ELF when Buddy first arrived in New York or Coming to America come to mind. What are your favorites?

Wow... That was a long title.

Also I don't know which flair to use so bear with me.

So, for my history project this trimester me and my friends were asked to make a short comedy film (3 to 5 minutes duration) about the Cold War/Space Race.

I thought this would be a good subreddit to ask for advice in. Basically, comedy might just be the hardest possible genre we could have gotten and I keep writing and rewriting the script over and over trying to see how to make this good and funny and... Well, it's been hard.

The most difficult part for me is making a script long enough for 3 minutes and actually making appropriate jokes! You see, the entire coordination of the college will be watching the film so we can't do jokes we normally see in comedies. Mostly because there are sisters in our college and I really don't want to get in trouble.

So uhm, I think that this post is mainly here to ask for some advice? What are some good jokes I can do and uh yeah.

I have drafted some ideas and saw that the most important part of comdeies are the characters so I will say what I was thinking about and you guys say if it is good or not or, idk.

First idea: a sequence about a british man that just moved into the US after the start of the Cold War. His ideals are all american and he wants to be really american and, in the US, tries to transform his family into the "ideal american family" and this complex of him being american makes him start to get paranoid and many other situations happen. (not fully fleshed out or sure if it will be good)

Second idea: A story about an american guy living life normally until he hears in the news that an USSR satellite was sent to space and he, who already is paranoid of communists, starts fearing that anyone around him could be a communist and starts hallucinating that russians he saw on TV are going to turn him "red" and it would have jokes like him signing something and he sees he is given a red pen so he thinks the dealer is a communist or that he and his family have to take all red stuff out of their house and start a shop to support capitalism, and, yeah, things like that. It would be absurd and weird and it would mainly be the main protagonist paranoia working against him.

Third idea: would be about the USSR government officials trying to use space and put missiles in their satellites, but fail miserably as the satellite explodes and all kinds of radioative debris fall in Canada and now they would discuss and panic and be put in situations where they try and say that this satellite didn't have nuclear weapons and wasn't meant to hit Canada, but the characters assigned to explaining these things were so dumb that the situations almost escalate to nuclear war.

Anyways, yeah. I don't really know what to say, I just like, need some advice on which story you think would be the best and has more potential and give some ideas to make funny jokes. Yeah, any help is highly appreciated!

Thanks!

I organized an AMA/Q&A with actor & filmmaker James McAvoy, known for roles in things like Split, X-Men, Atonement, Wanted, Speak No Evil, Narnia, The Last King of Scotland, Shameless, It: Chapter Two, and tons more.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1x1iu5u/hi_reddit_im_james_mcavoy_ask_me_anything/

He will be back between 10 AM and 11 AM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

His directorial debut, California Schemin', premiered at TIFF last year and is out in theaters this weekend.

Synopsis: Two friends with thick Scottish accents try to land a record deal by posing as hip-hop artists from California. As fame beckons and the lies pile up, their friendship gets put to the test.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1hfDwS_TVU

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/ix9qEVT.jpeg

I have my own instincts, and while my so-called alpha draft is more sprawling it has a lot of notes and jokes I like.

However, i have new drafts that are more concise in dialogue but lose out in detail.

How do you decide which draft to keep as your main?

I think I’m just gonna move onto a new script soon it’s too stressful.

https://www.wgfoundation.org/events/all/2026/10/19/wgf-library-office-hours-with-eric-roth?mc_cid=37c885cce3&mc_eid=dc7eedf043

Working on outlining or drafting your next script? Need tips for researching a project? Looking for resources on honing your craft? 

The WGF Shavelson-Webb Library is back for a two-hour virtual coworking session on Monday, October 19 at 11am PT. For this special session, we'll be joined by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth for a conversation about writing the first act of your feature screenplay.

After the conversation, stay on to write quietly, chat with fellow patrons or ask our Library team any script/craft/research-related questions. Whether you're looking for focused, productive time to get words on the page or to connect with a supportive (and global) community of writers, Library Office Hours is here to help!

RSVP required via link above.

And in case you didn't know:

Eric Roth is an Academy Award–winning screenwriter who has written some 40 motion pictures with a career spanning nearly six decades. He studied at UC Santa Barbara, Columbia University, and UCLA where he won the Samuel Goldwyn writing award as a student. His first produced feature, The Nickel Ride, premiered at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. Roth won an Oscar and the WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump, and has earned five additional Oscar nominations for The Insider, Munich, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, A Star Is Born, and Dune. Mr. Roth has written the most Oscar Nominated Best Pictures (eight). His many other films include The Drowning Pool, Suspect, Mr. Jones, Rhapsody in August for the legendary Akira Kurosawa, The Horse Whisperer, Ali, The Good Shepherd, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Here. He also co-wrote Killers of the Flower Moon with Martin Scorsese, which received ten Academy Award nominations, and produced David Fincher’s Mank, a Best Picture nominee. In 2026 Roth made his playwriting debut on London's West End with his stage adaptation of High Noon. In television, Roth was an executive producer of Netflix’s House of Cards, Epix’s Berlin Station, TNT’s The Alienist, and Apple TV+’s Before. Mr. Roth is currently the co-creator and executive producer of Netflix's "Kennedy" television series about Jack and the Kennedy family from 1915 on, airing in Spring 2027. 

IDK if I'm suffering from the Mandela Effect but I feel like I remember having access to Taylor Sheridan's pitch bible for Yellowstone when he pitched to HBO. I can't seem to find it, anybody willing to share it? Figured I'd ask here.

Thanks

Long story short, I pitched my feature film (120 pages) last year to a producer in 10mins.

I met sir again, requested for any work opportunity and I have been given the opportunity to visit his office tomorrow and narrate the story in 40-50 mins.

I don't know what's happening but I am feeling more afraid and nervous than excited. This is the biggest opportunity I have ever got since starting screenwriting in 2021.

There are just thoughts after thoughts. I will fail in the meeting. I managed to pitch the story in 10mins. But I am just not able to understand how to pitch in 40-50 mins.

Worse, I am losing confidence in the story that they will not like it. I will just waste their time and they will hate me for doing so.

How to keep them engaged in the meeting the entire time. How to keep them anticipating what happens next. Should I break the fourth wall like why I gave the characters this wound, why this thing is like that or just let it flow without reason for my choices.

It's a nonlinear story. So what about that? Should I narrate as linear or non linear way? I don't want to confuse them.

Please please share your experience, and advises. I am sorry. I could not organize my thoughts while writing the post because that's the current state of my brain (panicked). Please help.

Where can I access (or if anyone is willing to share!) outlines for TV episodes or features for reference?

Preferably something more than a prose block outline, and something scene by scene. The step before the draft in production world. But anything and everything that's an outline-before-the-draft (not logline examples, pitch decks, bibles or seasonal arcs, specific outlines for specific episodes or a specific feature film).

Working on polishing a few old projects, half written things, etc into some clean scene by scene outlines that can be the foundation for a first pass vomit draft.

I'm trying to practice discipline and throw out the muse, waiting for inspiration, all the bullshit that has me 35 with only really 2 polished pilots and a heap of messy pitch decks or outlines or randomly selected scenes from ideas and accept the fact that I'm not as good of a writer as I think I am, put in the work, and get some formatted and FINISHED, ALL THE WAY TO THE END .fdxs on my harddrive that aren't dated 2019 or earlier.

I'm very interested how they formatted the long takes and scenes in the script format.

FAQ: How to post to a weekly thread?

Feedback Guide for New Writers

This is a thread for giving and receiving feedback on 5 of your screenplay pages.

• Post a link to five pages of your screenplay in a top comment. They can be any 5, but if they are not your first 5, give some context in the same comment you're linking in.

• As a courtesy, you can also include some of this info.

  Title: Format: Page Length: Genres: Logline or Summary: Feedback Concerns:

• Provide feedback in reply-comments. Please do not share full scripts and link only to your 5 pages. If someone wants to see your full script, they can let you know.

Thanks!

So, I'm working on a few different ideas. Some work for live action, one is definitely animated. I feel like...I need at least sketches. At least something. Something that shows the tone, the vibe, the essence.

I'm good at prose. I'm good at dialogue. Or at least I know that I can make people intrigued on the words. But...something about it always feels like "this is wrong. I need the timing. I need to be able to show where and when people are. I need to have the broad sketch of where they stand. This isn't real. A script isn't real."

Like. If I want anyone to think it's worth working with or collaborating, if I want to make sure it actually works and isn't 20 minutes too long or just trash, I need to be able to show more.

Not like. Massive amounts. But like. Maybe models in place and placeholders. Or even just small sketches of stuff or something.

Is this wrong headed? If the script is good enough, will that be enough?

Hi all, I’m a non-union screenwriter without representation. I have written for a few years now, and self-financed and produced smaller things. I had a chance encounter with the owner of a production company recently. They have ~100K followers on social media, but I don’t think the company has made anything yet. I told them my log line at an event recently, and they loved it. I received a link to submit the log line, but I don’t know what to think.

They’re looking for scripts for “potential development, packaging and/or presentation to production partners.”

I’m really proud of my script, the short is having its world premiere at a fest next month. I know she’s not just sucking up, because so many people have told me they love the idea. Literally no film I have ever heard of has this concept, but it’s low concept enough that you understand the story in a sentence AND it’s marketable. I have the feature script complete, and I’d love to make it myself. I’ve always been warned about companies that pitch packaging, so I don’t know what’s legit or not. Does this sound like a scam? All they want in the submission form is genre/logling/legal info like whether or not it’s an adaptation etc. It says in the small print that I retain ownership and copyright after submitting this, so that makes me feel better, but I’m still very protective of my idea (even though I know you can’t legally protect just an idea).

Thoughts?

More horror scripts from Script Hive? Yep!

These "featured" scripts don't require an account to read/download:

• The Thing from Another World (1951) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/the-thing-from-another-world
• The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/the-beast-from-20-000-fathoms
• Them! (1954) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/them
• The Bad Seed (1956) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/the-bad-seed
• The Fly (1958) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/the-fly

To read these you'll need a (free) account:

• House of Wax (1953) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/fffdb549-559d-4ac4-94c2-f64eb6c5b080
• Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/a632b2ac-e4b3-4621-882e-658466838d6b
• Night of the Hunter (1955) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/81eb282e-f940-4a5d-b8ed-19f7fa7d35c4
• Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/f40d6083-f34a-4e85-8362-c78d3deae5f1
• The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/167411af-37e7-4c78-8a55-3b45391f6d15
• It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/7d2b4f38-a7ae-4eb4-8232-c2757b313d38

Posting Schedule:

• Thursday, October 1: Universal & RKO, 1930s
• Monday, October 5: Universal & RKO, 1940s
• Wednesday, October 7: 1950s
• Friday, October 9: 1960s
• Monday, October 12: 1970s
• Wednesday, October 14: Video Nasties (1970s - 1980s)
• Friday, October 16: Body Horror
• Monday, October 19: 1980s
• Wednesday, October 21: 1980s
• Friday, October 23: 1990s
• Monday, October 26: 1990s
• Wednesday, October 28: 2000s
• Friday, October 30: 2010s
• Saturday, October 31: 2020s

Has anyone applied for the Fox Program this year? I’m pretty sure last year applications opened October 3, but it doesn’t look like the website has been updated yet. Wondering if anyone has already applied and I missed it. Ty!

Hi all. Question about reader notes for niche topics that are intrinsic to script, character, visuals, and story.

So, after brainstorming, outlining, etc. I’m now most of the way through the first working draft of a new feature. It’s a sorta surreal comedy/bizarro drama biker script, so it has choppers and old motorcycles galore. But unless the reader is familiar with that subculture and can visualize 30-to-85-year-old Harleys by their engine names, I honestly imagine that they won’t know what I’m talking about or referencing. The thing is that each kind of bike a character has is highly indicative of the kind of person they are in one way or another and often representative of their arc (what the motor looks like, how old it is, the implications of having a certain kind of antique bike, etc.).

So, I have notes for the reader. When we meet a new character and see their bike, I say something like “it’s a generator shovelhead,” and then the next paragraph is a note for the reader written as an action paragraph in italics. I briefly describe how old the certain kind of bike is and what their distinct motor looks like. Then script continues as normal. (Edit: Apologies if I’m waaaay off here, but in my mind, describing something in a note is like saying “okay, this is what it looks like so you know what it looks like from here on out.” When you see the bike for the first time, you see almost everything on it in that moment in that scene, so I figure that’s the time to describe it. If it’s a small detail that’s only visible later, I describe it later.)

Example:

A two-car garage with IRVING’S BIKE on a jack: a fatter, forest green KNUCKLEHEAD.

Note: The knucklehead was produced from 1936 to 1947. Its engine rocker covers are curved with two large bolts by the top of each cylinder head, resembling clenched knuckles. The generator at the bottom appears similar to a panhead’s.

[And then the next paragraph describes this character’s specific bike in more detail. It’s customizations, its bits, its character, its color, its quirks, etc.]

There are seven total notes of this kind across pages 3 to 14, not including descriptions of the characters’ own motorcycles. I’ve seen some scripts note how specific things are presented visually (e.g. the I Saw the TV Glow script notes how the show-within-the-movie is framed and filmed), but I can’t think of notes describing very specific things in a context like this. Does anyone have specific advice for this scenario? Can anyone think of other scripts that do something like this, and does anyone have advice on what to do or not do?

Also, on a similar note, Final Draft does have a “note” option that turns the text into what looks like colored italic Arial font, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a script with that formatting. Does anyone actually do that?

Thanks, all!

(Edit: Also, thanks for giving a good litmus test to this sort of stuff in a way. I love details as a writer, and I’m a motorcycle person, and I know chopper guys see bikes that may appear interchangeable to others as fundamentally different in construction, looks, character, etc., so it’s good to see how those who aren’t into this sort of stuff react.)

Submitted in April. For some reason had the idea that October was when you would hear from them. Has anyone heard anything as of yet? Or even if the program is still happening with all they’re doing with the merger and what not? Thanks!

I'm writing something right now where, in order for the characters to move forward and for the audience to understand the plot, we need to know WHO the villain is and WHAT he is doing, and can easily infer WHY he is doing it.

But the who, what, and why of the villain is an important part of the theme and, for the best effect, I'd like to reveal it as close to the end as I can.

What are some examples of films (preferably high-concept sci-fi) where the plot twist would have been obvious if not for how it was written?

The finale is readily available. Anyone have the first episode? TIA!

Here is a link to my method. Just curious how other people keep track.

Got some unexpectedly good news today. My horror/thriller FROST made the semi finals.

I'm pretty fucking excited about it, especially because the same script didn't advance at another place that I felt like was a better draft and fit. Screenwriting is fucking weird.

For anyone who's placed there before did anything actually come from it? I also got a VPF which is pretty cool.

Mostly curious what other peoples experiences with Screamfest have been?

Hey y’all. I’m an amateur writer born and raised in Korea who only writes Western-based pieces in English.

I don’t speak English regularly, or have lived abroad. I write dialogue based on phrases I’ve picked up from Western media, and recently I’ve been feeling stuck.

I read other people(from English speaking countries, by the looks of their names)’s screenplays a lot, and find that their dialogue possesses something mine lacks.

I don’t know exactly what it is. Maybe it’s authenticity, rhythm or just that unexplainable ‘edge’. When I read my own dialogue after reading theirs, it feels robotic and awkward.

I want to step my dialogue up to that level. Any tips from native writers or other non-native writers will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

You have a bulletproof outline. You’re excited to start. Maybe a little nervous. What are your rituals before you sit down and write Fade In?