New Issue Of Script Magazine

You may or may not know that I'm the "West Coast Editor" of Script Magazine. The new issue of Script is on newsstands, book stores, and maybe even your mailbox (if you subscribe). Here's the table of contents....

Heroes and Miracles: Miracle at St. Anna
By Ray Morton
Whether you believe in miracles or not, some Divine intervention brought James McBride’s celebrated novel to the attention of celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee. Above writing a powerful screenplay, or creating a beautiful piece of cinema, both men hoped to honor the Buffalo Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry with their Miracle at St. Anna. To accomplish this feat, McBride and Lee delved into World War II history, Italian culture, and the firsthand accounts of black American veterans.

Script to Screen: City of Ember
by David S. Cohen
Caroline Thompson endured a long, difficult slog through development with the first post-apocalyptic children’s movie: City of Ember. As the screenwriter behind some of the most beloved characters in film -- from Edward Scissorhands to Black Beauty -- Thompson talks about her experience on Ember, her writing routine, and her new new-media venture.

Last Page First: Russell Gewirtz on Righteous Kill
by Aaron Ginsburg
With one action hit under his belt -- 2006’s bank-heist with a twist, Inside Man -- Russell Gewirtz had already achieved the pinnacle of screenwriterdom. That is until his second script, Righteous Kill, attracted two screen legends in what some are deeming an “historic” film event.

Un-Scripted With Shawn Ryan by Aaron Ginsburg
You wouldn’t know it now, but in 2002, gritty basic-cable dramas were not considered the norm. Enter Shawn Ryan and his seminal hit The Shield. After seven seasons of pushing the envelope, Vic Mackey and the Strike Team -- and series creator Ryan -- are ready for their final bow.

Networking
by Sandra Lord
In the second installment of her networking tips, Hollywood Networking Breakfast® creator Sandra Lord discusses the etiquette and practices of effective career networking.

ProdCo Spotlight: The Jim Henson Company
by Joshua Stecker
Decades ago, Jim Henson redefined educational programming. Is it any wonder, 40 years after Sesame Street’s debut, The Jim Henson Company has a new definition for the new-media generation?

Writers on Writing: Traitor
by Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Upon receiving the pitch for Traitor, Jeffrey Nachmanoff had some specific concerns about writing in the terrorism genre. Here, Nachmanoff explains how he wrote through those concerns.

Writers on Writing: Lakeview Terrace
by David Loughery
For the forthcoming Lakeview Terrace, David Loughery decided that he would not skirt the tough topics of race relations, suburban hypocrisy, and man’s territorial imperative.

Small Screen: The Starter Wife
by Debra L. Eckerling
Last summer, The Starter Wife mini-series became a must-see event. This fall, with scribes Sara Parriott and Josanna McGibbon on board, USA hopes The Starter Wife series inspires the same must-see fever.

Real Men Write
by Liz Alani
Based on the glut of Iraq-conflict films last fall, it seems like every filmmaker has an angle on the fallout of war. But, what about filmmakers who have been to war? It’s their turn to say something.

New Media: Not So Lonely Anymore
by Robert Gustafson & Alec McNayr
When LonelyGirl15 was revealed for what she was -- an actress playing a role -- she could have gotten the cold shoulder. Instead, creators Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried got a development deal.

Independents: Film Market Mistakes
by William Martell
Every independent film that finds distribution will end up at the American Film Market in Santa Monica -- from Oscar® nominees to low-budget horror movies. How to make sure your film gets there.

Screenwriting Legend: Anthony Minghella
by Ray Morton
When an accomplished artist dies in the middle of an exemplary career, it is cause for sadness. But the work he left behind is cause for celebration. A look at the brief, yet prolific, career of Anthony Minghella.

For more info:
http://www.ScriptMag.com

PS: The pisser with this issue. They told me it was going to be a Do It Yourself theme, and all of the articles were going to be about making your own movie. Well, I've written all kinds of stuff about writing scripts for cable and Indie - and making the film yourself out of pocket. People think they can just write any script and then make it themselves... then they realize they have to schedule and budget the script. It's easy to type a new slugline, much more difficult to find a new location, secure a location (rent it or talk someone into giving it to you), and then a complete pain in the butt to pack up all of the equipment and move to a new loaction, just because you typed a new slug line. And it's easy to type up new characters, and end up with 30 or 40 characters... much harder to find 30 to 40 friends who can act, or actors who will work for free, or actors who will work cheap. Most people just never consider that what they write has to be filmed. I have an audio class on Indie Writing that goes over all of this... So for this issue I thought I'd write something about distribution - what you need to have. So many people make their film and have no money left over for all of the elements they will need to *sell* the film. Or they forget to take still pictures - or don't take enough. There's a huge list of things a distrib needs from you - and that's what my article was all about.

Except... I'm the only article in the issues about making your own movie! So the article looks weird. Hey, I just work here...

- Bill