Matthew Gentile has wanted to be a filmmaker since seeing Dog Day Afternoon as a 12-year-old. After graduating from AFI and winning an Emmy for his short FRONTMAN, Matthew's debut feature is about to drop theatrically This Friday. How does a first time feature filmmaker snag Tom Pelphrey, Jacki Weaver, Idina Menzel, and Ryan Phillippe for his cast? He gets into all of that today.

108 | The Importance of Flexibility as a Writer/Director w/ Matthew Gentile

Welcome to The Screenwriting Life, a podcast where Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve and Emmy-nominated writer Lorien McKenna discuss not only the craft and business of Screenwriting, but also the emotional life: the ups and downs of being a creative, to remind you that you are not alone and to keep writing.

TV & Film

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Friend of the show Dustin Lance Black is back to talk about the central lynchpin of a great film: the protagonist. Lance is known for his complicated heroes (often real people) who draw us in and don't let go. Today, we discuss how to draw a protagonist that will hold an audience's attention, and perhaps more importantly, what to avoid so that same audience won't lose interest.

195 | Dustin Lance Black: Writing (And Adapting) Compelling Protagonists

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The romantic comedy is one of the most enduring genres in American Cinema and for good reason: it's all about love, joy, and transformation, aka, the heart of good storytelling. This is Billy Mernit's entire ethos, the foundation that has made Billy's rom-com philosophy one of the most celebrated in our business. Billy is a story consultant, novelist, and Romcom guru, who's booking WRITING THE ROMANTIC COMEDY is a fundamental screenwriting craft text for emerging writers and pros.

194 | Romantic Comedy Writing Masterclass w/ Billy Mernit

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We're back with part TWO of our ten common traps that will kill your script. Take notes, TSL Fam!

193 | Ten Common Traps That Will Kill Your Script (Pt. 2)

Whether you're a pro or a beginner, there are certain traps as screenwriters that will almost ALWAYS kill our writing. On today's show, we cover the first five...(stay tuned for the rest!)
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192 | Ten Common Traps That Will Kill Your Script (Pt. 1)

Linda Seger basically created the job of independent script consultant. After years of exploring, she discovered that her gifts lie in making a good script great, which is the name of her first book: "Making A Good Script Great." Since then, Linda has become one of Hollywood's most sought after and celebrated consultants, because her ability to distill down what is needed on the page.
For Linda's Books: https://lindaseger.com/screenwriting-books/
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108 | The Importance of Flexibility as a Writer/Director w/ Matthew Gentile

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