Final Draft Blog

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5 Tips to Writing a Great Third Act

November 9, 2022

A film industry professional continues reading a screenplay because it has a great first act, but it’s the third act that’s likely to stick with them afterwards. When you finish watching a film, isn’t it the ending that’s freshest in your mind? It’s ...

Take 5: ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ scares off nostalgia for a new generation

October 7, 2022

Nostalgia is big business. The biggest movie of 2022 continues to be Top Gun: Maverick, which swims in nostalgia. Some of the most highly anticipated TV series to stream this year have been A League of Their Own and Cobra Kai, so it's no wonder that ...

How To Avoid a Second Act Slump in Your Screenplay

October 4, 2022

Over the years, if it’s one thing I’ve heard screenwriters struggle with the most, it’s the second act of their script. Even if they think they have a great concept and strong first act, they suddenly get to the second act and they find their creativ...

How To Create an Emotional Through Line in Your Screenplay

September 12, 2022

Many aspiring screenwriters might not be aware of the term “through line” and how it’s frequently used in the development process. When I first broke into the film industry I wasn’t aware of the term myself, and I definitely wasn’t thinking of themat...

Take 5: Writing 'A League of Their Own' series for new and original fans

September 12, 2022

Thirty years ago, a script about the first female professional baseball league was produced and released in theaters. A League of Their Own captured the hearts of countless movie-goers then, just as the adapted TV series of the same name does today.

5 Tips to Writing a Great Opening

September 7, 2022

In my article 5 Clichés to Avoid in the Opening of Your Script, I stressed the importance of grabbing industry professionals in the first couple pages of your spec script. Whether it’s a feature screenplay or a television pilot, most managers, agents...

Right Story, Right Character

September 7, 2022

In my article about National Lampoon's Vacation, I wrote that one of the reasons for the film’s success was it paired the right character with the right story. Sometimes there is a tendency for screenwriters to focus more on plot and less on the prot...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'The Black Phone' dials up tension by drip-feeding clues

August 31, 2022

On the surface, The Black Phone is a story about a 13-year-old boy named Finney who is kidnapped by a serial killer known as the Grabber, but something more mysterious haunts him throughout this story. In the soundproof room where he and many others ...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘The Gray Man's’ character development can level-up your craft

August 19, 2022

Moviegoers love characters who specialize, especially in violence. It’s even better if they’ve been part of a secret government program and can focus their specialty on someone more vicious than they are.