Write That Sh*t Down

In this episode Ben and Dan start this thing. These two brothers love movies and are on a quest to create their own. Each week they will drill into the process further until a finished movie is on the other side. They talk about nonsense a hate for a movie (The Core) and love of others (Get Out) and dumb stuff in between. This is an exploration into the chaos of two minds that are wired differently. Tally ho!

This week Ben and Dan are staging the scene for the upcoming season. Ben gives Dan an overview of his movie. They talk about what not to call the movie. We start to get a glimpse at Dan's "Crazy Lazy" attitude and demeanor. The format of future shows is nailed out. Next week they discuss Shawshank Redemption. They also discuss other random things.

Two brothers Ben and Dan start their journey of writing their first screenplay. These too have been obsessed with movies since they were younger and now are putting in the work to write their own. During each episode they will tackle and workshop a part of the screen play process. They also will review a movie they love and drill into the differences and similarities between what is on the paper and what makes it to the screen. Follow along each week to see a movie written before your ears..

This week Ben shares the first draft of his treatment for Hinterlands. They work through a few notes and decide to table a rewrite until they can develop the characters next week. They review The Wachowskis 1999 hit film The Matrix. Dan describes the mindfuck he experienced on his 17th birthday watching this film. Next week they will dig into the characters of Hinterlands and review the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective screenplay.

Ben and Dan discuss a handful of characters and build the backstory that will power the screenplay. They then discuss Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. There is a little baby joining us for a few minutes in the beginning. Next week they will go through a few other characters and review Mission Impossible.

Ben and Dan discuss more characters from their movie Hinterlands. Characters are the most important aspects to any story. The more you know about your characters the better the story. You can connect scenes to their core desires as people. Spending time working on characters will hopefully make the writing process run smoother.After that they discuss the 1996 action movie, Mission Impossible. This movie still holds up and was cutting edge. It is very well written with subtle foreshadowing elements baked in. If you haven't seen this already, they will ruin it for you.

WARNING: If you are not watching the movie or have never seen it, skip this!Something new for this episode. Ben and Dan invite you to watch The Prestige. This 2006 movie stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Simply start your movie when we do and you can listen to the blokes commentary.

In this episode Ben and Dan run through one final round of character development. Then they talk about the Cohen Brother's cult classic The Big Lebowski.

Ben and Dan talk at a highlevel about scene structure. They start with the core beats of the movie and flush out more of the first and half of the second act. Then they discuss the 1985 hit movie Back To The Future starring Micheal J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

In this episode Ben and Dan drill into the second half scenes. They talk high level on some key plot points and realize they have way more work in front of them. Then they discuss the 2006 Academy Award winning movie The Departed starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio.

WARNING: If you are not watching the movie or have never seen it, skip this!Ben and Dan watch Starship Troopers, the 1997 action classic. This movie is set in a future where the human race is under attack from a alien bug army. Casper Van Dien leads troops into battle on planets far from home. Neil Patrick Harris and Denise Richards co star. This move still holds up and the CGI was ahead of its time. Join us.

In this episode Ben and Dan discuss the major beats of the movie again. Each film has roughly 40 important scenes that anchor the narrative. They adjust things and establish an outline of the three acts. They also discuss the screen play writing software they are using, Writer Duet. Then they talk about the 1996 action film, The Rock starring Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery and Ed Harris.

In this episode Ben and Dan discuss the scenes they need for Act 1. During this discussion they come to terms with just making the best movie possible and not worrying about length and time. Then they take a closer look at the 1991 cult classic Point Break starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Gary Buse.

WARNING: If you are not watching the movie or have never seen it, skip this!Ben and Dan watch one of the worst movies of all time, The Core. This 2003 sci-fi action film stars Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Delroy Lindo, Stanely Tucci, and DJ Qualls. What would happen if the center of the Earth stopped rotating? A rag tag team of scientists, NASA astronauts, and a hacker all team up with unlimited funds to attempt to fix things. Do not mind all the long sighs and scoffs. Also the timing might be a bit borked in spots, enjoy.

Ben and Dan talk about the second act scenes for their movie Hinterlands. They discuss the process of writing a screenplay like sculpting a block of marble. Having a large body of work and then refining things as they move forward. They briefly touch on ideas for act 3. Then they discuss the 2011 film Limitless starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.

Ben and Dan spend a bit of time talking about the second half of the second act, Act 2.5 and then Act 3 scenes. They discuss the tech challenge with explaining the critical point of their movie. Moving forward they will start the actual writing process, which they have put off for over 4 months. Then they discuss the 2001 movie Joe Dirt, written by David Spade and Fred Wolf. This ridiculous comedy is a classic and one the boys quote often.

Ben and Dan discuss the first seven pages of their screenplay. They discuss the pacing and the future revisions and the importance of setting up a routine to write. Then they discuss the 1994 action film True Lies, written by James Cameron. Top five movie of all time for both of them.

Ben and Dan continue working through their screenplay. This episode they focus on the second seven pages. They realize the the pacing is lagging and the dialogue seems forced. In the future during revisions they will be able to tighten things up. Then they discuss the 2003 comedy movie, Old School written by Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong. A classic movie that the boys quote all the time.

Ben and Dan discuss more pages they have written of their movie, Hinterlands. They touch on the timeline paradox and a potential way to address it. Then they talk about the 1995 movie Heat, written and directed by Michael Mann. This crime thriller stars Robert De Nero, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer.

In this episode the boys talk about the tragic car crash that kills two of the friends. This first draft version will no doubt be re-written. This sets the stage for Peter's journey through academia as he is then sent to boarding school. From there to MIT to meet Sarah, the love of his life. Then the boys pivot to discuss the 1997 hit movie Good Will Hunting written by and starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. This is an amazing movie that stands the test of time.

Ben and Dan continue with writing the first act of their movie. The protagonist, Peter, is sent to a boarding school after a horrific accident. He needs to find his way and get the spark to continue studying. They discuss the importance of getting things on paper and revising later. Then they discuss the 1999 cult comedy film, Office Space. This films is brilliantly written and directed by Mike Judge.

Ben and Dan continue to discuss their film. They have 40 pages completed which ultimately will be parsed down to 10 or 15. There is a ton of filler and Ben thinks it is becoming boring to even write it out. First draft is always junk. The boys set a deadline to complete the first draft by the end of February 2021. Then the boys pivot and discuss the 2003 Christmas comedy, Love Actually written and directed by Richard Curtis.

Ben and Dan talk through the next 20 pages of their screenplay. In order to keep with the 02/21 deadline they need to write 2 pages a day. They talk about some pivotal scenes and dialogue that needs to still be flushed out. Then they pivot to discuss the 1999 cult classic The Boondock Saints written and directed by Troy Duffy.

Ben and Dan discuss more pages of their second act of the first draft. Now at 75 out of 140 pages. They touch on the elephant in the room, the tech that holds everything together. Then they discuss the 1990 Christmas classic, Home Alone, expertly written by John Hughes. The family movie with out the family.

Ben and Dan continue to work through the first draft. This episode they talk about Sarah and Peter agreeing to work with James Boyd and how to pump up the drama in future re-writes. Then they talk about the 2003 Christmas comedy, Elf written by David Berenbaum. Turns out they both think it is ok.

Ben and Dan talk about the next 10 pages bringing them to 100 pages total. They talk about a few key plot holes they will close up and how the final bit of the second act and the third act will go. Then they talk about the 1988 Christmas action flick, Die Hard written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. This movie still holds up. RIP Alan Rickman.

Ben and Dan continue to work through the first draft and add another 8 pages. They discuss a new style approach for linear progressions. Then the boys breakdown the 2007 period piece, There Will Be Blood written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Ben and Dan discuss even more pages. This first draft is nearly done and they talk about re-writing to tighten things up. Then they discuss the 2010 mind bender, Inception written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Elliot Page is referenced, when Ben and Dan are referring to "she" this is the character in the movie not the actor.

Ben and Dan are all done with their first draft! Clocking in at 126 pages this thing is a real mess. Now the work of re-writing starts. Then the boys talk about the 2004 teen comedy, Mean Girls written by Tina Fey. It's so fetch.

Ben and Dan talk about the rewriting process they are about to embark on. They will be able to fix any plot holes by taking things scene by scene over the next few months. Then the boys talk about the 1993 comedy classic, Groundhog Day written by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis.

Ben and Dan discuss the first 30 pages that they have rewritten. They also touch on an interesting option to have a huge plot hole that is sorted out in the second movie. Then they discuss the 1993 thriller, The Fugitive written by David Twohy.

Ben and Dan discuss the continued rewrites of the rest of the first and into the second act. They talk about building up more storylines and removing scenes that just drag on. Then they talk about the 2013 movie Wolf Of Wall Street written by Terrance Winter. An amazing film that portrays the life and times of a money addict.

Ben and Dan are still rewriting, this is taking forever! They talk about the need to beef up the James Boyd story line and redo the entire section of Sarah and Peter working in California. Then they talk about the 2002 revenge classic, The Count of Monte Cristo written by Jay Wolpert. Also time is an illusion. Enjoy!

Ben and Dan are wrapping up the rewrites of their movie Hinterlands. They discuss the plans to finish things with a hard deadline of end of May. They will have one more episode this season and then on to the next movie. On the second half of the episode they compare the 1992 comedy move, My Cousin Vinny to the screenplay written by Dale Laurner. Enjoy!

Ben and Dan wrap up Season 1 with the final points on their rewrite process. Then they tease a bit about the next season and next movie they plan to write. Then they talk about the 2002 film The Salton Sea, written by Tony Gayton. A great movie about revenge starring Mike Dlugiewicz himself, Val Kilmer!