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.

Write On with ‘Promised Land’ Creator Matt Lopez

February 18, 2022

Promised Land is an epic, generation-spanning ABC drama about two Latinx families vying for wealth and power in California's Sonoma Valley. Showrunner and creator Matt Lopez tells Write On: “The show… tackles immigration, assimilation, what it means ...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘Encanto’ offers storytelling lessons beyond animated features

February 18, 2022

In the mountains of Colombia, every Madrigal family member is blessed with a unique, magical power. Luisa has the power of strength. Antonio recently acquired the ability to communicate with animals. For a handful of generations, this family living i...

Rising Through the Ranks: CW writer Eric Anthony Glover on good sci-fi and great people

February 18, 2022

It’s always been about a good story for Eric Anthony Glover.

History of TV: The satirical smarts of 'Dear White People'

February 17, 2022

Dear White People marked Lionsgate’s second original series for Netflix (behind Orange is the New Black). The half-hour dramedy which premiered April 28th, 2017 and wrapped last year on its fourth season was adapted from creator Justin Simien’s debut...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways for an Anti-Valentine's Day Week: 'The Beta Test'

February 16, 2022

It’s Valentine’s Day week and that means endless ads to buy flowers and declare your love for someone — or sit at home, eat ice cream, and watch a romantic comedy. But as much as I believe in the power of love on screen, sometimes you just need a cau...

Meeting the moment: How 3 heartfelt films capture Winter Olympics glory

February 16, 2022

Can a young amateur named Rocky Balboa go the distance with heavyweight champion Apollo Creed? Can an inexperienced boxer named Maggie Fitzgerald become a million dollar baby?

Write On with 'The 355' Co-Writer Theresa Rebeck

February 15, 2022

When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, a wild card CIA agent joins forces with three international agents on a lethal mission to retrieve it, while staying a step ahead of a mysterious woman who's tracking their every move in this actio...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘Moonfall’ and 25+ years of Roland Emmerich disaster films

February 12, 2022

The moon has suddenly shifted off its orbit and is poised to crash into the earth. In a movie world where meteors and aliens are constantly trying to destroy the earth, why not create a story where the moon becomes the enemy?

‘Indemnity’ and the long road to becoming South Africa’s latest mainstream action blockbuster

February 11, 2022

Indemnity is one of the most ambitious action thrillers to come out of South Africa, offering stunning set pieces and a story that feels like a combination between The Manchurian Candidate and The Fugitive. It’s no surprise, as writer-director Travis...