Final Draft Blog

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The Fast Five: The Paley Center Shutters Its Doors While Paramount’s ‘Sonic’ Gamble Pays Off

February 24, 2020

This week, we pour one out for all the introverts who love to sit in cubicles and watch old TV shows that were almost lost to time as The Paley Center has shut down its Beverly Hills museum. On the other hand, we have Pablo Escobar’s pet hippos to lo...

First Award This! Ceremony Shines Light on Independent Filmmakers

February 21, 2020

For independent filmmakers like 37-year-old Jared Cohn, making movies is life. Cohn doesn’t do it for praise and recognition; he creates films to tell stories, motivate change and to inspire others.

The State Of Television Part 2: Everybody Wants To Be A Madman

February 20, 2020

When John Landgraf originally said there was too much television, Netflix was only two years into offering original programming. His main focus was the rise in basic cable originals. Every network wanted the prestige that came with a successful premi...

Five Takeaways From ‘Parasite’

February 19, 2020

Your weekly break-down of a popular movie or television episode to see what a screenwriter—or any writer, for that matter—can take away from what’s on screen: what worked, what didn’t, and how you can use what’s popular to craft better stories.

The Weekend Movie Takeaway: Video Game IP Holders Rejoice As ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Sped to Box Office Glory

February 19, 2020

The Presidents Day long weekend proved especially fruitful for a certain speedy hedgehog, giving hope to video game intellectual property holders everywhere.

The Fast Five: Experimental Storytelling, Bringing 'Friends' Back and 'Hunters' Brings 1970's NYC to LA

February 18, 2020

I hope everybody enjoyed their Presidents Day long weekend and is ready to get back to work. Let’s start with catching up on five stories that may have slipped under the radar while you were wearing your Abraham Lincoln hat and chopping down cherry t...

Weekend Writing Inspiration: Reboot Your Writing Habit

February 14, 2020

Habit building and maintaining is a continuing journey, one which requires refinement and up-leveling over time. As Charles Duhigg wrote in The Power of Habit, “...once you understand that habits can change, you have the freedom—and the responsibilit...

The State Of Television Part 1: The Birth Of Peak TV

February 13, 2020

When John Landgraf took to the stage at the Television Critics Association’s annual press tour in 2015 he dramatically declared, “There is simply too much television.” He warned that the industry had quickly become an unsustainable bubble about to bu...

The Weekend Movie Takeaway: ‘Parasite’ Takes Top Hollywood Prize at the Oscars While ‘Birds of Prey’ Flies Into The Box Office #1 Spot

February 11, 2020

It was a big weekend in Hollywood as a historic night at the Oscars® threatened to blow the lid off “traditional” narrative and the box office results saw an expected superhero blockbuster fall somewhat flat.