In any field, it is a good idea to examine the best in that field and find out what we can learn from their work.
The challenge with screenwriting is that they aren’t typically public individuals, which makes it difficult to identify who’s in that hall of fame.
So, what are the top screenwriters of the past? If you’re interested in becoming a screenwriter it is logical to learn from what works of some of the greatest show business. Although it’s hard to determine the top performers in every field, however, some excellent screenwriters are discussed below.
Here are the top 6 screenwriters of the recent past.
- Frances Marion
Frances Marion was one of the most influential screenwriters of this century. From 1915 until the 30s she wrote nearly 300 films and was instrumental in the development of film’s Golden Age. Particularly, during the 1920s, Marion worked closely with actress Mary Pickford as her exclusive screenwriter.
Marion was a screenwriter for the majority of her professional career at MGM. During her time at MGM, she helped to define screenwriting as a Screenwriting style and the job of the Hollywood screenwriter.
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- Walter Hill
Although he was not acknowledged for his writing skills in the film Alien Hill’s script has been hailed as an unofficial legend among screenwriters.
The script has a huge impact in the present day due to its incredibly anemic and impressionistic style, which omits any trace of purple prose and limits the majority of action lines to one phrase or line.
Alien is a demonstration of genuine mastery of the craft. However, his screenplays of The Driver, The Warriors, as well as Southern Comfort, show how a simple style of writing can get the maximum value from simple but powerful premises.
- Nora Ephron
The most outstanding romantic writer who has ever been alive, Nora Ephron may not be averse to the fundamental concept of love, but her tales have been exploring it like none other.
Her scripts that be considered stage plays are so crafted with an intimate knowledge of the characters that they do not feel as if they’re characters but rather fleshed-out people.
- Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was one of the greatest screenwriters of the past, with a lengthy career that stretched over five decades, from the 1930s until the 1980s. In that time, Wilder won five Oscars and three Oscars for the best screenwriter. Writers who are just starting off can use apps for writers to improve their writing processes.
What distinguishes Wilder distinctive is the fact that his scripts cover the broadest range of comic and film noir. When asked about his advice for those who want to become screenwriters, Wilder famously said to grab the audience in the throat and don’t give them up.
- Aaron Sorkin
If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting one of these writers, it’s probably this one. The king of modern screenwriting.
Aaron Sorkin made a name for himself through shows such as The West Wing and films like the film A Few Good Men with rapid dialogue, quick exchanges, and incredibly intelligent characters that make it difficult not to sweep by the wind.
It’s easy to see his playwright roots through a lot of his work and we’re all more enriched for having experienced it.
- Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is known as one of the greatest screenwriters of the past years. What sets him apart is the way he composes the dialogue for films. In the end, many of the films he has made are accessible, which has earned him a cult fan following.
Tarantino starts a new project by writing hundreds of pages manually. Once he has his characters developed is he able to focus on the main plot.
We asked his advice for screenwriters wanting to get into the business, and Tarantino said to not write about what you think people would like to read. He said a screenwriter should find their voice and write what’s within their soul.
Final Words
Without screenwriters, there’d be no films. The screenwriter plays a significant role in coming up with ideas and generating screens for stories.
The screenwriters mentioned above have had a huge impact on the cinema. They have contributed to the definition of the genre and script format. Additionally, they have made mistakes and turned them into opportunities instead, to come up with their distinctive style of writing.
