Final Draft Blog

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Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

Write On: 'Candy Cane Lane' Writer Kelly Younger

December 1, 2023

Eddie Murphy’s new holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane pokes fun at the idea of being super competitive during the Christmas decorating season. Kelly Younger sat down with Final Draft’s Write On podcast to talk about writing the spec script that became a ...

Write On: 'May December' Writer Samy Burch

November 29, 2023

“A lot of the scenes are [shot in] one take. The space that they hold, the amount of air that they let sit there before saying their next line. I mean it’s an incredible amount of tension and intimacy,” says screenwriter Samy Burch about her new film...

Protecting Your Screenplay: A Guide to Copyright Registration

November 28, 2023

In my last article, “Demystifying Copyright”, I broke down some basics of Copyright Law with David Newhoff and Steven Tepp: copyright experts and cofounders of RightsClick (an online service that facilitates copyright registration for writers).

5 Lessons on Writing a Biopic from Ridley Scott’s 'Napoleon'

November 28, 2023

Who is Napoleon Bonaparte? Considering how significant he was in 19th-century Europe, it’s surprising that 2023's Napoleon seems to be the biggest and most comprehensive biopic of the French emperor's life over 200 years later. The film, directed by ...

Write On: 'The Continental: From The World Of John Wick' Writer Kirk Ward and Director Albert Hughes

November 27, 2023

“I'm now at a place where I say to myself, ‘What haven't we seen?’ And then we take it to a place that’s completely, absolutely bonkers,” says writer Kirk Ward about his new show The Continental: From The World Of John Wick. “You take the audience do...

Write On: 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' Showrunner Chris Black

November 21, 2023

Final Draft's Write On podcast sits down with Showrunner Chris Black to talk about his new show, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. “For it to be successful as a TV series, it couldn't be a show about monsters. It had to be a show about people who happen t...

Spec Spotlight: Ben Ketai on Selling His First Spec 'Undying'

November 21, 2023

Screenwriter/director Ben Ketai was about 12 years old – too young, he admits – when he first saw the Adrian Lyne thriller Fatal Attraction. It left an indelible impression that has lasted well into his career in Hollywood.

The Rise of Web-Based Content: Why You Should Consider Writing Web Series

November 21, 2023

Drunk History. Portlandia. Insecure. Broad City. What do these hit TV shows have in common? They all initially started on the internet as a web series that eventually caught the attention of execs in Hollywood. which has proven to be a great tool for...

Demystifying Copyright: What Every Screenwriter Needs to Know

November 20, 2023

You’ve finished your screenplay and you want to start submitting it to industry professionals, but should you get it copyrighted beforehand to keep someone from stealing what you’ve written?