Screenwriting How-To Articles

'Conversations with Friends' Director Lenny Abrahamson shares with Script the overall creative process behind adapting this specific book for television, working with the core creative team of executive producers, and carrying tone and character arcs consistently through the first season and more.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker Christopher Moore, Writer/Director of 'Children Of Sin' (2022). Christopher Moore has a lot to say about being resourceful as an indie filmmaker.

T. Murph who plays Clovis in Hulu's 'Woke' shares with Script his comedic journey to becoming an actor, his connection to Clovis and what he personally brings to his character's voice and overall journey, the collaborative and creative process with fellow castmates and the show's creative team, and so much more.

'The Wonder Years' creator and showrunner Saladin K. Patterson shares with Script about taking the creative reigns of the beloved IP, his approach to finding story, especially that of Dean's journey, putting his overall creative team together, and more.

‘Tokyo Vice’ showrunner J.T. Rogers and Cinematographer Diego García speak with Script and share their adventures shooting in Japan during lockdown, the decade-long development process, and their strong optimism for a season two.

Hulu's 'Candy' creators Robin Veith and Nick Antosca, share with Script their creative attraction and approach to this true-crime story, the creative decision to tell this story in non-linear form, and their tenacity of research and respect to the material and those living and dead.

Breakthrough TV screenwriting fellowship, The Disruptors, returns! Applications now open for the third year of the power-building program.

'The Twin' filmmakers Taneli Mustonen (director/co-writer) and Aleksi Hyvärinen (co-writer) share with Script their personal approach to the story and characters, tapping into their comedy chops, Nordic folklore and combined love and respect for the horror genre.

'Homesick' cinematographer Cory Fraiman-Lott shares with Script the visual collaborative process with writer-director Will Seefried and other key creative team members, how the visuals to lens choices service the story, and Cory's work ethos.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker Hamza Zaman, the Writer/Director/Actor of a Thriller, 'The Institute' (2022). Hamza Zaman talks about how they produced that movie during Covid-19. Other topics are how he pitches movie ideas to investors and writes scripts toward a certain budget range.

Script contributor Tom Stempel is looking at movies with, well, stars and actors, including 'The Outfit,' 'The Lost City,' 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' and 'CODA'.

There’s the legal, ethical practice and above board perspective of Hollywood. And then there’s the seedier side, the less than ethical, the notorious and unfortunately far too prevalent way business gets done behind certain closed doors. This second of a two part series of articles will peek under the carpet shedding light on some of these situations so we can all be prepared to recognize them and know when to put on the brakes, turn around and speed like hell away.

Michael McGowan shares with Script his adaptation process, overcoming self-doubt roadblocks, working with the actors in terms of character motivation and scene work to his personal writing routine.

Script contributor Sonya Alexander interviews writers of this Viking epic, Robert Eggers and Sjón about the importance and research of Norse mythology and Icelandic folklore, being story architects, and their collaborative process.

What do biscuits, butter and poetry have in common? You'll learn that, and so much more, when Sadie Dean and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman talk with poets/writers/filmmakers Jade Dee and Wilnona Marie.

In music, numbers rule everything. They articulate the mechanics behind hit songs written by people who can’t read a single note. And they describe a secret strategy to storytelling that’s worked for songwriters since we began humming the songs we wish we could forget. It’s a secret strategy that could make the difference between selling your story or watching it waste away in limbo.

When a movie never leaves the room, the production better have a strong enough story to compensate for the containment, and feature characters who can displace the lack of action through the sheer force of their performance. 'The Outfit' is one such movie.

What makes 'Under the Banner of Heaven' so compelling and different from other entries in the religious true crime genre is the way it can challenge the audiences’ perceptions of faith along with its leading detective.

Confused about contracts? Aggravated over agreements? Rebecca Norris Resnick walks you through keeping yourself protected when you sign a screenwriting contract, but you're pre-WGA and yet to be represented.

A lauded Advisory Committee and Blackmagic Collective Fellowship Award anchors initiative.

In one full day, you will learn how to develop fascinating characters, how to survive a rewrite, how to build tension with suspense and surprise, and more.

There’s the legal, ethical practice and above board perspective of Hollywood. And then there’s the seedier side, the less than ethical, the notorious and unfortunately far too prevalent way business gets done behind certain closed doors. This first of a two part series of articles will peek under the carpet shedding light on some of these situations so we can all be prepared to recognize them and know when to put on the brakes, turn around and speed like hell away.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker Ivan Sen, writer/director of 'Expired' (2022), a Sci-Fi Romance movie, starring Hugo Weaving and Ryan Kwanten.

Script contributor Jenna Avery addresses finding a question on how to find a showrunner. Jenna consults with three TV writers and instructors for their input on first developing an idea and then getting to the stage of finding a showrunner.

Danielle Turkov Wilson’s creative passion and specialist experience in political engagement provide the binding thread so vital to Think-Film Impact Production's vision and success. Danielle's desire is to see films used as visual policy briefs, propelling emotional, lasting narratives and social change.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with film Director Tarik Saleh. He went from directing documentaries and the Lykke Li "I Follow Rivers" music video, to 'The Contractor' (2022), an Action/Thriller starring Chris Pine and Gillian Jacobs.

Learn how to flip your script in the upcoming webinar FLIP THE SCRIPT: How to Adapt Your Story to Sell with Jon James Miller on Thursday, April 21st, 2022 01:00 pm – 02:30 pm PDT, only at Script University.

'Chariot' writer-director Adam Sigal shares with Script his writing process, why he is a heavy outliner, thematic choices, and why he decided to become a director.

Filmmaker Brendan Muldowney shares with Script the story conception for his new feature horror film 'The Cellar,' how he utilizes sound design for optimal scares in both his writing and in post, and the importance of creating character hooks.

'Dual' writer-director Riley Stearns shares with Script his approach to character development, why he became a multi-hyphenate creative, and why he likes subverting expectations in his storytelling.

Jacques Audiard’s commitment to consistently immerse himself in new forms of structure and storytelling is commendable, but the film lacks an understanding of the text’s interlocking characters and storylines.

'Dear Mama' director Winter Dunn and screenwriter Charmaine Cleveland share with Script the collaboration and development process while participating in Film Independent Project Involve, their personal approach to the material, and the type of stories they're drawn to tell.

Frank Deese explores how the NAACP, only a few years old in 1915 and dealing mostly with local issues in the South, mobilized nationwide protests with other prominent leaders against theaters showing D.W. Griffith's blockbuster film 'The Birth of a Nation' turning it into an efficient and effective national organization.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker Wes Miller, Director/Producer of 'A Day To Die' (2022), one of the last movies featuring Bruce Willis, the cast also includes Frank Grillo, Kevin Dillon and Brooke Butler.

'Infinite Storm' actor/screenwriter Joshua Rollins shares with Script his personal relatability to Pam Bales' story, writing on spec, and his new journey as a screenwriter.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Guy Goldstein, who is the founder of the WriterDuet software. They talk about the origin and development of that software, screenplay formatting, and their other software WriterSolo and ReadThrough.

Script contributor Sonya Alexander visits the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and speaks with Chief Artistic and Programming Officer Jacqueline Stewart.

'Move Me' filmmaker Kelsey Peterson shares with Script the importance of showing moments of unbridled ambition and moments of deep reflection, the unpredictability of documentary filmmaking, and what's next for her on her creative journey.

'Backstage' writer-director Ada Smyk shares with Script about her filmmaking influences, her personal connection to the subject matter, and what type of stories she likes to explore as a filmmaker.

Script contributor Tom Stempel deals with two disappointments 'Being the Ricardos' and 'The Gilded Age,' two OK pieces 'The Tender Bar' and 'Around the World in 80 Days' and one brilliant miniature 'On the Rocks'.

Neal McDonough speaks with Script about stepping back into Nick Boon's shoes, this time from a writer's perspective, creating films he's excited about with a nod to old-school filmmaking and storytelling from films like 'Rocky' and 'Unforgiven,' and what's next for him in his career as a screenwriter.

'Roommates' director and co-writer Ashley Eakin, co-writer and actress Kelsey Johnson and actress Kiera Allen talk about their creative collaboration and journey, why it's important to them to tell their stories and have these important conversations and representation about disability, and more!

Script contributor Joy Cheriel Brown reviews 2021 musical 'Annette' and why the film didn't hit the right notes in a fully formed and warranted storyline.

Screenwriter Jordan Simon shares with Script his ambitions to shake up the industry as a Black sci-fi writer and overall creative, his love for storytelling in specific worlds and time periods and more.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker and actor Dan Coplan. Topics include how he went from being an NYU film School grad to working on 'Taxi Driver' (1976) and 'King Kong' (1976) and how getting hit by a mail truck went towards financing a movie.

The Scriptation Showcase is the screenwriting contest that circulates winners’ scripts to Hollywood directors, showrunners, and producers. 15 scripts get featured for one year in Scriptation, the Emmy® Award winning app used on film and TV productions.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Writer/Author Christopher Vogler. His writing credits include Disney's 'The Lion King' and is the author of one of the most acclaimed guide books on writing, 'The Writer's Journey' which is now in its fourth edition from Michael Wiese Productions.

Author and screenwriter Lexie Bean is in the process of finding a buyer for their screen adaptation of the middle-grade novel "The Ship We Built," Bean chronicles a meaningful journey for those in similar shoes. And the filmmaker easily resists the temptation to not let a Hollywood ending water down the nature of this struggle.