Anora. Annabel. Abigail. Michael Clayton. John Wick. Marianne. Emilia Perez. What do all these titles have in common? They’re all “name” titles. And what do they tell us about the movie or show? Zero, zilch, nada. Genre? Nope. Tone? Nein. Theme? Non. Subject matter? ʻIkai. (Yeah, that last one was Tongan and we had to look…
There’s a whole hidden infrastructure in Hollywood devoted to tracking and scoring Open Assignments. Come get some. (Note: This article was originally published in 2019, and some of the people mentioned have moved on.) It’s not just about specs. The vast majority of a working screenwriter’s income often comes from assignments. We spoke…
Yes, we know, eyes are glazing over at the thought of yet another missive about formatting. Look, guys, you don’t want to give the gatekeepers a reason to pass on your script before they’ve even read it. And if they open the PDF and it’s clear that the author doesn’t know the difference between sheeeit…
SLUG LINES are one of the most useful tools in a writer’s arsenal. Get to know them and love them! They serve many functions. Of course, we all know they can tell us where we are… INT. JOANIE’S CLOSET – DAY But they can also be used to call attention to a certain character or…
We were overwhelmed with entries this year and a surprising amount of near misses that may only be a draft or two away. But in the end, eight scripts were undeniable. What did they get right? Each showed a strong and distinctive writing voice as well as a command of the genre they were…
We’re still working our way through GET REPPED NOW! submissions and have noticed a tendency for Shot Calls and Music Calls. Yes, we understand you can visualize your writing so well that you know exactly what it should look and feel and sound like. However, sometimes this tendency can hurt your material and your career….
Of course, we all want a manager to fall in love with our script, sign us, and then sell the script and, overnight, we’re working writers. Unfortunately, that’s not the way this usually works. Getting a manager is only the first step. Now, settle in for the long haul. HOW NOT TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE…
Representatives want marketable scripts. It makes their jobs a lot easier. So, if you tell a rep that you’re only interested in writing period pieces set in medieval Europe, the meeting is probably not going to go well. HOW NOT TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT Part Two: WHAT THE F#$% IS MARKETABLE THESE…
Yes! Get Repped Now is now live! If your screenplay or pilot scores a “consider” or better for script it will be elevated to our manager panel and open the door to representation for you. Once you walk through that door, there are several ways you can shoot yourself in the foot. Since we want you…
They always say “write what you know.” But often we hear aspiring writers say, “Eh, my life isn’t interesting. I’m an accountant,” or “I’m a plumber.” Uh, hello? OZARK? Accountant. A slightly elevated one, sure, but that’s where the writing part comes in. MIDNIGHT RUN, same thing. How about BREAKING BAD? A sad, milquetoast, high…
