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 'The Highwaymen' Screenwriter John Fusco

April 9, 2019

Veteran screenwriter John Fusco discusses his journey from dropping out of school for The Blues to obtaining his GED, being accepted to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and eventually winning a screenplay contest that brought him to Los Angeles. Fusco ...

Indie Filmmaker Alexandra Boylan On Taking Control of Your Career

March 29, 2019

Hollywood is a tough town to make it in—especially if you’re a woman. People from around the world flock to La La Land with the hopes of ‘making it big’ and living out their dreams. But for some, that dream never comes to fruition. That’s why Alexand...

Film School Spotlight: Linda Cogwill on Los Angeles Film School

March 28, 2019

What do Workaholics, Saturday Night Live’s Matt Villines and Osmany Rodriguez and Happy! have in common? The Los Angeles Film School (LAFS). Specifically, the school counts Kyle Newacheck, director/co-creator of Workaholics, directing team Matt &...

Whiskey Cavalier Writer: This Show is Exactly What TV Needs

March 20, 2019

For 37-year-old Jameel Saleem, Whiskey Cavalier is the escapism every viewer needs— a mix of action, emotion and humor after a long day soaked in reality.

Write On with The Hummingbird Project Writer-Director Kim Nguyen

March 20, 2019

The Hummingbird Project writer-director Kim Nguyen discusses how he avoids getting stuck in creating backstory, his process of screen testing with friends, and how he was able to set the tone for his protagonist in one scene.

Sebastián Lelio on Gloria Bell: It’s the Ultimate Portrait of a Woman

March 19, 2019

Gloria Bell is your mother, your aunt or whoever you may aspire to be in middle age. Julianne Moore is exquisite in her portrayal of the ‘everywoman’ in a movie that will leaves you full of promise and inspired to live your own ordinary life in the m...

Write On with "Devil's Path" Writer-Director-Producer Matthew Montgomery

March 13, 2019

Writer-director-producer Matthew Montgomery discusses his start as an actor and how he eventually moved behind the camera to produce Devil's Path. The drama/thriller is about two men who encounter each other on a dangerous gay cruising park trail, an...

Tristan Barr Continuance Pictures’ Short Film Initiative

March 13, 2019

“Continuance Pictures was born out of the idea for a quality, low-budget production model similar to that of Blumhouse and A24,” says Tristan Barr, head producer and co-founder of Continuance Pictures. Along with his business partner, David Gim, Barr...

Part I: 'The Hole in the Ground' Writer-Director Lee Cronin on Getting Your Hands Dirty When Writing

March 12, 2019

Irish writer-director Lee Cronin’s passion for horror films culminates in his debut feature film, The Hole in the Ground. Co-written with Stephen Shields, the story centers around Sarah O’Neill (Seána Kerslake), who flees an abusive marriage and move...