It's Book Report Tuesday...
Though I have read a pile of books, what you really want to know is Where The Hell Is The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting?
That's a very good question. Originally it was supposed to be finished by... well, originally probably 2005. But it was supposed to be finished last year, then in July... then about every month since then. I *thought* it would be done by November 1st, so I put an excerpt in Script Magazine's November issue back in August... but November 1st passed without the book being finished. Then the plan was to have it finished by the end of this month... which is tomorrow.
The weird thing is – I'm working on it and working on it... and still haven't finished it. So, a couple of days ago when I finished the last major rewrite chapter (where almost nothing remained the same), I decided to add up the word count to see how close I was. The remaining chapters are “easy” (except for 3 that need more than a touch up), so they won't take much time. And by the 10th new chapter I realized I had more words than the original 240 page book... and that's why it's been taking me so long! I pretty much wrote a whole new book!
So the good news is: Next week the new version of Secrets Of Action Screenwriting should be available for sale on Amazon and B&N in e-book format – probably around 500 pages, and for only $9.99 (the 2000 price was $21.95). There will be a paper version, but now my problem is *price* - I could have sold the 240 page version for the old price of $21.95 and made a couple of bucks even though paper and printing prices have increased... but a 500 page book? I'm going to have to figure this out – and probably do some editing.
But I hope by this time next week there will be a place to click and buy it here. For $9.99 at Amazon... and that's for a rewritten version that will be about 500 pages!
- Bill
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
RIP: Ken Russell... Billion Dollar Brain
Director Ken Russell has passed away - he was one of those interesting British directors from the 60s and 70s who was making films up until his death. The thing about a Ken Russell movie was that it would always be visually interesting, often in an acid trip kind of way.
I wrote this a couple years back about his very first film...
Last week I had an entry about one of my favorite movies, THE IPCRESS FILE starring Michael Caine. That was his first starring role after playing bit parts and supporting in films and TV series, and he performed like a veteran. The film was both a critical and financial success - and based on the first in a series of novels by Len Deighton - so you know what happens next...
Sequels.
The first sequel, FUNERAL IN BERLIN, is one of those great Cold War movies - directed by James Bond vet Guy Hamilton (GOLDFINGER) and is pretty good. Not as great as IPCRESS, but it’s a fine second film. Maybe because it didn’t measure up to the wild director of Sidney J. Furie, the producers decided to bring in someone arty for the third film, so they hired the flamboyant Ken Russell to direct BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN.
Ken Russell is an interesting director, and I believe this is his first feature film. He would go on to direct WOMEN IN LOVE a couple of years later, which features Alan Bates and Oliver Reed wrestling naked - I am still trying to remove those images from my mind. He would then specialize in over the top musicals and musical biographies like THE BOY FRIEND, THE MUSIC LOVERS, TOMMY, MAHLER, LISZTOMANIA, and VALENTINO before going through ALTERED STATES and coming out the other side as a kind of kinky horror movie director with the wacky CRIMES OF PASSION and GOTHIC and LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM. I believe he is now making erotica with a consumer camcorder - and I’m sure it’s inventive and strange. Russell is one of those crazy geniuses like Orson Welles who needs someone to tell him when he has gone too far, someone to tell him when he has ventured into the really weird.
There was no one like that on BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN... so we have a movie where the army is dressed in white outfits with purple helmets and look like a bunch of penises (or penii) and everything is bright and crazy and the plot goes way off the rails about halfway through and it seems to be a parody of James Bond movies. You keep expecting a big musical number to break out. Ed Begley Sr is so over the top he ends up in the stratosphere somewhere. I have no idea what this movie is - but it is *not* a Harry Palmer movie. I saw it at the American Cinematheque a couple of years ago double billed with FUNERAL IN BERLIN, and it was entertaining in a "How Much Acid Did Ken Russell Drop Before Making This Film" sort of way... but not a Harry Palmer movie.
But here is the trailer...
And here are Maurice Binder's opening titles - you can see they are turning Harry Palmer into some sort of artsie-fartsie James Bond, instead of the more realistic look at espionage from the first two films.
Though this movie is completely crazy, and killed the franchise dead for a couple of decades, you may want to check out Russell’s WOMEN IN LOVE and some of his other films - he’s a wild director, and with material that isn’t supposed to be realistic he makes some interesting films. I've seen most of them. (Amanda Donahoe is mostly naked in LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM...)
- Bill
CYBER MONDAY SALE:
*ALL* CLASSIC CLASS CDs
ALL SIX CLASSIC CLASSES!
Why break up a set? Get ALL of the Classic Classes on CD for one low price - and save on postage, too! SIX CDs packed with information!
From IDEAS & CREATIVITY to WRITING INDIES to WRITING HORROR to the 2 part WRITING THRILLERS to GUERRILLA MARKETING. These classes used to sell for $15 - for a total of $120 with postage & handling. Buy the whole set and get 'em for only $50 plus *discounted* postage and handling.
It's the big deal - You SAVE $60!!!! ENDS SOON!
BUY NOW!
NEW CLASSES!
STRUCTURAL FREAKS! - 80 minute CD packed with information! Ready for the freak show?
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Using examples like INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and THE HANGOVER and TIMECRIMES and CRASH and SLACKERS and other odd storytelling methods. The Structural Freaks Class sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
NOIR & MYSTERY - 80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre. The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H).
THEME & VOICE - Theme is the center of your story - the reason for telling your story. How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Theme and scenes. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice as a screenwriter. This 80 minute CD is packed with information - THEME & VOICE sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!
I wrote this a couple years back about his very first film...
Last week I had an entry about one of my favorite movies, THE IPCRESS FILE starring Michael Caine. That was his first starring role after playing bit parts and supporting in films and TV series, and he performed like a veteran. The film was both a critical and financial success - and based on the first in a series of novels by Len Deighton - so you know what happens next...
Sequels.
The first sequel, FUNERAL IN BERLIN, is one of those great Cold War movies - directed by James Bond vet Guy Hamilton (GOLDFINGER) and is pretty good. Not as great as IPCRESS, but it’s a fine second film. Maybe because it didn’t measure up to the wild director of Sidney J. Furie, the producers decided to bring in someone arty for the third film, so they hired the flamboyant Ken Russell to direct BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN.
Ken Russell is an interesting director, and I believe this is his first feature film. He would go on to direct WOMEN IN LOVE a couple of years later, which features Alan Bates and Oliver Reed wrestling naked - I am still trying to remove those images from my mind. He would then specialize in over the top musicals and musical biographies like THE BOY FRIEND, THE MUSIC LOVERS, TOMMY, MAHLER, LISZTOMANIA, and VALENTINO before going through ALTERED STATES and coming out the other side as a kind of kinky horror movie director with the wacky CRIMES OF PASSION and GOTHIC and LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM. I believe he is now making erotica with a consumer camcorder - and I’m sure it’s inventive and strange. Russell is one of those crazy geniuses like Orson Welles who needs someone to tell him when he has gone too far, someone to tell him when he has ventured into the really weird.
There was no one like that on BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN... so we have a movie where the army is dressed in white outfits with purple helmets and look like a bunch of penises (or penii) and everything is bright and crazy and the plot goes way off the rails about halfway through and it seems to be a parody of James Bond movies. You keep expecting a big musical number to break out. Ed Begley Sr is so over the top he ends up in the stratosphere somewhere. I have no idea what this movie is - but it is *not* a Harry Palmer movie. I saw it at the American Cinematheque a couple of years ago double billed with FUNERAL IN BERLIN, and it was entertaining in a "How Much Acid Did Ken Russell Drop Before Making This Film" sort of way... but not a Harry Palmer movie.
But here is the trailer...
And here are Maurice Binder's opening titles - you can see they are turning Harry Palmer into some sort of artsie-fartsie James Bond, instead of the more realistic look at espionage from the first two films.
Though this movie is completely crazy, and killed the franchise dead for a couple of decades, you may want to check out Russell’s WOMEN IN LOVE and some of his other films - he’s a wild director, and with material that isn’t supposed to be realistic he makes some interesting films. I've seen most of them. (Amanda Donahoe is mostly naked in LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM...)
- Bill
CYBER MONDAY SALE:
*ALL* CLASSIC CLASS CDs
ALL SIX CLASSIC CLASSES!
Why break up a set? Get ALL of the Classic Classes on CD for one low price - and save on postage, too! SIX CDs packed with information!
From IDEAS & CREATIVITY to WRITING INDIES to WRITING HORROR to the 2 part WRITING THRILLERS to GUERRILLA MARKETING. These classes used to sell for $15 - for a total of $120 with postage & handling. Buy the whole set and get 'em for only $50 plus *discounted* postage and handling.
It's the big deal - You SAVE $60!!!! ENDS SOON!
BUY NOW!
NEW!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost *200* pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW CLASSES!
STRUCTURAL FREAKS! - 80 minute CD packed with information! Ready for the freak show?
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Using examples like INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and THE HANGOVER and TIMECRIMES and CRASH and SLACKERS and other odd storytelling methods. The Structural Freaks Class sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
NOIR & MYSTERY - 80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre. The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H).
THEME & VOICE - Theme is the center of your story - the reason for telling your story. How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Theme and scenes. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice as a screenwriter. This 80 minute CD is packed with information - THEME & VOICE sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Lancelot Link: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Lancelot Link Thursday! If you wonder what the President has for dinner on Thanksgiving after he pardons the turkeys, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's food chase...
1) Gee That Movie Poster Looks Familiar!
2) Some People Take Researching Serial Killers To An Extreme!
3) Cool Film Posters From Another Time!
4) Doug Richardson - DIE HARD 2 writer on The Worst Note He Ever Got!
5) 20 Stunts Gone Really Wrong.
Today is THANKSGIVING in the USA, a time when we eat until we explode... much like Mr. Creosote. So - no car chase this week...
Happy Thanksgiving!
- Bill
BLACK FRIDAY SALE:
*ALL* CLASSIC CLASS CDs
ALL SIX CLASSIC CLASSES!
Why break up a set? Get ALL of the Classic Classes on CD for one low price - and save on postage, too! SIX CDs packed with information!
From IDEAS & CREATIVITY to WRITING INDIES to WRITING HORROR to the 2 part WRITING THRILLERS to GUERRILLA MARKETING. These classes used to sell for $15 - for a total of $120 with postage & handling. Buy the whole set and get 'em for only $50 plus *discounted* postage and handling.
It's the big deal - You SAVE $60!!!! ENDS SOON!
BUY NOW!
NEW CLASSES!
STRUCTURAL FREAKS! - 80 minute CD packed with information! Ready for the freak show?
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Using examples like INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and THE HANGOVER and TIMECRIMES and CRASH and SLACKERS and other odd storytelling methods. The Structural Freaks Class sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
NOIR & MYSTERY - 80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre. The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H).
THEME & VOICE - Theme is the center of your story - the reason for telling your story. How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Theme and scenes. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice as a screenwriter. This 80 minute CD is packed with information - THEME & VOICE sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!
Here are five cool links plus this week's food chase...
1) Gee That Movie Poster Looks Familiar!
2) Some People Take Researching Serial Killers To An Extreme!
3) Cool Film Posters From Another Time!
4) Doug Richardson - DIE HARD 2 writer on The Worst Note He Ever Got!
5) 20 Stunts Gone Really Wrong.
Today is THANKSGIVING in the USA, a time when we eat until we explode... much like Mr. Creosote. So - no car chase this week...
Happy Thanksgiving!
- Bill
BLACK FRIDAY SALE:
*ALL* CLASSIC CLASS CDs
ALL SIX CLASSIC CLASSES!
Why break up a set? Get ALL of the Classic Classes on CD for one low price - and save on postage, too! SIX CDs packed with information!
From IDEAS & CREATIVITY to WRITING INDIES to WRITING HORROR to the 2 part WRITING THRILLERS to GUERRILLA MARKETING. These classes used to sell for $15 - for a total of $120 with postage & handling. Buy the whole set and get 'em for only $50 plus *discounted* postage and handling.
It's the big deal - You SAVE $60!!!! ENDS SOON!
BUY NOW!
NEW!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost *200* pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW CLASSES!
STRUCTURAL FREAKS! - 80 minute CD packed with information! Ready for the freak show?
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Using examples like INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and THE HANGOVER and TIMECRIMES and CRASH and SLACKERS and other odd storytelling methods. The Structural Freaks Class sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
NOIR & MYSTERY - 80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre. The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H).
THEME & VOICE - Theme is the center of your story - the reason for telling your story. How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Theme and scenes. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice as a screenwriter. This 80 minute CD is packed with information - THEME & VOICE sells for $15 (plus $5 S&H)
Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Lancelot Link: Their First Assignment
Lancelot Link Thursday! If you believe that monkey from RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES should get nominated for best actor, here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are EIGHT cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Brit List - Best Britsh Unproduced Screenplays!
2) Hollywood's Most Overpaid Stars - who isn't worth their pay check?
3) Michael Bay and His Explosions - charts and graphs and data!
4) What if you wrote a novel by taking 6 page chunks of other novels and just changing the names?
5) Uni Chief Ron Meyer on the TOWER HEIST video on demand fiasco.
6) Shane Black On IRON MAN 3
7) Writers who make the most money per word are profiled.
8) The Found Footage Genre.
An this week's car chase features Gary Busey - a guy I've worked with 2 or 3 times...
- Bill
Here are EIGHT cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Brit List - Best Britsh Unproduced Screenplays!
2) Hollywood's Most Overpaid Stars - who isn't worth their pay check?
3) Michael Bay and His Explosions - charts and graphs and data!
4) What if you wrote a novel by taking 6 page chunks of other novels and just changing the names?
5) Uni Chief Ron Meyer on the TOWER HEIST video on demand fiasco.
6) Shane Black On IRON MAN 3
7) Writers who make the most money per word are profiled.
8) The Found Footage Genre.
An this week's car chase features Gary Busey - a guy I've worked with 2 or 3 times...
- Bill
Friday, November 04, 2011
The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting
If you got the new issue of Script Magazine, there's an excerpt from the fully revised version of THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING... and I fully expected it to be available by now. But things happened. It looks like it will be available in 2 weeks, now.
I also expected to have a new entry in Fridays With Hitchcock up today - THE LADY VANISHES. But I'm still working on it. I'm going to try to get it up by the end of today. Problem is - it's another monster! I'm at the intended word count right know... but only half done! So check back later today or tomorrow and you should find it.
Meanwhile - all 3 of the Blue Books are in tghe Amazon Top 10! Kind of cool.
- Bill
I also expected to have a new entry in Fridays With Hitchcock up today - THE LADY VANISHES. But I'm still working on it. I'm going to try to get it up by the end of today. Problem is - it's another monster! I'm at the intended word count right know... but only half done! So check back later today or tomorrow and you should find it.
Meanwhile - all 3 of the Blue Books are in tghe Amazon Top 10! Kind of cool.
- Bill
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Lancelot Link: On Stranger Tides
Lancelot Link Thursday! Here are some articles about screenwriting and the biz plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Last Movie Camera.
2) Dictator Kidnaps Director - Makes Epic!
3) From my friends at Raindance - Coen Brothers Screenplays!
4) Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? What does the novelist have to say? (Did Tom Cruise take the role because he wanted to stretch?)
5) Director so out of control that it's *weird* - are they still making a movie?
And the Car Chase of the Week!
SUPERCOP - and I've been on this road in Hong Kong!
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Last Movie Camera.
2) Dictator Kidnaps Director - Makes Epic!
3) From my friends at Raindance - Coen Brothers Screenplays!
4) Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? What does the novelist have to say? (Did Tom Cruise take the role because he wanted to stretch?)
5) Director so out of control that it's *weird* - are they still making a movie?
And the Car Chase of the Week!
SUPERCOP - and I've been on this road in Hong Kong!
- Bill
NEW!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)
Expanded version with dozens of ways to improve your dialogue! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost 200 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
November Issue Of Script Magazine
The new issue is out now!
They Gave us the Business: An Interview With Margin Call’s J.C. Chandor
by Bob Verini
It was the “Masters of the Universe” who turned all Americans into high rollers during the “Me Decade,” but it was the ordinary Wall Street Joes and Janes who brought the ride to a halt. A scintillating new suspenser, Margin Call — from first-time feature filmmaker J.C. Chandor, suggests how and why they did it.
From Script to Screen: The Rum Diary
by David S. Cohen
To adapt Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary, screenwriter Bruce Robinson (The Killing Fields) had to break a promise, go off the wagon, and risk the wrath of Thompson’s fans.
Writers on Writing: J. Edgar
by Dustin Lance Black
Scribe Dustin Lance Black (Milk) bucked preconceived public opinions in his search for the “real” J. Edgar Hoover when cracking the script for his powerful biopic of the enigmatic founder of the FBI, J. Edgar.
The Last Ride: An Interview With Writer Howie Klausner
by Randy Rudder
Howie Klausner (Space Cowboys), along with co-writer Dub Cornett, remained true to history while scripting the last days of music legend Hank Williams while retaining just enough creative license to leave their fingerprints on this touching story of an icon gone too soon.
An Interview With Final Draft, Inc. Hall of Famer Steven Zaillian
by Ray Morton
This October, Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) was presented the Final Draft, Inc. Hall of Fame Award, adding to his already extensive list of accolades — an Oscar®, a WGA Award, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe®, a Humanitas Prize, and, just last year, the Writers Guild of America, West’s Laurel Award honoring a lifetime of achievement. Script takes a look at his inspiring career as Zaillian recounts how he has honed his craft over more than two decades of penning unforgettable screenplays.
Beyond the Page: Change of Art
by Peter Hanson
Searching for new ways to explore his favorite themes led screenwriter Joe Forte (Firewall, Say I Do) to a thriving second career as a painter.
What are Your Real Chances of Success?
by Corey Mandell
Writers know it’s not easy to launch and sustain a career. After all, the odds aren’t necessarily stacked in your favor. But, what exactly are your chances of making it in the industry? The answer might surprise you.
Goldman’s Rule on Structure
by John Buchanan
No element of a successful script is more important than a solid, effective structure. And no fundamental discipline of screenwriting is more misunderstood or misapplied. Here experts weigh in on the art of mastering structure.
10 Tips for Talking to Hollywood
by Peter Hanson
Practicing savvy techniques can help ensure you’re taken seriously by the film industry — even before you’re a working professional. Learn why the movie business is just like any other private club: Once you learn the secret handshake (metaphorically speaking), you can get in the door.
Booze Control: Terence Winter and a Sip of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire
by David Radcliff
Last year, Terence Winter (The Sopranos) traded Mafia stories for tales of gin mills and moonshine during Prohibition-era Atlantic City in the first season of HBO’s gripping drama Boardwalk Empire. The result was a smash-hit cable series that left frenzied fans immediately clamoring for the show’s second season.
Pacing Your Script
by Mike Kuciak
One of the elements that makes a professional-level script stand out is it moves in a speed and rhythm that feels like what we’re used to seeing in a theater. There are several common missteps that often contribute to making the pacing slow or uneven in a screenplay. Finding and addressing them will help turn your works into fast, fun, professional reads.
Wind From the East, Part 2: Manga and Anime
by Northrop Davis
Script further examines the growing influence of Japanese manga and anime in Hollywood and the opportunities the global medium presents to creative minds looking to start a career in film or television.
Script Secrets: Hero is Villain?
by William C. Martell
For every yin there is a yang, for every hero there is a villain … unless they are the same person. In an excerpt from his book The Secrets of Action Screenwriting, columnist and professional scribe William C. Martell explains this unique story situation.
For more info:
http://www.ScriptMag.Com
- Bill
They Gave us the Business: An Interview With Margin Call’s J.C. Chandor
by Bob Verini
It was the “Masters of the Universe” who turned all Americans into high rollers during the “Me Decade,” but it was the ordinary Wall Street Joes and Janes who brought the ride to a halt. A scintillating new suspenser, Margin Call — from first-time feature filmmaker J.C. Chandor, suggests how and why they did it.
From Script to Screen: The Rum Diary
by David S. Cohen
To adapt Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary, screenwriter Bruce Robinson (The Killing Fields) had to break a promise, go off the wagon, and risk the wrath of Thompson’s fans.
Writers on Writing: J. Edgar
by Dustin Lance Black
Scribe Dustin Lance Black (Milk) bucked preconceived public opinions in his search for the “real” J. Edgar Hoover when cracking the script for his powerful biopic of the enigmatic founder of the FBI, J. Edgar.
The Last Ride: An Interview With Writer Howie Klausner
by Randy Rudder
Howie Klausner (Space Cowboys), along with co-writer Dub Cornett, remained true to history while scripting the last days of music legend Hank Williams while retaining just enough creative license to leave their fingerprints on this touching story of an icon gone too soon.
An Interview With Final Draft, Inc. Hall of Famer Steven Zaillian
by Ray Morton
This October, Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) was presented the Final Draft, Inc. Hall of Fame Award, adding to his already extensive list of accolades — an Oscar®, a WGA Award, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe®, a Humanitas Prize, and, just last year, the Writers Guild of America, West’s Laurel Award honoring a lifetime of achievement. Script takes a look at his inspiring career as Zaillian recounts how he has honed his craft over more than two decades of penning unforgettable screenplays.
Beyond the Page: Change of Art
by Peter Hanson
Searching for new ways to explore his favorite themes led screenwriter Joe Forte (Firewall, Say I Do) to a thriving second career as a painter.
What are Your Real Chances of Success?
by Corey Mandell
Writers know it’s not easy to launch and sustain a career. After all, the odds aren’t necessarily stacked in your favor. But, what exactly are your chances of making it in the industry? The answer might surprise you.
Goldman’s Rule on Structure
by John Buchanan
No element of a successful script is more important than a solid, effective structure. And no fundamental discipline of screenwriting is more misunderstood or misapplied. Here experts weigh in on the art of mastering structure.
10 Tips for Talking to Hollywood
by Peter Hanson
Practicing savvy techniques can help ensure you’re taken seriously by the film industry — even before you’re a working professional. Learn why the movie business is just like any other private club: Once you learn the secret handshake (metaphorically speaking), you can get in the door.
Booze Control: Terence Winter and a Sip of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire
by David Radcliff
Last year, Terence Winter (The Sopranos) traded Mafia stories for tales of gin mills and moonshine during Prohibition-era Atlantic City in the first season of HBO’s gripping drama Boardwalk Empire. The result was a smash-hit cable series that left frenzied fans immediately clamoring for the show’s second season.
Pacing Your Script
by Mike Kuciak
One of the elements that makes a professional-level script stand out is it moves in a speed and rhythm that feels like what we’re used to seeing in a theater. There are several common missteps that often contribute to making the pacing slow or uneven in a screenplay. Finding and addressing them will help turn your works into fast, fun, professional reads.
Wind From the East, Part 2: Manga and Anime
by Northrop Davis
Script further examines the growing influence of Japanese manga and anime in Hollywood and the opportunities the global medium presents to creative minds looking to start a career in film or television.
Script Secrets: Hero is Villain?
by William C. Martell
For every yin there is a yang, for every hero there is a villain … unless they are the same person. In an excerpt from his book The Secrets of Action Screenwriting, columnist and professional scribe William C. Martell explains this unique story situation.
For more info:
http://www.ScriptMag.Com
- Bill
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