![Where Most New Writers Go Wrong - Andrew Zinnes [FULL INTERVIEW] @filmcourage](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cBeQrRARRtU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Our two new books... STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - payhip.com/b/ZTvq9
and 17 Steps To Writing A Great Main Character - payhip.com/b/kCZGd
0:00 - Former Script Reader Shares 3 Lessons On Breaking Into The Film Industry
10:25 - 99% Of Screenplays Are Not Garbage
22:41 - How To Know If A Screenplay Has Been Written Too Fast
36:05 - Most New Writers Have A Hard Time Learning This
47:44 - How To Know You Have A Good Story Idea
1:03:37 - If You Know The Ending... You Know The Beginning (Writing Advice)
1:12:16 - Filmmakers Can Make A Lot Of Mistakes But This Is Probably The Worst One
1:24:25 - If You Can't Tell Your Story Succinctly... Then You Don't Know It
Andrew Zinnes is Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He has worked in development at Paramount Pictures and at USA Networks. He left to become a script analyst, and worked for Morgan Creek Productions, Artisan and several script analyst companies. Using his documentary filmmaking experience, Andrew was the perfect co-author for The Documentary Film Makers Handbook. He has taught documentary at the NY Film Academy and has lectured on filmmaking at schools and colleges around the US. He is a founding partner of the film company Crazee Pictures.
BUY THE BOOK - SCREENWRITERS ADVICE: From Popular and Award Winning Film, TV, and Streaming Shows (The Guerilla Filmmaker’s Handbooks) - amzn.to/3Yzen1x
BUY THE BOOK - THE DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKERS HANDBOOK: A Guerilla Guide
amzn.to/40x9BEz
BUY THE BOOK - THE GUERILLA FILM MAKERS POCKETBOOK: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Film Making (The Guerilla Filmmaker’s Handbooks) - amzn.to/40zOJfI
CONNECT WITH ANDREW ZINNES
imdb.com/name/nm1088109
uk.linkedin.com/in/andrew-zinnes-aa07356
MORE FILM COURAGE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
Write Your Life And Become A Better Storyteller - youtu.be/xFK5Ih3CPFc
42 Ways To Avoid Writing A Boring Screenplay - youtu.be/OBvusf6vn-0
Don't Get It Right, Get It Written! - youtu.be/V6Yql0jrjow
How To Write A Great Story (Decades Of Wisdom Distilled Down To 17 Minutes) - youtu.be/2-g1xYsgJ9s
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
FilmCourage.com
twitter.com/#!/FilmCourage
facebook.com/filmcourage
instagram.com/filmcourage
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
bit.ly/18DPN37
PERSONALLY SPONSOR FILM COURAGE
ko-fi.com/filmcourage
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
youtube.com/channel/UCs8o1mdWAfefJkdBg632_tg/join
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A PATRON
patreon.com/filmcourage
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
soundcloud.com/filmcourage-com
(Affiliates)
►BOOKS WE RECOMMEND:
THE NUTSHELL TECHNIQUE: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting amzn.to/2X3Vx5F
THE STORY SOLUTION: 23 Actions All Great Heroes Must Take
amzn.to/2gYsuMf
SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
amzn.to/3dNg2HQ
THE ANATOMY OF STORY: 22 Steps To Becoming A Master Storyteller
amzn.to/2h6W3va
THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING - Lajos Egri
amzn.to/3jh3b5f
►FILMMAKER STARTER KIT
BLACKMAGIC Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - amzn.to/4gDU0s9
ZOOM H4essential 4-Track Handy Recorder - amzn.to/3TIon6X
SENNHEISER Professional Shotgun Microphone - amzn.to/3TEnLiE
NEEWER CB300B 320W LED Video Light - amzn.to/3XEMK6F
NEEWER 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power - amzn.to/3XX57VK
►WE USE THIS CAMERA (B&H) – buff.ly/3rWqrra
►WE USE THIS SOUND RECORDER (AMAZON) – amzn.to/2tbFlM9
►Stuff we use:
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/425k5rG
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/3WEuz0k
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
*Disclaimer: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
#writing #screenwriting #story
Our two new books... STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - payhip.com/b/ZTvq9
and 17 Steps To Writing A Great Main Character - payhip.com/b/kCZGd
0:00 - Former Script Reader Shares 3 Lessons On Breaking Into The Film Industry
10:25 - 99% Of Screenplays Are Not Garbage
22:41 - How To Know If A Screenplay Has Been Written Too Fast
36:05 - Most New Writers Have A Hard Time Learning This
47:44 - How To Know You Have A Good Story Idea
1:03:37 - If You Know The Ending... You Know The Beginning (Writing Advice)
1:12:16 - Filmmakers Can Make A Lot Of Mistakes But This Is Probably The Worst One
1:24:25 - If You Can't Tell Your Story Succinctly... Then You Don't Know It
Andrew Zinnes is Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He has worked in development at Paramount Pictures and at USA Networks. He left to become a script analyst, and worked for Morgan Creek Productions, Artisan and several script analyst companies. Using his documentary filmmaking experience, Andrew was the perfect co-author for The Documentary Film Makers Handbook. He has taught documentary at the NY Film Academy and has lectured on filmmaking at schools and colleges around the US. He is a founding partner of the film company Crazee Pictures.
BUY THE BOOK - SCREENWRITERS ADVICE: From Popular and Award Winning Film, TV, and Streaming Shows (The Guerilla Filmmaker’s Handbooks) - amzn.to/3Yzen1x
BUY THE BOOK - THE DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKERS HANDBOOK: A Guerilla Guide
amzn.to/40x9BEz
BUY THE BOOK - THE GUERILLA FILM MAKERS POCKETBOOK: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Film Making (The Guerilla Filmmaker’s Handbooks) - amzn.to/40zOJfI
CONNECT WITH ANDREW ZINNES
imdb.com/name/nm1088109
uk.linkedin.com/in/andrew-zinnes-aa07356
MORE FILM COURAGE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
Write Your Life And Become A Better Storyteller - youtu.be/xFK5Ih3CPFc
42 Ways To Avoid Writing A Boring Screenplay - youtu.be/OBvusf6vn-0
Don't Get It Right, Get It Written! - youtu.be/V6Yql0jrjow
How To Write A Great Story (Decades Of Wisdom Distilled Down To 17 Minutes) - youtu.be/2-g1xYsgJ9s
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
FilmCourage.com
twitter.com/#!/FilmCourage
facebook.com/filmcourage
instagram.com/filmcourage
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
bit.ly/18DPN37
PERSONALLY SPONSOR FILM COURAGE
ko-fi.com/filmcourage
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
youtube.com/channel/UCs8o1mdWAfefJkdBg632_tg/join
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A PATRON
patreon.com/filmcourage
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
soundcloud.com/filmcourage-com
(Affiliates)
►BOOKS WE RECOMMEND:
THE NUTSHELL TECHNIQUE: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting amzn.to/2X3Vx5F
THE STORY SOLUTION: 23 Actions All Great Heroes Must Take
amzn.to/2gYsuMf
SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
amzn.to/3dNg2HQ
THE ANATOMY OF STORY: 22 Steps To Becoming A Master Storyteller
amzn.to/2h6W3va
THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING - Lajos Egri
amzn.to/3jh3b5f
►FILMMAKER STARTER KIT
BLACKMAGIC Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - amzn.to/4gDU0s9
ZOOM H4essential 4-Track Handy Recorder - amzn.to/3TIon6X
SENNHEISER Professional Shotgun Microphone - amzn.to/3TEnLiE
NEEWER CB300B 320W LED Video Light - amzn.to/3XEMK6F
NEEWER 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power - amzn.to/3XX57VK
►WE USE THIS CAMERA (B&H) – buff.ly/3rWqrra
►WE USE THIS SOUND RECORDER (AMAZON) – amzn.to/2tbFlM9
►Stuff we use:
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/425k5rG
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/3WEuz0k
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
*Disclaimer: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
#writing #screenwriting #story
![Where Most New Writers Go Wrong - Andrew Zinnes [FULL INTERVIEW]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cBeQrRARRtU/mqdefault.jpg "Where Most New Writers Go Wrong - Andrew Zinnes [FULL INTERVIEW]
Our two new books... STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9
and 17 Steps To Writing A Great Main Character - https://payhip.com/b/kCZGd
0:00 - Former Script Reader Shares 3 Lessons On Breaking Into The Film Industry
10:25 - 99% Of Screenplays Are Not Garbage
22:41 - How To Know If A Screenplay Has Been Written Too Fast
36:05 - Most New Writers Have A Hard Time Learning This
47:44 - How To Know You Have A Good Story Idea
1:03:37 - If You Know The Ending... You Know The Beginning (Writing Advice)
1:12:16 - Filmmakers Can Make A Lot Of Mistakes But This Is Probably The Worst One
1:24:25 - If You Cant Tell Your Story Succinctly... Then You Dont Know It
Andrew Zinnes is Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He has worked in development at Paramount Pictures and at USA Networks. He left to become a script analyst, and worked for Morgan Creek Productions, Artisan and several script analyst companies. Using his documentary filmmaking experience, Andrew was the perfect co-author for The Documentary Film Makers Handbook. He has taught documentary at the NY Film Academy and has lectured on filmmaking at schools and colleges around the US. He is a founding partner of the film company Crazee Pictures.
BUY THE BOOK - SCREENWRITERS ADVICE: From Popular and Award Winning Film, TV, and Streaming Shows (The Guerilla Filmmaker’s Handbooks) - https://amzn.to/3Yzen1x
BUY THE BOOK - THE DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKERS HANDBOOK: A Guerilla Guide
https://amzn.to/40x9BEz
BUY THE BOOK - THE GUERILLA FILM MAKERS POCKETBOOK: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Film Making (The Guerilla Filmmaker’s Handbooks) - https://amzn.to/40zOJfI
CONNECT WITH ANDREW ZINNES
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1088109
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andrew-zinnes-aa07356
MORE FILM COURAGE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
Write Your Life And Become A Better Storyteller - https://youtu.be/xFK5Ih3CPFc
42 Ways To Avoid Writing A Boring Screenplay - https://youtu.be/OBvusf6vn-0
Dont Get It Right, Get It Written! - https://youtu.be/V6Yql0jrjow
How To Write A Great Story (Decades Of Wisdom Distilled Down To 17 Minutes) - https://youtu.be/2-g1xYsgJ9s
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
http://www.FilmCourage.com
http://twitter.com/#!/FilmCourage
https://www.facebook.com/filmcourage
https://www.instagram.com/filmcourage
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
http://bit.ly/18DPN37
PERSONALLY SPONSOR FILM COURAGE
https://ko-fi.com/filmcourage
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8o1mdWAfefJkdBg632_tg/join
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A PATRON
https://www.patreon.com/filmcourage
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
https://soundcloud.com/filmcourage-com
(Affiliates)
►BOOKS WE RECOMMEND:
THE NUTSHELL TECHNIQUE: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting https://amzn.to/2X3Vx5F
THE STORY SOLUTION: 23 Actions All Great Heroes Must Take
http://amzn.to/2gYsuMf
SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting Youll Ever Need
https://amzn.to/3dNg2HQ
THE ANATOMY OF STORY: 22 Steps To Becoming A Master Storyteller
http://amzn.to/2h6W3va
THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING - Lajos Egri
https://amzn.to/3jh3b5f
►FILMMAKER STARTER KIT
BLACKMAGIC Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - https://amzn.to/4gDU0s9
ZOOM H4essential 4-Track Handy Recorder - https://amzn.to/3TIon6X
SENNHEISER Professional Shotgun Microphone - https://amzn.to/3TEnLiE
NEEWER CB300B 320W LED Video Light - https://amzn.to/3XEMK6F
NEEWER 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power - https://amzn.to/3XX57VK
►WE USE THIS CAMERA (B&H) – https://buff.ly/3rWqrra
►WE USE THIS SOUND RECORDER (AMAZON) – http://amzn.to/2tbFlM9
►Stuff we use:
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - http://amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post https://amzn.to/425k5rG
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - https://amzn.to/3WEuz0k
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - http://amzn.to/2u5UnHv
*Disclaimer: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
#writing #screenwriting #story")
![Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting - Jill Chamberlain [FULL INTERVIEW]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dcFKlaChuS0/mqdefault.jpg "Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting - Jill Chamberlain [FULL INTERVIEW]
Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting - Jill Chamberlain [FULL INTERVIEW]")
![Easiest Way To Avoid Writers Block - Billy Van Zandt [FULL INTERVIEW]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eNTL4kFYWiI/mqdefault.jpg "Easiest Way To Avoid Writers Block - Billy Van Zandt [FULL INTERVIEW]
Our two new books... STORY QUESTIONS is currently 10% off! - https://payhip.com/b/ZTvq9
and 17 Steps To Writing A Great Main Character - https://payhip.com/b/kCZGd
In this interview, Film Courage speaks with Billy Van Zandt on his writing process, acting, comedy, theater in New Jersey and his late writing partner Jane Milmore.
0:00 - When Writing Screenplays This Is The Mistake That Most Actors Make
9:27 - If Your Writing Doesn’t Scare You... Youre Probably Doing It Wrong
19:47 - If You Are Writing A TV Spec Script... Avoid These Mistakes
29:02 - What Stops People From Having A Successful Career In The Entertainment Business
49:25 - How Ive Written Every Day For 46 Years
58:32 - Why Writers Should Study I Love Lucy
1:08:34 - Why Is It That Some Writers Never Get Writers Block?
1:19:27 - Why Arent People Watching Comedies Any More?
1:30:33 - 3 Ways To Produce A Stage Play
1:38:49 - How To Make Money Writing Stage Plays
Billy Van Zandt and his writing partner, the late Jane Milmore, are two of the most often produced playwrights in the world. Billy and Jane met at a high school acting competition in their home state of New Jersey. Together for 46 years, they wrote and starred in 25 plays together. Billys solo play The Property Known as Garland starring his ex-wife Adrienne Barbeau broke box office records at Off-Broadways Actors Playhouse. The plays have been produced in thousands of theaters worldwide, including two productions directed by Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis (Billy and Jane are funny, outrageous, off-the chart writers/performers) and one by film legend Burt Reynolds. For television, these award-winning writers have produced over three hundred hours of television comedy, including Newhart; Martin, which won them a Peoples Choice Award; The Hughleys, which won them a Prism Award; Suddenly Susan for Brooke Shields; Daddy Dearest for Don Rickles and Richard Lewis; Anything But Love for Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis; The Wayans Bros.; and I Love Lucy: The Very First Show which won them an Emmy nomination. As an actor, Billy made his film debut in Jaws 2; Billy lives in Los Angeles, when hes not touring the world in the last Van Zandt/Milmore musical, The Boomer Boys Musical.
BUY THE BOOK - BECAUSE ITS FUNNY!: The Plays of Billy Van Zandt & Jane Milmore
https://amzn.to/3AaPam6
BUY THE BOOK - GET IN THE CAR, JANE!: Adventures in the TV Wasteland
https://amzn.to/3AfFSFn
CONNECT WITH BILLY VAN ZANDT
https://vanzandtmilmore.com
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0888345
https://www.facebook.com/VanZandtMilmoreProductions
https://x.com/billyvzandt
MORE FILM COURAGE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
Why Arent People Watching Comedies Any More? - https://youtu.be/guATSXnE3g8
Hidden Tools For Writing A Comedy Screenplay - https://youtu.be/X5G0INWwQe4
Unbelievable Secret Behind 99% Of All Comedy - https://youtu.be/0FEmuUpeHrc
The Formula For Writing A Great Comedy Script - https://youtu.be/A5iGXzZN0iM
The Art and Craft Of Writing Comedy - https://youtu.be/XkqueJePFuw
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
http://www.FilmCourage.com
http://twitter.com/#!/FilmCourage
https://www.facebook.com/filmcourage
https://www.instagram.com/filmcourage
http://filmcourage.tumblr.com
http://pinterest.com/filmcourage
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
http://bit.ly/18DPN37
PERSONALLY SPONSOR FILM COURAGE
https://ko-fi.com/filmcourage
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8o1mdWAfefJkdBg632_tg/join
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A PATRON
https://www.patreon.com/filmcourage
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
https://soundcloud.com/filmcourage-com
(Affiliates)
►BOOKS WE RECOMMEND:
THE NUTSHELL TECHNIQUE: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting https://amzn.to/2X3Vx5F
THE STORY SOLUTION: 23 Actions All Great Heroes Must Take
http://amzn.to/2gYsuMf
SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting Youll Ever Need
https://amzn.to/3dNg2HQ
THE ANATOMY OF STORY: 22 Steps To Becoming A Master Storyteller
http://amzn.to/2h6W3va
THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING - Lajos Egri
https://amzn.to/3jh3b5f
ON WRITING: A Memoir of the Craft
https://amzn.to/3XgPtCN
►FILMMAKER STARTER KIT
BLACKMAGIC Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K - https://amzn.to/4gDU0s9
ZOOM H4essential 4-Track Handy Recorder - https://amzn.to/3TIon6X
SENNHEISER Professional Shotgun Microphone - https://amzn.to/3TEnLiE
NEEWER CB300B 320W LED Video Light - https://amzn.to/3XEMK6F
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post https://amzn.to/425k5rG
*Disclaimer: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
#writing #comedy #theatre")
