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.

Writer-Director Scott Z. Burns on 'The Report'

November 8, 2019

The Report is a new film written and directed by Scott Z. Burns, who is probably best known for his many collaborations with Steven Soderbergh. Burns has written screenplays for such Soderbergh movies as The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects, and h...

The Bricks of Breaking In: Make Your Own Table Read With This Writing Tool

November 6, 2019

As writers, we often work in isolation; churning out pages then reworking and revising again and again. You’d love to hear your work read out loud, listen as your characters come to life to see if you’ve captured their voices and have consistency to ...

Write On: 2019 Austin Film Festival Wrap Up

November 5, 2019

Recorded at the 2019 Austin Film Festival, we chat with Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont about Liza On Demand, now entering its second season on Youtube, and Ben Cory Jones about Boomerang, the new show he co-created with Lena Waithe. You can learn ...

Write On with Motherless Brooklyn Writer-Director Edward Norton

November 1, 2019

Edward Norton, writer-director, producer and star of the new film Motherless Brooklyn discusses the long journey to get the film made, what makes a great adaptation and more. Set against the backdrop of 1950’s New York, Warner Brothers' Motherless Br...

Writer-Directors Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing on Resurrecting Their Curse in 'The Gallows Act II'

October 30, 2019

New horror flick The Gallows Act II from writer-directors Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing is a follow-up to the team’s 2015 The Gallows, which follows students who accidentally resurrect the past in a school play to horrific consequences.

Writer-Director Abe Forsythe Serves Up Big Fun in 'Little Monsters'

October 11, 2019

Is it weird to say a zombie movie is cute? Well, Little Monsters is cute. And gory, funny, full of F-bombs and laced with a little romance—just about everything you want in a zom-com.

Teaching From the Trenches: Screenwriter Ian Shorr Hits Pause to Pay It Forward

October 10, 2019

Many screenwriters teach a screenwriting class after their cache has dried up in Hollywood; long after they have any relevance or connection to the industry, they finally decide to share their experiences.

From Green to Greenlit: The Steps an Idea Takes to The Screen

October 9, 2019

Most beginning screenwriters believe this is the career of a screenwriter: Write script, get paid, repeat.

#BeTheChange - Write On with Kelli McNeil & Alexander Yellen of 'Daruma'

October 8, 2019

Writer Kelli McNeil and director Alexander Yellen discuss the Seed & Spark campaign for their new film Daruma, the personal origins of the story, why casting actors with disabilities was important to Kelli and Alex, and much more.