Shanee Edwards

Shanee Edwards graduated from UCLA Film School with an MFA in Screenwriting and is currently the film critic for SheKnows.com. She recently won the Next MacGyver television writing competition to create a TV show about a female engineer. Her pilot, Ada and the Machine, is currently in development with America Ferrera's Take Fountain Productions. You can follow her on Twitter: @ShaneeEdwards

Posts by Shanee Edwards 176 results

Writer/director Dan Gilroy on process, outlines and breaking the rules for Roman J. Israel, Esq.

“It’s not about the answers you come up with,” says Gilroy, “It’s the questions you ask.” Gilroy also gives some of the best advice to up and coming screenwriters we’ve ever heard.

November 20, 2017

Greta Gerwig on her powerful mother-daughter love story, Lady Bird

“People say that acting is listening, but I find that writing is listening as well,” says Greta Gerwig, writer and director of the beautiful new film Lady Bird. Gerwig’s successful acting career has led her to forge an unconventional, yet organic way to tell stories. We sat down with her to find out more about her screenwriting process.

November 16, 2017

Learn from the best: Murder on the Orient Express’ Michael Green on Writing Mystery

We sat down with Michael Green, screenwriter for the latest remake of Murder on the Orient Express, to talk about the mystery genre and what writers can learn from Agatha Christie.

November 13, 2017

Richard Linklater Examines Truth and Lies in Last Flag Flying

“We always forget,” says Richard Linklater, “it’s just not natural to want to kill or be around death. You see the toll it takes on our returning vets. It’s horrific. A national tragedy. Unless you’re a psychopath, it isn’t fun. It isn’t manly. It’s damaging. We’re not cut our for it.”

November 9, 2017

How Thank You for Your Service’s Jason Hall Transformed From Actor to A-List Writer

Like many screenwriters, Jason Hall started his career as an actor. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other TV shows kept him busy, but he was eager to move into film roles. When an actor-buddy gave him a movie script and suggested Hall audition for a role, his agents tried, but couldn’t get Hall the audition. The most frustrating part was the ...

November 6, 2017

How to Write Binge Worthy TV

Ever wonder how the creators of shows like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards or Stranger Things get us to stay up late on a work night or spend an entire weekend watching a full season of their show?

November 2, 2017

How to Use the Hero’s Journey to write about Jeffrey Dahmer in High School

Written and directed by Marc Meyers, My Friend Dahmer is based on the award-winning graphic novel by John “Derf” Backderf, who was a classmate of Jeffrey Dahmer’s in high school.

October 30, 2017

Goodbye Christopher Robin Writer Breaks Down Characters by Archetype

Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce is known for powerful films like Hilary and Jackie, Welcome to Sarajevo, and for writing the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder, where Queen Elizabeth appeared to skydive into the arena with James Bond. Boyce’s latest film is Goodbye Christopher Robin and tells the true story of ...

October 22, 2017

Wonderstruck’s Writer Creates a New Generation of Selznicks in Hollywood

If the name Brian Selznick sounds familiar, it’s because the author, illustrator and now screenwriter is a relative of film mogul David O. Selznick, who produced dozens of films including Gone with the Wind. Brian’s grandfather was David’s cousin. He says having the famous name is a lot of fun but it hasn’t necessarily helped him in any way.

October 19, 2017

Do You Overwrite? Here’s How to Stop.

One of the biggest mistakes screenwriters can make is overwriting their screenplay. Unless you’re Aaron Sorkin, whose screenplay for The Social Network was a whopping 164 pages with scenes lasting eight pages, you need to keep the dialogue, scene descriptions and page count as short and tight as possible. It’s worth repeating that film is a visual form of storytelling and we want to support the images with our screenplay, not the other way around. Here are a few guidelines to keep you from writing too much.

October 15, 2017

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.