Final Draft Blog

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7 Tips on Becoming a TV Writer from Showrunner Todd Slavkin

March 31, 2023

Writer Todd Slavkin has one of those long and fruitful television careers many of us dream about. He and his writing partner, Darren Swimmer, have been showrunners for numerous shows including Smallville, Melrose Place 2.0, Shadowhunters and The Myst...

Big Break's Crash Course on Writing Loglines for Your Script

March 29, 2023

It's seemingly one of the simplest tasks connected with screenwriting. In comparison to writing a TV pilot or feature-length script, it's a minor chore, something to be dashed off hurriedly at the last moment when suddenly required. I'm talking about...

Where Are They Now: Big Break Winner Greta Heinemann Has Since Worked For NBC, Apple and Netflix

March 27, 2023

Screenwriter Greta Heinemann was one of the Grand Prize Winners of the 2017 Big Break Screenwriting Contest for her thriller/horror feature script, "City Under Fire.”

Big Nate Writer Emily Brundige Shares What it Takes to Break into Animation

March 24, 2023

There is no single form of animation. Any parent can tell you about sitting through Cocomelon with their toddler then Big City Greens and Bluey with their kids before sending them to bed so they can watch South Park or Family Guy. That doesn’t even i...

The Bricks of Breaking In: Abbott Elementary Writer Brittani Nichols On The Importance Of Community As A Writer

March 17, 2023

How did WGA nominated and NAACP Image Award winning writer, actor and comedian Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary, A Black Lady Sketch Show) first fall in love with entertainment? Just like so many, her passion came from watching television. She exp...

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,...

Narration: How Voiceover Can Sometimes Make a Script Better

February 19, 2023

During my screenwriting education, we were urged to avoid the use of narrators in our scripts. There was a good reason for this: "baby writers" tend to over-rely on narrators to provide easy exposition or bypass actual character development as they s...

Writer Tony Basgallop On His Gripping New Series The Consultant

February 19, 2023

Creator and showrunner, Tony Basgallop, well known for his Apple+ series Servant, brings another engaging series to the screen with The Consultant starring Christoph Waltz, Brittany O’Grady and Nat Wolff.

5 Tips To Making Your Screenplay Look Professional

February 14, 2023

In a highly competitive marketplace, decisions about a screenplay are made quickly and sometimes even based on a cursory glance. This is why it’s important to make sure your script looks as professional as possible. It’ll not only lead to an easier a...