Screenwriter Profile: Joel & Ethan Coen

The Writers:

Often referred to simply as the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan Coen are the creative force behind such cult classics and acclaimed cinematic feats as Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, and True Grit. The brothers have been making films together since childhood, and they always write, direct, and produce their projects together (though sometimes Joel takes the sole directing credit and Ethan takes the producing credit). True Hollywood elite, these guys have been nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Screenplay multiple times and have  won Best Picture once (No Country for Old Men) and Best Screenplay twice (Fargo, No Country for Old Men).

Screenwriter Profile: Marti Noxon

The Writer:

Marti Noxon is one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. She has written for such acclaimed television series as Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men, Glee, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She’s also the writer behind the recent flicks Fright Night and I Am Number Four. IMDB has listed her among the Top 20 Writers of the Past 20 Years — one of only four women on the list.

Screenwriter Profile: James Cameron

The Writer:

James Cameron is the Canadian creative force behind some of the biggest blockbusters of the last three decades. Known for his strong female characters, his spell-binding sci-fi adventures, and (of course) Titanic, two of Cameron’s films have held the title of highest grossing film of all time (Titanic and Avatar). Cameron once said that his five favorite films are The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Strangelove, 2001:  A Space Odyssey, The Godfather, and Taxi Driver.

Screenwriter Profile: Quentin Tarantino

The Writer:

Few writers have a style quite as distinctive as Quentin Tarantino. He’s eccentric to be sure, but also a film genius. He’s the writer/director behind such classics as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Kill Bill. Django Unchained, was one of the top scripts on the 2011 Black List.

A bit of trivia about Tarantino films: Every feature film he’s written features a scene in which at least three characters are all pointing their guns at each other.

Screenwriter Profile: Christopher Nolan

The Writer:

London-born Christopher Nolan is responsible for some of the best action-packed, mind-bending films of the last decade. A writer/director currently at the top of his game, Nolan is the creative force behind the latest Batman installments, Inception, and Memento. He’s the writer that aspiring screenwriters most desire to emulate, and the one one writer that they shouldn’t attempt to.

According to IMDB, Nolan’s favorite films are 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Black Hole (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Chinatown (1974), The Hitcher(1986), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and Topkapi (1964), as well as anything by Stanley Kubrick.

Screenwriter Profile: Julius & Philip Epstein

 

The Writers:

Along with Howard Koch, Julius & Philip Epstein were the writers behind Casablanca. Born in New York in 1909, the twin brothers were under contract at Warner Brothers at the time. They started their writing careers separately, then decided to team up in 1939. Producers who wanted “the Epstein flair” added to a script were known to shout what became a common phrase in Hollywood: “Get me the Epsteins!”

The brothers turned in their draft of Casablanca (based on the never produced play Everybody Comes to Rick’s) three days before production started — the famous ending wasn’t settled until the end of the production.

Screenwriter Profile: Paddy Chayefsky

The Writer:

Paddy Chayefsky is one of those names that every writer should know. A top writer from the early days of television, late in his career Chayefsky scribed the cynical masterpiece, Network. Other highlights from his illustrious career include Marty and his work on Goodyear Playhouse. He remains the only person to hold three individual Academy Awards for writing — other writers who have won three all wrote with partners (Billy Wilder, Francis Ford Coppola. and Charles Brackett).

Screenwriter Profile: Dustin Lance Black

The Writer:

By Hollywood standards Dustin Lance Black is still a very young writer, and yet he has already picked up an Oscar, found major success in film and television, and made his name as a screenwriting powerhouse. Most recently Black penned the script for J. Edgar, and a few years back he won the Academy Award for Milk. Aside from his writing pursuits, Black is also on the board of directors for the Trevor Project, a national crisis and suicide prevention organization that helps LGBT and Questioning young people who are facing familial rejection or considering suicide. 

Screenwriter Profile: Nora Ephron

The Writer:

Nora Ephron was the undisputed queen of the romantic comedy. Often writing in teams, Ephron earned an Oscar nod and a place in film history for her script When Harry Met Sally. Other classics she turned out included You’ve Got Mail, Julie & Julia, and Sleepless in Seattle. Beyond her screenwriting achievements, Ephron also directed, produced, published a novel, and a book of essays.

Screenwriter Profile: Billy Wilder

The Writer:

Billy Wilder is one of the great legends of screenwriting. His mix of classic comedies and riveting dramas set the standard for excellence in writing and directing.

Wilder was born in what is now Poland. He originally intended to become a lawyer then spent several years working as a journalist. He turned to screenwriting in 1929 and wrote scripts in Berlin until Hitler came to power in 1933. A man of Jewish descent, Wilder quickly emigrated to Paris then later to the United States. Wilder came to Hollywood not speaking a word of English but picked up the lingo and the business very quickly.

His greatest works include Some Like it Hot, Sunset Blvd., Sabrina, Double Indemnity, and The Apartment.