Screenwriting starts here. 

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon, The Christophers is a brilliant dark comedy that follows a twisty path in search of the place where art, commerce and family intersect. The story centers on Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), who was once the prime rabble-rouser of London’s 1960s art scene. Now in his 80s and totally broke, he spends his days recording messages for fans on Cameo instead of painting. 

When his two adult children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning), hire Lori (Michaela Coel), an art restorer and former forger to access “The Christophers,” eight unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in the attic, they concoct a plan to ensure a six-figure inheritance. We spoke with screen writer Ed Solomon about crafting this witty, dialogue-driven script that’s an exploration of art in the age of reality TV that ultimately revealed a deeply personal story he hadn’t set out to tell.

An Unexpected Influence

For a writer whose career spans everything from the dude comedy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, to the high-concept spectacle of Men in Black, to the experimental storytelling of Mosaic, Ed Solomon has always wanted to explore new avenues of storytelling.

But beneath the highbrow artistic premise of The Christophers is something far more personal. For Solomon, the story wasn’t just about the art world, it was about unresolved relationships that had been quietly shaping his work for years.

“I have always wanted to tell a story about my relationship with various mentor figures in my life,” Solomon says. “Several of whom gave up for different reasons.”

With a prompt from Steven Soderbergh, Solomon was excited to finally get to explore this idea in the art world. Only recently did he realize just how close to home the story really was.

“The whole time, without ever realizing it until about two weeks ago, it struck me that my mother is also an artist,” he says. “A painter who did give up for a little while to be a parent and take a day job. It was very painful for me. I was like, holy moly. This informed so much of the story, and yet I didn't even realize it.”

Now 94, he says his mother had to give up painting because her painting style was very physical. “She's no longer able to do that, but what she did every day is what I do every day, I realized. She would go into her studio and spend the day there. Enjoying the freedom from the world, enjoying the chance to be lost in self-expression, and then come home.”

Though he hadn’t consciously put his mother into this story, her artistic life and choices clearly made an impact on Solomon. He was telling a story he didn’t know he needed to tell. Perhaps even she needed him to tell. Sometimes, the meaning of art reveals itself after the fact, not before. More on this in a bit.

Writing as Discovery, Not Control

If there’s a single idea that defines Solomon’s approach to The Christophers, it’s this: Writing is less about imposing structure and more about uncovering what already exists within the concept.

“The thing that Steven [Soderbergh] and I talk about a lot is: What is the thing itself, and what does it want to be?” 

For Solomon, this has become less of a metaphor and more of a method. He compares the process to parenting.

“You realize your job is not to force that child into what you think they ought to be, but rather help shepherd them so they can be the best manifestation of who they want to be,” he says. “That is our job as writers as well.” 

This mindset stands in direct contrast to rigid outlining or elaborate plotting. Instead of forcing characters through pre-planned beats, Solomon allows them to evolve, even if that means deviating from the original plan.

 

Michaela Coel in 'The Christophers' - Photo credit: Claudette Barius

The Power of Constraints

Because The Christophers was designed as a contained project with limited locations and minimal characters, Solomon found himself working within strict guidelines. But rather than limiting possibilities, those constraints elevated his creativity.

“When you’re given limitations, the creativity that comes out of that can sometimes be more inspired, more unusual, more exciting,” he says. 

Solomon likens it to writing exercises or even reshoots, any time where restrictions force unexpected solutions.

“Having prompts, having rules, can really free you,” he says. 

For writers working on contained films or low-budget specs, it’s crucial to remember that limitations aren’t a compromise, they’re a creative tool.

Let Your Characters Be Ahead of You

One of Solomon’s most practical insights comes from how he approached character dynamics in the film.

“Another lesson I learned was how valuable it is when characters are a little bit ahead of where you might think they are. I thought, ‘What if Julian and Lori had a history that he didn’t know about, but she did?’ The more personal it gets, the more charged it gets,” he says. 

This led to a stunning moment when Julian reveals he is actually familiar with Lori due to a reality TV show called Art Fight where she was a contestant. We assumed she had the upper hand, and are shocked when Julian reveals he knows more than he’s letting on. It’s a great example of the dramatic impact from a character being ahead of you. 

“The more you know, sometimes the better,” Solomon says. “Don’t hoard your reveals.” 

 

Jessica Gunning and James Corden in 'The Christophers' - Photo credit: Claudette Barius

Emotion Over Intellect

If there’s one concept Solomon returns to repeatedly, it’s this: Writing is not an intellectual exercise.

“For me, it is 100% about feeling,” he says. 

That philosophy becomes especially critical in a film like The Christophers, which relies heavily on dialogue and interpersonal dynamics rather than plot. To sustain that kind of storytelling, Solomon emphasizes a deep emotional understanding of character.

“Understand their history, their dreams, their desires, what breaks their heart,” he says. 

In practical terms, this means writing with a full sense of a character’s past and future, even if those elements never explicitly appear on screen. It also helps solve one of the biggest challenges of contained storytelling: Maintaining momentum without big spectacles or action scenes.

Collaboration and Trust

Solomon credits much of his creative evolution to his ongoing collaboration with Soderbergh. 

He describes Soderbergh as, “The most in-control and yet the least controlling director I’ve worked with.” He adds that Soderbergh is someone who creates an environment where experimentation is not just allowed, but expected. For Solomon, growth is the most exciting part of the work. 

“Sometimes, you’re just outside your comfort zone but you have to grow in order to achieve it,” he says. 

When Life Imitates Art

Going back to Solomon’s mom: Just a couple weeks ago, he was able to take his unexpected muse to see The Christophers at the Sonoma Film Festival, which isn’t too far from her home. 

“She’s in a wheelchair now, but she got all dressed up. It was really lovely to see because my dad passed away just two months ago. But I was telling her how much she inspired this movie, but also how much she has informed how I view my craft. It was such a great experience to share that with her. Very moving,” he says. 

The Christophers is currently playing in theaters. 

Long before actor, writer, and director Jon Favreau was a behemoth in the Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars universes, he was a struggling actor and writer hustling his way through Hollywood with a script he wrote on spec, the now-iconic indie hit Swingers (1996).

That script didn’t just launch his career - it established his voice. He followed it up by writing, directing, and starring in Made (2001). Many years later, after the success of becoming one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s key directors and producers, he wrote, directed, and starred in the acclaimed Chef (2014), which was a film and script that many point to as a masterclass in simple and personal character-driven storytelling. 

Iconic director Robert Rodriguez recently launched his YouTube channel El Ray Network, which features episodes of his interview series The Director’s Chair, where he interviews some of the most iconic filmmakers of our time.

Here we share ten screenwriting lessons screenwriters can learn from some of Favreau’s best quotes from his interview. 

1. Give Your Ideas Room to Breath and Gestate

“Usually I write fast because it’s been gestating.”

Being able to write fast (and write well in the process) is a hot commodity to have as a screenwriter. When you become a pro, you need to be able to write under tight deadlines. If you can train yourself to do that, you’ll be well ahead of others vying for the same attention and consideration from Hollywood.

One trick to drive yourself to write fast is to let the idea gestate as long as possible to the point where you can wait no longer.

Visualize your story. Build on your characters and plot points during that visualization. Let those visuals grow and grow in your imagination. See as much of the movie as possible in your head before typing a single word. 

Don’t start writing until you have so much work done in your head that when you do start writing, the words and pages flow. 

2. Try to Get Through the First Draft Quickly  

“I don’t want to get off the scent. So I want to get through that first draft.. I’ll usually push through in less than a month. 'Swingers' was like two weeks… 'Chef', by the time I actually wrote it, was two weeks… 'Made' was like a month. I’ll go back and rewrite, but I want to get through it.”

Once you’ve let everything gestate to the point where you can’t hold back the writing any longer, you'll be able to start writing at a pace where you can get through the first draft fairly quickly. 

Having an open-ended deadline can do more harm than good when you’re first starting out. If you go into the writing process with a little more urgency, deadline-wise, you can not only get through your first draft quickly, but you can also train yourself to write under Hollywood contract-type deadlines which usually offer you just a month or two to finish the first draft while under assignment.  

3. Keep the Momentum Going

“I feel like it could disappear at any minute. I don’t want to let it go. I’ve taken a break from screenplays and I have a lot of forty-page screenplays. And I hate that feeling. It feels so powerless.”

It’s so easy to lose momentum. Letting the idea gestate ahead of time helps to build a sense of inner urgency and passion to get what’s in your head onto the page. But you need to keep that momentum going. If you approach it with Favreau’s perspective of never wanting to lose the scent of your concept, story, and characters, you’ll find yourself riding that momentum through a full first draft.

Avoid taking long breaks between writing sessions. Try to never step away from a script during the writing process. Weather through any writer’s block and just keep writing.

If you can get through that first draft as quickly as possible, you’ll be able to retain that momentum, which will also fuel the necessary continued passion for your project.  

'Swingers'

4. The Power of Screenwriting Software

“I had been reading so many scripts on auditions. My dad got me the Final Draft software… it was amazing that I could type it in and the next thing I know, wow, I’ve got five pages.”

There’s really a sense of accomplishment when you first start using professional screenwriting software, especially when you’re using the industry standard that is Final Draft. The software immediately takes the formatting weight off of your shoulders, allowing you to focus solely on story, characterization, structure, etc.

The best early investment towards your screenwriting career is Final Draft screenwriting software. Eliminate any worries, confusion, or anxieties about formatting and instead focus on just telling your story. 

5. Successful Screenwriters Are Just Like You

“I’m still the same guy. Nothing feels different.”

There’s a comfort in knowing that most successful screenwriters are just like any up-and-comers. Favreau discusses that success just brings more pressure and has you on a much tighter and higher rope. But you’re still the same person you were when you were struggling to get your scripts written and read.

It’s easy to put successful screenwriters and filmmakers on a pedestal. It’s also easy to believe that with success comes less burden, less worry, and less self-consciousness. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Take comfort in knowing that you’re just a great script or lucky break away from being at the same level as the successful screenwriters you look up to right now.   

'Chef'

6. Give Your Characters More and More Obstacles to Overcome

“Another good storytelling technique… obstacles… the magic eightball note that you always get from an executive is ‘more obstacles’. And there’s some truth to it.”

Obstacles cause conflict. And conflict is the driving force of outstanding storytelling. When you’re feeling your script is flat, losing momentum, or needs a jolt in pacing, throw some more obstacles at your characters. Challenge them. Create continual evolving and growing conflict as the script goes on. Hollywood and audiences want to see your characters prevail over or succumb to as many obstacles and forms of conflict as possible. Why? Because it raises the stakes and makes the cinematic experience more engaging and impactful. 

And here’s one trick of the trade: use obstacles to better your character’s arc. The more obstacles they overcome, the better their character arcs will be by the end. 

7. Embrace the Chase

“I would prefer the odds against me. What’s harder is when you’ve been anointed and now you’ve gotta somehow impress people. How do you do the road work when you’ve got the belt? I know when you want the belt, that you’re going to get up in the morning and drink those raw eggs and run. But when you’ve got the belt, that’s a whole other thing. It’s a different set of challenges.”

Take comfort in knowing that those who succeed still face plenty of challenges and obstacles of their own. It’s also good to know to expect those additional and varied challenges and obstacles that come with success. In the meantime, embrace the chase. Use it to your advantage. Let it drive you to work harder, think smarter, and be more creative. 

8. Be Prepared for Success

“Success can be just as overwhelming as failure.”

Failure and rejection is a necessary part of the screenwriting journey. You can’t learn and grow as a screenwriter without failure. Embrace it. Use every instance and piece of failure and rejection as a tool to become a better screenwriter.

But you also have to prepare yourself for everything that comes with success. It can be overwhelming. When you have a script that finally turns some Hollywood heads, now you’re about to be asked to:

Attend networking meetings. Apply notes for rewrites. Compete with other writers for assignments. Come up with the next great idea or script. 

You can prepare yourself for success by:

Knowing your stories to the point where you can pitch them with ease. Being creative and collaborative with notes. Having confidence in your abilities. Always thinking ahead by having great concepts waiting in the wings.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking success makes everything easier in your screenwriting journey. As Favreau said, success just presents a whole new set of challenges to face. 

 

'The Mandalorian'

9. Be Ready to Deliver on Hollywood’s Wants and Needs

“You actually get less freedom with more success.”

This is a great insider perspective to help prepare yourself for the “big league.” When you’re writing on spec (under speculation that you’ll sell your script to someone), you have more freedom to explore new ways to tell effective cinematic stories. But when you’re writing on assignment after breaking through with a spec script, you need to be ready, willing, and able to deliver on Hollywood’s wants and needs.

Notes are no longer feedback at this level. They are wants and needs (and sometimes demands) that you need to apply to your writing. Those wants, needs, and demands will be based on things like budget constraints, scheduling issues, location scouting, and overall intended vision of the producers and directors.

Being a pro screenwriter is all about being able to utilize and showcase your talents, while also adhering to the wants and needs of those who employ you. If you can be creative and offer solutions to any problems their notes are addressing - as opposed to pointing out more problems those notes may cause in your writing process - you’ll show them that you’re a collaborative screenwriter who can get the job done.  

10. Always Remember That You’re Writing for the Audience

“[It’s] for the audience…”

In the end, you’re writing for the audience. Sure, you can write for yourself during your writing process, as opposed to trying to guess what the audience would prefer to see. But when all is said and done, screenwriters are writing cinematic blueprints for movies intended for an audience.

When in doubt, put yourself in the shoes of the audience. Put yourself in that theater seat, holding your popcorn, treats, and drink as you stare up at that big screen. Put yourself on their couches as they scroll in search of something compelling to watch.

Screenwriters are in the business of entertainment. That’s what is expected. You’re there to create something that entertains. Audiences watch movies because they want to laugh, scream, cry, or cheer. They want to be moved and entertained.

Always ask yourself, “What would really surprise or shock the audience? What would make them laugh the most? What would make them jump out of their seats in shock and terror? What would move them to tears? What would keep them on the edge of their seats?”

Some wise words and perspective from one of our cinematic greats: Jon Favreau. 

In today’s evolving film and television landscape, having a fresh, compelling screenplay or TV pilot is a must for emerging writers. It’s what gets you into a meeting. But Lee Jessup, a longtime advocate for screenwriters and a key figure in the Final Draft Big Break winners’ mentorship process, says agents, managers and producers are looking for something more. 

“Today we’re in an age in the industry where it is about connecting the story and the storyteller,” Jessup says. “Not just about who has the most interesting story, but rather what is your personal connection to it.” 

Beyond the Script: The Missing Piece

For many emerging writers, this can be a blind spot. They spend years studying structure, dialogue, and genre, yet when they finally get in the room, they struggle to answer a deceptively simple question: Why this story? Why you?

Jessup’s work with Big Break winners often begins there. Before the meetings, before the pitches, before the networking strategy, she helps writers identify the personal throughline that ties them to their work, whether that connection is thematic, a lived experience, or an uncommon point of view.

That preparation becomes critical during the whirlwind of industry meetings that follow a major win. Writers aren’t just presenting ideas, they’re presenting themselves as artists, collaborators, and long-term creative partners.

“It’s really accessing that personal story, connecting the personal story to the work,” Jessup says. When you connect your screenplay to your own lived experience or point of view, the story will unfold more organically and become more emotionally accessible. 

So it’s not just about writing a powerful story, it’s about how you embody it and how you invite others into it with you. For writers, that means understanding that every room is different. The way you frame your story should shift depending on who you’re speaking to, what they respond to, and where common ground exists. It’s less about delivering a rehearsed pitch and more about creating a dynamic.

Being Your Own Champion

Sometimes, writers can be a bit shy and prefer to stay behind the scenes. But Jessup urges all writers to put themselves out there by applying for competitions, labs and workshops, and also exhibiting a strong brand – both in-person and online.

Writers, she says, need to think of themselves as their own representatives long before anyone else steps in. “You are your own champion, and as your own champion, you have to look at the avenues that can open doors for you.”

In other words, no one is going to build your career for you. The work isn’t just writing the script, it’s actively finding the places where that script can be seen and having that script fit into your brand as a whole.

Beyond script submissions and developing your brand, be thoughtful about relationships. Whether you’re in Los Angeles or not, Jessup stresses the importance of finding ways to connect with other writers, with industry professionals, and with anyone moving through the same ecosystem. “You never know where your break is going to come from,” she says. Instead of focusing solely on reaching the top of the ladder, she encourages writers to build connections with peers, assistants, and collaborators who are all on their way up. Those relationships are often the ones that matter most.

To capture that mindset, Jessup offers a metaphor that feels both daunting and liberating: “Your job, as a writer, is to put boats in the river.” Every screenplay submission, every opportunity and every relationship is another boat set afloat. When you’re consistently creating, submitting, and showing up, you begin to multiply your chances.

“Every single one of those represents a boat on the water,” she says.

Of course, volume alone isn’t enough. “Those boats need to be well-built and well-maintained,” she says, meaning your scripts need to be strong. The effort needs to be intentional. The more thoughtfully you put your work into the world, the more opportunities you create for something to come back.

The Takeaway: You Are Part of the Pitch

Jessup’s guidance ultimately frames how writers should think about their careers.

The script gets you in the room. But what happens next depends on your ability to connect your work to your lived experience, your perspective, and your voice. That’s what transforms a strong sample into a memorable introduction.

And it’s not a one-time exercise. Jessup works with writers not only on how to tell their story, but on how to adapt it in real time, like reading the room, finding points of connection, and building relationships that extend beyond a single meeting.

Because in an industry built on collaboration, the goal isn’t just to sell one project, it’s to establish yourself as a storyteller worth investing in long-term. It’s also a good reminder not to underestimate the value of your own perspective.

Enter the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Competition for your chance to be mentored by Lee Jessup or learn more about her work at leejessup.com.  

Some of the most enduring TV shows ever made aren't built around a single hero. They're built around a world of characters, an ensemble whose lives, secrets, and conflicts create something unique that a single protagonist can rarely do alone. Ensemble storytelling is one of the most powerful structures in television, and for screenwriters, it's one of the most rewarding to master. Here's what it is, why it works, and how to write it well.

What Is an Ensemble TV Show?

An ensemble TV show is a narrative with multiple storylines, character arcs, and perspectives that carry equal weight. This balance brings more voices, motivations, conflicts, and nuance to the plot, encouraging audiences to invest in a diverse range of characters based on their conflicts, arcs, and interpersonal dynamics.

‘Euphoria’ And Its Dream Ensemble

Like the great teen dramas before it (The O.C., Skins, and Dawson's Creek) Euphoria is a coming-of-age drama with a disorienting mix of genre, tone, stakes, and overall vibe. What sets it apart is its ensemble structure, with Rue (Zendaya) narrating from an almost omniscient perspective.

Euphoria's greatest strength is how it contextualizes each character's worldview, making their choices feel inevitable rather than arbitrary. You root for them to climb out of the holes they're digging because you remember the emotional volatility of being seventeen.

Each character moves through a unique, heightened experience, and together they build a compelling portrait of teen angst. The show's locations create natural opportunities to intersect storylines and demonstrate why each character matters to the whole. The best episodes are the ones where everyone converges, because when they do, you know the conflict is about to boil over and the secrets are about to spill.

'Euphoria'

Why You Should Write Ensemble Casts in Film and TV

Ensemble TV is the format that most rewards a writer's full range. It protects you from single points of failure, generates story perpetually, and produces the kind of resonant, lasting work that defines careers. It's not just a structural choice. It's a strategic and creative one.

Structural weight. Multiple characters and storylines distribute the story's load evenly, giving you room to take creative pivots when one arc stalls. Deeper character exploration. A diverse cast lets you dig into the human condition across culture, relationships, and personal growth, in ways a single protagonist simply can't. Connection and relatability. Viewers find characters they identify with based on shared experiences and conflicts, making the story more accessible and emotionally engaging. A sharper voice. Writing distinct dialogue for multiple characters across a full emotional spectrum tightens every screenwriting skill you have.

How to Write Ensemble Casts in Film and TV

Writing an ensemble TV show like Euphoria isn’t just about adding more characters. It’s a fundamentally different approach to story, where every decision has to account for the weight of the entire narrative. 

Here’s how to build an ensemble that holds together:

Create distinct characters. Give each character a well-defined personality, background, and set of motivations. Their individual perspectives enrich the narrative and keep characters from blurring together. Map relationship dynamics. Chart the relationships between characters — friendships, rivalries, romances, mentorships. These dynamics drive conflict and plot, and reveal what holds the ensemble together. Balance screen time. Every key character should have a moment to shine and contribute meaningfully to the plot, with their own arc, conflict, and resolution.Intertwine the storylines. Build individual storylines that intersect naturally with the main narrative — through personal growth, revealed backstory, or escalating conflict — so each thread strengthens the whole. Bring the cast together. Design pivotal scenes where the full ensemble converges. Major conflicts, revelations, and resolutions hit harder when you can feel the weight of every character's stake in the outcome. Give everyone a pivotal moment. Plan how each character will grow or change through their interconnected journey. No one should leave the story the same way they entered it.Maintain the narrative. Manage pacing, tone, structure, and thematic focus carefully. In an ensemble, these are the connective tissue that keeps everything from fragmenting. The cast of 'Euphoria'

Ensemble TV isn't the easier path. You're managing more characters, more relationships, more tonal registers, and more moving parts than any single-protagonist story requires. But those constraints force you to become a better writer: sharper with dialogue, more disciplined with structure, and more honest about how people actually affect each other.

The shows that last, the ones audiences return to and writers study, are almost always ensemble. Build the world carefully, trust the relationships, and let the collisions do the work.

To put it as simply as possible, a scene is a single beat in your story, while a sequence is a series of beats that perform together to create a more impactful narrative shift that serves broader story and character arcs. 

Once a screenwriter understands how these two concepts work together, screenwriting will feel more intuitive, more natural, and more cinematic. It’s about gaining a clearer sense of the necessary structure, pacing, story momentum, and character momentum to write screenplays that not only flow better, but are also read more visually enticing and impactful for script readers and the audience. 

When you see how individual moments (scenes) connect to form something larger (sequences), you’ll understand how important each and every scene and sequence is when it comes to writing a screenplay that feels like a movie when it’s being read. 

With that in mind, let’s delve a bit deeper into the differences between scenes and sequences, and how you better your scripts with that knowledge. 

What Is a Scene?

A scene is the most basic building block of a screenplay. 

At its core, a scene is a continuous moment in a script that takes place in one location (or a continuous moment moving between two or more locations) and unfolds in real time. It typically begins when a character enters a situation with a clear goal in mind (or showcasing a reaction to a previous scene) and ends when that goal is either achieved, denied, or changed. 

In screenwriting, every single scene should matter. Every single scene should ideally serve a purpose that propels the story forward.

When you’re writing a scene, try your best to have these three essential components present:

A clear objective (what the character wants) Conflicts and obstacles (what stands in their way) A shift or outcome (what changes by the end of the scene)

Without those elements, a scene can feel static and out of place. It may contain dialogue (information) and action (movement), but if it doesn’t move the story forward, it’s an easy sign pointing towards a possible cut in future drafts.  

Scene Example: Project Hail Mary (Minor Spoiler Warning)

Midway through the story, Grace detects another spacecraft and initiates first contact. In one scene, he comes face-to-face with an alien later known as Rocky. 

This first interaction is a single scene. 

Objective: Grace wants to investigate the unknown vessel and determine whether or not it’s a threat.  Conflict/Obstacles: He’s dealing with the fear of the unknown, lack of communication, and the potential danger of alien contact.  Outcome: He confirms intelligent life, makes a new friend, and is no longer alone.  

It’s contained, focused, and immediate. And, more importantly, it moves the story forward. All in just one single scene.

What Is a Sequence?

A sequence is a series of connected scenes that work together to create a larger story or character swing in those respective arcs. 

Sequences have beginnings, middles, and ends, building towards a mini-climax or turning point that advances the story in a more significant way. They usually revolve around a larger and more central goal or obstacle, with multiple scenes showing the character or characters attempting to achieve a larger goal. 

If you’re looking to increase story momentum and better your script’s pacing, peppering your script with sequences is a highly effective way to make your script a better read and make your eventual movie a better and more entertaining and cathartic watch. 

Sequence Example: Project Hail Mary (Minor Spoiler Warning)

So, Grace first met Rocky in that amazing single scene. While that scene propelled the story forward, it was only the beginning of an exhilarating, humorous, and sweet sequence that truly catapulted the story in a whole new, exciting, and impactful way, centered on one specific goal - figuring out how to communicate and work together. 

Grace and Rocky discover that they are both on the same mission to save their respective planets. 

This sequence is made up of multiple scenes:

Grace and Rocky having repeated interactions.  The realization that Rocky perceives sounds differently.  Attempts at creating a shared form of communication using math and patterns.  Breakthrough moments of communication.  Setbacks and misinterpretation that create either tension or hilarity.  The eventual establishment of meaningful communication and trust. 

Each of these moments is its own scene, even though many of them take place in the same location.

The unified goal between Grace and Rocky is communication. It also moves their character arcs forward as both had been dealing with loneliness. By the end of the sequence, there’s a clear outcome - they can understand each other. This moves the story forward because now they are able to work together to tackle the bigger narrative goal and obstacle - figuring out a way to save their planets from the same scientific threat. 

That is what defines a sequence. Not just multiple scenes, but multiple scenes working together towards a single dramatic purpose. 

Scenes and Sequences Should Be Thought of as Moments

Screenplays that don’t properly utilize scenes and sequences to move the story forward feel more and more episodic with every turn of the page. 

Every scene and every sequence should be thought of as moments. Each scene needs to be a moment with emotion, reveals, and story momentum. Each sequence needs to be full of those moments to create a larger and more overarching narrative swing. 

When you’re just writing scenes and sequences to get to the end of the story, the reader or audience aren’t being moved. Moments contain emotional arcs for the story and the characters. Moments are memorable, not just expositional dumps. 

The “It’s not your fault” scene in Good Will Hunting is a moment.  The “Go the distance” scene in Rocky is a moment.  The training sequence in Rocky is a moment.  The therapy sessions sequence in Good Will Hunting is a moment. 

Each of them are impactful and memorable moments. 

Scenes

Good WIll Hunting: When Will is told by Sean that it’s not his fault over and over, Sean finally gets Will to be fully vulnerable for the first time. That scene is a true moment to remember.  Rocky: When Rocky lays down with Adrian the night before the fight and admits that he can’t beat Creed, but all he wants to do is go the distance with him, that’s a memorable and cathartic scene.  

Sequences

Good WIll Hunting: When Will is forced to attend two therapy sessions (told in two different scenes), the sequence establishes that he’s trying to derail them as much as he can, until he sees Sean, which ends the sequence with Sean making a huge impactful (and violent) gesture that Will can relate with and almost respect.  Rocky: The iconic training sequence in Rocky, consisting of multiple scenes of him training, shows his transformation leading to the big fight. 

Think in moments, not just scenes and sequences. If you can write a script that has continual impactful and cathartic moments with each scene and sequence, you’ll have written something that truly stands out amongst the rest. 

How Scenes Function within a Sequence

Now that you understand how important it is to create moments in your scenes and sequences, let’s discuss how scenes should function with a sequence. 

A sequence isn’t just a random collection of scenes. Each scene within a sequence should serve a specific function in building towards a climax. Remember, every sequence should have a beginning, middle, and end. You build towards that end. 

Sequences can follow certain patterns that you can utilize:

Setup: Introduce the goal or problem Obstacles: Conflict arises and stakes increase Escalation: Attempts to confront obstacles intensify or backfire Climax: Resolutions of the above, or evolved continuing conflict Aftermath: What propels the story forward from that sequence of events 

Each scene is a moment and beat that feeds the needs of the sequence. 

Look no further than Michael Mann’s Heat, which showcases how multiple scenes serve the purpose for the climatic bank robbery sequence in the third act. 

One of their team reveals that they’ve been made.  The ex-con cook trying to go straight is recruited to take his position as the driver.  The bank robbery begins.  The homicide task force receives information that leads them to believe the crew is targeting a certain bank.  The crew robs the bank and begins to exit, thinking their robbery is a success.  The task force gears up as they drive to the bank, directing police officers to contain the area.  Moments of tension as the crew loads into their getaway car and police move towards the bank.  A firefight ensues. The crew escapes in the car, with one man dead, another injured, and another on foot on his own.  That bank robber is taken down as the others escape.   

This is a tension-filled sequence made up of multiple scenes. You could argue that this third act sequence continues to build and build with the scenes that follow. 

Each scene connects to the next, building the tension higher and higher towards a climax. 

If you want an example of a sequence that happens within the same single location in real time, look no further than Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and its iconic beach attack sequence. 

The goal for Chief Brody is to keep the people safe from any shark threat. 

Brody watches the crowded beach. He’s distracted by people talking to him as he does. We see a few false alarms and misdirects.  Brody continues to scan the water.  A dog owner can’t find his dog, who was previously swimming in the water.  We see the POV of the shark.  The shark kills the boy. The beach reacts in confusion and horror, as does Brody.  Chaos as Brody gets people out of the water.  A mother can’t find her son.

You could call this a single scene, but it also works as a thrilling, scary, and emotional sequence comprising many mini-scenes in mini-locations throughout the beach with multiple points of view from different characters - all connected by Brody’s observations and reactions. 

Why This All Can Be a Game-Changer for Screenwriters

When you start thinking of scenes and sequences as connected moments, something clicks in your writing process and style. 

Scripts become tighter.  Pacing improves.  Tension builds more naturally.  Your scripts start to feel and read more cinematic. 

If you embrace this perspective, it can be a game-changer for not just your scripts, but for your screenwriting as a whole. 

Reports of the movie theater’s death have been premature.

For the better part of the last decade, a familiar panic settled over Hollywood. People were crying, “Streaming is killing cinema!” “Audiences are choosing to watch movies at home!” Many started claiming the theatrical experience was a relic on life support, and anyone who didn’t accept that reality was fooling themselves. It was a story that got repeated so often, it felt like a foregone conclusion.

Now, the anxiety wasn’t irrational. There was data behind the pessimism. Theater attendance numbers had plummeted. The pandemic accelerated viewing habits that were already forming. Franchise fatigue was real, and superhero sequels that once felt like guaranteed performers started underdelivering. The culture war had also spilled over into Hollywood and turned off large sections of the country.

But as it turns out, audiences weren’t done with movies. 

They were done with movies that didn’t give them a reason to leave the house.

The Numbers That Changed the Conversation

The first quarter of 2026 has made the case clearly. The domestic box office posted $1.77 billion through Q1: the strongest start to a calendar year since before the pandemic, and an 11% increase over the same period last year. That number reflects a genuine shift in audience behavior, not an anomaly driven by a single opening weekend.

The standout of the quarter is Project Hail Mary (based on the Andy Weir novel and adapted by screenwriter Drew Goddard). The sci-fi hit starring Ryan Gosling crossed $217 million domestically, on pace for $300 million or more, with a remarkably strong third-weekend hold. It set a record as the first 2026 release to cross $200 million. What makes that figure noteworthy is the nature of the film: a new story, not a sequel, not a reboot or franchise extension. 

In addition, Hoppers added another $149.6 million for Disney’s animation slate. Scream 7 hit $120.5 million, a series high for the horror franchise. GOAT crossed $102 million. Taken together, Q1 built its record not on one massive performer, but on consistent theatrical attendance across multiple genres and audience demographics.

And Q2 is already shaping up to be strong with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie amassing a whopping $190.8 million domestically over the holiday weekend. This shows the momentum from Q1 is still going strong. 

The Holdovers

The Q1 story didn’t begin in January. Some of it was written before the new year even started.

Avatar: Fire and Ash carried its late 2025 momentum well into Q1, contributing $137.9 million to the domestic total and pushing its cumulative past $400 million. A sustained theatrical run like this — months of audiences continuing to buy tickets — is the kind of performance that reminds studios why the theatrical window still matters. Arguably more impressive, The Housemaid crossed $399 million worldwide against a $35 million budget. That return on investment didn’t go unnoticed. And Marty Supreme quietly became A24 studio’s highest-grossing film at $179 million globally, built almost entirely on word of mouth from an opening of just six theaters.

These three films couldn’t be more different: a sequel to a sci-fi/fantasy blockbuster, an erotic thriller, and an indie sports dramedy. But what they have in common is that audiences kept showing up for them.

It's Not Just the Big Tent

The success of The Housemaid and Marty Supreme are significant because they show this rise in theater attendance isn’t reserved for big franchises and family films. In addition to The Housemaid, other female-led psychological thrillers, Wuthering Heights and Send Help, posted solid Q1 numbers as counter-programmers to the bigger event films around them. This proves that 2023’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon wasn’t a fluke, but a foreshadowing.

In addition to the four quadrant sci-fi and animated hits, A24’s The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, opened this past weekend to $14.38 million domestically and $28 million globally. This effectively recoups the film’s entire production budget in three days, with 68% of its audience being women under 35.

The public’s appetite isn’t narrowly calibrated to tentpoles and familiar characters. When a movie looks intriguing or dynamic, it’ll find an audience.

This Was Predictable

A couple years ago, when many of my peers were convinced that streaming would lead to less work for screenwriters, I had a different take. I also argued that streaming wasn’t going to destroy theatrical cinema any more than television destroyed movies in the 1950s, cable destroyed them in the 1980s, or home video finished them off in the 1990s. Each of those technologies was predicted to make the theater obsolete. In retrospect, television, cable and home video expanded the overall audience for filmed entertainment and ultimately created more demand for content, not less.

And sure enough, streaming is proving to be following suit.

The relationship between streaming and theatrical isn’t antithetical. A great film can perform well in theaters and then extend its life and audience on a streaming platform. And even if a film is solely a platform hit, it can generate the kind of cultural conversation that drives people to seek out a filmmaker’s next theatrical release. Streaming and theatrical can function together, almost symbiotically, when the material is strong enough to justify both.

What streaming accelerated was audience selectivity. When thousands of titles are available at no incremental cost, the bar for what earns a trip to the theater naturally rises. Audiences became more discriminating. Films like Project Hail Mary, Marty Supreme, and The Housemaid were hits because they gave audiences something they couldn’t get by staying home. That’s not a crisis for cinema. That’s cinema doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

What This Means for Screenwriters

A healthy box office has a cascade effect that reaches every level of the industry. Studios tracking these Q1 numbers are going to be green-lighting more films. Producers who’ve been cautious about bringing material to market will start moving faster. Development slates will expand. The pipeline that runs from a screenplay on someone’s computer to a movie in front of a paying audience will get more traffic, more investment, and more urgency behind it.

More films being greenlit means more writers being hired for assignment jobs. Even if many of the films that topped the last two quarters were adaptations of books and other IPs, they still required screenwriters to translate them from one medium to another. Also, franchise films need fresh voices to push the material somewhere audiences haven’t already been. If you're a working professional or a writer with heat, the revitalized box office is likely to create a fuller job market. In many ways, the current marketplace is much healthier for screenwriters than it was pre-pandemic when everything was about superhero films and slick remakes.

But the opportunity doesn’t stop at the assignment level, and this is where this story connects to something I’ve been watching build for the past year.

Two Trends, One Direction

In my article, “The Return of the Spec Screenplay Sale,” I wrote about 23 feature spec sales and pitches closing in a single summer, with nine of them in August alone: the highest monthly volume since March 2017. Studios and producers are buying original material again. Some of these deals were in the high six figures and a few even crossed seven figures. A hot spec is once again a commodity.

That trend didn’t appear out of nowhere, and it’s not separate from what’s happening at the box office now. Spec script purchases are a bet on where the audience is heading. Studios and producers reading the cultural signals in 2024 and 2025 — growing streaming fatigue, renewed interest in the theatrical experience, audiences increasingly hungry for fresh material — started investing in original material ahead of the demand curve. Don’t be surprised if next year some of these specs join the ranks at the theatrical box office and further expand the marketplace.

Spec scripts are the movies of tomorrow. The films opening in theaters two and three years from now are being written today. The specs circulating right now, the ones getting read by managers and production companies and development executives, are the raw material that becomes the next wave of theatrical releases. When the box office is strong and studios are confident, that pipeline accelerates. Material that might have sat in development limbo for years gets pushed forward. Projects that needed a green light, get it.

This is why the spec sale resurgence and the box office recovery aren’t separate trends that just happen to be occurring at the same time. They’re the same trend viewed from two different points in the process. The industry was already signaling its confidence in the future through the spec market before Q1 confirmed it in ticket sales. Writers paying attention to both markets have a clearer picture of the landscape than writers watching only one.

More Movies, More Screenplays

More movies are going to be made in the coming years, and this naturally means more screenplays will need to be written. If you’re a beginner screenwriter, the spec is your entry point into this expanding marketplace. Whether it’s through a sale or your spec working as a writing sample, it’s still one of the best ways to break into the industry. 

The return of the box office and spec sale, especially when viewed alongside one another, confirm the industry has moved past the period of uncertainty. It isn’t operating exclusively around a few safe bets. It’s embracing new material, different genres, fresh voices, and scripts that haven’t been written yet by writers who haven’t had their break yet. The pipeline is open and the appetite is real.

People are going back to the movies. 

Now write something worth the ticket.