Screenwriting
Etta Devine and Gabriel Diani
Who: Writers, directors, actors and a comedy duo that go by the moniker Diani & Devine. Wrote 2012 horror comedy The Selling and 2016 comedy Diani & Devine Meet the Apocalypse.
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?
We’re better served dividing up the work than trying to do all of it together. By the time we’re done with a draft, it’s basically been rewritten twice already. We hate group work, but if you work with people whose skills are different from yours, everything is better.
What was a major turning point in your career?
Gabriel Diani: I don’t know that there’s been one major turning point, but a series of minor ones that have over time led to us now almost being able to say we make a living from writing. Maybe this article will be the major turning point. Come on, article!
Etta Devine: I believe in you, article!
What are you working on right now?
GD: Saving democracy.
ED: Also, we’ve got a time travel comedy pilot we’re working on.
GD: And Etta’s working on a horror thriller about the industrial revolution.
ED: And Gabe’s working on an adaptation of some charming old short stories called Philo Gubb: Correspondence School Detective.
Who are some of your favorite screenwriters?
Elaine May, Carrie Fisher, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the Coen Brothers.
Directory
1. Jono Matt and Glen Powell 2. Ryan Piers Williams 3. Etta Devine and Gabriel Diani 4. Lena Khan 5. Trey Selman 6. Tracy Oliver 7. Justin Lader and Charlie McDowell 8. Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar 9. Damir Konjicija and Dario Konjicija 10. Juanjo Moscardó Rius 11. Ben Snyder and Ari Issler 12. Kyle Bugg 13. Jimmy Mosqueda 14. Michael Noonan 15. Geeta Malik 16. Josh Barkey 17. Nicholas Verso 18. Minhal Baig 19. Henry Jones 20. Kevin Arbouet 21. Megan Park 22. Wes Brown 23. Louisiana Kreutz 24. Kate Nowlin 25. Elizabeth Guest
Conspicuous by their absence are such stellar screenplay writers as Buck Henry (“The Graduate”), Robert Downey, Sr. (“Putney Swope”), Penny Lane (Nuts”)and Ben and Dan Barnz.
Congratulations to all these writers! Knowing Ben Synder, who has worked with me on a scripts, I want to particularly congratulate him and Ari Lssler for achieving this endeavor in the ‘Storyworld’ of Cinema!
Spiderwood Productions / Tommy G Warren, Writer, Producer.
Very inspiring stuff. Loved to learn how these guys and gals got their big breaks, especially those who had little to no contact in LA. Sort of inspiring, and it kind of makes you forget, if only for a moment, that many screenwriters work less than minimum wage. There’s hope!