People & News
The Buzz
Animation is a creative niche that offers much potential, but which is often marginalized as kids stuff in America.

Lost Scenes
Alfred Hitchcock learned to challenge the mind and more importantly serve the story from his test run on Spellbound.

Production Co. Spotlight
Anatomy of a Spec Sale
Paul Davidson sells his comedy spec Grounded for low to mid-six figures.

People
Amber Dawn Lee
Mike Adamick
Helen Schulman

Sneak Peak Interview
David Goyer

Breaking In
Nicole Kassell
Michael Goorjian
Brian Petersen

The Code
Believe your way to success.

Coming Soon...
Blade: Trinity, Batman Begins
Writing comic book movies has become just one of the things that is old-hat for David Goyer. By David Konow

The Incredibles
Brad Bird is on the verge of finding a big audience with his new Pixar film. By Peter N. Chumo II

House of Flying Daggers
A great action film and a unique love story, Zhang Yimous film is an excellent follow-up to Hero. By Jeff Goldsmith

Lemony Snicket
All screenwriters suffer a bit of schizophrenia. We own a story for years; then give it away to producers and directors. In that, were all a bit like Lemony Snicket. By John Strysik

Ray
Whether you are a sightless musical genius or a screenwriter entrusted with documenting his life, holding onto your own inner vision is vital. By Nancy Hendrickson

Vera Drake
Writer/Director Mike Leigh had this to say about the script: Ive never made a film with a screenplay. Confused? Read on. By Jeff Goldsmith

The Merchant of Venice
Michael Radfords excellent adaptation of Shakespeares 14th play lives up to its source. By Jeff Goldsmith

Closer
London playwright and screenwriter Patrick Marber reveals that the key to successfully shifting from stage to screen was distance. By Yon Motskin

Overnight
Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana capture the astonishing career implosion of onetime Miramax golden boy Troy Duffy. By Den Shewman

Columns
The Busine$$ of Screenwriting
Chance Follows Design
Luck plays a part but the lead role is yours. by Ron Suppa
Writer Beware!
Show Us The Money!
Sometimes writers have to wait a long time to get paid. Why do they put up with it, and what can they do about it? by Steve Ryfle

Agents Hot Sheet
How Do I Get A Damn Manager?
Do you really need to shell out that extra 10%? What can a manager do for you that an agent cant? by Jim Cirile

Belly of the Beast
Comic Book: The Movie
Opportunities abound for screenwriters making the quantum leap back and forth from the twin realms of movies and comic books. by Michael Lent
Our Craft
Teach Yourself: Part 5
In every good story, sometimes its time for a change point. by Jeff Newman

The Contest Beat
Write Globally, Compete Locally
Want to enter a screenplay contest but cant figure out where to start? Try a regional contest. by Patricia B. Smith

The Final Scene
Beyond the Sea by Kevin Spacey

Features
Kevin Spacey Makes Waves in Beyond the Sea
Producing, acting, directing, singing, dancing, and now writing. Is there anything Kevin Spacey cant do? After seeing his labor of love Beyond The Sea, clearly the answer is no. But dont tell Spacey that, it might go to his head. Creative Screenwriting speaks to Spacey to find out how he made it through a decade-long journey to tell one story. By Jeff Goldsmith

The Craft of Action
Action flicks, action comedies, action thrillers, sci-fi action thrillers, and horror action thrillers, they may not get much respect, but they do get the dough. Creative Screenwriting speaks to four screenwriters all of whom have contributed notably to the genre: John Fasano (Another 48 Hours), Larry Ferguson (Beverly Hills Cop 2), Tony Gilroy (Armageddon), and David Twohy (The Fugitive) about their long and successful careers. By Jim Cirile

Pedro Almodovar on Bad Education
World cinema auteur Pedro Almodovar talks to Creative Screenwriting about grand guignol, Gael Garcia Bernal, and how a ghost came in through the window to give him the idea for Bad Education, his complex and heartbreaking new film. By Yon Motskin

Riding The Polar Express with William Broyles, Jr.
What is the real story in the heart of this script? That is the question William Broyles, Jr., constantly asked himself as he worked on the screenplay for The Polar Express. With innovative technology at their disposal, Broyles and director/cowriter Robert Zemeckis could have done just about anything that they imagined. At the same time, they could have lost sight of their story s emotional truth, but sticking to the fundamentals of plot and character kept their vision on track. by Peter N. Chumo II

What Do We Do Now? Jeremy Larner on The Candidate
Before Bob Roberts and Bulworth, there was The Candidate, a highly original political satire that, more than thirty years ago, accurately predicted the way media coverage has reduced political discourse to sound bites and photo-ops. Oscar-winning screenwriter Jeremy Larner talks about collaborating with director Michael Ritchie and producer and star Robert Redford on this classic satire. PLUS: Larry Gelbart on his new sequel to The Candidate by Steve Ryfle