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OC Screenwriters - Articles

Articles
Dec
29

Final Draft Insider View with Daniel Vang and Christopher Lockhart

Final Draft Insider View with Daniel Vang and Christopher Lockhart

Final Draft sits down with WME's Christopher Lockhart and Benderspink's Daniel Vang  for a discussion about the life of a script. Many writers don't consider what happens after an executive reads a script and thinks it has potential to go to production. But the more you the screenwriter know about the process, the better you can prepare your script to be a part of it, and the better your odds of seeing your name in the credits.

Original author: Final Draft

  2963 Hits
Dec
27

'Sleepy Hollow' Co-Creator Phillip Iscove on the Evolution of a Hit Show

'Sleepy Hollow' Co-Creator Phillip Iscove on the Evolution of a Hit Show

Phillip Iscove, creator of hit TV series Sleepy Hollow, talks about his early days at film school in Toronto, working as an assistant at powerhouse agency UTA for eight years, and how Sleepy Hollow was not just his first sale: it also saved him from being kicked out of the country. Along the way he discusses the prevalence of genre stories on television, the challenges of working on such a large budget show, and what he looks for when hiring staff writers. 

Original author: Final Draft

  3087 Hits
Dec
26

'Insurgent' Screenwriter Brian Duffield talks writing for the hit franchise

'Insurgent' Screenwriter Brian Duffield talks writing for the hit franchise

A native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Brian Duffield burst onto the screenwriting scene with his rom com spec 'Your Bridesmaid Is A Bitch', a Black List script that launched his career. Brian talks moving to Los Angeles after college, struggling to make himself known in Hollywood, and what it's like to write a script for a hit franchise.

Original author: Final Draft

  2840 Hits
Dec
20

'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Writer/Director Dean DeBlois Discusses Animation

'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Writer/Director Dean DeBlois Discusses Animation

Dean DeBlois, writer/director of such animated classics as Lilo and Stitch and the How To Train Your Dragon series, talks about how he got his start in animation, how to approach fantasy/adventure screenplays, and what it's like to write for a dragon. - 

Original author: Final Draft

  2664 Hits
Dec
13

Anthony McCarten talks ‘The Theory of Everything’

Anthony McCarten talks ‘The Theory of Everything’

Acclaimed novelist, playwright and screenwriter Anthony McCarten tells how it took him eight years to convince Stephen and Jane Hawking to give him the rights to their story, his "exaggerated desire" to express himself, and how "putting words into the mouth of the smartest guy on the planet" took an enormous leap of faith. - 

Original author: Final Draft

  3016 Hits
Dec
07

‘Nightingale’ writer Frederick Mensch discusses the fast-paced ramp up into production

‘Nightingale’ writer Frederick Mensch discusses the fast-paced ramp up into production

Frederick Mensch, founder of the online screenwriting database MovieBytes, can now add working screenwriter to his resume. His uncompromising screenplay, 'Nightingale', was recently made into a movie by HBO, starring Golden-Globe nominee David Oyelowo. 'Nightingale' is the first movie to be made from a script uploaded to the Black List, and has launched Mensch’s career many years after he began writing. Mensch discusses his long journey from film school to Hollywood, how to write a film with one character and one location, and the importance of writing a “splashy role” that will attract a movie star to your project.

Original author: Final Draft

  2251 Hits
Dec
01

Better Call Saul writer Gennifer Hutchison on how she learned to be an asset to the writers' room in any role

Better Call Saul writer Gennifer Hutchison on how she learned to be an asset to the writers' room in any role

Television writer Gennifer Hutchison has spent time in some of the most famous writers' rooms of recent years.  Her roles have spanned everything from producer’s assistant to supervising producer on the wildly popular and critically acclaimed Better Call Saul.

Original author: Final Draft

  2427 Hits
Nov
16

Final Draft Insider View With Comedian-Screenwriter Jim Jefferies

Final Draft Insider View With Comedian-Screenwriter Jim Jefferies

Comedian-screenwriter-actor Jim Jefferies bares all about his writing process, getting a series on the air, and killing off characters - even disabled ones.

Original author: Final Draft

  2175 Hits
Nov
16

Jason Dean Hall writes the controversial true story of Chris Kyle’s life in ‘American Sniper’

Jason Dean Hall writes the controversial true story of Chris Kyle’s life in ‘American Sniper’

Jason Dean Hall discusses what it was like to tell the story of Chris Kyle in 'American Sniper', a polarizing figure whose controversial and disturbing story broke box-office records. The writer's deeply personal connection to the story is filling the trades and garnering awards attention while, in a world far away from Hollywood, the trial for Kyle's tragic murder is taking place.

Original author: Final Draft

  2784 Hits
Nov
09

Professional Script Reader Kelly Boruff discusses the do's and don't of Screenwriting

Professional Script Reader Kelly Boruff discusses the do's and don't of Screenwriting

Professional script reader Kelly Boruff talks about the most important qualities your script should have, how to deal with the notes process, and what rules she likes to see broken on the page. 

Original author: Final Draft

  2246 Hits
Nov
09

'Truth’ writer-director James Vanderbilt talks film school, researching true stories, and landing Robert Redford

'Truth’ writer-director James Vanderbilt talks film school, researching true stories, and landing Robert Redford

James Vanderbilt talks about researching 'Truth,' the controversial courtroom drama detailing the 2004 CBS '60 Minutes' report that cost anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes their careers.

Original author: Final Draft

  2020 Hits
Nov
02

‘Jim Gaffigan Show’ co-writer Jeannie Gaffigan talks collaboration, balance, and Jim’s appetite

‘Jim Gaffigan Show’ co-writer Jeannie Gaffigan talks collaboration, balance, and Jim’s appetite

Final Draft chats with Jeannie Gaffigan about The Jim Gaffigan Show, her latest series with comedian husband Jim. Jeannie and Jim Gaffigan’s writing/producing credits include such shows as Mr. Universe, Obsessed, King Baby, Beyond the Pale, and My Boys. Now they are sharing their real and chaotic life with fans on the new TV Land series which explores one man’s struggle to find a balance between fatherhood, stand-up comedy and an insatiable appetite. Jeannie discusses her theater background, as well as her collaboration with husband Jim Gaffigan as they became a comedy power couple, and the challenges they faced while balancing a large family with a successful comedy career.

Original author: Final Draft

  2454 Hits
Oct
26

'Blackish' creator Kenya Barris and show runner Jonathan Groff

'Blackish' creator Kenya Barris and show runner Jonathan Groff

‘Black-ish’ co-showrunners, Kenya Barris and Jonathan Groff, discuss the road to creating hit shows Talented television creators Kenya Barris and Jonathan Groff have teamed up on the new hit ABC television show 'Black-ish'.

Original author: Final Draft

  2640 Hits
Oct
12

‘Brooklyn’ writer Nick Hornby talks influences, the joy of collaboration and finding beauty in the ordinary

‘Brooklyn’ writer Nick Hornby talks influences, the joy of collaboration and finding beauty in the ordinary

Nick Hornby talks about adapting ‘Brooklyn,’ the dramatic romance about an Irish immigrant (Saoire Ronan) who finds love and must choose between two countries.

Original author: Final Draft

  2306 Hits
Sep
30

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, from USC to 'Big Eyes'

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, from USC to 'Big Eyes'

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski walk us through their first meeting as students at USC, to their latest project, 'Big Eyes'.

Original author: Final Draft

  2261 Hits
Sep
28

Kay Cannon talks going from ‘30 Rock’ to ‘Pitch Perfect’

Kay Cannon talks going from ‘30 Rock’ to ‘Pitch Perfect’

Kay Cannon talks about her beginnings at Second City, what it was like to work in the Writer's Room of '30 Rock', her hit movie franchise 'Pitch Perfect', and the difference between writing for film and television. 

Original author: Final Draft

  2272 Hits
Aug
24

Welcome!

logo meetup

 

Welcome to the new website for the
Orange Country Screenwriters Association!

A lot has changed, web-wise, since the 1st time I put up a website for this org in 2009. 

We've gone from a Flash-based site, to a Drupal-based site that was mostly custom-built, to now this platform.

I've migrated most of the articles over from the old site and this migration will be ongoing until the old site can be safely put to bed and this site given its due.

I hope that you will visit regularly and enjoy the content here.  I will also list all our social media and partner sites which include screenwriting classes, tips, etc.

Today as always: Be Inspired, Do Good Work!

Mark Sevi, President Orange County Screenwriters Association

  3603 Hits
Aug
24

In Praise of - Doc Hollywood

A230 02"Doc Hollywood" is a romantic comedy based on the book What?...Dead Again? by Neil B. Shulman M.D.  It stars Michael J. Fox and Julie Warner with a cast of great character actors including David Ogden Stiers ("Mash") and Barnard Hughes with Woody Harrelson and Bridget Fonda. 

Fox plays an egocentric young doctor heading to L.A. to join a plastic surgery practice.  He gets run off the road on the way, destroys the local judge's new fence and is sentenced to community service because the town needs a doctor.  The ploy is designed to make him fall in love with the town in the hopes that he'll stay and become their next town doctor. 

It helps that the first morning he's there, he's greeted by the fetching Julie Warner rising out of a lake, nude, like some demi-goddess nymph.  That definitely sparks his interest in staying and creates a truly warm and funny romantic comedy as Fox fights his urge to be a big-city doctor and not follow his heart which is captured by both the town and Ms Warner.

  6424 Hits
Aug
21

In Praise of - NCIS

NCIS Wallpapers ncis 13737939 1280 1024"NCIS" (the original) has been an ongoing success for 13 seasons.  To gain some perspective on that, when the show started the agents were using PDAs, not smart phones.  No one knew (or cared about) Kim Kardashian, Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, Facebook (they used MySpace!!) or the Donald (Trump, not Duck.)  And there was no Homeland Security.

I have to admit that I was never much interested in this show - procedurals in general left me less than enthused.  I watched the various Law and Orders but not regularly (another great example of long-running episodic TV.)  Netflix brought me to this show and I somehow have become hooked.

I was a "Magnum P.I." fan but not "Jag."  Both were created by super-producer Donald Bellisario as was "NCIS."  The show is well-crafted with great characters - a hallmark of Bellasario.  You can rail against the "formula" but it works:

  • Gibbs (Mark Harmon) a tough-as-nails ex-Marine who runs the joint.
  • DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) the womanizer/joker.
  • Ducky (David McCallum) the quirky, yet formidable forensic coroner.
  • Abby (Pauley Perrette) - a goth in goth clothing (with pigtails) who is the (also quirky) jack-of-all trades forensic scientist.
  • McGee (Sean Murphy) - a whipsmart geek/agent continuously trying to figure out who he is in the scheme of the agency and his fellow agents.
  • Ziva (Cote de Pablo) the hot Mossad agent who came in on Season 2 and stayed until Season 11.
  4945 Hits
Oct
11

Scriptwriting Classes

Scriptwriting Classes at Irvine Valley College - Mark Sevi

facebook Scriptwriting Classes
 Taught by a Professional Screenwriter (credits)

mark sevi logo

CLASSES ONGOING and RUN EVERY 8-10 WEEKS. 

Image00001MORE INFO!

These writing classes are through IVC Continuing Education: Website (123getsmart.com) for more information, or call Community Ed (949) 451-5555 if the information is not yet on the website.  
You can also leave a voicemail at 949.610.4299


Learn how to write a script but more importantly learn techniques on how to tell a complete and compelling story!

Get that movie/TV series/animation idea on paper!  Don't think about it - do it now!  
What are you waiting for?  Seriously!

  3953 Hits

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