Steven Hartman
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Why write history? ‘Godfather of Harlem’ creator Chris Brancato on writing a compelling historical drama
It’s hard to come up with an original concept when the mob is involved. From The Sopranos to Boardwalk Empire and in an era when streaming is the new normal, you have to be pretty creative to premiere a mob drama on cable TV, gather an audience, and ...
5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘American Traitor’ puts propaganda on trial
During World War II, there were several foreign radio broadcasters whose job was to demoralize the enemy. Japan had Tokyo Rose. Germany had Axis Sally.
5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'Endangered Species' has everyone in peril
A family on vacation struggles to get along and, through a series of unfortunate events, must find a way to come together — if they’re not too busy tearing each other apart.
5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'Riders of Justice' turns tragedy into a tale of revenge
Compelling characters that actors want to play and into which they can infuse their light and personality elevates a film to the next level. Riders of Justice's Markus is played by Mads Mikkelsen, fresh off an Academy® Award nomination for his role i...
5 Screenwriting Takeaways: Billy Crystal’s new ‘Here Today’ on aging
It’s been 20 years since Billy Crystal has written or directed a film (America’s Sweethearts and 61*, respectively) but it took watching an old friend regale David Letterman with a tale on TV that inspired the new film Here Today.
High Ground' shows the richness and brutality of Australia's history
The origins of High Ground are found in the landscapes of Northern Australia where its director, Stephen Maxwell Johnson, grew up, and therefore the story's time period and concept hold deep meaning for him.
5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘Four Good Days’ takes hard look at addiction
Four Good Days is a brutal film that addresses the heroin epidemic head-on as Molly (Mila Kunis) struggles to stay clean for four days so she can take naltrexone, a monthly injection that makes it impossible to get high. Her only option to stay clean...
The Virtuoso' looks into the paranoid world of an assassin for hire
Ideas come in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s the lyrics of a song, an article you find online, or even a conversation you overhear. For director Nick Stagliano’s The Virtuoso, the idea came from an unlikely place — one of his previous films.
5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'Willy’s Wonderland' is Nicolas Cage horror
There are very few movies in which the protagonist does not utter a word for a period of time. What makes Willy’s Wonderland truly unique is that the film's star, Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage, does not say a single syllable throughout the 88 minutes of...