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.

Filmmaker Benjamin Cavell on his modern retelling of Stephen King's 'The Stand'

July 28, 2020

Benjamin Cavell and the team behind the CBS All Access limited series The Stand got to shelter in place for the pandemic by the skin of their teeth. They wrapped in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 11, 2020 — mere hours before much of North Ameri...

Spec Spotlight: Zack Ford Sells 'The Watcher' to Spooky Pictures

May 14, 2020

Zack Ford is hoping to scare audiences with his spec script The Watcher, which recently sold. The psychological thriller is about a newly engaged couple who move to an apartment in New York City, however the fiancée soon feels that she is being watch...

Rising Through the Ranks: Saeed Crumpler

April 22, 2020

For over two decades, 40-year-old Saeed Crumpler took the Oakland, California music industry by storm. With rap hits like Swagger Jackin, and Fa Sho featuring Kendrick Lamar, Crumpler became a rising star gaining fans around the world. It was a fulfi...

Rising Through the Ranks: 'Better Call Saul' Showrunner's Assistant Valerie Chu

May 8, 2019

Imagine working for the showrunner of one of the most esteemed shows in Hollywood.

All the Write Moves: Russian Doll

February 26, 2019

Songwriters face an inherent conundrum when trying to innovate because the chromatic scale of Western music includes only 12 unique notes. The challenge is to arrange and combine these limited resources in surprising ways. A similar conundrum faces t...

All the Write Moves: High Flying Bird

February 18, 2019

“They invented a game on top of a game,” observes a veteran coach in the new sports drama High Flying Bird. Within the context of its scene, the line refers to how long ago, white NBA executives created an infrastructure to retain control at the infl...

Weekend Writing Inspiration: Rewrite Negative Thoughts That Hurt Your Writing

February 16, 2019

“How can I get rid of the negative thoughts in my head?” When your head is filled with limiting or negative thoughts, it’s hard to stay focused on writing. You’ll get distracted right when you hit a critical story point, possibly not even noticing th...

Film School Spotlight: The UCLA Extension Writers' Program

February 13, 2019

As with all artists, there is one place writers go for a sense of direction when lost: The basics.

Write On with Big Break Grand Prize Winners Jeff Cassidy and Myles Reid

February 12, 2019

Since winning the 2018 Big Break Screenwriting Contest, Feature Grand Prize Winner Jeff Cassidy and TV Grand Prize Winner Myles Reid have been busy taking industry meetings with managers, agents, and producers. In this episode of Write On, Cassidy an...