Final Draft Blog

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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...

The Bricks of Breaking In: Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe On Being Ready For Opportunity

January 31, 2023

Looking back on his youth, Robert Hewitt Wolfe (Prodigal Son, Elementary, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) was always writing. He started his first novel at the age of ten. Started his second in high school and his third in college, although he didn’t fin...

5 Tips To Finishing a Screenplay

January 30, 2023

In my article “5 Tips To Starting a Screenplay,” I offered advice on how an aspiring screenwriter can start writing, which is often the most difficult part of the process. However, a lot of writers — whether they’re aspiring or seasoned professionals...

What ‘Poker Face’ Teaches Us About Writing Procedural TV

January 30, 2023

If you’re looking to create a ‘Who Dun It,’ the master to follow these days is Rian Johnson. Known for his clever murder mysteries Knives Out and Glass Onion, this writer/director can show you plenty of ways to write a suspenseful tale with quirky ch...