FEATURED
Tracking Your Screenplay Submissions: From Contests to Execs
With the deadlines for The Nicholl, AFF and the TV network fellowships happening pretty much NOW, this seems like as good a time as any to do some much-needed housekeeping and get your submission tracking in order. With that in mind…For many...
Good Will To All
The other day, a student challenged me with this statement and question: “Conventional wisdom suggests that there must be a clear goal and an antagonist, but I don't buy it. I've seen many movies where there appears to be neither a...
Web Series: Development, Revenues and Contracts
QUESTION FOR FILMTVLAW.COM:About how much money can a web series make? I need a contract with my production partner, something simple to split up the show 50/50, but I’m not sure how money gets paid for a web series. Can you help us sort this...
Take Your Screenwriting Power Back
When it comes to who wields the most power in Hollywood, it seems screenwriters fall near the bottom rung. Let’s be honest: we’re beholden to the gatekeepers, whether they’re script analysts, producers, or studio execs, who will...
RECENTLY ADDED
Good Will To All
The other day, a student challenged me with this statement and question: “Conventional wisdom suggests that there must be a clear goal and an antagonist, but I don't buy it. I've seen many movies where there appears to be neither a...
Web Series: Development, Revenues and Contracts
QUESTION FOR FILMTVLAW.COM:About how much money can a web series make? I need a contract with my production partner, something simple to split up the show 50/50, but I’m not sure how money gets paid for a web series. Can you help us sort this...
How To Turn Your Logline Into A Pitch
Many writers struggle with coming up with that perfect logline for their project - let alone writing one, and then it's time to take that and turn it into a pitch. Well, it can all become pretty intimidating rather quickly! Luckily for you, our...
Tracking Your Screenplay Submissions: From Contests to Execs
With the deadlines for The Nicholl, AFF and the TV network fellowships happening pretty much NOW, this seems like as good a time as any to do some much-needed housekeeping and get your submission tracking in order. With that in mind…For many...
MOST VIEWED
8 Keys to Writing a Marketable Script
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 elements....
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” 7 Tips for Great Dialogue
Jacob Stuart's advice on writing dialogue for screenplays.Hollywood has a short attention span. Unlike writers, who may have all day to sit and ponder, plotting out their next script, or revising and revising a screenplay until their fingers are...
7 Ways to Make Sure Your Screenwriting Career Never Takes Off
Often, I get asked: What are the commonalities you’ve seen among your writers who have broken in? What are the shared traits of working screenwriters? And, even more specifically, what are the most important things that a screenwriter can do...
How to Write Action Description
Alex Southey explores five different kinds of action description, and how they dictate tone in a script. Many people tend to assume that because it doesn’t affect the final film, action description doesn’t matter very much. But this couldn’t...