Bulletproof Screenplay Podcast: Screenwriting | Screenwriters | Screenplay | Writers | Screenwriting Contests | Movie Script

Today on the show we have returning champion RB Botto.For many, the holy grail of television has become Netflix. It’s a titan in the industry, and with over 200 million subscribers worldwide, no one can put out content quite like them. Just look at the recent hit show BRIDGERTON, which has already been seen by a massive 80 million households (!!) since its release. If you’re a writer or creator, getting your series onto Netflix’s platform can spell success in a big way. But first there’s the matter of getting your series in front of them and pitching it effectively.It should be a comfort to know that you’re not the only one who wants your series on Netflix. Netflix wants that too! Netflix execs are constantly on the lookout for exciting new voices and new series to fill their slate. Yet it takes more than just a good series or a good pilot script to get on Netflix’s radar; you need to be able to communicate it well and pitch it in a way that will get their team excited. This certainly takes some work, but it’

Austin Trunick is a Connecticut-based film historian and author of The Cannon Film Guide, a series of books about the beloved (and infamous) '80s b-movie studio, Cannon Films. He also serves as an editor for the nationally-distributed music and entertainment magazine.Under the Radar. He has written about movies and pop culture for Mental Floss and Consequence of Sound.Enjoy my conversation with Austin Trunick.

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.

You are in for a treat today. We have legendary 80's action director Sam Firstenberg.At a young age Sam began to "create" movies to entertain his friends. Horrifying his mother, he would cut up books, stringing together the pictures and rolling them up. He would then put the roll into a box with a cut out window, shine a flashlight from behind, and manually pull the roll, revealing the pictures through the window in sequence.Sometimes he would plan a special show in which his sister narrated the "film" based on a script Sam would concoct, and his father would accompany on the violin. As he grew up he found a hobby in photography and by high school had turned his bedroom into a darkroom where he would earn pocket money by developing pictures for his friends.After serving three years in the Israeli army, Sam came to the US in 1971, began to study and work in films, and culminated his studies with “One More Chance," the graduate film thesis which turned into a feature-length film."After Golan bailed us out, our

Today's guest is writer and showrunner, Daniel Knauf. Daniel Knauf had a couple of small credits to his name—a TV movie here, a stint on Wolf Lake there—when he managed to sell the intricate Great Depression-era genre show Carnivàle to HBO.The series, an intricate blend of meticulously researched period detail and secret-history fantasy, purported to tell the tale of what happened when the last two “Avatars”—superpowered beings of light and darkness—met in the United States on the eve of World War II. The series attracted a cult audience that remains devoted to this day, but a mass audience wasn’t sure what to make of the program, and HBO canceled it after two seasons, saying the show’s story was finished, in spite of Knauf’s plan for a six-season run.We go deep inside the writer's room, what it takes to be a showrunner and many of his misadventures in Hollyweird!Enjoy my conversation with Daniel Knauf.

At age five, Bruce Rubin had a spiritual experience playing in a sandbox in the middle of the afternoon. The sun disappeared, and a dense night sky appeared in its place. Infinite galaxies were swirling in the vastness of his own head, and he sensed the entire universe was contained within him. He knew instantly he was one with all there was. In the years that followed, Bruce became an Oscar-winning screenwriter, a spiritual teacher, and, most recently, a photographer. Each aspect of his life has been a conscious effort to explore and reveal what he learned in that sandbox.Bruce was born in the middle of WWII and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Sondra and Jimmy Rubin. He has a younger brother and sister, Gary and Marci. There was very little remarkable about him. He wanted to be an actor, writer, and director but had no talent to speak of. In 1965 he took a massive (and accidental) overdose of LSD and began a journey that lasted between 3 and 4 billion years. When he returned, he knew he would have st

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.

Today on the show we have director, producer, screenwriter, actor and YouTube sensation Darious Britt I had the pleasure of meeting Darious at the Mammoth Film Festival. At the festival, we were snowed in and pretty much stuck in our hotel. We sat down and talked for hours about indie film, his journey, my journey, the state of indie film, fear, setting goals and so much more.I knew I had to have him on the show to talk shop. What you are about to listen to is a DEEP DIVE into the psychology of a standard indie filmmaker. We break down the brutal and raw truth of what it takes to make it in today's world.We also discuss how to build and engage with an audience.His amazing channel D4Darious is a MUST for any and all filmmakers. I've been a fan of his work for years. I love his approach and teaching style. Here's a bit about the man.He attended film school at the University of Arizona and graduated in May of 2012 with a bachelors in Media production. He toured his short film “Seafood Tester” to four internation

NEW YEAR'S BONUSAfter months of the IFH Tribe asking me, I finally finished the audiobook version of Shooting for the Mob. It was a tough project to finish but I knew I had to get it to you guys. As a gift for being so patient, I am releasing four chapters of the book for FREE for your listening pleasure. If you are unfamiliar with the story of Shooting for the Mob read below.A bipolar gangster, a naive, young film director, and Batman. What could go wrong? Alex Ferrari is a first-time film director who just got hired to direct a $20 million feature film, the only problem is the film is about Jimmy, an egomaniacal gangster who wants the film to be about his life in the mob. From the backwater towns of Louisiana to the Hollywood Hills, Alex is taken on a crazy misadventure through the world of the mafia and Hollywood. Huge movie stars, billion-dollar producers, studio heads and, of course, a few gangsters, populate this unbelievable journey down the rabbit hole of chasing your dream. Would you sell your soul t

Damon Thomas is well known for making documentaries. He's documentaries includes Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and David Beckham: A Footballer's Story. He also directed the hit shows Killing Eve (2018), Beethoven (2005) and Dracula (2020). His latest film "My Best Friend's Exorcism" is a 2022 American supernatural comedy horror film from a screenplay by Jenna Lamia, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Grady Hendrix. In 1988 best friends Abby and Gretchen navigate boys, pop culture and a paranormal force clinging to Gretchen. With help from a mall exorcist, Abby is determined to compel the demon back to the pits of hell -- if it doesn't kill Gretchen first.The film stars Elsie Fisher, Amiah Miller, Cathy Ang and Rachel Ogechi Kanu. The film was released on Prime Video on September 30, 2022.]Enjoy my conversation with Damon Thomas.

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.

Today's guest is Paul Dudbridge, author of Making Your First Blockbuster: Write It. Film It. Blow it Up! Paul Dudbridge is a British director, producer, cinematographer, and educator, who makes feature films, television, commercials, and music videos.Paul started producing at the age of 11 when he roped in his father to shoot his first short film. When the resulting footage didn’t match up to what he had seen in his head, Paul decided to go behind the camera himself, and from there, the whole notion of making films, directing, scripts, shots, and angles started to emerge.With over 20 years of experience in the business, Paul has numerous film and television credits to his name.His first broadcast credits include producing and directing ITV’s The Christmas Storybook, featuring legendary actor Joss Ackland, as well as directing music promos for MTV. His work as a cinematographer includes the action thriller By Any Name, based on the best-selling book by Katherine John.As a producer and director, he helmed the s

Today’s guest is a writer, director, producer, actor and indie filmmaking legend Edward Burns. Many of you might have heard of the Sundance Film Festival winning film called The Brothers McMullen, his iconic first film that tells the story of three Irish Catholic brothers from Long Island who struggle to deal with love, marriage, and infidelity. His cinderella story of making the film, getting into Sundance and launching his career is the stuff of legend.The Brothers McMullen was sold to Fox Searchlight and went on to make over $10 million at the box office on a $27,000 budget, making it one of the most successful indie films of the decade.Ed went off to star in huge films like Saving Private Ryan for Steven Spielberg and direct studio films like the box office hit She’s The One. The films about the love lives of two brothers, Mickey and Francis, interconnect as Francis cheats on his wife with Mickey’s ex-girlfriend, while Mickey impulsively marries a stranger.Even after his mainstream success as an actor, wr

Academy and Emmy Award-winning writer/director/producer Alan Ball is among our generation’s most important creative voices. Born in Atlanta, Ball studied Theatre Arts at Florida State University. In March 2000, AMERICAN BEAUTY, Ball’s first screenplay to get produced, won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Ball went on to create and executive produce the groundbreaking HBO drama SIX FEET UNDER. The series ran for five seasons and received two Golden Globes, six Emmys, and an Emmy and DGA Award for Ball’s direction of the pilot.In 2007, Ball made his feature film directorial debut with TOWELHEAD, distributed by Warner Independent Pictures. In 2008, Ball continued his successful collaboration with HBO by creating and executive producing the series TRUE BLOOD.The series received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Television Drama Series, as well as an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, a Producer’s Guild nomination, and a Grammy soundtrack nomination for Ball.

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.

Today guest is the legendary writer and educator Judith Weston. Her book Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Televisionand The Film Director's Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques is a must-read for any film director.Judithconsults one-on-one with directors and writer-directors of film and television as they prepare to bring their projects to life.Some of her students include Alejandro Iñárritu, director of The Revenant, Academy Award winner for Best Director, and Birdman, Academy Award winner for Best Picture and Best Director; Ava DuVernay, nominated for 16 Emmys and six Critics Choice Awards, and Selma, nominated for Best Picture Oscar; Steve McQueen, director of Best Picture Academy Award winner12 Years a Slave; Taika Waititi, writer-director of Jojo Rabbit, Thor Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and many more.Literally thousands of film and television directors, screenwriters, writer-directors, and actors around the world have attended Judith's workshops or c

We have been on a major roll lately on the podcast and this episode keeps that going in a big way. Our guest on the show today is writer, producer, and director Edward Zwick. Edward made his big shift from his childhood passion for theater to filmmaking after working as a PA for Woody Allen in France on the set of Love and Death. He then moved to California in the summer of 1976 and has since forged a respected name for himself in Hollywood.You can read Edward Wick's Screenplay collection here. Edward Zwick is a multiple Academy Award, Golden Globes, and BAFTA award-winning director, writer, and producer.Faced with the fear of going to law school during his first five years in the industry if filmmaking didn't work, Zwick cards turned and launched him into projects that are now some of the most critically and commercially acclaimed in the business. His work spectrums the comedy-drama and epic historical genres.Edward has had a remarkable career so far and still has much more to give. Speaking to Edward was li

Today on the show, we have director, Raja Gosnell. He directed comedy classics like Big Momma's House, starring Martin Lawrence. Never Been Kissed, starring Drew Berrymore, and Yours, Mine & Ours starring Dennis Quaid.Raja is best known as the director who brought not one but two beloved children's cartoons to the big screen, Scooby-Doo and The Smurfs. We also discuss the original vision that Raja and writer James Gunn had for Scooby-Doo. Let's say we finally understand why Scoob and Shaggy always had the munchies.He also directed the relatively low-budget runaway hit Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Raja's films have grossed almost $2 billion at the worldwide box office.Raja wasn't always a director; he started his film career as an assistant editor in the late 1970s.His first credit as a film's main editor was the romantic comedy The Lonely Guy (1984), for director Arthur Hiller. During the 1980s, Gosnell served as editor in films directed by Tom Laughlin, David Worth, Bob Dahlin, Bert Convy, Christopher Leitch

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.

What if you were given permission to shoot most of your film in one of the busiest and iconic streets in the world, Times Square. Well, today's guest did just that. He shot most of his new film Rapid Eye Movement.In the heart of Times Square, radio DJ Rick Weider is driven to the edge of insanity as he tries to break the 11-day world record for staying awake, under the threat of a deranged caller who will kill him if he fails. In his quest to stay awake, he endures a harrowing physical, mental and emotional ordeal while summoning the will to survive against all the odds.Rapid Eye Movement was given unprecedented access to Times Square by New York City to shoot the majority of the film right in the heart of the “crossroads of the world”. This included closing a lane of traffic for several weeks to accommodate the placement of the main set – Rick Weider’s mobile radio broadcast booth where he takes on the 11-day struggle to stay awake. No film has ever had this extensive shoot in Times Square.The mandate of the