A screenplay, or movie script, is more of a format than an art.Good dialogue is individual to each character, but when it’s used as a crutch to explain the plot, the lines become blurred. That’s where an old saying in screenwriting...

(REPOST) For as long as the film industry has existed, so have producers. But so has the general public’s confusion about what producers actually do. It’s surprising how poorly it is understood given the importance of this high profile...

Writing The Perfect Hallmark Holiday Romantic Comedy MovieHoliday films screened during major holidays are as sure as horror films screening at Halloween. Mark Sevi spoke with mega-producer Carol Baum about how screenwriters can best position...

There is a question I get from nearly every writer I meet. When is my script ready? Before I dive in, though, I’d like to take a little breath and survey the surroundings that have settled thus far.This year has been filled with ups and downs...

It’s summer and people across the country are making travel plans. The first thing they do is figure out where they want to go. You can’t plan your trip until you know your final destination, right?Lately when I’ve been working...

“Take Risks And Do Not Try To Replicate Others’ Styles” ROAR Manager Jay Glazer Advises Screenwriters:Jay Glazer is a manager/producer who represents creatives in film, television, & theatre. He worked at Brillstein...

No one expected it at the time. Casablanca sparkled with Hollywood stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, but was predicted to be yet another Warner Bros. war picture. Based on Murray Burnett and Joan Allison’s...

For those of you unfamiliar with famed screenwriter, director, and producer David Lean, he is known for epic films including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and A Passage to India (1984). Pen Densham...

In working with screenwriters for nearly three decades, I’ve noticed three writing issues that arise over and over again. In each case, a reality check should prove empowering.1. Appearance is importantAfter a tweet that touted my...

Screenwriters are often told that actions speak louder than words, or the time-honored adage, “show us, don’t tell us.” But carefully constructed dialogue is vital to make your screenplay pop. Dialogue expresses the thoughts of...

(Repost) Script reader Kate Rocheleau takes you inside the script business To sell a screenplay or a TV pilot, the emerging screenwriter first needs to get it past a reader, like Kate Rocheleau. She is a gatekeeper (well, one of many) who decides...

1. ONE GENRE TO RULE THEM ALL I recently sat through a webinar where writers were given the opportunity to pitch their concepts. One lady stuck out to me because she described her project as a suspense, thriller, and comedy, with horror...

Our life is filled with projects. We invest time, effort or money, and perhaps we get a result.It’s useful to have a portfolio of projects, because not all of them are going to work.The 2 x 2 grid looks like this: It might be simple, but...

PitchFests are a worldwide, calendar-wide phenomenon. Formats may differ from event to event, country to country, but there are some strategies that you can get started on immediately to assure you are ready to go.WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW1. Finish your...

Cinema fans love the genre, going back to the early 1930s when stars like James Cagney (The Public Enemy) and Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar) made films about the underworld into big (ahem) hits. Since then, almost every movie year has seen a...

Entrepreneurship will make you cry and hope for a happy ending. Just like a good movie.   Many excellent movies have been made about entrepreneurs and the pioneering spirit they embody. These movies can encourage, exhilarate and, of course,...

Another successful Virtual Pitch Challenge has come and gone, and this season has been one of our best yet! This time around we focused on TV pilots, and set out to discover intriguing and unique show concepts through our TV Pilot Pitch Challenge....

The other day, I met a new writer, who sent me his pilot to read ahead of our session. He was a talented writer, for sure; the world of his show was rich, and his plot well thought out. But it also left a number of questions for me, the sort of...

This was posted on Redit by a studio reader after doing coverage analysis on 300 scripts:

Write People with writer’s block don’t have a problem typing. They have a problem living with bad writing, imperfect writing, writing that might expose something that they fear.The best way to address this isn’t to wait to be...