Final Draft Blog

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Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

History of TV: 'Sister, Sister' Examines The Concept of Family on TGIF

December 31, 2020

Sister, Sister made it seem like suddenly discovering you have a twin sister is both the most wonderful thing in the world on one hand, and quite grateful you’re an only child, on the other. The ‘90s sitcom starred real-life twins Tamera Mowry-Housle...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: '2067'

December 30, 2020

When the year 2067 rolls around, the Earth’s population is all but gone. As plants died world-wide, oxygen levels plummeted, leading to suffocation and death for most of the planet’s inhabitants. One small holdout metropolis survives in Australia, li...

Character Study Part III: How to Handle Ensemble Casts and Character Arcs

December 30, 2020

In the final installment of our character study series, we’ll dive into how to handle ensemble casts. But isn’t every cast an ensemble, in a way? In this case, it’s one defined as having multiple protagonists that contribute equally to the narrative ...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘The Flight Attendant’ Soars As Latest Sexy Mystery

December 28, 2020

The Flight Attendant is an homage to throw-back filmmaking while also being a creation uniquely its own. Fans of Hitchcock, Mad Men, and any female protagonist with sitcom comedy chops (after all, star Kaley Cuoco did earn her stripes on Big Bang The...

Write On with 'One Night in Miami' Screenwriter Kemp Powers

December 25, 2020

One Night in Miami screenwriter Kemp Powers discusses adapting his own play into a film, how his previous work as a journalist informs his screenwriting, the real history behind the film's events, and more. Inspired by real events, the movie is a fic...

Afro Horror: The Black Female Villain

December 25, 2020

This week I finally joined the quietly popular social app, Clubhouse. What is that, you ask? Clubhouse is an iPhone only app currently in beta testing that allows users all over the world to come together in what they call “rooms” and discuss a topic...

History of TV: ‘Once Upon a Time’ Reinterprets Fairytales for the Modern Audience

December 24, 2020

2020 deserves a happy ending, and Once Upon a Time was that kind of persistently positive show that believed happily ever afters were possible — even in the most horrible place imaginable: The Land Without Magic. Aka: real life.

Writing the 9-Act Structure for TV Movies

December 24, 2020

Most screenwriters are familiar with the three-act structure of a feature screenplay. The first act is the first thirty minutes (ish) that gets us as far as the protagonist heading off on their adventure. The second act is the main part of the film, ...

Behind the Scenes of the Christmas Screenplay Adaptation Process

December 23, 2020

In addition to being a screenwriter, I’m a novelist; one of those writers that takes nine months to carve out a story to where it’s good enough to offer for sale. Sometimes, it’s a two-year long slog with occasional breaks if the story is complicated...