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From Final Draft.Com


   http://podcasts.finaldraft.com/?utm_source=Final%20Draft&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=November-2014-Newsletter

Tue, 11 November 2014
Sleepy Hollow Co-Creator Phillip Iscove on the Evolution of a Hit Show

Phillip Iscove, creator of hit TV series Sleepy Hollow, talks about his early days at film school in Toronto, working as an assistant at powerhouse agency UTA for eight years, and how Sleepy Hollow was not just his first sale: it also saved him from being kicked out of the country. Along the way he discusses the prevalence of genre stories on television, the challenges of working on such a large budget show, and what he looks for when hiring staff writers.
Direct download: 141110_PhillipIscove.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 4:32 PM
Fri, 24 October 2014
’St Vincent’ Writer/Director Ted Melfi talks about his new dramedy starring Bill Murray

Ted Melfi talks about how, while working in a cafe to pay the bills and doing security at a strip club by night, he raised $600k  for the first feature he produced … and his real career took off from there. He also takes us through St. Vincent’s circuitous path to the screen - including his Dear Bill letter to Bill Murray that got his script read and explains why Weinstein was the best place for his dramedy to land. Along the way he offers fantastic advice for writing in general and writing the low-budget drama in particular.
Direct download: 141023_tedMelfi.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 6:21 PM
Wed, 15 October 2014
Final Draft Insider View with The Conjuring Co-Screenwriter Carey Hayes

Screenwriter-producer-actor Carey Hayes, one-half of the identical twin writing team responsible for The Conjuring, stopped by the Cat & Fiddle on Sunset in Hollywood for a live Q&A with Final Draft fans.  He discussed the benefits and challenges of writing with a partner (and brother), as well as finding projects that are both commercial and rewarding. He also chats with us about the duo's pre-writing process and their secrets to pitching that get deals made. The night wouldn't be compete without a close look at The Conjuring's path to the big screen and what challenges the writers faced along the way.
Direct download: 141014_careyHayes_2.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 7:00 PM
Tue, 7 October 2014
Final Draft Insider View with Blacklist Founder Franklin Leonard

Final Draft sits down with Franklin Leonard, founder of The Blacklist, to discuss how this innovative resource for writers is partnering with studios, producers, and production companies to discover and promote talented screenwriters. Leonard, who switched from a career in politics and business to entertainment, takes us through the algorithm for script recommendations used by the Blacklist - a brilliant scoring system that successfully melds mathematics and creativity. He also gives us a look behind the curtain at the readers who evaluate the scripts - how they were chosen and how they will work with your submission. Learn more about The Blacklist, both past and future, and how you can use this innovative site to launch your screenwriting career.
Direct download: 140818_franklingLenard_2.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 8:56 PM
Fri, 12 September 2014
Final Draft Insider View with Screenwriters Mark Heyman and Craig Johnson

Mark Heyman and Craig Johnson, co-writers of The Skeleton Twins, discuss writing, re-writing, outlining, tone, and other lessons they learned while making their Sundance Screenwriting Award winning film which opens this weekend nationwide.
Direct download: 140811_SkeletonTwins.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 5:17 PM
Wed, 20 August 2014
Mad Men’s Matt Weiner on writing and directing his new film ‘Are You Here’

Final Draft talks with Matt Weiner, the creator of Mad Men, about the complex tone of Are You Here, a film about getting the lost institution of male friendship. He sheds light on being comfortable with ‘not knowing’ and the ability of a crew to step in and help tell the story.
Direct download: 140820_mattWeiner.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 7:42 PM
Fri, 8 August 2014
Final Draft Insider View with Daniel Vang and Christopher Lockhart

Final Draft sits down with WME's Christopher Lockhart and Benderspink's Daniel Vang  for a discussion about the life of a script. Many writers don't consider what happens after an executive reads a script and thinks it has potential to go to production. But the more you the screenwriter know about the process, the better you can prepare your script to be a part of it, and the better your odds of seeing your name in the credits.
Direct download: 140729_christopherLockhart_3.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 6:29 PM
Wed, 9 July 2014
Final Draft Insider View with Filmmaker Andrew Jenks

Andrew Jenks, award-winning twenty-something American filmmaker, explains how to find the story in documentaries, and how the story often leads you to discover material you were never expecting. From the realities of nursing homes to  a young man fighting to get a wrongful conviction overturned, Jenks finds moving topics and uses his storytelling skills to craft unforgettable documentaries. In addition to his filmmaking, he is also the host of MTV's very popular documentary series World of Jenks. If all that work werent enough to keep him busy, he is the founder of the All-American High School Film Festival. The annual event was designed to inspire and educate young filmmakers from around the world and features judges such as Kristen Stewart, Morgan Spurlock, and Diablo Cody.
Direct download: 140707_andrewJenks_3-1.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 8:50 PM
Tue, 10 June 2014
Final Draft Insider View with Screenwriter Scott Neustadter

Scott Neustadter discusses how an internship was an incredibly valuable experience that helped to launch his career, and how his time working in development affected his screenwriting process. He also discusses his bi-coastal writing partnership with Michael H. Weber and the several successful adaptations, including The Fault in Our Stars, that the two writers have penned.
Direct download: 140607_scottNeustadter_2.m4a
Category:screenwriting -- posted at: 7:03 PM
Thu, 29 May 2014
Final Draft Insider View with Screenwriter Simon Kinberg

Simon Kinberg explains how the most important part of any movie - no matter the genre or budget - is always character, who the character is and how he changes over the course

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