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Interviews/Columns (subscribers only)
  • HollywoodIQ:
    Above The Line's Rima Greer: When Somebody Says They Like It, Shut Up and Leave the Room
    Hollywood agent and author Rima Greer must be magnetic, because many of her clients have stuck with her for over 20 years. Representing feature writers and directors and in a few special cases, actors, she has negotiated thousands of deals. (Posted: 04/11/2008)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    The Stripper in the Day Glow Casket
    It's April Fool, but the joke is on me. I have a boat load of work to do: columns and blogs to write, rewrites on my work, my new spec, other scripts to read and give notes on. If you didn't think that was enough, I need to e-mail my shaggy teen script to a producer and I'm shepherding my husband through his first finished screenplay (which hopefully will be his Nicholls entry), but man, that deadline is looming like an Obama-Hilary convention clash. (Posted: 04/03/2008)

  • Screenwriter Ryan Jaffe
    New Jersey native Ryan Jaffe developed an interest in screenwriting after he took a course offered at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a double major in history and communications. But one course in college doesn't make a career. Think again. Julie Golden has struggled in her quest to see her words translated from computer to the local megaplex. But she can see the light at the end of the projector with Disney attached to the comedy, "Six-Month Curse." (Posted: 03/28/2008)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Stan Spry: Blazing Opps for Screenwriters on the Internet
    Have you checked out entertainment on the Internet lately? If you're a screenwriter and you haven't checked out Internet options, you may be short-circuiting a field of opportunity. Recently, we searched for a hot rep to tell us more about that market, and we hit pay dirt with a prolific manager and producer, Stan Spry. (Posted: 03/07/2008)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Mrs. McIlvaine and the Comedy That Thought It Was a Drama
    Well, that was interesting. Kid Number Two's fiancé wound up in the hospital with double pneumonia, then my Mom was felled by an awfu vertigoattack/grippe which now seems to have settled into bronchitis or smoker's cough (she stopped smoking because she was sick, which was the only good thing to come out of it). (Posted: 03/02/2008)

  • Screenwriter Julie Golden
    You'd think after serving as an executive at a few high profile production companies, green lighting successful movies, a shift from decision-maker to screenwriter would be a smooth sail. Think again. Julie Golden has struggled in her quest to see her words translated from computer to the local megaplex. But she can see the light at the end of the projector with Disney attached to the comedy, "Six-Month Curse." (Posted: 02/15/2008)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Devine Inspiration
    'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, 'cos they're all on strike. See, Santa wouldn't give an interim waiver to the reindeer so they could fly...heh, hey, hey, what do you say, no going flying with the Santa sleigh! On the second day of Christmas, I got some reader notes on my latest spec…and promptly threw up. (Posted: 02/01/2008)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Dannie Festa, Part Two: Anything is Possible
    Last month, Festa Entertainment Manager/Producer Dannie Festa talked about how she became a producer and manager, defined what she looks for in writers and described projects that grab her attention. In the second part of this two-part interview, Festa discusses the evolution of her passion project "Chasing the Dragon" (Tribeca and Universal), talks about working with writer/filmmakers, and highlights a studio trend that that could affect your career strategy! (Posted: 01/25/2008)

  • Screenwriter Gustin Nash
    Gustin Nash wanted to be a filmmaker. Still in his teens, he learned the best way to direct is to learn how to write. So it was off to USC's film school and a major in writing. In 2008, he'll realize his goal as a writer with the release of "Charlie Bartlett," about a rich kid who becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school. (Posted: 01/11/2008)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Dannie Festa, Part One: What It's All About
    Dannie Festa started out working in production on Chilean soap operas and commercials and later worked for Hollywood production companies. When a writer first suggested Festa become a manager, it was something that she had never thought about before, but then she reconsidered and opened her own management and production company, Festa Entertainment, nearly six years ago. Taking the leap paid off. She and her clients have sold to companies such as Tribeca, Universal, The Weinstein Company, Walden Media, Disney, Scott Rudin Productions, and Practical Pictures. As an added bonus, she discovered she loves to help clients reach their goals. (Posted: 12/28/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    The Twelve Scripts of Christmas
    On the first day of Christmas, my mother said to me, "Patricia, when are you going to write something that will make a ton of dough like Harry Potter." I immediately go into a funk. On the second day of Christmas, I got some reader notes on my latest spec…and promptly threw up. (Posted: 12/15/2007)

  • Novelist/Screenwriter Andrew Klavan
    New York-born Andrew Klavan parlayed a degree in English from the University of California and jobs as a reporter into a career as a novelist and screenwriter, including two books which later became successful films: "True Crime" and "Don't Say a Word." His latest script, "One Missed Call," comes out in the theaters in January. He lives in California these days, but in his career, Klavan has written from London and New York. He spoke just as the Writers Guild went on strike. (Posted: 12/06/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Content House's Kevin Cleary: Transitioning Writers to New Forms
    Content House is a management and production company that represents book authors, comic book creators, screenwriters, directors and others with intellectual properties, such as video game companies and an animation house. Adept at deals involving cross-licensing across many platforms, Content House is an especially exciting place for writers and filmmakers that hope to transition from one form of writing to another. (Posted: 11/30/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Drive
    You never know where life will take you. The past couple of weeks have been tough. My son, falsely accused of a heinous crime, died while in jail. My poor father had a stroke. Instead of my husband and me coming together in mutual grief, we lashed out at each other, I said some truly unforgiveable things and he physically kicked me out of our marital home. If that wasn’t bad enough, to get back at the bastard, I almost did the horizontal mambo with my son’s godfather (not to mention the bastard’s best friend). (Posted: 11/23/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Magnet Management's Zach Tann: We Look for the Voice
    From around the country, college students flock to California to attend film school and break into the film industry, but Zach Tann did the opposite, leaving the state of California to study economics and business at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. In 1999, he graduated and moved to L.A., where he accepted a position at Zide/Perry Entertainment ("American Pie" movies) to start up a Web site for screenwriters. Long before it was common practice in the industry, Tann broke new ground in setting up online script submissions, which gave writers a direct online funnel to the management division at Zide/Perry. Tann also provided Internet content for the Web site and implemented a system where writers could check up on the status of their scripts. That position afforded Tann the opportunity to get his feet wet reading scripts; to learn what he liked and didn't like in material. From there, Tann worked his way into management, representing writers found through Zide/Perry's Web site and elsewhere. (Posted: 10/26/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Bulbed to the Bone
    How do you know when a script is ready? This is a question frequently posted on screenwriting message boards. Well, boys and girls, it really depends on what you want the script to be "ready" for. (Posted: 10/12/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Manager/Producer Victoria Wisdom: Understand Your Market
    For more than 15 years, Victoria Wisdom has traveled the globe, representing some of the industry's best writers and directors of renowned, award-winning films. A double literature major with graduate level cinema studies, Wisdom started in New York as a reader in publishing and later read books for sale to film and TV. Subsequently, she moved on to work as an agent at Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) and then International Creative Management (ICM), where she gained a strong international perspective on the industry working for a company with numerous European offices and filmmakers. Eventually, Wisdom relocated to Los Angeles, where she was an agent and partner at Becsey, Wisdom and Kalajian (BWK), a boutique agency that specialized in an international focus. There, Wisdom spent 14 years managing client careers and setting up projects. (Posted: 09/20/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Something to Dye For
    How do you know when a script is ready? This is a question frequently posted on screenwriting message boards. Well, boys and girls, it really depends on what you want the script to be "ready" for. (Posted: 09/06/2007)

  • Clifford J. Green: 30 Years and Counting
    While he's been writing for 30 years and has some well-known scripts attributed to his career, even Clifford J. Green has a passion project that he would like to see get made some day. In this case, it's "Hullywood," a film-a-clef, in the vein of "My Favorite Year," about the years he worked as an assistant to legendary producer Robert Evans. Green talks about this project and others and how he has made screenwriting his lifetime career. (Posted: 08/31/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Untitled Entertainment's Jennifer Levine: Having Fun Along the Way
    She started out as an English major working on Wall Street, but today Jennifer Levine is President of Production and Head of Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment, and a lot has happened along the way. Untitled Entertainment is both a management and production company. Representing writers, directors and actors, Levine's emphasis is on management, but she also produces films and is an advocate for independent artists. (Posted: 08/17/2007)

  • John Glenn - Seven Years Lucky
    John Glenn lives in Los Angeles, however he was born in Alabama and raised both there and in Phoenix, Ariz. He made his way to California to attend the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, but he dropped out before he finished in order to focus on his writing. That move has certainly paid off for him. His most recent screenplay is called "The Heaven Project" and it just wrapped production with him as the director. (Posted: 08/10/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    The Best Laid Plans
    I had my day all planned out. I'd work on my script in the morning, then bake by the pool in the afternoon. Since my husband and I must share a computer for the time being, we'd fallen into a routine: he used the computer for as long as he pleased, and I picked up the crumbs. I went along with this for as long as I could without exploding, and now we'd (or more to the point, I) had come up with a more equitable division of our precious computer time. (Posted: 08/03/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Judy Coppage's Other Name: "Relentless"
    During the 1980s, Judy Coppage tried to sell a 10-year old novel to Hollywood. Written by Roderick Thorp and titled, "Nothing Lasts Forever," it seemed no one wanted it, but Coppage believed in the project and kept pushing the book. After about three years, she finally sold the book to 20th Century Fox and that book launched the tremendously successful "Die Hard" franchise. (Posted: 07/27/2007)

  • Screenwriter Travis Wright
    Living in Los Angeles, screenwriter Travis Wright says he would rather be living in Seattle. However, luckily for him Los Angeles has smiled on him with the sale of a script he wrote called "Red World," with childhood friend John Glenn. Saying, "I'm happy to help others as others have certainly helped me," Wright begins explaining his journey from unsold to sold screenwriter. (Posted: 07/20/2007)

  • Screenwriters Bear Aderhold and Tom Sullivan
    Bear Aderhold and Tom Sullivan owe their careers as screenwriting partners to a game show. The chance meeting on the production team led to their recent silver screen debut with the take-off comedy "Delta Farce." Indie production company Wind Dancer Films has hired them to pen "Fear Less", a comedy centered on a fearful man who after a freak accident can no longer experience fear. (Posted: 07/13/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Buddy, Can You Spare a Cookie?
    As one who follows the trades religiously, it would seem that the new NANCY DREW didn’t do too well. I suppose I should be dancing naked around a bonfire, but I’m not. By all things right and holy, Emma Roberts should’ve been my COOKIE PHILLIPS, JUNIOR PI. (Posted: 06/29/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Evolution's Andrew Wilson On Becoming a Manager
    In 1999, Andrew Wilson decided he wanted to work in feature films and television and moved to Los Angeles to make it happen. He now works as a manager for Evolution Management, part of the Evolution Entertainment family that produced the profitable "Saw" franchise and "John Q." Headed by Mark Burg and Oren Koules whose long list of credits include "Dumb and Dumberer" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing," Evolution has also found success in the television market with the CBS hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men," and is stepping into Internet content with "Internet Killer," slated for an initial release on Break.com. (Posted: 06/22/2007)

  • Daniel Noah Pitches and Wins
    Chicagoan Daniel Noah lives in Los Angeles and recently sold a pitch for a television pilot - a dream that many a Hollywood writer would like to emulate. "Hindsight," the pilot that Noah sold, is a show that goes backwards. (Posted: 06/15/2007)

  • Adele Griffin and Geoff Watson: A Family Writing Together
    Adele Griffin and Geoff Watson live on different coasts, but have a lot of experience working together nonetheless, after all they grew up together, brother and sister. (Posted: 06/06/2007)

  • Writer/Director Cecelia Miniucchi
    There have been many types of romantic relationships portrayed on the big screen: the fatal attraction, the ill-fated lovers, the Bonnie-and-Clyde stick to your guns couples. But none has gotten more screen time than the opposites attract duo. Just when you think there can be no original way to tell this story, Cecilia Miniucchi comes up with a whole new twist and dark take on the “odd” couple. In her upcoming film, which was a darling of the Sundance circuit this year and was recently purchased by GreenStreet International. The story revolves around wallflower meter maid, Claire, a subtle Samantha Morton, and angry-at-the-world parking officer, Jay, played with moody aplomb by Jason Patric. (Posted: 06/01/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    To Ask or Not to Ask, That is the Question
    In this month’s column I’m going to address several burning questions, questions that have weighed heavily on my mind lo these many months, if not on yours. (Posted: 05/25/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Talent Manager Jeanne Field, Part Two: Write What You Love and Keep Looking
    Last month, Windfall Talent Manager Jeanne Field shared details about her unusual "lucky break" into the industry and the evolution of her amazing career in entertainment. In the second part of this interview, Field discusses working with writers as a manager and touches on a subject that many don't talk about. (Posted: 05/18/2007)

  • Screenwriter Annie Frisbie
    Annie Frisbie lives in Queens, New York and is very adamant that a screenwriter can get a break on the east coast. She's a self-professed die-hard East Coast girl, who has lived in the Big Apple for almost 13 years. "I made my break here, and I plan to make my career here" she says. (Posted: 05/11/2007)

  • Christine Yoo Stepping Out in Hollywood
    Christine Yoo lives in Venice, California by way of Buffalo, NY. A Korean American she was actually raised in Iowa City, Iowa and Memphis, Tennessee and went to boarding school outside of Boston during her high school schools before moving on to USC to complete her education. "I'm fortunate in the fact that I've lived in a lot different places and believe I bring that knowledge and experience to my writing," she says.

    Currently Yoo is working on several projects, some with her writing partner, Derek Draper. Their latest film "For Steppers Only" was recently sold to Lions Gate with Cedric the Entertainer attached to star. (Posted: 05/04/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    A Rose by Any Other Name
    For the past couple of days, I've been in a broody mood. You see, I can't decide what kind of a writer I want to be when I grow up. (Posted: 04/27/2007)

  • Kyle Long: Screenwriting for the Long Term
    Kyle Long has already written and sold several screenplays during his career as a screenwriter just like so many writers do in Hollywood. In fact most writers in Hollywood, for the most part, manage to stay below the radar screen and still enjoy a healthy living. Long is no exception. However, he certainly proves that a screenwriter can write and sell (and maybe or maybe not get the actually script produced), while still making a good living at it and enjoy waking up every morning. (Posted: 04/20/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Talent Manager Jeanne Field, Part One: Go for Opportunity
    Jeanne Field's entry into the film industry was anything but typical. In college, she majored in political science, but a unique series of events led her to films and the first two projects she worked on won Academy Awards. (Posted: 04/13/2007)

  • Matthew Cooke Delivering a Good Screenplay
    Matthew Cooke's film "Deliver Us from Evil" was nominated for an Academy Award this year, only he didn't write it, on this one he was a producer and editor. However, it is his writing that he feels passionately about and, after listening to him, you can see he exudes the mark of a true screenwriter. Living in a loft near downtown Los Angeles Cooke talks about how he and every writer needs to learn to just be cavalier about the entire experience as it seems that is when success happens. (Posted: 04/06/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    The Postman Cometh
    Letters, I get letters. Everyone wants to give me money. It’s true. I have no idea how these people got my e-mail address, but I’ve become quite popular. (Posted: 03/22/2007)

  • Dave Kalstein Is True to His Voice
    Dave Kalstein lives in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, and after working for a while at GQ magazine in New York City, he finally met someone who could help him get his first script into the hands of an actual player in Hollywood. Nowadays, Kalstein has quite a few scripts out there already having been bought and one soon to be shot. While some of Kalstein's scripts may never see the light of day, his future is assured since he learned early-on the valuable lesson of networking and being true to his own voice. (Posted: 03/16/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Literary and Talent Agent Lisa Callamaro: It's a Partnership
    Through her boutique company, The Callamaro Literary Agency, Lisa Callamaro represents screenwriters, directors, and film rights for books. A smattering of projects she has sold includes "Event Horizon" (screenplay), "Legally Blond" and "Where the Heart Is" (books), and "The Man Without a Face," (book and screenplay). Among those on her client list are the writers for Stephen King's "Firestarter 2: Rekindled" featuring Marguerite Moreau (SciFi Channel); the upcoming "Fracture" (New Line and Castle Rock) starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling; and "The Mutant Chronicles," (Pressman Film) with Thomas Jane and John Malkovich. (Posted: 03/09/2007)

  • Screenwriters Andy Stock and Rick Stempson
    Andy Stock lives in Austin, Texas and Rick Stempson in Omaha, Nebraska, but that didn't stop them from recently making their first screenplay sell titled, "Gary the Tennis Coach." The script is about an overzealous high school janitor who takes over as coach of the school's tennis team. The story revolves around the fact that it is unclear whether his unorthodox coaching methods will turn the boys into champions or simply warp their young minds. (Posted: 03/02/2007)

  • Writer/Director Sue Kramer
    Sue Kramer grew up in the suburban enclave of Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Now she lives in Brooklyn. New Jersey to Brooklyn. Hardly the pathway towards a career as a Hollywood screenwriter. But in between growing up and settling down, Kramer got a film degree at UCLA. The years in film school have paid off with the February release of "Gray Matters," Kramer's first script to get screen time - and also her directorial debut. (Posted: 02/23/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    From A to B
    What makes a B movie a B movie and an A movie an A movie? Such is the weighty question I found myself pondering while unpacking from our latest, and hopefully, last move. (Posted: 02/16/2007)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Summit Talent & Literary Agent Sandy Weinberg: Persistence Wins the Day
    If you've read this column before, then you are already familiar with Summit Talent and Literary Agent Sandy Weinberg. His client list includes the writers of films such as "Liar Liar," "Heartbreakers," "9 to 5," "High Crimes," "Shackles," "Mr. California," and the hit CBS mini-series "Category 6." In this interview, Weinberg shares a glimpse into his life as an agent. He discusses several projects, and reveals the common element that he believes caused those movies to get made. (Posted: 02/09/2007)

  • Hollywood vs. College With Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison
    Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison both live in LA, but both grew up in the Chicago area. Their film "College," was sold back in June - six months after they finished writing it. "College" is about "Three high school guys who are doing the typical college visit. Of course, they think it's going to be the time of their lives. No curfews. No parents. Free beer. Lot's of college girls. But instead the weekend turns into a complete disaster. They can't get laid, they can't get into the bars and the fraternity they've been staying at is making their lives a living hell. But our guys don't give up, they fight back, they stand up for themselves and in the end they find the weekend they were looking for." So how did these guys come up with their good idea? (Posted: 02/02/2007)

  • It's Magic: Barry Blaustein and Jason Hefter
    The writing team of Barry Blaustein and Jason Hefter had interesting beginnings. They recently sold the pitch "Magic 8 Ball" to Universal for Tom Shadyac to produce. Heftner is a new writer, but Blaustein was already a veteran when they started working together. (Posted: 01/26/2007)

  • Richard Potter and Matt Stravitz on Selling Two Pitches in Just Seven Months
    Richard Potter and Matt Stravitz live in Los Angeles and recently sold two studio pitches back to back - one to Warner Bros., and one to New Line. While they have both worked individually in the past with a good bit of experience under their belt, it seems that these days their work as a team is what is getting them noticed. (Posted: 01/19/2007)

  • Screenwriter James V. Simpson
    Screenwriter James V. Simpson has been a semi-finalist and finalist in several major contests, including this year’s Nicholl Fellowship. While he didn’t win one of this year’s fellowships, he did achieve something most screenwriter’s would love to have, ineligibility for next year’s contest. (Posted: 01/12/2007)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    One Logic Lapse to Go, Heavy on the Sugar
    What better way to ring out 2006 than to discuss holes the size of the Grand Canyon. (No, I'm not referring to the state of my checkbook balance). No, I'm talkin' about plot holes. (Posted: 12/29/2006)

  • Bart Freundlich Trusting the Man
    While Bart Freundlich might be most talked about in Hollywood as Julianne Moore's husband, he is also downright pleasant and as I caught up with him on his way to pick up pizza for his family in New York he talked about his latest film, "Trust the Man." His main concern was that audiences can embrace the fact that he was attempting to do something a little different in "Trust the Man." "It wasn't just that I was trying to make a buck," he says, "But I was trying to combine a couple of different styles and whether it works or not I think it is worth it to try something new." Indeed, critics have been putting the film down for mixing "tones" as they say, but really, isn't that what Hollywood is all about? (Posted: 12/21/2006)

  • Screenwriter Kelley Sane
    New York native Kelley Sane recently sold his first script called "Rendition" after writing screenplays for over 10 years and mentioning that he never did any other kind of writing beforehand. He describes the script as the story of the impact of extraordinary rendition on a family as the script tracks a rendered man, his pregnant wife, the rendered man's interrogator in Egypt and a conflicted CIA official. (Posted: 12/10/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Tiptoeing Through the Minefield: Taking Notes
    Whether you show your script to friends and family or submit it to producers and studio executives, you face the challenge of evaluating and responding to feedback on your work. The ability to execute notes is essential to the survival of your screenwriting career. Sound simple? It might be. But did you know you could find yourself getting notes from multiple parties? Possibly conflicting notes? Or notes that derail the direction dictated by the people that hired you? How do savvy screenwriters sidestep these obstacles? (Posted: 11/30/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Life Rules for Screenwriting
    Since my invitation to the TomKat wedding of the century seems to have been misplaced, my not going to Italy has given me the time to reflect on more important issues. (Posted: 11/29/2006)

  • Screenwriter Adam Grossman
    Living in Bell Canyon, Ca., Adam Grossman recently sold his first screenplay "Wardogs" to Regency Enterprises with Andrew Lazar of "Space Cowboys" fame to produce. Often being compared, Grossman says the "Wardogs" script is a "space cowboys in the military" kind of story. (Posted: 11/09/2006)

  • Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless Explain Dracula Year Zero
    Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless just sold their first screenplay called "Dracula Year Zero." The story chronicles the epic origin of Dracula, weaving vampire mythology with the true history of Prince Vlad the Impaler. The film depicts Dracula as a flawed hero in a tragic love story set in a dark age of magic and war. While both men have been writing for years, Dracula must be good luck since this is the script that got them noticed. (Posted: 11/01/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Q&A Or How Do I Get An Agent?
    For a change of pace, I thought I'd dig deep into my reader mailbag and answer some of your most burning and penetrating questions. (Posted: 10/27/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Does the Story Fit the Budget?
    When it comes to specs scripts, is there an advantage to having large or small budget stories? Do scripts more often fail to get made due to a large budget? Are writers with large or small budget scripts harder to market? This month, our panelists offer tips to help writers weigh these considerations. As with many aspects of this business, the experts often prefixed their answers with, "It depends." (Posted: 10/20/2006)

  • Mike Arnold and Chris Poole's Grackle Crackles
    Mike Arnold and Chris Poole do not live in Hollywood so they answer my question about the opportunity of selling a screenplay outside of the "machine" of LA with a bit of sarcasm, "We don't live in Hollywood, so obviously we don't think it's that important." Poole lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. and Arnold lives in Boulder, Colo. They do note however, that "Whether we ultimately move to Los Angeles remains up in the air. We know there are probably some opportunities that we're missing because we don't live in town, but such is life." (Posted: 10/13/2006)

  • Screenwriter John Strysik
    John Strysik studied film at Columbia College in Chicago and was the first recipient of the William Friedkin Film Scholarship award. While in Chicago, Strysik co-founded a company called Bioscope Productions and after establishing himself he moved to Los Angeles and was hired as a staff director for George Romero's internationally acclaimed television series "Tales From the Darkside." (Posted: 10/06/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Witless
    There are some things better left alone. The ending of GONE WITH THE WIND. Old Coke. Any food item whose label boasts that it's" "new and improved". The likeness of long dead celebrities in advertisements. Which leads me to Hollywood and its obsession with remakes. Hollywood loves to tinker. Like Dr. Frankenstein, they just can't leave well enough alone. "But, Igor, this time it will work! I know it! Hand me that spare brain!" (Posted: 09/29/2006)

  • Story Editor Cynthia Cohen Tells All
    Cynthia J. Cohen is having a good time in Hollywood and, as most people in this town know, it's not easy. She was the Executive Story Editor for "Melrose Place" and has been writing on the television show "Commander in Chief, however she still credits her first big break to being a script coordinator on "Melrose Place." (Posted: 09/22/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Your Questions
    Many reader questions have been used to help us form column topics. Every inquiry is important, but we haven't been able to address all of them in our prior columns, so this month, we're taking some time out to answer a few commonly asked questions submitted by readers. (Posted: 09/15/2006)

  • Screenwriter Andrea Berloff
    Count Andrea Berloff as part of the rarefied air of novice screenwriters who see their work in the hands of A-list directors. Work that carries a monumental message to boot. Oliver Stone directed Berloff's first produced effort, "World Trade Center," about the September 11th attack in New York. (Posted: 09/08/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Pushing Limits
    "American Beauty" tapped into taboo subject matter when Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) lusted after and almost seduced one of his daughter's friends. In "As Good As It Gets," Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) was a bigot. Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theoron) was a prostitute that went on a pre-meditated murder spree in the true story "Monster." In the former two examples, we might reason that audiences watched because of humor or because characters underwent transformation. In the latter, Wuornos' actions cannot be forgiven. All these films tackled potentially unsympathetic characters and the roles won Academy Awards. But audiences only see the films that get made. They don't see scripts that are rejected because of potentially unsympathetic characters or taboo subjects. Also, the above films were scripted by known writers. So, are the risks a good idea? For the most widely cast net of opportunity in Hollywood, should your great "calling card" script pull in the reins or jump off the bridge into a sea of risky characters and seemingly taboo subjects? What are important considerations for the writer that wants to tackle sensitive subject matter? This month, panelists share their experiences and preferences to help you with more scriptwriting choices. (Posted: 09/01/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    When Good Ideas Go Bad
    Once upon a time, people thought the world was flat, and that the sun revolved around the earth. It sounded like a good idea at the time. (Posted: 08/26/2006)

  • From the Art of War to the Art of Cool - Alex Sabeti
    Alex Sabeti has planted himself in Hollywood writing screenplays for the past eight years, but his first sale was just recently called "The Art of Cool." Like the main character in his film, Sabeti says he just wants to be accepted like most other people in the world. (Posted: 08/18/2006)

  • Screenwriter John Hefferan
    John Hefferan is not the 72 year-old actor who appeared in almost two movies and television shows. And he isn't the Australian novelist, even though he spent a couple years down under. But John Heffernan did write Snakes On A Plane, his squirm-inducing first screenplay to see the silver screen. (Posted: 08/04/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    What's the Big Idea??
    It was a hundred in the shade, the humidity was stifling, and I was doing the only thing I could do to seek relief. I was lounging in the pool. (Posted: 07/28/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    The Rights to Write: Part Two
    Considering an adaptation or a true story? For published works, you may need to acquire rights from the original author, the author's estate, or a publisher. In the case of a true story, you need to obtain rights from the individual(s) involved in the story. Tracking down rightsholders and securing the rights to adapt material may be simple or complex. This month, we continue our discussion on seeking rights to source material with leads to jumpstart your quest for the rights to write, including a hot tip from Writer/Producer Heather Hale. (Posted: 07/14/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    Deja Vu
    Dagnabit, it happened again, only in this instance, it was the father of the groom instead of a close friend. God, I hate it when that happens! Makes me want to puke. Another fine case of the PD Syndrome. (Posted: 06/30/2006)

  • Jason Lethcoe's Wishes Come True
    Jason Lethcoe's "Tales from the Wishworks Factory" started out as a novel and eventually sold as a screenplay. In his story, Ben an eleven-year-old orphan figures out how to make his one birthday wish come true, which is a wish for "Unlimited Wishes." Needless to say, his wish wreaks havoc on the Wishworks Factory and chaos ensues until things can be set right again. (Posted: 06/20/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    The Rights to Write: Part One
    Take a quick tour of the Academy Awards database (www.oscars.org) and you'll find that the number of successful films from existing works and life stories is staggering. A great story can bring great upside potential, but writing screenplays from true stories and adaptations may also introduce risks such as lost money and time, and even lawsuits. This month, our pros discuss these and other issues to help you evaluate your options and hopefully, avoid a few mistakes. (Posted: 06/16/2006)

  • British Writer Dean Craig Lives in London, But is All About Hollywood
    British writer Dean Craig recently had his script, "Death at a Funeral" go into production in London with director Frank Oz at the helm. Craig's story is a good one since, while he lives in London, he works in Hollywood and just got signed by UTA. "Death at a Funeral" is a comedy about a funeral that goes horribly wrong and Craig explains how his idea actually came from, well ... real life. (Posted: 06/09/2006)

  • Writer/Director Nicole Holofcener
    Nicole Holofcener new film Friends with Money explores the issue of how money can complicate friendships. (Posted: 06/02/2006)

  • Adventures in Screenwriting:
    I Got Stories
    It was a crummy day. No, not just a crummy day. It was a really crummy day. It had been raining for what seemed like forty days and forty nights, a chilly, sour, dour downpour that would put anyone in a bad mood. A good day, as my mother put it, to sleep all day. Or bake. (Posted: 05/23/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Meet, Greet and More
    A writer represented by a team of agents recently reported that an advocate (a fan of his work) at a studio helped him try to get work on a television show. After several "meet and greet" sessions, the writer was assured that both the network and studio liked him, but that's where progress stopped. The writer was told the showrunner never read his work. Even if the writer had made it past the showrunner, he had been advised the showrunner would require the writer to meet with and gain approval of the rest of the staff in order to be hired. (Posted: 05/12/2006)

  • Christopher Landon Not Disturbed in 'Disturbia'
    Christopher Landon is a self-professed "weird person" who likes to listen to scary soundtracks in his car. Born and bred a Los Angeles boy, he spends a lot of time in traffic, and, it seems this is where his best ideas are born. His film "Disturbia" involves a teenage delinquent with a big imagination and it is currently being produced by Ivan Reitman's Montecito Picture Company and Dreamworks. (Posted: 05/06/2006)

  • Michael Lander & Ryan Roy Flying Their 'Kite'
    Michael Lander and Ryan Roy are well on their way to Hollywood euphoria with the pitch they just sold to Warner Bros. called "Kite." With Leo DiCaprio possibly playing the lead in this powerful prison drama, "Kite" is an intense fictional drama focusing on the privatization of the prison system and the corruption and violence on both sides of the law. (Posted: 04/28/2006)

  • Screenwriter/Playwright Adam Rapp
    Adam Rapp saw his first screenplay, "Winter Passing," not only land in the movie theaters, but under his direction. That his demand to direct the dramatic comedy about a fractious reunion of an estranged father and daughter was met spoke volumes about the respect Rapp earned as a successful playwright. (Posted: 04/27/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Stepping Into the Stream: Setting Expectations
    It's finally happened. Someone wants to buy your spec script. Or, maybe they like your spec, but want to hire you to write an assignment. Either way, what's next (after you stop celebrating)? Will you get a chance to do the rewrite on that spec of yours? If working on assignment, what kind of involvement might you receive from a representative or producer? As our panelists will tell you, every situation is different, but they've pooled their experience to give you an idea of what might be expected. (Posted: 04/14/2006)

  • Screenwriters Jim Agnew and Sean Keller
    Jim Agnew and Sean Keller live in Los Angeles and recently sold their first screenplay called "Damned," which is a tale of two families whose fear of each other is their undoing. Both Agnew and Keller say that the thing they found most compelling about the script is that both families have the same motivation, "to protect their children from a family they feel is out to get them." (Posted: 04/07/2006)

  • I'm Perfect Could be Marcus Folmar's New Mantra
    Marcus Folmar lives in Los Angeles, Califiornia by way of Denver Colorado, and with the sell and subsequent production of his first screenplay called "I'm Perfect," he has positioned himself into a pretty "perfect" place at the moment. (Posted: 04/01/2006)

  • Screenwriter Don Handfield
    Don Handfield lives in Los Angeles and recently sold his first screenplay, "Genius." He is repped by Underground Films and the script was sold to Jerry Weintraub Productions, who in turn have a deal with Warner Bros. (Posted: 03/25/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Submitting Your Script
    Do you know what should be included with your script's submission? The best way to confirm that your script has been received? Are there more favorable times for contacting people in the industry? This month, our panelists define their preferences. Echoing the industry, responses vary proving that even after your script has been requested, doing homework and tailoring your approach may prove advantageous. (Posted: 03/12/2006)

  • Piscatella & Williams: No "Underdogs" Here
    Joe Piscatella and Craig Williams are having fun. You can hear it in the answers they give - that easy banter back and forth - and it's easy to see how the two of them work so well together as a team, this time on the script "Underdog." Their first sale was a surprise with Dreamworks, yet this most recent assignment didn't come as quite such a shock since Spyglass came to them to write it. (Posted: 03/09/2006)

  • Firewall Screenwriter Joe Forte
    Growing up in New Jersey, Joe Forte never went to the movies. His parents were fundmentalist Christians who frowned on such activity. Yet there they were, proud parents at the Hollywood premiere of Firewall, the first film Forte wrote to make it to the theaters after numerous attempts. (Posted: 02/17/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Page One Impact
    Have you ever pulled a book off a store shelf and after reading only one page, you either bought the book or shelved it? If so, you already have a sense of what readers feel with your script in their hands. (Posted: 02/12/2006)

  • Carolyn Handler Miller on Writing for Children's and Family Entertainment
    With a long resume in writing for television, film and new media, Carolyn Handler Miller specializes in entertainment for children and families. She has written for ABC, NBC, CBS, the Disney Channel, PBS and many other organizations. An Afterschool Special script, "Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother" (ABC), garnered Miller an Emmy nomination. Miller's body of interactive works includes "Pocahontas Animated Storybook" (Disney Interactive) and "Toy Story Animated Storybook" (Disney Interactive and Pixar). Also the author of "Digital Storytelling: A Creator's Guide to Interactive Entertainment" (Focal Press), she has lectured and taught in workshops and conferences around the globe and at UCLA, UCSB, UCI, USC, and AFI. In this interview, Miller talks about breaking into writing for television and film and describes writing opportunities in the children's and family markets. (Posted: 02/04/2006)

  • Matt de la Pena: From Novel to Screenplay for 'Ball Don't Lie'
    Matt de la Pena lives and works in Brooklyn, where he actually called himself a novel writer long before he added his latest title of screenwriter. His book "Ball Don't Lie" was sold to Random House and it was from there that he was asked to adapt the story into a screenplay. (Posted: 01/29/2006)

  • Screenwriter Travis Beacham
    Travis Beacham's "A Killing on Carnival Row" has definitely helped him to find a good foothold in Hollywood. In Beacham's fantasy thriller, which he calls a "kind of gaslight and cobblestone noir" the backdrop is a mongrel city knocked together from Dickensian London and old folklore. (Posted: 01/21/2006)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Changing Opportunities for Screenwriters?
    (Posted: 01/14/2006)

  • Screenwriter Howard Himelstein
    Howard Himelstein followed an old adage to bring "A Good Woman" to the screen: if you want something done, do it yourself. Tired of a script languishing in option prison, Himelstein grabbed the producer role to insure the movie got greenlit. "A Good Woman" not only got made, but got made with Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson and Scarlett Johansson, no less. (Posted: 01/07/2006)

  • Broken Road's Sean Robins: A Writer Should be Reading More Than I Am
    Having read over 4,000 screenplays as well as countless books, plays and other media, Sean Robins, a senior development executive at Broken Road Productions, is voracious in his search for a great story. It's no surprise that he was recently tapped to identify material for development by Broken Road's Todd Garner. (Posted: 01/02/2006)

  • Screenwriter Jeff Bushell
    Jeff Bushell is no stranger to Hollywood as he has been working in the business for sometime and wearing quite a few different hats. He recently sold his script "Teacher of the Year" to New Line. It's a script that he describes as "a musical comedy about the holocaust done in sign language..." No really, "Teacher of the Year" is a feel-good, buddy comedy about two mediocre teachers, one a total scammer who never does any work and the other a huge choker who tries too hard. Both teachers are about to be fired and the only way to keep their jobs is to win the teacher of the year competition, which ensures tenure. In the course of the competition these two teachers go from being best friends to arch enemies while getting their students into serious trouble as well. (Posted: 12/26/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    HIQ 2005: Tips from the Pros
    (Posted: 12/13/2005)

  • Alicia Allain: Aim Toward a Zenith
    The Robert Evans Company President Alicia Allain produced "Autofocus," "Bark," "Lush," and "Underground." Open to high-concept material in a diversity of genres and budgets, she frequently works with first-time directors and appreciates the artistic and cultural influences on film as well as the value of entertainment. Whether a script is destined to be a small indie piece or a studio pic, Allain knows how to get a film funded. In this interview, she defines what she looks for in a script and offers valuable advice to screenwriters. (Posted: 12/03/2005)

  • Jacob Estes: On the Heels of Mean Creek
    It hasn't been long since WBW published a first interview with writer/director Jacob Estes. At that time, his script, "Mean Creek" was already winning accolades and propelling Estes' career to new places. A film rich in moral dilemma, it's about a group of kids that accidentally kill someone and must then decide what to do with the body. In his prior interview, Estes remarked he'd only been rejected by the Sundance Labs eight times. Teaching us all a lesson on the insignificance of rejection (and the power of belief plus hard work), "Mean Creek" went on to garner a Sundance Humanitas Award. At this year's 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards, the film took home the John Cassavetes and Special Distinction awards. "Mean Creek" also received countless favorable reviews and the success of "Mean Creek" opened the door to more opportunities for Estes. He is currently at work on two writing/directing projects with The Kennedy-Marshall Company and Plan-B, which he discusses in this follow-up interview. (Posted: 11/26/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Make Your Meeting Work
    (Posted: 11/11/2005)

  • Jeff Wadlow Crying Wolf
    Jeff Wadlow's first screenplay turned film called "Cry Wolf" stars Jon Bon Jovi and Jared Padalecki from "Gilmore Girls," which is a good coup for a first-time writer. He and his writing partner, Beau Bauman ended up getting the screenplay made after winning the Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival. "Cry Wolf" is about a group of kids that lie for fun, both on a plot level, when they stumble upon the truth about a series of murders, and no one will believe them; and on a character level, as they carelessly abuse their friendships. (Posted: 11/06/2005)

  • Flightplan Exec Producer Robert DiNozzi
    He is the executive producer of "Flightplan" starring Jodie Foster (Touchstone Pictures). At this year's Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe, he wowed the audience with his captivating pitch for "Flightplan"--seemingly impromptu. But Robert DiNozzi (Robert DiNozzi Productions) is always prepared for moments such as that one. (Posted: 10/29/2005)

  • Ben Watkins' Quest to Ref
    Ben Watkins has been trying to get his screenplay "Quest to Ref" sold for quite a few years. He initially filmed a short based on the story winning several film festivals for his efforts. Nowadays his efforts have paid off even more since Universal has taken on the comedy about a young professional who has always been obsessed with fairness while also being in love with reffing. (Posted: 10/22/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    A Screenwriter's Background and Other Traits: What Matters and What Doesn't
    (Posted: 10/15/2005)

  • Michael Kingston: Going on Number Three
    Meet Michael Kingston. He lives in Hollywood, has a new screenplay called "Population 436" and says (jokingly or not) that his unusual writing quirk is that he writes naked with the drapes open. "I've had to move a lot." His first big break came when his assistant friend at ICM submitted his spec for coverage and it landed on the desk of a retreating agent who is now a manager. (Posted: 10/06/2005)

  • Screenwriter Jonathan Goldman
    Jonathan Goldman recently sold his first screenplay, a horror/thriller titled "Water's Edge," about a local girl who is hired by a group of young vacationers as their designated houseboat driver on Arizona's Lake Powell. The floating party turns into a nightmare as a brutal murderer begins to kill the revelers one by one. (Posted: 10/01/2005)

  • Craig Cox and Brother Jeff are on Their Way to Glory
    Jeff and Craig Cox recently sold a script called "Blades of Glory" about two male ice skaters to Red Hour/Dreamworks. The script is a broad comedy about two disgraced male figure skaters who team up to be the world's first male/male figure skating pair. (Posted: 09/25/2005)

  • Meet Jonathan Sadowski and Ben Brandstrader
    Screenwriters of "This is Bill Smith" (Posted: 09/18/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Prolific Writing: Can You Hit the Mark?
    (Posted: 09/10/2005)

  • Eric Heisserer, Part III
    Last October, I'd read screenwriter Eric Heisserer's latest website: http://www.dionaea-house.com.

    Chilling, suspenseful and eerily bizarre, his diary-blog entries wove an odd tale of the writer's involvement in a weird turn of events where he was hell-bent on helping a friend from his past. At the time, I found myself frightened for him, while (knowing Eric from our previous Moviebytes conversations) I fervently hoped that I was actually reading a well-conceived marketing ploy for his script-story world. (Posted: 09/04/2005)

  • Adam Farasati and Ethan Furman are All About Rizzle Pizzle Sizzle
    Writing together for about four years Adam Farasati and Ethan Furman have written four scripts together, but it was "Rizzle Pizzle Sizzle" that got them their first sale. Actually when the script first went out it was passed on by every studio. However, a woman named Jennifer Klein who Farasati had interned with out of college loved the script and promised she would sell it. After a few weeks of meetings and more meetings the screenwriters had almost given up when Klein called and said, "I fulfilled my promise. I sold the script." (Posted: 08/28/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Other Assets of the Script
    (Posted: 08/20/2005)

  • Scott Swan and Drew McWeeny's Cigarette Burns
    Scott Swan and Drew McWeeny's "Cigarette Burns" is an episode of the original Anchor Bay/Industry Entertainment series "Masters of Horror," an anthology program. (Posted: 08/13/2005)

  • Jessica Postigo: From Tauromaquia to The House of the Scorpion
    Jessica Postigo has a few things going on in her screenwriting career. The first script that got her attention was titled "Tauromaquia," which is the art of bullfighting. The story takes place in 1470 B.C. on the island of Crete. Basically, it's a love story between a bullfighter and a bull dancer. They come from two different clans that are forbidden to interact with each other, much less love one another. At the height of their romance, she is killed by his nemesis. The surviving lover sets out to revenge her death.

    "Tauromaquia" became her calling card, which in turn got her hired to write "House of the Scorpion" for Warner Bros. (Posted: 08/07/2005)

  • Josh Sternfeld's Winter Solstice
    Josh Sternfeld's screenplay "Winter Solstice" might be his first, but it attracted a strong cast (Anthony LaPaglia and Allison Janney) and looks to be a memorable independent film. (Posted: 07/30/2005)

  • Ben Olson's Blind Deal
    Ben Olson recently wrote the horror film "Hum" for Escape Artists after he had originally sent the company a spec script that was "scary as hell," he explains. His collaboration with the production company worked so well that they subsequently gave him a blind deal. Not too bad for a screenwriter who doesn't even live on one of the two coasts. (Posted: 07/24/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Submission Strategy & Creating Buzz
    (Posted: 07/18/2005)

  • Adam Sztykiel: the Sequel
    Adam Sztykiel, interviewed on Who's Buying What as a first time writer back in September, 2003, has scored another script sale, this time for a screenplay called "Adopted" about a couple who mistakenly adopt a grown man. (Posted: 07/04/2005)

  • Kim Barker: Vancouver Meets Hollywood for this Screenwriter
    Kim Barker is a Canadian screenwriter who took a real life situation and turned it into a script called "License to Wed," which she in turn sold to Warner Bros. While she says that living in Los Angeles can make a difference for a screenwriter, overall she doesn't feel that living in Vancouver has changed her chance for success. If you can write, she believes, that's really all that matters. (Posted: 06/28/2005)

  • Forgotten Screenwriter Gerald DiPego Underscores the Value of a Great Spec
    Since breaking in, Gerald DiPego has penned many successful features, including last year's intensely compelling "The Forgotten" starring Julianne Moore. His powerful stories hold audiences entranced and have attracted talented stars including John Travolta, Jennifer Lopez, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Sean Connery and Kevin Costner. (Posted: 06/19/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Representation: Working with with Managers
    (Posted: 06/12/2005)

  • Writer/Director Doug Atchison
    Many aspiring screenwriters are leery about entering screenplay contests. However, 39 year-old former school teacher Doug Atchison can attest to their credibility after winning the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in 2000 and having his screenwriting career change over night. (Posted: 06/05/2005)

  • Screenwriter Hadley Davis
    When Disney wanted an ice skating script, they didn't turn to Hadley Davis. When Disney wanted an ice skating script that worked, they did. Using her own life as a template, Davis, 33, wrote "Ice Princess," her first screenplay to get the green light. (Posted: 05/30/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Representation: Working with Agents
    (Posted: 05/22/2005)

  • Stewart Lyons Taking His 'First Shot'
    Stewart Lyons has been working in the film industry for a long time. He has been a line producer and production manager, most recently working on the television show "The Division." However, his real happiness seems to have come from getting a screenplay optioned; it's clearly his real love. (Posted: 05/15/2005)

  • 'Inside, Upside, Downside Hollywood,' an interview with screenwriter Daniel Pyne
    Chris Diestler checks in with screenwriter Daniel Pyne, who has several produced screenplays to his credit, including "The Manchurian Candidate," The Sum of All Fears," "White Sands," "Doc Hollywood," and "Pacific Heights." He also wrote, produced and directed the feature film "Where's Marlowe?" for Paramount Pictures. (Posted: 05/08/2005)

  • Amy Fox Soaring to New Heights
    Amy Fox is originally from Colorado, but moved to New York City seven years ago to pursue a writing career. In addition to screenwriting, she is also a playwright and has had her plays produced in New York City and around the country. Her recent script "Heights" is based on a short play that was produced in 2000. Merchant Ivory saw the play and commissioned Fox to adapt it into a feature-length screenplay. (Posted: 05/03/2005)

  • Ari Margolis and Jim Morley III are Not Forsaken
    Ari Margolis and Jim Morley III recently sold their latest script "Forsaken" a horror thriller about a group of wanna-be criminals sitting around telling ghost stories while they're waiting for things to cool down following their first big score. Much to their chagrin, one of the ghost stories turns out to be true and monsters are infesting the forest around them. (Posted: 04/25/2005)

  • Screenwriter Julian Phillips
    Julian Phillips is screenwriter living in San Luis Obispo. Not too far from Los Angeles, but far enough that he has the opportunity to find some pretty interesting stories outside of the world of Hollywood. (Posted: 04/18/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Choices for Mapping Your Career Strategy
    Part 2: Jobs, Independent Films & Networking
    (Posted: 04/10/2005)

  • Innovative Artists' Pat Quinn Talks About Producing
    Pat Quinn, agent extraordinaire from Innovative Artists, has been around for 20 years in Hollywood and she really knows her stuff. Her advice? Get produced! (Posted: 04/03/2005)

  • Margot Black - Trying to Make it Stinkin' Rich
    Margot Black's latest project, "Stinkin' Rich" was picked up by CAA after an agent saw her during a live stand-up routine. (Posted: 03/28/2005)

  • Trigger Street Independent's Adam Kassen Seeks Filmmakers and Screenwriters
    Last September, a fresh production company appeared on the horizon with an approach to making movies that's certain to open new doors for screenwriters and filmmakers. The company, Trigger Street Independent, is headed by brothers Adam and Mark Kassen and is a sister company to Trigger Street Productions and triggerstreet.com, which are run by Dana Brunetti and Kevin Spacey. (Posted: 03/19/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Choices for Mapping Your Career Strategy
    Part 1: Genres & Adaptations
    (Posted: 03/13/2005)

  • Winship Cook: On Writing and Selling the Great Roles
    As Vice President of Development and Co-Producer for The Edward S. Feldman Company, Winship Cook selects and packages screenplays for potential development. (Posted: 03/06/2005)

  • 'Slo-Mo' Screenwriter John Krokidas Taking it Slow in New York
    John Krokidas did his time in Los Angeles and moved back to New York after a year in Hollywood. His goal: to attend film school and write and direct films. His reason: 10 years of interning and being, as he says, pretty bad at it. He recently took a short film he wrote and produced called "Slo-Mo" and made it into a feature-length screenplay. Krokidas then turned around and sold it to the company he had worked for while living in Los Angeles. (Posted: 03/01/2005)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriters Dave Posamentier and Geoff Moore
    Dave Posamentier and Geoff Moore got representation after writing their first script together, a project titled "Veteran's Day," but that script was not their first sale. Instead these two former development executives were hired to adapt the novel "The Rule of Four." (Posted: 02/21/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Writing That Sells
    (Posted: 02/13/2005)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriter Greg Lichtenstein
    Greg Lichtenstein lives in Los Angeles and recently sold his first script "Big Baby" (co-written with Adam Mazur) to Warner Bros., with Raja Gosnell attached to direct. (Posted: 02/06/2005)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriter Paul Davidson
    Paul Davidson recently sold his first script, "Grounded," to Ascendant Pictures. "Grounded" is the story of an intergalactic dictator who goes undercover as a high school science teacher after crash-landing in Nebraska. (Posted: 01/30/2005)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: James White's Big Break With Ray
    James White has been in Los Angeles for years (over 20 to be exact), but it took him this long to get his first screenplay produced. He is very specific when he says "this is my first produced screenplay, but I am not a first-time writer." By that he means that he has been writing forever, but projects just seemed to end up in development hell. (Posted: 01/24/2005)

  • Success comes sooner than expected for Ali Russell
    Florida native Ali Russell had been in Los Angeles for less than a year, and written a single script, when she developed a friendship with a reader at a literary agency. The friend agreed to have someone at the agency read and provide coverage on her script.

    Russell was excited. Until, that is, her friend called a few weeks later and asked, "Are you sure you want to read this coverage?" The reader had completely trashed her script, "Erin Go Bragh," an action-drama set in historic Ireland. (Posted: 01/11/2005)

  • HollywoodIQ:
    Target Your Market:
    Homework First
    (Posted: 01/09/2005)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriter Corey Azevedo
    Corey Azevedo got his first chance in Hollywood when he went to work for Writers and Artists Agency and then agent Dave Phillips. He recently sold his first script "Saturday Night Special." (Posted: 01/03/2005)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriter Clayton Surratt
    Clayton Surratt lives in New York City "on the beautiful Upper East Side of Manhattan," he says. It is where he where he penned the screenplay "342," his first sale. (Posted: 12/27/2004)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriter Cindy McCreery
    In two months time, newcomer Cindy McCreery sold two screenplays, the first to Disney and the second, titled "Soccer Mom", to New Line. She was the winner of a Disney/ABC Feature Writing Fellowship in 2003. (Posted: 12/13/2004)

  • Who's Buying What Interview: Screenwriter Joe Aucoin
    Joe Aucoin, also known as Joey, lives in Los Angeles, grew up in Orange County and recently made his first screenplay sale with a script called "K Thru 12" to New Line Cinema. MovieBytes talked to him recently about his screenwriting career and his advice to those going down the same career path as his own. (Posted: 12/07/2004)

  • Looking for another way to break in?
    Try turning your idea into a comic
    It isn’t the right avenue for every script or story idea, but a recent deal between comic book publisher Platinum Studios and Gold Circle Films has opened up a new path for beginning screenwriters to jump-start their careers. (Posted: 11/30/2004)

  • James Raymond's Country Girl
    James Raymond lives in Los Angeles where his script, "Country Girl" was recently sold to New Regency. He recently signed with the management company Bondesen/Graup. (Posted: 11/16/2004)

  • Writer/Producer Bo Zenga
    A native of the Jersey Shore and a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Bo Zenga went to L.A. with little more than a dream of making it as an actor. But he succeeded instead as a producer and a writer. He exec produced the original "Scary Movie" and recently wrote and produced "Soul Plane." (Posted: 11/09/2004)

  • The Orphan's Club: J.P. Saladin and the Art of Storymaking
    J.P. Saladin is not your average newbie. A man of letters, a small business owner and a founder of a non-profit, he's an articulate spokesperson for waiting to find your unique voice. As an unproduced screenwriter, he sold his pitch, The Orphan's Club, to Disney. (Posted: 11/02/2004)

  • The Two Highest Paid Screenwriters Around, and They Still Haven't Even Been Produced
    When Daily Variety mentioned Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg in a recent article, the story was that these writers were the highest unpaid writers in Hollywood, in other words, they've sold, but haven't seen anything produced. (Posted: 10/27/2004)

  • Rob Reese & Gary Jonas Find Option Through 'Bottled Water, Practice and Cussing!'
    When Rob Reese and Gary Jonas pitched their action/thriller "The Seventh Hour" at this year's Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe (www.scsfe.com), they caught an option with Lucky Crow Films Producer Kerry David (executive producer, "Agent Cody Banks" movies). Kerry said she requested their script "because they pitched it beautifully and grabbed my interest from minute one." (Posted: 10/19/2004)

  • Lucky Crow Films Producer Kerry David: Forging New Paths for Screenwriters & Independent Filmmakers
    Producer Kerry David, best known as the executive producer behind the successful theatrical films, "Agent Cody Banks," and "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London," hopes her efforts will propel talented screenwriters into winning careers. (Posted: 10/08/2004)

  • Blake McCormick and his Ghosts of 21
    Blake McCormick lives in Hermosa Beach, CA, where he recently sold his first script to 20th Century Fox, called "Ghosts of 21." Coming as a shock even to him, McCormick confides that frankly, the movie industry is still a mystery, but one he is willing to learn more about, no doubt. (Posted: 10/03/2004)

  • HBO's Bettina Moss Shares Hope For Screenwriters
    HBO's Bettina Moss believes that almost any idea can be polished into a precious jewel-if the writer is willing to do the work. She carries her encouraging outlook into her private consulting with writers, where she finds and offers hope. (Posted: 09/26/2004)

  • Stepping in the Name of Love with Carl Seaton & Kenny Young
    Carl Seaton and his partner Kenny Young recently sold their first script, "Step in the Name of Love." Not letting opportunity pass them by, both Seaton and Young seem to have a knack for figuring out how to make opportunity come their way, witnessed by their ideas and motivation in regards to the business of filmmaking. (Posted: 09/21/2004)

  • Bart Baker Honeymoons with Harry
    Bart Baker is a produced screenwriter, but unsold novelist. But that didn't stop him. He wrote a novel, "Honeymoon With Harry" and recently sold the rights to the screenplay even before the novel has been published. (Posted: 09/07/2004)

  • Selling Her Second Script: Susan Brightbill
    Susan Brightbill recently sold her second spec script, this time to Fox 2000. A romantic comedy called "Twice Upon a Time," which she reportedly received mid-to-six figures for, Brightbill's humor is refreshing and her advice well given. (Posted: 09/01/2004)

  • Screenwriter Matthew Weiss
    Matthew Weiss, a 2001 graduate of the NYU film school, is a screenwriter whose first job was actually a rewrite on a film that was not his own. (Posted: 08/24/2004)

  • Todd Stein Faces His Coincidences
    As Todd Stein thought about his latest script, the fourth one he has written and the first one he has sold, he contemplated coincidences, airplanes flying overhead and the fact that perhaps all the small things in life really do have meaning. (Posted: 08/10/2004)

  • Joe Stillman meets Shrek 2
    Joe Stillman is the only writer who worked on the screenplay for both "Shrek" and "Shrek 2." While there have been other writers along the way for both films, Stillman's presence has no doubt kept the story of our favorite hero consistent. "It was just the way it worked out," Stillman says modestly. (Posted: 08/03/2004)

  • Jeanne Rosenberg: From Black Stallion to Imax' Young Black Stallion
    Jeanne Rosenberg wrote the original "Black Stallion" movie. Therefore, it is no surprise that for the prequel to the 1979 family favorite, she has again penned the screenplay, this time called "The Young Black Stallion," this time shot for IMAX. (Posted: 07/27/2004)

  • Screenwriter Steven Adams, by William H. Sokolic
    Sometimes it really is who you know. Steve S. Adams got his first produced screenplay with the help of a dear - and very successful - friend. Indeed, Larry David made the successful pitch for "Envy" on Adams behalf. (Posted: 07/20/2004)

  • Screenwriter Valerie Horwitz
    Valerie Horwitz was once wheeling and dealing in Silicon Valley as a securities lawyer among other things, but it took her mother getting sick and her taking some time off to realize what she really wanted to do with the rest of her life. (Posted: 06/29/2004)

  • Screenwriter Sheldon Turner
    From his first script sale to his current projects with the likes of Adam Sandler, Will Smith and Ice Cube attached, Sheldon Turner has definitely come far in five years. (Posted: 06/22/2004)

  • Kara Holden finds success through her 'Inner Bitch'
    It was something an acting coach once told aspiring actress Kara Holden: She was never going to make it in the business if she couldn’t learn to release her “inner bitch.” (Posted: 06/15/2004)

  • Joshua Shelov: Facing His Own Hooligans
    Joshua Shelov is a New Yorker who still makes his home in New York, Brooklyn to be exact. His screenplay "Hooligans" was recently sold and he now has a job writing a feature for MGM. (Posted: 06/01/2004)

  • The Brothers Hageman, Making It in Hollywood
    Kevin and Daniel Hageman, referred to as the Brothers Hageman in Hollywood, are originally from Oregon, but are now happily ensconced in Los Angeles, California. Their screenplay "The Nightmare of Hugo Bearing" was their big break and as they say, "CAA got a hold of Nightmare and they responded to it. It became our calling card and doors started opening." (Posted: 05/25/2004)

  • Nathan Skulnik: First Sale Leads to Success
    Nathan Skulnik made his first sale, "The Hostage", after sending his original spec script around and being told that, while it was good, it wasn't exactly what the studios were looking for. Deciding to take fate into his own hands he and a writing partner, Kenwood Youmans, wrote "The Hostage" a action film with a bit higher stakes and more to the studios liking. (Posted: 05/18/2004)

  • Screenwriter Joel Silverman
    Joel Silverman has been at screenwriting for awhile. It fact, it even took him three years just to get an agent. Nowadays, he has sold 11 scripts or pitches and recently directed his script "Death to the Supermodels." One thing he does say that he has learned in this business: not every script has to be a sweeping emotional masterpiece. (Posted: 05/04/2004)

  • Tom Schulman Welcomes Us to Mooseport
    One of Tom Schulman's first successes was not only writing the screenplay, "Dead Poet's Society," but also winning an Academy Award. Now, a decade-plus later, Schulman is still writing great screenplays, including the recent release "Welcome to Mooseport" starring Gene Hackman and Ray Romano. (Posted: 04/27/2004)

  • TV Writer Bryan Fuller
    Bryan Fuller got his start writing for “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and became a co-producer/writer for “Star Trek: Voyager”. More recently, he co-created and co-executive produced “Wonderfalls”, with Todd Holland, and wrote the pilot for “Dead Like Me” and the TV movie “Carrie.” (Posted: 04/19/2004)

  • Torque Sends Screenwriter Matt Johnson Into the Blue
    Screenwriter Matt D. Johnson sold several specs prior to breaking through with TORQUE, the first of his projects to make it to the screen. He was subsequently hired to write INTO THE BLUE based on his own idea, and accompanied director John Stockwell to the Bahamas for rewrites during the production. (Posted: 04/06/2004)