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.

First time feature-filmmakers Chris Baker and James Kapner's 'The Estate' is dark, thrill-filled fun

October 28, 2021

The Estate is a wild ride of a movie. It’s got the intrigue and mystery of The Talented Mr. Ripley meets the fun camp (and often dark humor) of Cruel Intentions. From a script by co-star Chris Baker and first-time feature director James Kapner, the s...

History of TV: Celebrating Halloween with a 'Supernatural' retrospective

October 28, 2021

The fantastic part about Supernatural is that it opens with a Halloween episode, complete with flickering lights and a spooky house — perfect for both a series based in the paranormal and the fact that Allhallows Eve is right around the corner. But a...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: Signature Wes Anderson is back with 'The French Dispatch'

October 26, 2021

The French Dispatch is about as Wes Anderson as Anderson gets, and most fans will likely be pleased with this latest outing from the beloved director. The set design is off the charts, the characters are as quirky as ever, and the droll wit seems to ...

The Screenwriter's Toolbox Part IV: Pitch Decks

October 26, 2021

Pitch Decks (Pitch Docs) can be an effective marketing tool that tells your script's story both visually and with text; because anything that gets your concept across in an easy-to-absorb fashion has value, right?

Rising Through the Ranks: How James Alexander went from watching 'Degrassi' to writing for Disney

October 26, 2021

"I used to race home from school to watch Disney Channel and now I’m helping MAKE one of their shows. I’m 😭 … LITERAL DREAM COME TRUE."

Invasion' co-creator David Weil on the importance of genre characters and working with Simon Kinberg

October 23, 2021

Just like the worldwide alien invasion it’s about, the sweeping science fiction drama series Invasion premiered globally on Apple TV+ yesterday, subjecting audiences everywhere to the tense, haunting and action-packed adventure from the minds of Emmy...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'The Last Duel' is a true story of one woman's struggle in 14th century France

October 23, 2021

More than 650 years ago, the last officially recognized judicial duel was fought in France. Why this duel took place is the story behind Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, which tells the narrative in three chapters from three characters’ points of view a...

History of TV: 'The Walking Dead' is a master class in horror writing

October 21, 2021

There are some shows I know going in that I may never sleep again, and when I watched The Walking Dead pilot for the first time, it was no exception. But I subjected myself to sleepless nights for the same reason I did a decade ago for Scream 4: Ther...

Write On with 'Chucky' Writer Kim Garland

October 21, 2021

Chucky is back! Everyone’s favorite killer doll is soon to have his own TV series on SYFY, and writer Kim Garland talked to Write On about what it took to get on the writing staff: “I sat down one weekend, and I watched all seven films in a row, just...