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.

How a filmmaker used her low-budget skills to create a $50k union feature

December 22, 2022

What does “low budget” mean? It’s all based on context. One person’s $50,000 film might be low budget, but so would a $10 million dollar Ridley Scott studio picture.

Big Story, Small Budget

December 16, 2022

Many aspiring screenwriters don’t consider budgets when writing a spec script, even though it’s a major factor to why certain scripts get bought and produced.

Embracing Entrepreneurship As a Screenwriter Part 2: Patience and Process

November 25, 2020

In Embracing Entrepreneurship Part 1 we discussed the importance of taking initiative as a screenwriter using my film, Poor Greg Downing, as a case study. Now that we had the movie in the can, the real work was just beginning. Starting with: backing ...

The Weekend Movie Takeaway: February 19th, 2019

February 20, 2019

Blockbuster cinema titan James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, Avatar) has been planning an adaptation of the Japanese manga known in English as Battle Angel Alita for more than a decade.

Write On with Writer-Director Isabella Eklöf

February 20, 2019

With the support of the Danish Film Institute, Swedish writer-director Isabella Eklöf premiered her feature debut ‘Holiday’ at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Eklöf discusses her creative and development process and her overall career in filmmaking.

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...

Before You Know It Filmmakers On How To Get Your Passion Project Made

February 7, 2019

It’s a rare and difficult thing to write, direct, and star in your own film. But that is exactly what Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock did with their Sundance feature film debut, the comedy Before You Know It. The pair also knows what a tremendous fe...

Write On with Kevin O'Brien

February 5, 2019

Writer-director Kevin O'Brien discusses his transition from Creative Director to filmmaker, raising money through crowdfunding, and submitting his debut feature 'At the End of the Day' to film festivals. Information about the film can be found HERE.