William Froug on Theme

“Ask yourself a most important question before you begin: What is about? I do not mean the plot, the arrangement of events, or eve the characters. I don’t mean who it’s about, but what’s it about. What are you saying in this story? What is your point of view? What is there about this story [...]

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Speech, Speech?

In the post James L. Brooks on Chayefsky, Brooks is quoted as having great admiration for Chayefsky’s monologues in Network and Hospital.  This is what screenwriter and former USC professor Irwin R. Blacker had to say on the topic of speeches in book The Elements of Screenwriting (which was first published in 1986  shortly after his [...]

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James L. Brooks on Chayefsky

I’ve never watched Network (1976) and Broadcast News (1987) back to back, but that would be an interesting experiment. James L. Brooks, writer/director of Broadcast News, has been open about his admiration of the Oscar-winning writer of Network.  “I think Paddy Chayefsky should be in the argument for the greatest American writer. Just his versatility. [...]

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Flash Over Substance

“What do you think the Devil is going to look like if he’s around? Nobody is going to be taken in if he has a long, red, pointy tail. No. I’m semi-serious here. He will look attractive and he will be nice and helpful and he will get a job where he influences a great [...]

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James L. Brooks’ Fluke

Last week I watch the Criterion Collection DVD of Broadcast News that was written and directed by James L. Brooks. Despite the 1987 film being Brooks was nominated seven Oscars and not winning any, I think it is one of the finest films of the 80s. And almost 25 years after it was released, it [...]

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Writing Quote #29 (Dorothea Brande)

“Every book, ever editor, every teacher will tell you that the great key to success in authorship is originality….It is well to understand as early as possible in one’s writing life that there is just one contribution which every one of us can make: we can give into the common pool of experience some comprehension [...]

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Screenwriting from Iowa —The Book?

For those of you who’ve been wondering about Screenwriting from Iowa…and Other Unlikely Places becoming a book —now’s your chance to help make that happen. This morning I launched my first Kickstarter campaign.  (For those of you interested in starting your own Kickstarter campaign, I’ll explain the process this week over at E-Filmmaking.com.) After 3 [...]

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Jerry Seinfeld (Part 5)

On part 5 of a five days of posts on Jerry Seinfeld do you think I can find some connection to his success and the state of Iowa? Of course, I can. First Seinfeld points to his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as the event that changed his life. For decades Johnny [...]

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Jerry Seinfeld (Part 4)

“There is a great premium on originality. And being funny is not just enough for the taste of audiences today. They really want to get comedy and a person. A uniqueness. And no one can write that for you so you have to create that…Everyone’s funny in a different way.” Jerry Seinfeld So let’s review [...]

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Jerry Seinfeld (Part 3)

“I did well because I didn’t care if I was successful. I just wanted to be a comedian. I didn’t care about the money, I didn’t care about my career. I just wanted to be up on stage telling jokes.“ Jerry Seinfeld Jerry Seinfeld graduated from college in 1976 and that year did his first [...]

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