how-to

  • Screenwriting

30 Screenwriting Lessons From The Twilight Zone Creator Rod Serling

Here are screenwriting tips gleaned from Twilight Zone mastermind Rod Serling, first published as part of “First Draft,” a screenwriting…

4 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Ten Ways Screenwriters Can Sidestep Writing for Free

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. “You have to pay your…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Five Criminally Underrated Elements of Successful Screenplays

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. What if you could learn…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Screenwriting Contests and Fellowships Every Writer Should Target in 2018

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. What are the best screenwriting…

6 years ago
  • Directing

How to Make a Film Without Knowing How to Make a Film: Basic Tips From the Director of From the Ground Up

Prior to producing, writing, and directing my documentary From The Ground Up, I had no background or experience in film. Yes,…

6 years ago
  • Screenwriting

First Draft: Step Up Your Game With These Seven New Year’s Resolutions For Screenwriters

As we look ahead to this new year, now’s a good time to ask, what are your screenwriting goals? What…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Here Are 20 of the Hottest Public Domain Properties For Screenwriters

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. Hollywood has been obsessed with…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: What’s It Like to See Your Script Produced By Hollywood? Here’s How This Screenwriter Made It Happen

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. Seeing your screenplay produced is…

6 years ago
  • How They Did It

How They Did It: Planning a Car Crash Scene? Match Multiple Locations Into One, Says 24 Hours to Live Director

Some of the bigger challenges we had to overcome while filming 24 Hours to Live had to do with finding…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: 14 Screenwriting Books Every Screenwriter Should Read

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. What are the best screenwriting…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Think Outside the Box With These Five Resourceful Screenwriting Career Moves

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. What if we told you…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Your Characters Lack Uniqueness? Use These Seven Ways to Give Them Fresh Voices

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. As a former studio script…

6 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Craft Top-Notch Cinematic Scares With These 101 Terrifying Horror Story Prompts

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. Welcome to the story den…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Manipulate Your Audiences’ Psychological States With These Three Screenwriting Tricks

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. Suspense is everywhere in film.…

7 years ago
  • Movie News

First Draft: One Secret to Great Dialogue? Make Your Script’s Silences Count

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. I’ve been on both sides…

7 years ago
  • Movie News

First Draft: Everything You Need to Know About Confusing On-Screen Writing Credits

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. “Why are some writers credited…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: What’s Holding Your Script Back? One Of These Four Problems Might Be Your Answer

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. Frequent enough websites like this…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Three Networking Maps That Will Help Screenwriters Build Their Industry Contacts

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. The old adage is that…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Know When and When Not to Rely on the Unreliable Narrator

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. The unreliable narrator. A tricky figure…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Roll the Dice With This Guide to Action-Adventure Script Structure Based on Dungeons & Dragons

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. Geeks and nerds. Let’s be…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Ask Yourself These Four Questions Before Cooking Up Your Screenplay’s Antagonist

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. It seems like movie villains…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Take Stock In These 99 Stock Characters You Can Write Into Your Screenplay

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. What is the difference between…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Sure, Story Structure Guides Are Useful. But When Should We Be Using Them, and How?

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. “It’s not where you take…

7 years ago
  • First Draft

First Draft: Learn “Kaufman’s Folly” to Avoid Writing Fanciful Worlds That Aren’t Relatable (Video)

In partnership with Creative Screenwriting and ScreenCraft, “First Draft” is a series on everything to do with screenwriting. There is a fundamental issue…

7 years ago