Screenwriting Archives - Page 7 of 23

MovieMaker Magazine

The Screenwriter’s Toolkit: 18 Exercises to Combat Writer’s Block

Before I got into screenwriting, I was in a poetry group (don’t snark; some of us...
Screenwriting 101: Script Criteria Checklist

As you probably know, finishing (or finding) a script is only the beginning of any moviemaker’s...
Re-Vamping: Ten Unique Takes on Vampire Mythology

In celebration of the release of “Byzantium” this Friday, we’ve come up with a selection of...
Screenwriting Tips: 10 Beats to a Better Beginning

The old adage is that a screenwriter needs to capture a reader’s attention in the first...
Precious to Violet & Daisy: Oscar-winning Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher’s Directorial Debut

In the audacious new comedy-thriller Violet & Daisy, Saoirse Ronan and Alexis Bledel star as a...
The Fire Inside: Jason Segel Resurrects The Muppets

Not long ago, MovieMaker Magazine caught up with Jason Segel to ask him about his role in...
This Film Isn’t Real: Maja Milos’ Tiger Award-winning debut, Clip

On a Saturday afternoon at AFI Fest last November, I walked into a 4:15 PM screening...
My Brother the Devil: The five-year struggle to write and direct a Sundance-winning debut

All film is in some way political—whether you like it or not. It’s good to be...
And the Lord Declared: Let there be really high stakes!

Attention all Screenwriters, Graphic Novelists, Novelists-Afraid-Of-Screenwriting, and Waiters, Bankers, Accountants, Teachers, Custodians, Firefighters, Cashiers and Parking...
Adapting Indie Fiction: A Resource for Finding Your Next Story

You’ve been working on your first script for a year and a half. Maybe you got...
Stabbing at Sequel Greatness: Four classic horror sequels deserving of critical acclaim

The real horror of most horror sequels is how horrible most of them are. Let’s face...
Going Grassroots: Stephen Gyllenhaal talks local politics and his new movie

The closing night film at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), which wraps up its...
“Write What You Know”: Michael Connors on Allegiance’s move from short to feature film

Writer/director Michael Connors’ Allegiance (Working Title: Recalled), based on his award-winning 2006 thesis short of the...
Painting Palettes: Bringing Characters to Life in For the Love of Money

I’m not exactly a religious gal. I believe in what I like to call “The Force.”...
Meet Jesse Baget’s Cellmates: How to make a comedic social commentary work

When you pitch a comedy about a Ku Klux Klansman around Hollywood you tend to get...
The Journey to The Cup

Here, director Simon Wincer (Free Willy, “Lonesome Dove”) recounts the making of his inspirational sports drama...
The Messy Business of Growing Up

Small incidents, to paraphrase director Jannicke Systad Jacobsen, can make large explosions. They can also make...
Dystopian Movies Through the Ages: From Metropolis to The Hunger Games

With all the climate, economic, political and humanitarian crises the world is dealing with right now,...
Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio Bring The Lorax to Life

As the screenwriters behind both The Lorax and 2008’s Horton Hears a Who!, Cinco Paul and...
Winning Big in the Amazon

When you hear the word “Amazon,” one of two things probably come to mind: Online retailer...
Explosions and Kisses: When Action Meets Romantic Comedy

There are perhaps no two genres less alike than the romantic comedy and the action adventure....
Get Connected with Scriptapalooza

Now in its 14th year, Scriptapalooza remains unlike any other screenplay competition. When you submit your...
Where the Wild Things Are: The Best Man vs. Nature Movies

It’s like a bad nightmare: Being stranded in the wild with scant resources and no guarantee...
The World’s Weirdest Shakespeare Adaptations

In Coriolanus, out in theaters tomorrow, director and star Ralph Fiennes brings to the screen one...