I’ve always been a movie fan, since I was just a wee lad. My cubicle at work, and office at home, is lined with movie posters of some of my favorites: Citizen Kane, Rear Window, Goldfinger, Singin’ in the Rain… and as I type this, to my left is a shelf full of movies in various formats (blu-ray, DVD, VHS, HD-DVD) that I have on my “watch/rewatch list.” Below that, are movie scripts… lots of scripts.
I’ve always been fascinated with the craft of screenwriting, partly just my interest in the format that is used, but mostly because the writing of scripts is a fine art all of its own. Many times a bad movie can be made from a good script (Waterworld is a good example) but you will very rarely see a good movie come from a bad script (I think I could have directed Chinatown with cardboard sets and it would have still been a good film).
All this is prologue to a recommendation to anyone reading this who loves movies – if you can, subscribe to Creative Screenwriting Magazine. It’s dedicated to script writing, obviously, with a focus on exclusive interview with the authors of some of the best Hollywood has put out. Of course, if you can’t afford a subscription, you can always check out the fantastic podcast that the editor of the mag Jeff Goldsmith produces. Each podcast is an interview with a screenwriter, either after a screening of the film in question or as a retrospective on their full catalog of work. It’s great, inspiring stuff, even if you aren’t a writer.
The ability to tell a story is an incredibly important one, as we often have to tell a story in our personal or professional lives in order to pitch an idea, or ourselves (if we are interviewing for a job, for example). In my own job, I create UI designs and craft personas that provides useful context and direction for me and my team… Who is this person? What are their wants, fears and desires? Knowing that helps you service them, and create affective products and solutions for them.
So, wrapping up: Creative Screenwriting Magazine is a great resource to help you tell your story, no matter what it is. Highly recommended.