"We weren't making art, we were making a living" said Julius Epstein of his time working under the early Hollywood studio system. Writers, what, if anything, has changed since then ? Are screenwriters ever allowed to stay true to themselves and their visions, or are we still always at the mercy of the bottom line? 

According to journalist Paul Brownfield in his analysis of the WGA's most recent list of 101 best screenplays of the 21st century (*so far), the very concept of writing for the screen is in existential crisis. What do we think of that take here at Script E.R.?

It’s true that the Wild West of Streaming galloped into town quite a few years ago now, upending our old movie-going habits and giving us a bewildering and sometimes exhausting array of choices to click on at home. Exec layoffs abound, buying mandates change seemingly every five minutes, and people call Doomsday on the entire industry a heck of a lot. Not to mention we’re facing another impending WGA strike, which will no doubt be painful, and as usual, the most financially crippling to the least powerful writers in town.

However. As this weekend's uplifting and occasionally charmingly earnest 95th Oscars showed, despite a bunch of relentless behind-the scenes machinations and spin, the magic and allure of cinema shows no sign of dying, and new voices and styles are emerging all the time, and finally being rewarded for their uniqueness.

It was inspiring to watch Cate Blanchett's performance in the best actress category this year for TAR - even if she didn't win, and no matter what you made of Todd Field’s film itself, the fact that cultural mores have now shifted to allow a female performer to fully inhabit a *total* human role - for good, for ill, for ugly, for whatever - is very different to only a decade ago, when women screenwriters in Hollywood were routinely advised to flip the genders in their screenplay if creating a vibrant, self determined female lead with just an ounce of heroism. No joke. 

So let's celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of this new WGA list, in the spirit of optimism for the future of our industry.

Read Brownfield’s full piece here ….

Irene Gut Opdyke was an extraordinary person. As a seventeen year old Polish Catholic, having suffered unspeakable abuse at the hands of the invading Russian Military, she then found herself forced to be a Housekeeper for a Nazi Major. Realizing that her Ayran looks and fluent German gave her an advantage, she used her position to eavesdrop on SS plans for the Final Solution and warn the local Jews. Having become close to the Jewish laundry workers she oversaw daily, she took the extraordinary measure of hiding them in the basement literally beneath the feet of of the Germans when the Ternpol Ghetto was liquidated. They remained concealed there until the end of the War. But Irene's bravery did not come without huge personal sacrifice.....

Zoë Green and Patrick Given, co-founders of Script E.R have been hired by Good Deed Entertainment to write a feature film about Irene's inspiring life.

Read the Deadline Hollywood announcement here

Script E.R. will be taking new patients at this year’s Great American Pitchfest (GAPF) at the Marriott Burbank. Come visit our table at the tradeshow on Saturday 21st June in between the spectacular array of master classes and events! Our co-founders and teachers will be advising on pitch strategy and consulting with current and aspiring writers. Saturday’s schedule includes talks and classes on Action Screenwriting, Pilot Writing, Spec Scripts, Getting an Agent and much more . Just a few of the notable participants are Shane Black, 3 Arts, Benderspink, De Line, Weed Road and Paradigm.

We’ll be launching a brand new and affordable service at the pitchfest - Script E.R. is now offering House Call: the opportunity to have your script carefully read by a WGA writer, followed by a 45 min phone conversation or in person meeting to review notes and strategy. Remember - never go out to execs with an inferior product! If you can’t make it this Saturday and would like to discuss our packages Inquire now!

We’re delighted to be exhibiting at the 2013 Screenwriters World Conference West this Saturday, Sep 28th! This excerpt was taken from a great post from ScriptMag editor and conference speaker, Jeanne Bowerman, highlighting some of what to look forward to at the conference. For the full article, click here.
 
“Allow me to answer one important question I keep getting: "Why should a screenwriter attend a conference?"

My advice is simple: To advance your career, improve your craft and build your network. Really. These events are that powerful. I promise.

Screenwriters World Conference West has amazing sessions taught by experienced professionals in the industry. This is your chance to pick their brains face-to-face. These instructors have a range of experience from reading thousands of scripts, helping writers get produced, and creating successful, original content of their own (one to mention is Erik Bork, writer/producer of HBO's Band of Brothers and a personal hero of mine). Their expertise can help elevate your career and writing to a new level.”

Conference attendees include Ed Saxon (Silence of the Lambs), Doug Richardson (Die Hard 2, Bad Boys, Hostage), Tom Schulman (Dead Poet's Society, What About Bob?, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and Robbie Fox (So I Married an Axe Murderer, In the Army Now, Playing for Keeps) amongst others. 

After the midpoint, a screenplay often loses its way. This is the dreaded second act sag. A couple of techniques to avoid this letdown:

1. Introduce a new character.
2. Introduce a new tension.

In older films, you will notice that rich, varied characters will often be introduced more than halfway through the film. For some reason, modern films shy away from this. But it's a perfect way to give your screenplay new direction and life.


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