by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) Scott Teems gained notoriety in 2009 with his debut feature, That Evening Sun, starring Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Walton Goggins, and Mia Wasikowska. He went on to write and direct on McKinnon’s hit show Rectify. Teems’s latest project, The Quarry, reunites Boardwalk Empire stars Shea Whigham and Michael Shannon alongside Academy... Continue Reading →
4 Reasons Your Script is in Development Hell
Today's guest post comes to us from Vanessa Frank. Vanessa is the presenter of Film Funding from A-Z, an on-demand course which teaches film finance to independent filmmakers. by Vanessa Frank “Development hell” is a term that no professional scriptwriter ever wants to hear. Spend any amount of time in Hollywood and you will inevitably be told innumerable... Continue Reading →
5 Exercises for Developing the Psychology of a Character
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) When we create characters, we make choices about who those characters are. Though we may never use the exact term, what we are really doing is creating the psychology of those characters. In other words, we are painting a picture of how their mind works and how that affects their behavior. It’s... Continue Reading →
How to Develop a Great Character in 7 Days
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) It’s easy to become impatient when writing a script. Many of us type FADE IN on the first day we have an idea for a story. Granted, there are some writers who actually work successfully that way. But for most of us, writing is a slow, painful process that requires a lot... Continue Reading →
Making the Transition from Development Exec to Screenwriter
by Ashley Scott Meyers In this week's podcast I talk with screenwriter (and former development executive) Dan Benamor about his years as a development executive and how he successfully made the transition into being a screenwriter. We talk about what he looked for in writers and scripts while working in development and how he used... Continue Reading →
Feedback and the Rings of Development
by Fin Wheeler While screenwriters must be open to taking any and all feedback, we should be very judicious in deciding which comments to employ. Feedback on Staffed TV For a staff writer on a successful, long-running show, the feedback process is clear cut. You write your script, your head writer gets notes from the... Continue Reading →