Cookie cutter stories Sometimes writing a script for a Christmas TV movie can be like listening to the same holiday song on repeat.

Nia Vardalos loves a free lunch. In fact, it was at a birthday party for Gary Goetzman, a well-known Hollywood producer, that Tom Hanks pulled Vardalos aside and pitched her his idea for a new script.

“My old way of working [on a script] was irrelevant,” Sian Heder writes of crafting “CODA,” a film about a Deaf family. “I was writing for a language that only existed visually.” ...

I talked to the movie's editor, Tom Cross, about the role of someone in his position, long days working with Chazelle, and how a film can change drastically from script to screen.

How to Write a Perfect Movie Song AWARDS SEASON 2012: When they're done right, writes Paul Williams, songs catch the heart of the story.