The primary focus of the collection is on Skaaren's work as a screenwriter in the late 1980s. All of Skaaren's major works are represented in the collection, including his most significant films: Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Beetlejuice, Days of Thunder, and Batman. Because of his involvement with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, materials from that film are present as well. The evolution of a filmscript can be traced through research material, multiple drafts, correspondence, production material, publicity material, agreements and payments, and credit arbitration documents. Skaaren served as the first director of the Texas Film Commission, and correspondence from his tenure there is present. Skaaren's business and personal financial records are a strength in the collection. Personal papers include written dreams, personal thoughts, counseling notes, journal notes, agendas, speeches, and some personal correspondence. Among notable correspondents in the collection are producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Peters, Don Simpson, and Doug Wick; writer, producer, and director Ted Flicker; directors Tim Burton and Tony Scott; actors Tom Cruise and Michael Douglas; Grace Reiner of the Writer's Guild of America, West; personnel at Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers; and Mike Simpson of the William Morris Agency.
