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Introduction!
! If you’ve ever asked yourself:! ! • • • •
How can I get more writing done in less time?! What are the best podcasts, forums, and blogs?! What software should I be using?! Are there any screenwriting grants that I can get?!
! You’re in the right place.! !
Whether you are an aspiring screenwriter or an established pro looking to take your career to the next level, your most valuable resource is your time.!
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There are a dizzying array of websites, software packages, and more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices and to waste time on the wrong things.!
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That’s why I wrote 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters. As a former film executive with MGM who works with writers, directors, and producers, I’ve had the chance to test a wide variety of resources for screenwriters and other creative pros.!
! This list of tools and resources focuses on:! ! !
• • •
What I use myself! What I recommend to my clients! What top screenwriters I know recommend and use!
If you use a tool or resource that isn’t on this list and you think it should be, drop me a line at
[email protected] and I’ll check it out.! ! Best,!
! ! Stephanie ! !
PS. You don’t need to do everything in this eBook. Just pick an area that interests you, and add one resource to your creative process. Small changes can have big effects.
Disclaimer
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The information contained in this e-book is for educational purposes only. I am doing my best to provide you with the most accurate information and to link to the most trustworthy sources. However, I am not liable for any losses you may incur. You use the information I provide or the information I link to at your own risk.!
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I do not receive money to positively review any products, services, or websites. I do include affiliate links to products, services, and websites which I believe are the best and most helpful.!
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By reading this e-book, you agree that you alone are responsible for your business decisions as they relate to the content of this e-book. I do not guarantee that using the material in this e-book will make you successful.!
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No part of this e-book may be reproduced, copied, sold in whole or part in any form, without my prior written consent. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.
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About The Author!
Stephanie was the Director of Creative Affairs for MGM where she heard over 3000 pitches and supervised the acquisition, development, and production of feature films.!
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Some of her projects included 21, Legally Blonde, Be Cool, The Brothers Grimm, Agent Cody Banks, Agent Cody Banks 2, A Guy Thing, and Good Boy. Prior to MGM, she worked at Jerry Bruckheimer Films on Armageddon, Con Air, and Enemy of the State.!
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She is the author of the book, Good in a Room: How To Sell Yourself And Your Ideas And Win Over Any Audience (Random House, 2008). She has been featured by The Today Show, Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio and in Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Moviemaker, and Script magazines.!
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Stephanie has given presentations and led workshops for organizations including William Morris Endeavor, Warner Brothers, Google, UCLA, USC, Asia Media Festival, The Screenwriting Expo, Austin Film Festival, and The Great American PitchFest. She is the moderator for the American Film Market’s annual Pitch Conference.!
! Connect with Stephanie on Facebook and Twitter.! ! !
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Table Of Contents! Grants! News! Software! Scripts! Competitions! Pitchfests! Books! Forums! Notes! In A Nutshell! Podcasts! Videos! Classes! Bloggers! Extras! Conclusion!
6! 7! 8! 15! 26! 27! 28! 33! 34! 35! 36! 37! 38! 39! 41! 42
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Grants!
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Have you ever wanted someone to help you develop your material, potentially pay you to learn, nurture your relationships with industry insiders, and essentially launch you directly into a screenwriting career? These grants and programs are competitive but if you can get in, your chances of long-term success go way up.!
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Sundance Screenwriters Lab!
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A five-day workshop where independent feature film writers can work on their scripts with more experienced screenwriters as Creative Advisors. Held just before the Sundance Film Festival.
Film Independent Screenwriting Lab!
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Meets 2-3 times a week for 5 weeks in Los Angeles. You meet with experienced screenwriters as well as producers and other industry professionals. NBC’s Writers On The Verge!
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A 12-week program devoted to up and coming TV writers with diverse backgrounds. You’ll develop spec and pilot material and learn how to pitch it. CBS Writers Mentoring Program!
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A six-month program dedicated to opening doors to screenwriters with a diverse background. You get matched up with two mentors, one an executive, one a senior writer on a current series. You’ll develop a plan for your career and receive ongoing support. Nickelodeon Writing Program!
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A salaried position for up to one year. Nickelodeon is not only looking for quality writing talent, they are looking for diversity in your background and in your personal and professional experience. This is right for you if you feel connected to material geared for kids and young people.
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News!
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Sometimes you’re writing and you don’t want to pay any attention to the news at all. But sometimes you want to know what’s going on – especially if it pertains to a decisionmaker you’re about to meet, a project you’re currently working on, or a pitch you’re working up to try and get an assignment. These sites will help you get the inside scoop.! ! !
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Studio System News!
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The majority of Hollywood business news reported on Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety is duplicative. While each site has some unique content, the easiest way to get the top stories of the day is to subscribe to Studio System News daily email roundups.
Deadline!
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If you’re researching a specific project, person or competitive projects, search on Deadline to see how they’ve covered it and whether there are any relevant interviews. The Hollywood Reporter!
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Reading the free articles available online is usually sufficient. Pay attention to the “Next Generation” lists and video roundtables.
Variety!
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Read the free articles online. Pay attention to “10 Screenwriters To Watch,” “10 TV Scribes To Watch” lists, and Variety’s “Night in the Writers’ Room.”
Spec Scout!
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Spec Scout tracks all reported spec and pitch sales information in their Scoggins Report. See who is selling, buying, producing and representing projects that are being purchased in the current marketplace.
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Software!
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Screenwriting! Writing! Audio/Video! Automation! Maintenance! Backups!
9! 10! 11! 12! 13! 14
! Note: I use a Mac, so ! !my recommendations are for this platform. ! ! ! ! !
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Screenwriting!
There have been some terrific recent innovations in the world of screenwriting software to help you do more than just format your screenplay correctly. These are the top three programs I recommend for professional and aspiring screenwriters.! !
! ! ! !Fade In! !! !Renders text crisply, supports unicode (text in other languages) and dual dialogue, allows you to find/ !replace, undo just about anything, has fully functional sync’ing iOS and Android versions, and is !updated for free by a capable developer who also writes and directs films. The choice of top ! !screenwriter Craig Mazin (Hangover 2, Identity Thief). ! ! ! ! !Highland! !! !A minimalist, distraction-free experience that utilizes plain text. Readable in any text editor, exports to !and imports from FDX and PDF, notes inline with text, markers and page-jumpers to navigate within a !long document, and the lead developer is top screenwriter John August (Big Fish, Charlie And The ! Chocolate Factory). ! ! ! ! ! !Celtx! !! !Fully-featured, cloud-based screenwriting, storyboarding, and production software with free and !monthly subscription options. Works for individuals writing scripts and teams who need to collaborate !on budgets, schedules, shot lists, and more. Integrates with iOS (and some Android) apps such as !Index Cards, Script, Shots, Scout, and Sides. ! ! ! ! ! ! !Final Draft! !! !Final Draft is the industry standard and you should know what it is. However, it is not my top choice. If !you’re an experienced professional screenwriter, you probably already have this. If you’re starting out !and wondering what software to buy, I recommend one of the other applications. !
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Writing!
Prior to “going to script,” you may want to assemble large quantities of research, build an outline of your project that includes many more scenes than you might need, and otherwise write without regard to script format. ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Microsoft Word! !! !For many writers this is the “go-to” program for outlining. The Outline View is simple, fast, searchable, !handles large documents well, accepts custom styles, and has markup/note and footnote options. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Scrivener! !! !A complete word processor packed with features that offers a new approach to managing lots of !content. Can hold audio, photos, and PDFs. Often, people who hate Word will love Scrivener’s !alternative method, look, and feel. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Workflowy! !! !A free, minimalist, online app for creating an outline. Works across all platforms and is good for taking !notes, organizing lists of To-Do’s, and even putting sequences of scenes together. ! ! ! ! !
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Audio/Video!
Many screenwriters have a writing process that uses audio and video to capture snippets of dialogue or scenes that you’d like to emulate.! !
! ! ! ! ! ! !FiLMiC Pro! !! !An award-winning camera app for your iPhone. Real-time 4x zoom, multiple shooting modes and !resolutions, stereo recording support, shares easily, and has other professional features and options. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Voice Recorder HD! !! !Unlimited recording time, background recording, easy to tag, share, export, and transfer voice !memos, and supports an external microphone. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Screenflow! !! !Lets you record whatever is happening on your screen. Helpful for recording a streaming video for !later viewing and to keep a library of relevant online video clips for later use. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
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Automation!
It can be hard to imagine how often you do something on the computer that could be automated. For example, how often do you type your name, copy text into a text file to strip the formatting, or resize a window to fit the full screen? Automation saves you keystrokes and lets you work faster.!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !aText! !! !A text expander that lets you sort “snippets” (typing shortcuts) into groups, control the cursor and !insert images. If you’ve never done any automating before, this is a good way to get started. ! ! ! ! ! !Alfred 2 Powerpack! !! !This is a launching utility for applications and files that also provides clipboard history, text expansion, !and automated workflows with multiple actions. ! ! ! ! ! ! !Keyboard Maestro! !! !Does just about anything. Text expansion, clipboard history, form autofill, application launch, file !actions, window resizing, image actions, and it can sync these macros (another word for automations) !for use on multiple computers. ! ! ! ! ! ! !Self-Control! !! !Automation is typically about doing things, but this app automates not-doing by preventing you from !accessing online content that might distract you (e.g., Facebook, news sites). You can set a timer for !your writing session and focus on your work. !
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Maintenance!
Carpenters, cooks, and other tradespeople understand the need to keep tools sharp and clean. But how do you do that when your tools are virtual? You maintain your tools by updating software, scanning for viruses, and repairing your drives.!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !MacUpdate Desktop! !! !Simplifies updating and installing software that isn’t available on the Mac App Store (e.g., Skype, !Firefox, VLC, Chrome). ! ! ! ! ! !Drive Genius! !! !A more powerful disk utility than Mac OS’s Disk Utility. Lets you repair permissions, rebuild directories, !and defrag entire drives. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Intego Virus Barrier! !! !Fast, thorough, real-time scanning and protection from viruses, spyware, and other “malware.” ! ! ! ! ! ! !1Password! !! !Stores passwords, registration keys, and banking information in one place. Syncs across platforms !and browsers, has the ability to share vaults or individual items, can be organized by folders and tags, !and has autofill capability. ! !
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Backups!
If you’re going to invest your time, energy, and money into writing something important, you’ve got to protect your work from classic “user error” like spilling a drink or accidentally erasing something, as well as from fire, flood, theft, electrical storm, and zombie apocalypse.! !
! ! ! ! ! !Carbon Copy Cloner! !! !Creates a complete, bootable copy of your main drive. If your main drive fails, even if you have your !data backed up, you’re going to have a hard time accessing it. A clone drive gives you immediate !access to all your files. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Dropbox! !! !Widely recommended and for good reason. Cloud storage that offers 2 GB free and integration with ! many other applications. ! ! ! ! ! ! !SugarSync! !! !Slightly more powerful and more flexible cloud storage than Dropbox; has options to sync any folder !and set permissions on folders (for multi-user use). ! ! ! ! ! ! !Crashplan! !! !The complete cloud storage backup solution. The app can be slow to load, but the interface is very !clean and “mac-like” and the service works well. !
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Scripts!
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Every successful writer I know, at some point, has taken one screenplay and analyzed it down to the atomic level. They know the core story, every beat, every sequence, every scene, every shot. They can watch the movie and turn the pages of the script in their head.!
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Beginners may be willing to watch lots of movies and read lots of scripts. It’s fun, and it feels like a complete education. Unfortunately, they’re only building superficial knowledge. They don’t really understand what’s going on at the deeper levels inside the movie.!
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They’re like a person who can look at an analog watch and tell the time – and they think that means they know how to build a watch. If you want to know how to build a watch, at some point, you will have to take a watch apart, piece by piece, down to the tiniest of the gears.!
! This is the point: It is better to read one screenplay ten times than ten screenplays.! ! With that in mind, I offer you the following scripts in different genres of film and TV. I could give you a giant list, but I’m choosing a smaller number of projects that are wellregarded and frequently referenced by executives.!
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Action!
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Animation!
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Comedy!
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Drama!
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Romantic Comedy!
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Science Fiction!
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Thrillers!
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True Stories!
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TV Pilot Scripts: Comedy!
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TV Pilot Scripts: Drama!
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
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Action!
The Dark Knight script
Inception script
Gravity script
The Bourne Identity script
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Animation!
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Monsters University script
Frozen script
Up script
The Lego Movie script
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Comedy!
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Galaxy Quest script
Lost In Translation script
Mean Girls script
Juno script
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Drama! !
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Casablanca script
Flight script
Chinatown script
The Social Network script
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Romantic Comedy! ! !
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Notting Hill script
(500) Days Of Summer script
Bridesmaids script
The Wedding Singer script
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Science Fiction! !
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Aliens script
Looper script
The Adjustment Bureau script
I, Robot script
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Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Thrillers! !
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Argo script
Black Swan script
The Fugitive script
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy script
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True Stories! ! !
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The Iron Lady script
The King’s Speech script
12 Years A Slave script
Milk script
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TV Pilot Scripts: Comedy!
30 Rock pilot script
New Girl pilot script
Modern Family pilot script
Community script
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TV Pilot Scripts: Drama!
Breaking Bad pilot script
The Sopranos pilot script
Mad Men pilot script
Game Of Thrones pilot script
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Competitions!
One of the best ways to get noticed by screenwriting representatives– especially if you don’t have many Hollywood connections – is by winning a competition or contest. !
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Winning a competition is not an automatic ticket to success, but your work is more likely to be read by potential managers, agents and producers.!
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The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and Austin Screenwriting Competition are the top two contests because many agents, managers, and executives will consistently read winning scripts.!
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The other contests are all worth considering. Winners of these contests have gone on to find representation and sell material. However, in my experience, these are not direct pipelines to decision-makers. They are accolades that you add to your portfolio and which add credibility to your value proposition as a writer.!
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*Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting!
Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest!
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards!
Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Competition
! *Austin Screenwriting Competition ! ! Bluecat Screenplay Competition! ! Final Draft’s Big Break Contest! ! ! ! !
! Scriptapalooza! ! Slamdance Screenplay Competition! ! TrackingB Feature Script Contest! !
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Pitchfests!
If you do not have any Hollywood connections, pitchfests can be a way to get in the game. They are a great way for you to meet other screenwriters and get practice presenting your ideas. These are the three pitchfests I recommend – each a different flavor and suited to different kinds of writers.!
! ! ! ! !American Film Market’s Pitch Conference! !! !American Film Market (AFM) is the largest film market in the world –roughly a billion dollars is spent !over the course of this conference to purchase material and make deals. The pitchfest is perhaps the !most prestigious because you can’t buy your way in – you have to compete for one of approximately !ten slots. If you get in, you get to pitch on stage, to A-list producers, in front of 700 people, many of !whom are decision-makers. Disclaimer: I’m affiliated with this event and have moderated the Pitch !Conference for five years. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Great American Pitchfest! !! !Great American Pitchfest is a 2-day conference and 1-day pitchfest. This is a great way to meet other !writers, learn about Hollywood, and have the opportunity to pitch producers and executives. This is ! !the longest-running event of this type and is held in Los Angeles. ! ! ! ! ! ! !Stage 32 Happy Writers! !! !Stage 32 is a social network dedicated to creative professionals in film, TV, and theatre. Happy !Writers is Stage 32’s ongoing pitchfest, with virtual pitch sessions with creative executives at !production companies. ! ! !
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Books!
! Hollywood! Screenwriting! TV Writing! Inspiration!
29! 30! 31! 32
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Hollywood!
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Want to know more about what Hollywood is really like? These books will help you to really understand how “the business” works as a business, your role is in the industry, and how to be successful in Hollywood.! !
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Adventures In The Screen Trade!
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The classic work from the screenwriter’s POV, fun, erudite, and highly readable, by one of the most decorated screenwriters, William Goldman. This is where “Nobody Knows Anything” comes from. Don’t know what I mean? Better read this.
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The Mailroom!
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The hub of Hollywood is the agency, and the hub of the agency is the mailroom. If you want to understand how all of the pieces fit together and learn more about the highs and lows of being an agent, this is the book to read by journalist David Rensin.
How To Manage Your Agent!
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A recent and necessary addition to the library of every professional screenwriter. Packed with useful information about how the film and TV businesses work, this book by TV writer and development exec Chad Gervich will help you work with your agent to accomplish your goals.
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Hello, He Lied–And Other Tales From The Hollywood Trenches!
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Tales from the trenches from the producer’s point of view and full of advice about how to handle meetings, negotiate deals, and succeed in Hollywood from movie producer Lynda Obst.
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Screenwriting!
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What books should beginning screenwriters read? What books should advanced screenwriters re-read? While there are a lot of books about screenwriting (more than 4000!), these authors provide useful perspectives from complementary angles.! !
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Save The Cat! And Save The Cat Strikes Back!!
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These two books by Blake Snyder (RIP) provide a complete structural approach to writing a screenplay. Snyder offers new definitions of story genres with the tropes you must honor, a method for breaking your story, an extremely detailed beat sheet with a breakdown of the structure of the finale, explanations of how to create “the board,” and tips about how to avoid the most common screenwriting traps.
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On Directing Film!
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Often the screenplay that gets optioned or purchased gets rewritten in concert with the director because while the screenplay tells the story, it doesn’t actually translate to a specific roadmap for the order in which images should be presented. Mamet explains a higher level of screenwriting where you’re creating a series of uninflected images in accordance with Eisenstein’s theory of montage.
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Writing Movies For Fun And Profit!
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Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (Night At The Museum, Reno 911) are successful screenwriters and two of the best pitchers in the business. This book not only explains screenplay structure but provides an inside look at what it’s like to be a screenwriter living in Los Angeles now. A very entertaining and informative read.
Cinematic Storytelling!
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All writers, especially aspiring writers, need to focus on story and story structure. But at higher levels, how the camera moves within a scene becomes crucially important, especially when a screenplay is converted into a shooting draft. This book by Jennifer Van Sijll explains 100 of the most common conventions in this regard and is a must-read for directors and advanced writers.
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TV Writing!
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While it’s true that story is story, no matter if it’s film or TV, the worlds of film and TV are very different and the details are important. If you want to write for television, you need to be reading and thinking about the strategies that work in that medium.! !
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Into The Woods!
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John Yorke is a British TV writer (East Enders, Robin Hood) who also set up the BBC Writers Academy and has wonderful insight both as a writer and a teacher. An erudite examination of story, especially with regard to act structure, that pertains to both film and TV. His explanation of the 7-act structure of Raiders of The Lost Ark is not to be missed.
Small Screen, Big Picture!
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Having served as a development executive and a TV writer, Chad Gervich is knowledgeable about all of the genres and subgenres of TV, the players involved, the issues that pertain to writers, and provides clear explanations of exactly what aspiring writers need to do to break into any aspect of the TV industry.
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The TV Writer’s Workbook!
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Ellen Sandler (Emmy-nominated Co-Executive Producer of Everybody Loves Raymond) has written the best book about how to write a spec or pilot for TV. Her approach is methodical and precise, covering how to find stories, analyze existing shows, structure material, and get hired on a current series.
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Inspiration!
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I’m a writer, too, and I know how easy it is to get lost in self-doubt, negative thinking, and paralysis. When this happens to me (and if there’s no ice cream in the house) I turn to one of these books.! !
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The War Of Art!
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Steven Pressfield’s enduring masterwork detailing the battle between the creative person and Resistance. With the straight talk you expect from a veteran of many creative wars, Pressfield explains how to conceive of the creative process as a battle and of yourself as a warrior. My copy has been highlighted extensively.
The Creative Habit!
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You might not expect a dancer to provide insight into writing, but world-class choreographer Twyla Tharp has done just that. As she explains her creative process and her methods for establishing self-discipline, you’ll discover new ways to approach your writing and the courage to see your projects through.
Wild Mind!
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Beloved writing teacher Natalie Goldberg provides a Zen Buddhist approach to writing that completely ignores structure and the constraints of any medium and embraces your instincts, your feelings, and pure creativity. Her method for writing practice is an essential tool for every writer’s toolbox.
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Forums!
Making a movie is a collaborative art, but screenwriting is often a solo performance. A community of like-minded people can help you develop your network, learn from colleagues, and take the edge off of the inevitable loneliness all writers face. If you’re looking to connect with other screenwriters and creative professionals, these are the forums and communities I recommend.!
! ! ! ! !Done Deal Pro! !! !Tracks sales for all kinds of material, including scripts, books, treatments, and pitches. The forums !cover a wide array of topics of interest to screenwriters and members of the screenwriting community !(both inside and outside Hollywood). ! ! ! ! ! !The Black Board! !! !The community affiliated with The Black List and Scott Myers’s blog Go Into The Story. Shaula Evans !does a great job of moderating the discussions and the usual screenwriting categories and threads !are broken down by genre and subgenre. ! ! ! ! ! !Stage 32! !! !A social network with 300K+ global members dedicated to creative professionals in film, TV, and !theatre. The incredibly large, diverse, international community and the thoughtful web development !from founder and screenwriter Richard Botto make networking easy. ! ! ! ! ! ! !r/Screenwriting! !! !The screenwriting subreddit on Reddit is active and populated by writers with a wide range of !experience and ability. A great place to post a question and to help other writers by answering their !questions. Snarky comments are included, but there’s also lots of excellent, helpful advice.
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Notes!
Many aspiring writers expect that they’ll write a script and sell it without ever having it looked at by a professional. This is a big mistake. There is a strong likelihood that they will help you improve your script and, in the event that your script is terrific already, a professional can get your script to legit managers, agents, and producers. It just takes a quick email that starts out with, “This is one of the best things I have read this year….”!
! ! ! ! ! !Scriptshark! !! !Scriptshark analysts have all read for at least two major companies in the past and are professional !writers who have received paid screenwriting assignments or have sold material. Not only will you get !coverage of your script, you get analysis of your work to help you improve, and there’s the option to ! get a “reaction pack” (feedback from multiple analysts). ! ! ! ! !Erik Bork! !! !An Emmy award-winning writer best known for Band Of Brothers. He’s sold pilots and written studio !features on assignment. He is an exceptional analyst with a lot of real experience. ! ! ! ! !Julie Gray! !! !Worked as a professional reader and screenwriter for many years before becoming a full-time writing !coach and script analyst. In addition to the usual script analysis (coverage, notes, consulting) she !offers an unusual service where she will take the first 30 pages of your script (in FDX format), clean !them up, and demonstrate using video tutorials how to create superior action lines. ! ! ! ! ! !Coverage Ink! !! !A larger coverage service with more analysts from around the country (and a few international !analysts). Coverage Ink provides samples of their coverage so you have the chance to see what !you’re paying for. They hire readers with experience and provide extensive and supportive !commentary on your work.
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In A Nutshell!
Would you like a short, clear, direct explanation of how to write a screenplay? John August, David Mamet, Joss Whedon, and Emma Coats from Pixar have each created a brief guide to screenwriting. All are true; each is different.!
! ! How To Write A Scene by John August! !
Letter To The Writers Of The Unit, by David Mamet!
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Top Ten Writing Tips, by Joss Whedon!
! Pixar’s 22 Tips (Tweets) For Storytelling, by Emma Coats! ! ! ! !
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Podcasts!
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To whom are you listening when you’re driving home from work at rush hour? These four podcasts have helped countless screenwriters pass the time and learn the craft.! !
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KCRW’s The Business!
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An accessible podcast for Hollywood professionals as well as for people interested in Hollywood. Kim Masters hosts and he interviews top creative pros and other headline makers. Like Charlie Rose, but with a Hollywood focus.
Nerdist Writers!
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Nerdist Writers is moderated by Ben Blacker (Thrilling Adventure Hour; Supah Ninjas) and discusses writing in a variety of mediums, from TV and film to comic books and songs.
Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith!
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Jeff Goldsmith interviews screenwriters, directors, and other filmmakers specifically about their creative process. This is a more in-depth look into the struggle to make something great.
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Scriptnotes!
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The most widely listened to screenwriting podcast. Starring top Screenwriter John August (Go, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory) and his friend, top screenwriter Craig Mazin (Hangover 2, Identify Thief). This is where you get the real “inside baseball” tips on how to get hired, handle representation, and deal with the thorny situations that befall screenwriters. John and Craig also do “3-page” challenges where they critique the first three pages of listenersubmitted scripts on air.
Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
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Videos!
One of the best ways to learn about the craft and business of screenwriting is by watching interviews with successful, working screenwriters. Here are my “go to” sources for watching screenwriter interviews and events.! !
! ! ! ! ! ! !The Paley Center For Media! !! !Excellent interviews with top TV writers. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Academy Originals! !! !A documentary-style video series about creative professionals and the creative process. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !Writers Guild Foundation! !! !Interviews, oral histories, and educational resources from members of the Writers Guild. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !DP/30! !! !David Poland has conducted more than 1000 half-hour interviews with creative professionals. ! In-depth interviews with directors, producers, writers, and other creative pros.
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Classes!
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If you’re interested in taking a screenwriting class, there are a wide variety of options. The key is to find a program that has generated successful alumni and which is taught by an experienced teacher. These are the classes I recommend most often.!
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Writers Boot Camp!
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A respected method to develop screenplays and a long list of successful alumni to attest to it. Founder Jeffrey Gordon’s system helps you complete a script every six months in ten hours a week.
ScreenwritingU!
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A complete online screenwriting university with a wide variety of screenwriting classes teaching the craft from different angles. Their alumni have a track record of success which is a testament to the value of the ScreenwritingU methodology. Check out the ScreenwritingU Interview Series. Go Into The Story!
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Veteran writers Scott Myers (Trojan War, K-9) and Tom Benedek (Cocoon, Free Willy) team up to teach a variety of classes including their Screenwriting Master Class and modular classes on Scenes, themes, TV Pilots, Dialogue, and more. UCLA Extension Program!
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Offers a wide variety of writing courses for the writer who lives in Los Angeles, including three levels of feature film writing and three levels of TV writing. A brick-and-mortar classroom with a live teacher provides a different experience as well as more networking opportunities.
How To Be A Professional Writer online course!
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If you are interested in becoming a professional screenwriter, or if you are a creative pro interested in taking your career to the next level, check out my course, How To Be A Professional Writer.!
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It includes in-depth strategies and tactics to help you create a strategy for your career, get in the room with decision-makers, deliver effective pitches, and perform at your best in high-stakes meetings.
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Bloggers!
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There are so many screenwriting blogs – but whose blogs are worth your time? To whom should you be paying attention? If you’re a working or aspiring film or TV writer, you should be paying attention to the following ten screenwriting blogs. These blogs are not only the most popular and influential, they provide helpful information and useful perspective on the art, science, and business of screenwriting.! !
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Steven Pressfield!
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Known as an author of fiction (Gates Of Fire, Legend of Bagger Vance, The Last Amazon, The Profession) and, most especially, as an author of books about writing (The War Of Art, Turning Pro, The Authentic Swing). Due to his success in multiple mediums and brutally honest, generous, motivating POV in his books about writing, Pressfield is one of the most respected experts about writing and the creative process. John August!
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A top screenwriter known for Go, Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, Titan A.E., Charlie and Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, and The Nines (which he wrote and directed). He is also a playwright (Big Fish the broadway musical), TV writer (Chosen), and technology developer (FDX Reader, Bronson Watermarker, Highland, and Less IMDb).
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Ken Levine!
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An Emmy-award winning writer known for TV shows such as: M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker, and Dharma & Greg. His blog was named one of the best 25 blogs of 2011 by Time Magazine. Levine has also been the radio/TV playby-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and has hosted Dodger Talk on the Dodger Radio Network. Doug Richardson!
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A well-regarded studio screenwriter (Die Harder, Bad Boys, Money Train, Welcome To Mooseport, Hostage). His blog chronicles the screenwriting process in a way that’s both entertaining and educational – it’s a rare glimpse into the creative process and lifestyle of a top screenwriter. His movies have grossed more than $800M and he just published his third novel, Blood Money.
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The Bitter Script Reader!
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Provides a window into what happens when you submit your script – it’s read by him (or someone like him). The Bitter Script Reader has read for Oscar-winning production companies and one of the “Big Five” agencies, so he’s seeing the material submitted by top screenwriters, directors, and producers, and from that perspective has his finger on the creative pulse of Hollywood.
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Erik Bork!
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An Emmy and Golden Globe award winner, best known for his work on the HBO miniseries Band Of Brothers and From The Earth To The Moon. In my opinion, Bork has great insight into concept development and story structure, especially with regard to TV.
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Jeanne Veillette Bowerman!
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Editor and Online Community Manager of Script Magazine and a webinar instructor for The Writers Store. She is Co-Founder and moderator of the weekly Twitter screenwriters’ chat, #sjecriptchat, and co-wrote the narrative adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Scott Myers!
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Wrote the movies K-9, Alaska, and Trojan War. He won the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Outstanding Instructor Award in 2005 and currently teaches screenwriting at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Myers also runs the official blog of The Black List and his site is a treasure trove of interviews, tips, and screenwriting inspiration. Jen Grisanti!
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As Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, Grisanti covered numerous shows including Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Medium, Numbers, NCIS, The 4400, and Girlfriends. In addition to blogging, she teaches and has authored two books, Storyline: Finding The Gold In Your Life Story and Change Your Story, Change Your Life.
Terry Rossio!
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An Oscar-nominated studio screenwriter who, with his writing partner Ted Elliott, wrote the DreamWorks animated feature Shrek, Aladdin, Godzilla, Pirates Of The Caribbean series– and many more. My advice is to go to his blog, scroll to the bottom, click on 3 (Columns), tab-click on all 53 of the columns, and read them all. They’re that good.
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Extras! ! Here are a few more resources to give you the edge.! !
! ! Film School! !No !! worldwide community of filmmakers helping filmmakers - essentially, it’s a curated and !Acrowdsourced version of film school. Great place to ask questions, build your network, and get advice !about gear, filmmaking techniques, creative process, and more. ! ! ! !ScriptShadow! !! !Carson Reeves provides reviews and helpful analysis of produced screenplays, hit movies, TV pilots, ! !and amateur scripts, as well as advice to aspiring screenwriters. ! ! ! ! ! !Save The Cat Beat Sheets! !! !Save The Cat Beat Sheets expand on what Blake Snyder did in his second book, Save The Cat! !Goes To The Movies, and gives advanced members of the STC community the chance to submit their ! !beat-sheet breakdowns of classic and current movies. A great way to speed up your genre education. ! ! ! ! ! !Script Formatting Guide from the Academy Nicholl Fellowship! !! !Want to know how to format your script? Here’s a set of guidelines from one of the most respected ! institutions: The Nicholl (part of the Academy, aka, “The Oscars.”) ! ! ! ! !Register Your Script With The WGA! !! !Do you have an idea for a movie or TV show? Are you worried about someone stealing your idea? It’s !understandable that you want to copyright and protect them. This is the site where you do that. !
Good In A Room | 139 Essential Resources For Screenwriters
Conclusion!
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