Final Draft Blog

All the tips, tricks and information you need to inspire your writing!
Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

5 Screenwriting Takeaways from 'Judas and the Black Messiah'

February 19, 2021

Is this a biopic or a cat-and-mouse film? In a way, it’s both. And that’s because Judas and the Black Messiah has two origins. On Final Draft’s Write On Podcast, writer Will Berson discusses the origins of his screenplay and how it looked at the FBI’...

‘Bliss’ Asks Its Audience to Contemplate Much More Than The Idea of Happiness

February 18, 2021

The tagline of writer-director Mike Cahill’s new genre bending sci-fi action romance for Amazon sounds simple enough: “Chase something real.” But Cahill in fact gets his audience to deeply question: What is real, and what’s worth chasing? This might ...

History of TV: ‘Empire’ State of Mind

February 18, 2021

Everything about Fox’s Empire feels at once familiar and totally, brazenly new. The musical drama aired from 2015 to just last year, but in light of 2020 being so... 2020, it already feels like the show ended a lifetime ago. Empire’s popularity snowb...

Interview With 'Wrong Turn' Director Mike P. Nelson

February 17, 2021

It was such a pleasure chatting with Mike P. Nelson, the director behind the Wrong Turn reboot and seventh instalment in writer Alan McElroy's horror-thriller franchise. We discussed the writing process, pitching to Warner Brothers, and his love for ...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: Historical-Horror Film Shadow in the Cloud

February 17, 2021

Shadow in the Cloud is both a World War II film and a horror film. There is a lot in this compelling movie that shows screenwriters how this hyphenated-genre movie by writers Max Landis and Roseanne Liang can guide them toward a budget-conscious and ...

Write On with 'Falling' Writer-Director Viggo Mortensen

February 16, 2021

Oscar-nominated actor Viggo Mortensen talks to host Phil Galasso about his transition into writing and directing with Falling, a stirring drama he also acts in alongside Lance Henriksen. The film is about a man who along with his male partner and ado...

David Perrault Explores the Family Bond During the Civil War In 'Savage State'

February 15, 2021

Filmmaker David Perrault doesn’t just believe in conflicts between characters in his stories — both externally and internally — but in the time period in which their stories take place, as well. Which is why he chose the Civil War to be the backdrop ...

A Strategy Primer for Writers: Part II

February 12, 2021

Welcome back to the strategy primer for writers! This series aims to provide you with a number of productivity strategies to help reduce procrastination and that can be used to build better habits for your writing career.

Afro Horror: Sugar Hill (1974)

February 12, 2021

This month for the Afro Horror podcast, I spoke with guest Evan J. Peterson about the criminally underrated Blaxploitation horror, Sugar Hill. It was my first time viewing this hidden treasure, and I knew immediately from the opening credits set to “...