Table of Contents
PEOPLE & NEWS
The Buzz - Animation is a creative niche that offers much potential for writers.
Lost Scenes - Alfred Hitchcock and Spellbound.
Anatomy of a Spec Sale - Paul Davidson sells his comedy spec Grounded for low to mid-six figures.
SCREENPLAYS & MOVIES
Blade: Trinity, Batman Begins - Writing comic book movies with David Goyer.
The Incredibles - Brad Bird is on the verge of finding a big audience with his new Pixar film.
House of Flying Daggers - A great action film and a unique love story, Zhang Yimou's film is an excellent follow-up to Hero.
Lemony Snicket - All screenwriters suffer a bit of schizophrenia. We own a story for years; then give it away to producers and directors. In that, we're all a bit like Lemony Snicket.
Ray - Whether you are a sightless musical genius or a screenwriter entrusted with documenting his life, holding onto your own inner vision is vital.
Vera Drake - Writer/Director Mike Leigh had this to say about the script, "I've never made a film with a screenplay." Confused? Read on.
The Merchant of Venice - Michael Radford's excellent adaptation of Shakespeare's 14th play lives up to its source.
Closer - London playwright and screenwriter Patrick Marber reveals that the key to successfully shifting from stage to screen was distance.
Overnight - Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana capture the astonishing career implosion of onetime Miramax golden boy Troy Duffy.
COLUMNS
The Busine$$ of Screenwriting - Luck plays a part but the lead role is yours.
Writer Beware! - Sometimes writers have to wait a long time to get paid. Why do they put up with it, and what can they do about it?
Agent's Hot Sheet - How do I get a damn manager?
Belly of the Beat - Comic Book: The Movie
Our Craft - Teach yourself - part 5
The Contest Beat - Write Globally, Compete Locally
Spec and Pitch Sales
The Final Scene - Beyond the Sea
FEATURES
Kevin Space Makes Waves in Beyond the Sea
Producing, acting, directing, singing, dancing, and now writing. Is there anything Kevin Spacey can't do? After seeing his labor of love Beyond The Sea, clearly the answer is no. But don't tell Spacey that - it might go to his head. Creative Screenwriting speaks to Spacey to find out how he made it through a decade-long journey to tell one story.
The Craft of Action
Action flicks, action comedies, action thrillers, sci-fi action thrillers, and horror action thrillers - they may not get much respect, but they do get the dough. Creative Screenwriting speaks to four screenwriters all of whom have contributed notably to the genre: John Fasano (Another 48 Hours), Larry Ferguson (Beverly Hills Cop 2), Tony Gilroy (Armageddon), and David Twohy (The Fugitive) about their long and successful careers.
Pedro Almodovar on Bad Eduation
World cinema auteur Pedro Almodovar talks to Creative Screenwriting about grand guignol, Gael Garcia Bernal, and how a ghost came in through the window to give him the idea for Bad Education, his complex and heartbreaking new film.
Riding The Polar Express with William Broyles, Jr.
What is the real story in the heart of this script? That is the question William Broyles, Jr., constantly asked himself as he worked on the screenplay for The Polar Express. With innovative technology at their disposal, Broyles and director/cowriter Robert Zemeckis could have done just about anything that they imagined. At the same time, they could have lost sight of their story's emotional truth, but sticking to the fundamentals of plot and character kept their vison on track.
What Do We Do Now? Jeremy Larner on The Candidate
Before Bob Roberts and Bulworth, there was The Candidate, a highly original political satire that, more than thirty years ago, accurately predicted the way media coverage has reduced political discourse to sound bites and photo-ops. Oscar-winning screenwriter Jeremy Larner talks about collaborating with director Michael Ritchie and producer and star Robert Redford on this classic satire. PLUS: Larry Gelbart on his new sequel to The Candidate.
