Princess Scribe on Scriptcast!

Posted on by Eric

Some of you know her as Princess Scribe.  Others as Anne Lower.  Whatever you call her, she’s coming on Scriptcast this Wednesday, February 22nd at 11am!

Listen live by going to UCLAradio.com on Wednesday at 11am and clicking the “Listen Live” button at the top of the page.

We’ll be chatting with Anne about her new web series – They Live Among Us – as well as Oscar films, screenwriting, Save the Cat structure, and much, much more.  (Or maybe just “much more?”)

If you’re not familiar with Anne’s work, I highly encourage you to check out her bio on the They Live Among Us Website.

Want to join in the discussion?  Tweet me (@scriptdreric) any and all questions before or during the show.  I’ll try and squeeze as many as I can in the interview.

If you miss the live recording, don’t fret – it’s just the live recording.  The podcast episode will be posted a few days after Anne’s appearance.  Be sure to subscribe to Scriptcast via iTunes to catch all the new episodes.

You just go to iTunes, search “Scriptcast” and hit “Subscribe.”

It’s free.

Seriously.

Okay, see you on Wednesday, and…

Onward!

-Eric

Mini-Screenwriting Contest – Winners!

Posted on by Eric

Back in December of 2011 I held a small screenwriting contest known as Script Doctor Eric’s Mini-Screenwriting Contest (and/or the $3 Screenwriting Contest) to encourage folks to get started on their next screenplay.

Screenwriters were to submit a logline and three pages of a script.  The five winners would get a free notes of their completed screenplays from me, Script Doctor Eric, at the return of my script consultation services.

And then…sorting through the submisssions took a bit longer than expected.  Your patience has been appreciated (But perhaps wearing thin as you are still reading and the winners haven’t been announced?  Alright, I’ll get to it, sheesh!).

So, without further ado, and over 100 EXCELLENT entries later, the FIVE winners of 2011′s $3 Screenwriting Contest are (in alphabetical order):

Amy Butler – ATTACHMENT ISSUES
Christiane Fogleboch – THREE LIVES
Natalia Lopez-Woodside – ABBY OF THE LIVING
Tonja Renee Stidhum – GULLY
Keith Storrier – THE SLEEPER

Congrats Amy, Christiane, Natalia, Tonja, and Keith!

In addition, over on Scriptcast: Episode 37, Matt and I picked Natalia Lopez-Woodside as the Grand Prize Winner.  Nice work, Natalia!  Sorry for pronouncing your name incorrectly the first three times!

Natalia (the more often I write her name, the more likely I’ll be to pronounce it correctly) wins free notes from me PLUS a year of Ashley’s Meyers’s Professional Screenwriting Tools!

Congrats again to the winners, and thanks to everyone who entered.

If you didn’t win, it doesn’t mean your logline or pages weren’t good; there were simply a number of great submissions.  In fact, at one point I had over 20 finalists.  Narrowing it down was not easy.*

So keep your head up, and keep going on that script.  There’s no reason you shouldn’t finish it.

Seriously.  And…

Onward!

-Eric

—

* If you strongly feel your script should have been a finalist, shoot me an email!  I’ll drop you a few quick thoughts on my reasoning, and perhaps even make some suggestions on how you might improve it.  :)

 

Script Doctor Eric’s Hiatus Extended

Posted on by Eric

As some of you know, my screenplay services have been on hold since early 2011 due to my involvement in a larger project.

In my original post on this topic (Script Doctor Eric on Semi-Hiatus), I estimated the project would be finished by early this year.  Unfortunately, it looks like it will take another six months.  My apologies.

What is this project?  If you haven’t figured it out yet by listening to Scriptcast (A Screenwriting Podcast) I’ll just say this: These things can take years.  Luckily, I’m nearing the end of the journey.

Meanwhile, I’ll still be updating this site, answering your emails, and pumping out new episodes of Scriptcast.  (Maybe “pumping out” isn’t the right word.  But you get the idea.)

I’m really looking forward to getting back into screenplay consulting.  While I love blogging and podcasting about screenwriting, I started ScriptDoctorEric.com to offer individual screenwriters specific help with their work.  I can’t wait to return to my original mission.

Thanks for your patience, and…

Onward!

-Eric

Joey’s Top 50 Films of 2011

Posted on by Eric
Not to be COMPLETELY outdone by Script Doctor Eric’s Best (and Worst) Movies of 2011 list, our very own TV Script Doctor Joey put together a decent-sized collection of films she saw in 2011.  If you know Joey, you know that Harry Potter is number one.  But the rest?  Read on and see!  -Eric

Joey’s Top 50 Films of 2011

1.  Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows 2 - No movie had the emotional impact as the final chapter of my beloved Harry Potter.  Oh, how I will miss thee!
2.  Ides of March - Why am I the only one who loved this movie?  (Eric, I’m talking to you!)  Politics and Ryan Gosling and George Clooney?  How can that not be great?
3.  Super 8 - I’m a sucker for aliens and kids — plus Elle Fanning was amazing.  If it were a math problem, it would be (Goonies + Jurassic Park) x ET, parenthesis intentional…and to be done first.
4.  Source Code - Impressive in many ways.  Only complaint: I sort of wish it would have ended at the freeze frame.
5.   The Artist - Not as original of a story as I had hoped (hello, Singin in the Rain!), but certainly captivating and endearing.  My pick for Best Picture.
6.  Crazy Stupid Love - Other than Harry Potter, the only other movie on this list that I’ve already seen twice.  Funny and sweet.  And I do love Ryan Gosling.
7.  50/50 - Sweet, sad and funny.  What more can you want from a comedy?
8.  The Muppets - Such a happy movie.  Really well cast, and I love the music.
9.  We Bought a Zoo - Did anyone else see this?  Sweet and totally entertaining.
10.  Drive - Okay so my 3rd Ryan Gosling movie in the top 10, maybe I’m obsessed.  I could have used a little more dialogue and back story.
11.  Hanna - Story, Action and fascinating character.  A little heavy on style but very very fun.
12.  Beginners - Such a sweet movie
13.  Bridesmaids - Yes, it was funny.  However I, for one, would have thought it was funnier without the bridal store scenes, but we Americans seem to love our bathroom humor.
14.  Moneyball - Just like baseball itself: pleasant, all-American, and crowd-pleasing but a little slow and long for my taste.  (Baseball should really only be 6 innings.)
15.  Midnight in Paris - Fun and entertaining
16. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - A lot like the original, but with a prettier cast and no subtitles.   And the story ended about 20 minutes before the movie
17.  The Descendants - I expected this one to be funnier and lighter, so  I was disappointed to find myself in a seriously sad movie – even a good one.  I just wasn’t prepared.
18.  My Week with Marilyn - I loved every character in this movie, except Marilyn.  Michelle Williams was good — but the character was annoying as anything.
19.  Horrible Bosses - I laughed. Seems no one else really did.
20.  Jane Eyre - Michael Fassbender was way too pretty a Rochester.  If you haven’t read the book, I can’t imagine you’d want to see the movie.
21.  Hugo - It took too long for the story to get started.  And the film preservation angle felt a little heavy handed.
22.  Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Solid popcorn fun.  But I cannot buy James Franco as a scientist.
23.  J. Edgar - I will say it again, Clint Eastwood lacks subtlety.  And why was Leo’s age makeup so much better than Armie Hammer’s?
24.  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – I want to like smart movies, but I wasn’t really in the mood to think that day.  I still don’t understand the girl’s connection.
25.  Like Crazy - I couldn’t get past the fact that they foolishly brought the entire situation on themselves.  Therefore, I never felt that bad for them.  She should have gone home.
26.  Our Idiot Brother - Paul Rudd is funny.
27.  Another Earth - Really wanted to like it more.
28.  Young Adult - I had high hopes and was disappointed.  The last 30 minutes were painful.
29.  X-Men: First Class - Exactly what I expected/wanted it to be.
30.  Win Win - Okay I barely remember this one — other than that I liked it okay.
31.    Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows - Better story this time around (less Scooby-Doo).  Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law have amazing chemistry.  I could listen to their banter all day.
32.    Battle Los Angeles - I admit I love seeing movies set in LA and my reaction to watching it be destroyed was almost giddy.  I know everyone hated it, but I had fun.
33.    Rum Diaries - I was annoyed that Johnny Depp was cast in a role that is supposed to be early 20s, but I must say Johnny Depp doesn’t age.  And I don’t think I could have sat through it without him.
34.    The Help - I never read this book and had low expectations for the movie, but it got to me in the end.
35.    Martha Marcy May Marlene - Why didn’t the sister take her to a therapist immediately?  Why did she join the cult?  Who is this girl?  Why doesn’t she talk?  Ever?
36.    Water for Elephants - I read the book and saw the movie and wasn’t impressed with either.
37.    Limitless - I argue with the science on this one.  I feel like he should have had super powers instead of just adding more memory.  Telekinesis, mind-reading, something.  All my friends disagree with me, but I’m pretty sure I could fly if I had access to 4x my current brain functions.  I think the possibilities would be, well…limitless.
38.    Bad Teacher - Bad Movie.
39.    I Am Number Four - I love Young Adult stories and sci-fi but this one was hard to sit through.
40.    Shame - How about some dialogue?  Some answers?  Some motivation?  Some story?
41.    Anonymous - This movie took itself way too seriously.
42.    No Strings Attached - Ashton Kutcher’s character easily transitions into a working entertainment industry writer?!!? That pissed me off.
43.    Thor - A magic hammer?  A rainbow bridge?  Seriously?  And it was like 2 separate movies in between the 2 worlds — completely different feel and tone.
44.    Your Highness - This is when James Franco is believable!
45.    30 Minutes or Less - Who thought this was a good idea for a comedy?
46.    Straw Dogs - I only saw this because I recently watched all of True Blood and fell hard for Eric Northman.  Sort of wish I could un-see it.  But now feel compelled to watch the original.
47.    Hall Pass - When you try to play toward the lowest common denominator, this is the result.
48.    Dirty Girl - This movie is based in my hometown, so I had to see it.  My hometown deserved better.
49.    Wrecked - I would have rather sat through Buried again.  It’s just Adrain Brody wandering in the wilderness for 1 1/2 hours.  Note to self: if the lead character’s name is “Man,” skip it.
50.    Conan the Barbarian - Oh my!  This movie has sworn me off 3-D for a while.  What a mess.  And it’s not like I had high expectations.  The worst movie of the year.

And…That’s it! 

Want to join in the fun in 2012?  Watch as many movies as you can this year and keep track!  And the end of the year I’ll post the lists.  It’s the Great Movie Challenge of 2012.  (Click that link for the details.)

 

Oscar Nominated Screenplays – Free Downloads

Posted on by Eric

Awards season is my favorite time of year for three reasons:

1. Most of the best movies are released – I wish they would spread the “good” films more throughout the year, but now I sure look forward to the holidays.  Ah, the holidays: eating food, seeing my family, and convincing my family to go to the movies.

2. Everyone is talking about movies – And I love talking about movies.  Okay, so not everyone is bringing it up, but this time of year I seem to get into a lot more conversations about movies with people I don’t usually have conversations with about movies…if you know what I mean.

3. Awards and Oscar Nominated Scripts are Available for Free Download – Some of the best scripts go online, and you can download them in PDF form for free.  Ashley Meyers of SellingYourScreenplay.com pointed me to nice page on the CBS site, which has a link to the pdfs. Here it is:

CBS Site with Free Downloads of Award Nominated Scripts

As screenwriters, we can improve our skills in a few different ways.  The first way, of course, is writing, writing, and rewriting.  The next is watching movies.  Finally, getting our hands on as many screenplays as we can helps us keep up with the best scripts and changing styles in the craft.

In other words, awards season helps season helps us do two of those three things.  Now all that’s left is the writing.  :)

Onward!

-Eric