year : 2018 56 results

Writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber has wanted to create an action/thriller movie since he was eight years old.

You may know some of Thurber’s films that aren’t in the action genre. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Central Intelligence all land in the comedic zone, so how did he finally get to make Skyscraper?

What Other Writers Can Mean to You

I remember when I started taking workshops I'd occasionally meet a writer who was terrified that other writers would steal their ideas. If you listened closely, you could tell that they actually viewed other writers as enemies. This is such a bad attitude to have, for many reasons. Obviously, I can’t tell you that no writer has ever stolen an idea; I can tell you that other writers are the least likely people in Hollywood to steal your ideas and the most likely to be outraged if that happens. More importantly, other writers can help you at almost every stage of your career. The benefits of having strong ties to other writers far out way the risks.

Whitney explores the demons behind Houston’s angelic voice

The new documentary Whitney, about the life and death of Whitney Houston drops numerous bombshells about the singer’s troubled life and family. Oscar-winning Scottish director Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September, The Last King of Scotland) takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster in this honest, raw, sometimes incredibly frustrating film that is a must-see for every Whitney Houston fan. I sat down with Macdonald to explore the details behind telling this powerful story.

8 Ways to Market Yourself as a Screenwriter You Haven’t Thought of

As Hollywood and technology change, so do the ways in which you need to market yourself as a screenwriter. The old days of sending query letters - snail-mail or email - to agents, managers and production companies is pretty much over. These days, you have to be savvy, know how to use social media and, most importantly, have a market-ready, ...

Tips for Writing Powerful, Memorable Dialogue (with examples!)

I’ve found four examples of movie dialogue I believe encompass all these requirements. They are: The Social Network written by Aaron Sorkin; Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino; Casablanca by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch and The Silence of the Lambs by Ted Tally and Thomas Harris.

5 Things an Aspiring Writer Can Do Besides Writing

Look, Major League Baseball Superstar Mike Trout didn't just wake up one day and become one of the best hitters in baseball.  He had to train.  He had to practice.  He had to watch tape and study other hitters.  He had to watch tape and study the pitchers he was going to face.  He had to work with coaches.  He had to work with teammates. If you're a screenwriter, so are you.

Five Ways To Fail In Hollywood: A ‘Definitely Don’t Do’ List

We’ve all read articles that list the most important things you should do in Hollywood. We’ve read about writing advice, networking tips and meeting preparation. We’ve seen one ‘Must Do List’ after another. But what about all the things you should absolutely avoid? What are the pitfalls you need to watch out for? Let’s talk about those.

British novelist Ian McEwan calls writing a screenplay a ‘happy demotion’

You probably know British writer Ian McEwan best for his award-winning novels like Atonement, Black DogsandThe Comfort of Strangers. But he also writes plays and screenplays, and his novella On Chesil Beach has now been adapted for the screen by none other than McEwan himself. Dialing in from England, we chatted about the film, and the differences between writing a novel and a screenplay.

Comedian Natasha Leggero on why she’s a ‘writer by necessity’

Comedy writer and actress Natasha Leggero, star and co-creator of Comedy Central’s Another Period, has a brand new standup comedy special on Netflix called The Honeymoon Standup Special. Not surprisingly, it’s hilarious. But I’d expect nothing less from the woman who owns every comedy roast where she flings scorching zingers from the dais. Check out the barbs she throws down in this roast of Justin Bieber:

Video: For Melissa McCarthy and husband Ben Falcone, writing screenplays is a family affair

Written by Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, Life of the Party is really a love story between mother and daughter. We sat down with Falcone, who also directed the film, to find out the inspiration behind the story and what the married couple’s writing process is like.

Five Strategies For When You’re Stuck

One of the things I tell beginning writers is that you have to love what you’re writing. You’re going to spend a lot of time with it, months, years, decades even. If you’re not telling a story you love that time is going to be very painful. But no matter how well you’ve chosen your story there may come a time when you get stuck. This is not exactly the same as writer’s block, that’s a complete stoppage. No, this is when you’re working on a project and, for some reason, you suddenly stop. You’re not having a problem writing. You’re having a problem writing that story. So, what do you do when that happens?

I Feel Pretty writers predict the comeback of character-driven comedies

Though I Feel Pretty might sound like the brainchild of Amy Schumer herself, it wasn’t. The idea was all Kohn and Silverstein’s and when they pitched it to Schumer, she loved it. But there was one element of the story that needed to be addressed: after Renee hits her head and believes herself to be appealing in every way, does her on-screen physical appearance actually change? Would Schumer’s image be replaced by that of a size 2 supermodel?
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