I am a huge fan of podcasts. I had one for a few years. I listen to "Scriptnotes" with John August and Craig Mazin as well as "Draft Zero" with Chaz and Stu. Both are presented by professionals working in the industry. The thing I find amazing is that they normally disagree with the "industry experts". So where do you get your information from and what are you getting from it?
Screenwriting : What regular resources do you use by Craig D Griffiths
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Here. Wordplay. Various other sites. But I don't really need much from these sites anymore. I'm pretty good at finding answers to questions already posed in archives and just doing my due diligence. I rarely ask a question on any forum. FB is good too. I think reading screenplays is the best answer to any problem if you know what to read.
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Between this website, Scriptmag.com, a few FB groups, and what others recommend. Plus receiving great feedback and input from peers helps me. David Trotter has a great newsletter. So much info out there you just have to really focus in on what you feel works for you to make you better.
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I go to all the seminars of writers who have made a mark in their industry. I've mainly done this via Sundance and Raindance, also whenever I can, I do up to date workshops. Even if an author isn't my particular cup of tea, I learn from their take on the craft, seeing perspectives with new eyes.
My theoretical information comes from: 1. My learnings in school. 2. My watching of films and reading of film scripts. 3. The specific sources - "Poetics and Rhetoric", "The 36 Dramatic Situations", "Screenplay", "The Writer's Journey", "Creating Unforgettable Characters", "Writers on Writing", "The DNA of Selling", "Napalm & Silly Putty", "Walking on Alligators", "The DSM-V", "Writing Horror", "Writing the Second Act", "20 Master Plots", "The Story of Philosophy", "Anthology of American Fiction", "The Whole Picture", "Concise Guide to English", "Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade", "The Comic Toolbox", "Rogets International Theosaurus", "Websters New Collegiate Dictionary", and "Save the Cat". I probably missed a few. My practical information comes from: 1. The life I've lived and the lives of those around me. My industry-specific marketing information comes from: 1. My sources in the industry who tell me what they are looking specifically for and how they can accomplish that. 2. Stage 32's Happy Writers Pitch Page. 3. InkTip's Preferred Newsletter. 4. Smart Girl's Production Blog. 5. Variety, Fade In online, The Hollywood Reporter, and Jeffrey Gund's InfoList. With regards to your comment about the disagreements....don't really expect everybody in this industry to "agree on everything." Everyone has their own knowledge bases; perceptions; agendas; and views. Some understandings of film and the industry are universally-consistent, and some aren't. With regards to people who are marketing their individual services via webinars and podcasts - well, they all can't keep regurgitating the same views based on the empirical data that already exists about film theory, applications and marketing, now can they? There is no unique value proposition in that, so you have to expect there to be some different views by some of those people at some of the tmes.
Im a fan of script notes also, but now reading some of these comments makes me question, considering ive followed John August for years. Anyway the best advice is writing, writing, reading, writing, writing,reading, writing and pitching, reading then writing....etc..
Writing, rewriting, more rewriting!
Jorge, that's not really a resource. Jim I second coffee. An importance resource to be sure.
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If you're interested in writing for television at all, look up the Children of Tendu podcast - and make sure to start from the beginning to get the amusing story of why it's called that. It's run by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Jose Molina. They have 40 years of combined experience writing and producing television including shows like Law & Order: SVU, Lost, Sleepy Hollow and Agent Carter.
I listen to the "On the Page" podcast. Back in the day the "Sam and Jim goes to Hollywood" was a good resource for TV writers. It may still be available to download online. I also listen to "The Business" on KCRW to keep informed about the business side of things in Hollywood.
Another great source that I failed to mention is "The Hollywood Reporter's Writers Roundtables" that are available on its website and on YouTube. There are other categories too - "Actors Roundtables", "Directors Roundtables" etc. - but they are without a doubt the best digital-based content available on this planet.