Final Draft Blog

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‘Take 5’ How Scream 6 keeps a horror film franchise fresh

March 13, 2023

In the month of March 2023, franchise sequels are abundant: Creed III, John Wick 4 and Scream VI. Between sports dramas, action and horror, each franchise has its own set of rules and tropes. The Scream franchise is a compelling study because of the ...

Big Break Winner Michael Morra on his Inspiration, Style and Biggest Writing Regret

March 10, 2023

When Michael Morra started receiving notifications that his screenplay, About McKenna, was advancing in the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest he was both excited and curious. With each email, he was advancing to the Top 10 then winning the ...

5 Steps to Preparing for a Screenwriting Contest

March 9, 2023

Every year there’s a new wave of screenwriting contests that a writer can enter in the hopes of getting more eyes on their spec script. Some of these annual contests, like the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest, show winning scripts to A-lis...

Bobby Farrelly Says Comedy is About Flawed Character and Surprising Your Audience

March 7, 2023

Bobby Farrelly, along with his brother Peter Farrelly, are known for their iconic comedies like There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber, and Fever Pitch. These films have firmly established the brothers as one of America’s premiere comedy direc...

Big Break: Screenwriting Contest for Career Success in Film and TV

March 6, 2023

Is your screenplay or pilot contest-ready? With dozens of screenwriting contests out there, it’s important to consider which ones are worth your time and money. Over the past 20 years, the Big Break Screenwriting Contest has become one of the most re...

5 Ways Screenwriters Can Adapt to the Marketplace

March 5, 2023

The entertainment industry is in a constant state of flux and always has been thanks to emerging technology and evolving tastes. Whether you’re an aspiring or veteran screenwriter, it benefits you to be able to adapt to an ever-changing marketplace. ...

Cocaine Bear Writer Jimmy Warden on Creating Empathy for a Coked-Up Bear on a Rampage

March 4, 2023

Cocaine Bear is a hilarious romp about two potentially alarming things: a ferocious bear and a massive amount of cocaine. Put them together and you get one of the wildest, most absurd, genre-busting films ever made. The idea is so ludicrous, it proba...

How To Write Naturalistic Dialogue

February 25, 2023

If it’s one thing I’ve seen aspiring screenwriters struggle with most over the years, it’s how to write naturalistic dialogue. Oftentimes their scripts might have good ideas or memorable sequences, but when the characters speak, their dialogue comes ...

An Ant-Man Retrospective: Origins, Quantum Realms and the Importance of Always Losing

February 22, 2023

When Ant-Man was introduced in 2015, it was the twelfth movie in the continuing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that has brought in billions of box office dollars, TV shows on Disney+ and countless products. While the world had accepted a Spider-Man,...