Script Magazine - March/April 2010
Man of the Moment: Noah Baumbach
Over the years, Noah Baumbach's films have, consciously or not, chronicled the
ups and downs of Generation X. His newest movie, Greenberg, tackles a
difficult character who is faced with recovering from a breakdown and making
himself a better person ... in spite of himself.
Alice in Wonderland
Scribe Linda Woolverton leads us down the rabbit hole as she discusses her personal take on
Alice's return to Wonderland, working with director Tim Burton, and how a dark
time in her own life helped her write a film audiences won't soon forget.
Writers on Writing: A Nightmare on Elm Street
A general meeting surprisingly landed writer Eric Heisserer the job of bringing back one
of the most frightening villains of the 80s. He takes us into the franchise
reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the many challenges he faced—including
the origins of Freddy Krueger and the role of sleep patterns—in ratcheting up
the fear factor.
A Kick-Ass Interview
Kick-Ass is not your typical comic book. The super-violent series follows an ordinary
kid who puts on a costume and fights crime as a real-life superhero. Filmmaker
Matthew Vaughn read the comic and decided to adapt it—before the series was
even completed. Script talks to Vaughn, scribe Jane Goldman, creator
Mark Millar, and illustrator John Romita Jr. about how the project came to
life.
The Rebels of Writing
It's not often that two independently successful screenwriters work on the same film
without one rewriting the other. And, with the current economy, selling a pitch
for $2 million doesn't happen very often either. But, somehow, Simon Kinberg
and Aline Brosh McKenna have recently managed to accomplish both.
The 10 Biggest Unproduced Specs of the 90s
In the 90s, studios were buying specs for big money, and bidding wars were in the trades
almost every week. Some of those scripts went on to become movies that de-
fined the decade. But what about those other high-dollar specs that went
unproduced? Script decided to find out.
How to Sell a Pitch in Only 10 Years!
While working the front desk at Miramax, Dave Pullano created the fictional exec Jay
Flannick to field unwanted and overly persistent pitches. Ironically enough,
through a series of ad- ventures, Pullano found himself in Hong Kong, sitting
on an old mattress ... and pitching his own script to Jackie Chan.
Navigating 2010's Staffing Season
Television is a cold business, and no time is colder than the beginning of summer for TV
writers hoping to land a staff job. To avoid the freeze, learn how staffing
works, how it's changed in the recent years, and how to prepare yourself for
the new season.
Two "Unbrandable" Hollywood Scribes Reflect on the Writer's Life
Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy are living the life that aspiring scribes daydream about. Sure,
they sometimes hit the beach while working and visit The Polo Lounge for an
occasional martini, but what is the writer's life really like for one of
Hollywood's busiest writing teams?
The Paradox of Success
With spending habits changing in Hollywood, the question to writers becomes: Do you
want to sell a script, or do you want to make a movie?
What You Really Want to Do is Direct
You're ready to become a hyphenate and get behind a camera. But before you start bud- geting
that feature spec, consider walking before you run and make a few shorts first.
Perception Management
A Hollywood executive for 15 years, Carole Kirschner has had more than 5,000 meetings and
helped to hire more than 400 writers ... and some decisions ultimately came
down to how the writers presented themselves. Read the advice she gives scribes
on how to manage their images and influence the way decision-makers perceive
them.
Script Secrets: Read My Script!
After listening to around 75 pitches at the Raindance Film Festival, professional
screenwriter Bill Martell tells you where some went wrong and others went right.
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