into his own psychological agony.  Be warned – this movie isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea (it gave me nightmares) – but there’s no denying Aronofsky’s a genius storyteller.

5 Great Things About Screenwriting

There are so many things to love about this amazing, wild, ridiculously-complicated world of Hollywood and writing scripts, that we thought listing a few might be a good idea. So, let's get back to basics and see why we do this, and love it a little bit, too.

The Danger of Competing Projects and How to Protect Yourself

So you have an idea for a movie. Before you commit to doing any hard work, research what’s in development and production to make sure a competing project doesn’t already exist. Depending on where you’re at in your career, it’s likely the other project will take the wind out of your sails and render your screenplay dead in the water. The good news is that there are ways to protect yourself!

In the Beginning… There Was the Joke

If you are writing comedy, or drama, and want to get a laugh, it’s tough to avoid jokes. There is both craft and talent involved in joke creation. To make this article more interesting, we sat down to write without a specific joke in mind. Instead, everything you read here was created without forethought using the steps we’ve described (This ...

How to write a screenplay in 10 steps

Writing a screenplay can be intimidating, even if you’ve done it before. It’s a lot of time, a lot of brainpower and a lot of staring at a blank screen. But don’t strees out! Here are 10 simple steps you can use to guide you through the process.

Turn your feature screenplay into a TV pilot using these 7 steps

Most professional writers will tell you not to chase the marketplace. But if you’re working with an agent or manager, they will urge you to write what is currently on trend. The days of selling spec features are long gone. Yes, it does still happen, but it’s not reasonable to plan on it happening. Today, it’s all about television: network, cable, but mostly streaming.  And that’s a very good thing for writers.

Writing Solo

Recently, I talked about writing partners, but this time out, let’s get into writing solo. I prefer writing by myself these days. Here's how I do it.
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