Day 5

Every year, The Hollywood Reporter releases a series of interviews with screenwriters, actors, actresses and directors. This year featured Aaron Sorkin, Steve Zaillian, Pedro Almodovar, D.L. Black, Oren Moverman and Eric Roth.

I am a huge fan of Zaillan's work, particularly Schindler's List and, more recently, Moneyball. I had no prior knowledge of baseball, yet he managed to write an engaging and moving script, which, to be honest, had nothing to do with baseball. The script undoubtedly benefited from Sorkin's contribution, however, it is unfair to assume he "saved" the movie.

This is an interesting interview with some talented writers. It's definitely worth watching.

I would also like to direct aspiring screenwriters to another fascinating ScriptShadow article. In 2010, Carson reviewed a series of unconventional screenplays, including American Beauty, Star Wars and Shawshank Redemption. Follow the links to the individual reviews.

Page Count: 7

Day 2

The basic rules of drama: intention and obstacle.

"Somebody wants something; something's standing in their way of getting it."

I recently discovered this interesting interview with Aaron Sorkin. I love his writing style. He follows the "basic rules of drama" to strengthen his plot and story. Obstacles create conflict, which produces tension and drama, which entertains the audience. For example, in The Two Towers, Faramir stands between Frodo and his goal. He captures the hobbit and, upon discovering the Ring, refuses to release him. He becomes an obstacle for Frodo to overcome. In the book, however, Faramir is completely immune to the Ring's power. This character would strip away the Ring's credibility, which the screenwriters dedicated so much time to establish. Although it caused some controversy amongst Tolkien purists, this screenwriting decision undoubtedly created more tension and drama.

Here's the interview:

Page Count: 5