Articles
R-Patz loves good low-budget material.
One way to help increase the odds of your script not only being optioned, but produced, is if it is written for a low-budget. Producers don't just option scripts to stockpile them like a baseball card collection. They are looking for projects they're passionate enough about that they want to make it. Read More
Streaming platforms are full of indie gems!
For screenwriters and filmmakers it's beneficial to see good examples of how modern films are telling effective stories on low-budgets. The lower the budget, the more enticing it is to potential investors and producers to want to make it. No matter how great a script is, an astronomical budget could kill it before it even gets any momentum. Read More
Never stop looking for themes that resonate with you.
Every screenwriter has had to answer this question in one form or another, "What is your story REALLY about?" What this question is actually asking is, "What themes are you exploring in this script?" Read More
When you pitch, writing your personal message should be a first thought, not an afterthought. Here are some tips to help you succeed. Read More
A producer opening a suitcase of golden loglines.
Your logline is the difference between getting read or getting scrolled past. I know because I've done both. Read More
Avoid rookie mistakes when writing.
I landed my first screenwriting gig in 1978. Nobody had heard of Robert McKee or Syd Field, you wrote on a typewriter, and you researched in a library. Read More
"Does he look like a screenwriter?"
It's vital for screenwriters to read some of the great works that have come before them. Read More
Raise your hand if you like to write horror.
The key to being able to write great horror is being able to write killer suspense. Read More
..and how they work!
If you are a screenwriter, you have probably had someone tell you "You have GOT to write a contained thriller!"
And really, that advice is true. Now more than ever, producers are looking for good scripts with minimal locations, small casts, and riveting stories.
But what makes single-location scripts work? Read More
Jolt some life into your protagonist.
Your protagonist is the most important character in your script. Nobody wants to go on a two-hour journey with a stick-in-the-mud. Read More
