INSIGHTS
FOR 2007
IF YOU NEVER WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT SCREENWRITING (AND MARKETING),
KNOW THIS!!
by Craig and Judy Kellem
_____________
THE ORIGINAL INSIGHTS
WRITING
*The difference between good and great material? SOUL. There are some fabulous
technicians out there and some great storytellers too, but the bottom line is
the emotional impact of a writer's work. When a screenwriter's vision is razor
clear and deeply, exactingly rendered, it can have such impact that you the reader
feel changed, personally shifted having experienced their art. GREATNESS HAUNTS.
*WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW or about what truly fascinates you. Recognize and take advantage
of those areas of experience and interest for which you are the sole proprietor!
This will give you an automatic leg up in your writing. However you may inevitably
need to shape and dramatize the material in order to make it entertaining for
the rest of us. (It doesn't have to be based on 100% of the truth. It's enough
that the truth is your inspiration and catalyst). Remember there are certain
things that you've
been researching for your whole life.
*CHARACTER HEAT. There are many "techniques" for creating and developing
characters some of which are effective. However, the single most important thing
you can do is to have a strong emotional connection with your character. Intellectual
platitudes and techniques are OK, but audiences want characters who are alive.
Find your most visceral emotional connections. Don't settle on a character until
you do (including the bad guys).
*CREATIVE LICENSE: If you have to stretch reality, do it judiciously and surround
it with a bedrock of credibility and truth in other issues.
*As you bubble and percolate, AVOID the temptation to write at all costs! Instead,
let the DESIRE to write build up as you dabble. Let your energy be expressed
in the proliferation of creative nuggets randomly thrown on a page or on index
cards. Collect them and give them form but don’t start your script until
you’re truly ready.
*ACCEPT THE FACT that the only writers who get the chance to write without grueling
preparation are those who are not getting paid. The typical Hollywood writer
has to jump through preparatory hoops before she/he will get the chance to initiate
the actual writing of the script. Many pros spend about 70% of their time prepping
and 30% writing. Many newcomers do the exact opposite. This is a big mistake.
Prep thoroughly.
*WRITER’S BLOCK is an irritant, not a sentencing. It may be a gift, believe
it or not. Blocks are often a sign from the self to the self that one has reached
some sort of turning point. This impasse in writing tells the writer s/he has
begun to touch new or unexamined territory, emotionally and story wise, which
s/he is not ready to deal with for some reason. It can be a flag that a defining
place has been reached in the material (and inside her/himself) and this needs
to be addressed. The mind will not allow the fingers to move forward until the
creator has stopped and really confronted what truly lies at the heart of the
block. A wise and established novelist once warned, "The novel always falls
apart. ALWAYS. The trick is not to panic and stop. The real writer writes through
it."
*Surrender to this fact: WRITING IS REWRITING.
*Before writing anything, you should be able to tell someone the story (and have
it worked out so smoothly) that it's practically ready to write itself.
*The Two Times a CONCEPT IS IMPORTANT :
The FIRST TIME is when you're developing your idea. You'd be surprised how many
well-intended writers come up with a notion, fail to think it out and work their
fannies off only to discover that they shouldn't have "begun what they begun."
The OTHER TIME a concept is important is when you've finished the script, dotted
the i's crossed the t's and now it's time to send it out. Assuming that the script
is great, the veracity of your concept will now make or break you.
*SCENES AS CONCEPTS. Professional writers understand that ALL scenes count. And
there is no room for filler or bridges. Each should have its own magic, raison
díetre, veracity and power. Adhere and make every second, every frame,
every line a meaningful experience, a drop of inspiration imbued with integrity,
imagination and soul. Adopting this attitude as the assembly line prerequisite
can prevent you from breezing through in order to get to the "big moment."
*LESS is almost always better in screenplays. Writing the "chateaubriand" of
a scene is the name of the game, then cut away to the next fillet. Fat is a no
no, a bit of gristle should be carefully doled out. WRITE IT TIGHT OR TRIM IT
DOWN.
*STRUCTURE: Screenplays are big and unruly. You can get lost in their breadth.
Three (or four acts, (ie: an act 2 break) help to ground it, make it more bite
sized. Additionally, it also gives you at least three moments in the script that
are going to be extra climatic (ie: the end of act one; the end of act two (part
one); the end of act two (part two) etc. Finally, it gives you something to go
for. (For this reason TV movies can be much easier to write than features because
they require seven acts (that's six
act breaks - plot twisting, climatic, breathless moments to look forward to).
Think of each of them as an oasis).
*EXPERIMENT: take a couple of pages out of your script. Are your characters distinctive
enough that, if you REMOVED THEIR NAMES from the pages, you could tell who they
are JUST FROM the dialogue? If not, you need to do more work.
*Don't MIX FORMS to "cover" all bases. If you're going to do a movie
where people throw pies, then let them throw pies. Save your Oscar winning love
scene for another script.
*RULE OF THUMB: get into scenes as late as you can and get out as early as possible.
Forget about the "glad to meet you's" and the "what would you
like for dinner's."
*If, in the course of a screenplay, Tom Dick and Harry need to be provided with
the same info, tell Tom and when we get to Dick and Harry, let’s ASSUME
that they've been told off camera.
* DON’T start with a mystery and end with the hero finding great love.
End by solving the mystery.
*STAGE DIRECTIONS ARE OKAY. Someone spread a rumor that you shouldn't tell directors
and actors what to do. Physical actions/gestures/attitudes/reactions etc. described
in narrative or parentheses that enhance subtext and cinematic action are called
stage directions. Don't hesitate to use the very tool that can help make or break
your
script, (i.e. the stage directions).
*"The SINGULAR IMAGE is what haunts us and becomes art," writes Author
Julia Cameron.
Think about that!
At last "a place" to put all of your little insights, moments of truth,
fascinations and unique experiences that previously lacked a "file." If
you access that "file" while preparing your script and use these hot
little tidbits as springboards for scenes, your script is going to be buzzing
with honesty and life. This is what audiences crave.
*WHO IS YOUR HERO? What is his/her goal? Who or what is preventing her/him from
reaching that goal?" Intense pressure on your hero in an atmosphere of conflict
will help keep your story mobile and entertaining.
*HIDE EXPOSITION (ie: info the audience needs to be told). Spread it around.
Keep it as invisible as you can and always try to convert it into ammunition
(AKA action).
*SUBTEXT is the name of the game. Potential lovers nervously conversing about
train schedules (when you know their real underlying "conversation" is
about their aching desire for each other), is usually more compelling and effective
than the same twosome spilling every thought in their head.
*When it comes to DIALOGUE, less is better. Pick up the most successful screenplays
and you'll notice great economies when it comes to words.
*The predicate of all successful films, plays and TV episodes is CONFLICT!
*REMEMBER, it’s not how long your script is. It’s how long it should
be. So 115 pages may be OK but not necessarily for YOUR script.
*LAYER SCENES. One of the most effective strategies writers use is to add extra
juicy tidbits and mini-subplots WITHIN scenes, while the main story continues
to unravel. (ie: a bar scene where two people HAVE to talk could be greatly enhanced
by a simple game of “killer pool” while they say what they have to
say).
*Make room for SURPRISES. Audiences love them.
STORY
*FIRST AND FOREMOST, if the story doesn't work, then the script won't work. If
at any given time, your reader is not wondering, "What's going to happen
next,” you're in trouble You can have great characters, it can be funny
as hell or dripping with heartfelt pathos, you can create terrific scenes, you
can have all the juicy bells and whistles, but, if the story doesn't make sense,
if it's off, if it's hard to follow, then the script is not going to work and
you're D.O.A.
*WHAT'S A GOOD STORY? There are many definitions. Ours would be, "something
that rings true, that's important and is worth telling." It's also has to
be ABOUT something. Even the silliest lowball comedy should have a "reason
to be."
*WHAT'S A BAD STORY? we heard this definition somewhere-- a bad story is often
a "long lie that after a while, even you don't believe." Many inadvertently
get lost in a vacuum with their projects, fabricate stuff and end up telling
long lies. How do well-intentioned writers end up writing long lies? It usually
happens when we don't spent the time doing the spade work, when we haven't thought
things through AND WHEN INSTANT GRATIFICATION TO GET THE SCRIPT FINISHED DOMINATES
THE PROCESS.
* STORY ARCS (ie: meaning the plot points in any given main story or subplot):
Checking them out before writing or revising can produce handsome rewards. Once
story arcs are completed, look them over. Look at each story on a microscopic
level. Does it have a beginning, middle and end? Is it fat or skinny or just
right? Is it balanced? Does it have a surprise or two? Does it have a payoff?
Has it fulfilled whatever thematic idea you're going for? Can you tell the story
to someone clearly, confidently and without their eyes glazing over? Do the scenes
work? Is it ready?
*The moment you THROW SOMETHING IN that doesn't belong in your story, solely
for the sake of appealing to some imagined reader who you think wants a bit more
sex or sentimentality--at that moment, your story dies a little and becomes a
little more of a lie.
______________
RE MARKETING
*RESIST the temptation to start marketing your idea to Hollywood before it's
ready. C'mon, you don't need an agent yet. Nor do you even need a query letter.
The impulse that Hollywood must be alerted must be muted. You must remain in
the role of the mad scientist mixing his/her elixir and letting it brew.
*FINISHING a script can be both a thrilling and terrifying time. After all those
months of being on the mission, brainstorming, obsessing, getting blocked, breaking
through, endless hours--the party's over. Now the fun begins. It's end-game time.
At this point, many up and coming writers believe with all their hearts that
if they were ONLY able to find the right agent or producer they'd be set. Hollywood
would discover what you already know. You've got a winner! The last thing you
want is to find out that there's more work to be done. In our experience --there
usually is. And it's CRITICAL WORK! So there's one more thing to do BEFORE YOU
SHOP IT. Get someone who knows what they're doing to read and evaluate your script.
Find out what you've really got.
*SELLING a script is a magical experience but the route to success can be unpredictable,
mercurial, often maddening and it usually doesn't happen on your timetable. Thus
in this effort, ATTITUDE is paramount. Writers are often made or broken in how
they handle this effort! If your expectations are too high and your timetable
is too ambitious, you're probably going to derail yourself. Agents and producers
are important only AFTER the material is READY.
*SLOW DOWN. Make sure it's right before you send it out. Life will not pass you
by. "It will be there when you get there."
*SOME MAY THINK, "c'mon, If my script isn't perfect, surely the industry
bigwigs will see the potential. Whatever's wrong can be fixed in the rewrite
AFTER the big sale." Wrong! The notion that if your material is "almost" there,
surely smart professionals will recognize the potential just doesn't happen.
Material must be HOT and READY or you're wasting your time!
*Have ANOTHER (nice) way of making a living while you're trying to make it as
a writer. This will give you space to grow and create without going nuts. Waiting
by the telephone is a prescription for despair.
*QUERIES--TO DO OR NOT TO DO? Though there’s much hubbub that no one reads
them and they’re a loser’s marketing strategy, the truth is material
and writers are still discovered via query letters. People read their mail! Try
as they might to ignore a communication, they always peek and if it catches their
interest, they'll react. Even people in Hollywood can fall in love. A smashing
communication is something that few can ignore. But the smashing query is the
exception to the rule. You need to become that exception!
*IN WRITING QUERIES, avoid generalizations. Don't be coy-- be specific. Give
them a real sense of the CENTER of your idea. These letters are meant to hook
them, but good. You need to knock their socks off. Strut your stuff. Your communication
needs to be right on target just like a good COMMERCIAL or an effective movie
TRAILER.
*Send your query letter EVERYWHERE. Producers, agents, managers, entertainment
attorneys, whomever. Blitz it.
*Don't PITCH two or more projects in a query. Producers and agents want the writer
to be obsessed with one project and, when more are offered, they can get cynical
about a possible preoccupation with marketing.
*The greatest enemy of PITCHING is the notion (often generated in the "how
to" culture) is that there is a TECHNIQUE to be learned. Forget about technique.
The only rule for good pitching is BEING YOURSELF and COMMUNICATING THE TRUTH.
In this regard, all styles are welcome. The enthusiastic artisan on the edge
of his/her seat, passionately chatting up their project can be very winning but
so can the quiet, stoic-faced waif, earnestly making his/her case.
*Remember the fundamentals of salesmanship. Try to enjoy the experience. Make
contact with people in the room. Listen when they speak. REMEMBER (ALTHOUGH IT
MAY NOT SEEM THAT WAY), YOU NEED THE GIG BUT THEY NEED THE MATERIAL, THAT'S WHY
THEY ARE THERE. YOU HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE TO OFFER!
*It's IRONIC that many of the principles of pitching are similar to the principles
of writing itself. Contrived, formulaic writing is as boring as contrived, formulaic
pitching. On the other hand, spontaneous, bold and "from the gut" writing
and pitching has endless potential.
___________
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES
*COVERAGE: Hire someone to create "COVERAGE" for you. "Coverage" is
an industry staple, a document whose major function is to describe your project
and offer a short review. Agents and producers are used to coverage since it's
impossible for them to read the inevitable slew of incoming material themselves.
They generally rely on people to read it for them and provide a report, a/k/a "coverage." Though
COVERAGE from a hungry writer may be suspect, if it's accompanied by a note explaining
that its been written by a legitimate practitioner (to whom you sent the script)
and this is what you got back, it may have impact. You might tap into their Pavlovian
response to a familiar and comfortable format. What the heck, it's worth a shot.
*CONTESTS: Hollywood is always impressed with contest recognition. Check out
various screenwriting websites concerning these contests. Pick up some writing
magazines as well for this info.
*Spend a percentage of your time pushing the material and the majority of the
time working on your NEXT SCRIPT. Taking all that wanting and energy and projecting
it into the next project is a lot healthier than agonizing over the inevitable
frustration of wanting and waiting. Under these conditions, time is on your side.
You're dug in for the long haul, the battle will be on your terms.
*REMEMBER, the business of screenwriting is not a lottery. It's a process. You
get better. You develop an inventory of material and ideas. If lucky, you begin
to get compliments. You start to experience breakthrus that, at first, only you
notice. People start to genuinely like your stuff. You get turned down but someone
asks what else you might have. The stakes are raised--you get romanced by the
wrong people but it's proof that someone's interested. You almost get a deal.
Finally, you may get lucky. The point of critical mass has been reached. It's
happening now. This takes time. It can be a circuitous process.
*There are very few NOTE SESSIONS in Hollywood or anywhere else that are not
fairly extensive. It's just the way it is. Scripts need to be near perfect and
that requires attention inch by inch, brick by brick and piece by piece. It can
be an unruly process. Professional writers know this and they take the long note
sessions with a grain of salt. And in approaching the revision, they use this "trick"-
they take it A DAY AT A TIME AND A PIECE AT A TIME!
*OPINIONS from friends are okay, but the truth is that few nonprofessionals really
know how to evaluate and materially improve a script. They think they do, but
they don't. Friends will usually end up telling you what you want to hear. Or
worse, give broad sweeping comments with no palpable solutions ("I Loved
this. I hated that. Why? I don't know,
just cause" type "feedback"). FIND OBJECTIVE HELP.
*FEAR OF SIMILARITY of ideas? Sooth yourself with this:
1. After all is said and done, they usually aren't all that similar.
2. If the other "guy's" movie stinks it will disappear.
3. If the other movie is a gem, people will want to "imitate" it
thus creating a possible market for you.
4. If both projects are very much alike and theirs is getting a lot of heat,
lay low for a while--it will soon be off the radar screen. FEAR NOT, "we're
all really telling the same stories over and over and over again..we just have
our own voice to bring to the table."
MORE
*APPRECIATE and covet any sign of life (re your writing).
*KNOW that it's hard for everyone.
*BE AWARE that people do sell scripts.
*WITHIN REASON, continue to write from the heart and not for the
marketplace.
***ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS***
JUDY’S FAVORITE
*In life and art we RELY ON ANCHORS, predictable and reliable structures we
can hold onto that permit us to relax into an often chaotic and nonsensical
reality. Screenplays demand that no matter how avant-garde, experimental
or conventional your writing, there be some basic elements that hold us inside
of your fantasy.
CRAIG’S FAVORITE
*The criterion for “being more creative” is not the one I thought
it would be --namely someone else's acknowledgment; the town's acknowledgment;
the Academy's acknowledgment etc. It was simply about what I was actually doing
and how I felt about myself. I HAD BECOME THE THING THAT I WANTED TO BECOME
SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS DOING IT!
____________
MORE
*There is a marked, qualitative disparity between stories and images born from
REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE and those made from pure, intellectual invention. To the
artist who tries to circumvent writing from real, personal experience it has
been wisely asked: "How can you try to write for a business of emotions
and know that you're going to VEER AWAY FROM REALLY REVEALING YOUR OWN?" We
encourage you to DRAW UPON YOUR LIFE and those around you. When something effects
you, trust it, save it and when appropriate use it.
*A major reason why access to emotional ammunition is so important is that ALL
SCENES NEED TO BE MAXIMIZED. It's not enough to produce a great concept enhanced
by a few treasured moments. A winning script is the sum of parts that continuously
produces dynamite.
*Big. Small. Scenes are the bread and butter of your mood, your tone and the
emotional currency of the story you are telling. So beware and make EVERY SECOND,
EVERY FRAME, every line a meaningful experience, a drop of inspiration imbued
with integrity, imagination and soul.
*If you aren't one thousand, five hundred percent sure of WHY your movie was
a slice of life drama in act one and then turned into an E.T.-style science fiction
fantasy flick in act two, DON'T GO THERE. Decide which kind of movie you want
to write and stick close to your choice, be consistent and harmonious in the
rendering.
*Much of what distinguishes a professional from an amateur script is pacing.
NARRATIVE can be the key in this, as fast-flying, lean scripts derive serious
momentum from a strong narrative.
*If you have major new characters and situations late in a script, it’s
suggested that you PLANT ORIGINS for this in act 1.
*Most professional writers spend more of their time PLANNING their scripts than
writing them.
*The mind is a funny thing. Sometimes what we perceive to be true is not true.
This happens often with screenwriting when writers think that there’s something
on the page that isn’t on the page. We must closely examine our manuscripts
making sure WHAT’S IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN WRITTEN.
*Good scripts turn on clear strong singular plots that are moved along by well-developed
characters and relevant, supportive subplots that ADD to the revealing of the
main story WITHOUT IN ANY WAY eclipsing or interfering with its unfolding.
*THE PLOT ALWAYS FALLS APART. WHAT SEPARATES THE WRITERS FROM THE DILETTANTES
ARE THOSE WHO STICK IT OUT AND WRITE THROUGH CLEAR TO THE OTHER SIDE.
*Many writers are so anxious to surprise you on page 120 that they employ the
dubious technique of telling you the absolute minimum on pages 1-119. Doesn’t
work. They call it suspense. I call it omission. There is a big difference between
the two. There is nothing wrong with teasing the audience and making them want
to know more. Nor is there anything faulty with red herrings and scenes that
end on a precipice and make you wait. These are tried and true techniques. But
you’ve got to throw your reader a bone here and there SO THAT THE LEVEL
OF CONFUSION DOESN’T BECOME THE DOMINATING EXPERIENCE IN READING THE
SCRIPT. And the bone cannot be buried so deeply that a Geiger counter is needed
to detect
it. The bottom line is this: If you save everything for the end, you stand
a chance of having so alienated the confused reader that, by the time they
get
to the big disclosure, it no longer matters.
*There is hardly a situation in any movie, dysfunctional or otherwise, that
can’t
be justified by some movie somewhere that got away with it. But consider the
other 2000 MOVIES IN WHICH IT DIDN’T WORK!
*When the script is beginning to percolate, and your heart is beating hard
because you know you're in range, it's often time to have one "LAST" GOOD LOOK
and make sure all the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted. Does the script
need a few inches more in the department of tightening? Have you maxed out on
the big scenes, or would a tweak or two take a double and turn it into a home
run? Do all scenes including the "small ones" have their own intrinsic
element of magic? Bottom line-can "good" be made even better?
*Developing ideas is an interesting activity. Two things happen when you do
it on a regular basis. One is that your relationship with your subconscious
and
your “creative guide” gets keener and ideas begin to flow. If you’re
lucky, you begin to flow to such an extent that you begin to “WRITE ON
THE WALLS.” The other is that as you grow ideas, some take flight as
if on their own. This is powerful stuff.
*Regarding receiving SCRIPT NOTES FROM FRIENDS, I’d listen to them when
there’s commonality/trends in the feedback. If you get the same type of "notes" from
several people, it may be time to listen.
THREE GOOD ONES FROM BESTSELLING ALLEN RUCKER’S ENLIGHTENED INTERVIEW
ON COMEDY WRITING
*Writers write, and that includes comedy writers, unfortunately. Like shooting
free throws or skiing on one leg, writing is a mind/body activity that demands
an enormous commitment to practice. If you don't want to put in the time, become
an actor.
*The best piece of advice I ever got about comedy scriptwriting: the story happens
in the middle of the room, the comedy happens in the corners. If you take this
literally, don't become a comedy writer.
*THE BEST SOURCE OF COMEDY, NO MATTER WHAT THE FORM IS REALITY. Have an awesome
respect for reality. Reality is your friend. Most people who call themselves
comedy writers, i.e., sitcom writers and whoever comes up with those feel-good "concept" comedies
for Eddie Murphy or the like, have lost touch with reality. They make comedies
based on other comedies. Don't do this. Reality never gets old. You'll get
old, but reality is always a fetching young virgin.
THANKS ALLEN!
__________
MORE
*When I've written screenplays, it always STARTED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A
GREAT IDEA. Something that gnawed and nagged at me and that I felt needed to
be expressed.
I was savvy enough after a while to realize that sometimes you can have a great
idea that has no business being developed as a screenplay, so I knew it was
important to take a good long breath before investing myself in an idea that
might take
me the better part of the year to fully execute. After determining that it
was a go, my approach would be to start collecting "hot" ideas for scenes,
character elements, moments, character arcs etc. and just put them "on the
board" without giving them continuity and form...yet. This process involves
the collection of assets without the pressure of having to do anything else than
collect them. Inevitably, these ideas would spawn more ideas, which would then
spawn a sense of trajectory and order. At some point when the quiver felt full,
I would get into more advanced stages of identifying placement over the acts
and giving it all a sense of storytelling. I would avoid writing at all costs,
letting the passion to do so percolate while I did my critical spade work. Once
I had a fully developed game plan; full stories, a real sense of a beginning,
middle, end and scenes that could "write themselves, "I'd happily
get into the writing process as if it were my wedding night.
*The biggest secret going (in my opinion) is that there are some truly OUTSTANDING
NON-PRO WRITERS out there just waiting to be discovered. There are many professional
writers who would give their eye teeth to have the talent of these undiscovered
people.
*Succeeding as a screenwriter is a PROCESS. It's less about hitting a home run
with the big script and more about doing the next right thing that propels you
and your material a step further up the ladder.
*Major turn-ons? Characters and relationships that feel real -- where they
are "on
the page" -- dialogue that is honest, rings true, where I can hear the
voices and feel like I know who these people are, where there is nothing contrived
or
recycled about the language. Pacing that feels deliberate, where I can trust
I'm in the hands of a smart, solid narrator, who's in the driver's seat, taking
me on a journey planned with conviction. Action that keeps the script moving,
keeps it tight, urgent. Imagery that is clear and metaphoric, like watching
poetry -- visual gestures that impress the mind. A script in which subtext
and mood
have been clearly cultivated so I really feel the material, feel taken on an
emotional, visceral experience. That and more turns me on.
*Our view with queries is NOT TO SEND IT LOGLINE/SYNOPSIS STYLE. By formatting
it that way it may take away from the REALITY that you're trying to create.
You want people to become emotionally affected by your thesis and sucked into
the
flow. When they're reminded that it's just a pitch via ‘formatting’ (logline,
synopsis style) you may lose a bit of punch. In other words, say it like it's
REAL!
DO WHAT YOU DON’T DO BEST
*Although
it's natural for writers to do what they do best,
it's necessary to also use other methods to accomplish our creative tasks. The
humorist
may
need
to access real drama in order to steady his screenplay and give it a realistic
foundation. The sci-fi aficionado might be Einsteinian in her imagery but
still has to find a way to tell a story with a beginning,
middle and end. And so
forth. The point of this is simple. It’s imperative that you sometimes turn your
back on your “A” weaponry and take care of business in areas
of craft that may not be your first love. For many writers, particularly
those
who are
not working under the lash of producer or studio, this kind of discipline
can be elusive.
Suggestions in this regard:
-Avoid exposure to the stuff that works which may distract you from what
doesn’t.
-Don’t think about those things in the script that are going to “save
you.”
-Instead, remove the high test material from your desktop and concentrate solely
on the story which needs direction or the character who needs more oomph, or
the plan to endow scenes with more strategies and angles.
-Make things work that you hate with the same devotion and pride that you use
to make things work that you love.
-And most of all don’t try to solve problems with easy solutions by
always going back to your security blanket. Isolate/compartmentalize the
aspect of
the script that needs work. Make the creative plan to fix and and go for
it.
HOLLYWOOD OR BUST
*If you’re just writing spec scripts and you haven’t broken into
the industry, you can work outside of Hollywood. Once you’ve sold a spec
script and you’re on the map and have an agent, you may have to live in
LA, because your agent has to be able to set up appointments for you, and those
appointments can be plentiful. They don’t always have time to wait
for you to fly in.
*TWO GREAT THINGS TO KNOW:
"THE PURPOSE OF TECHNIQUE IS TO FREE THE TALENT.”
“PUT YOUR CHARACTER UP A TREE, HAVE THEM TRY TO GET DOWN BUT KEEP THROWING
THINGS AT THEM. “
*A GOOD STORY is something which captures your imagination, which taps into
something that’s happening in real life and NEEDS to be expressed in some way…that’s
usually a great measuring stick. Something we need to know about or are upset
with, or are curious about. Sometimes when you tap into something like this
and it happens at the right time, great things can transpire.
*GREAT STORY telling comes down to some essential and universal truth which
lies at the base of whatever the particular plot is, that touches and reaches
people.
It can be something very simple or something deeply complex and existential.
Different writers work different ways. Some people have just a glimmer of
an idea, in which case they have to go through a process of first fleshing
it
out with themselves. They will begin to break it down into individual arcs,
beat
sheets, etc. And one of the things you can do is not put pressure on yourself
to have it come out of the hatch perfectly. One of the great luxuries in
preparing a project is just to splatter it on the wall for a while. You have
a hot idea
--put it on an index card. What are some of the juicy moments you may have
with a given character? Put it on the cards and on the wall. Are you clear
on a particular
character arc or a subplot that’s beginning to make sense? Just collect
it all for a while; look at it, play with it and trust that the creative part
of yourself now summoned, will give you more solid ideas and notions on how to
connect all the dots. Many people in today’s world expect instant results
and the creative process doesn’t work that way. It needs time to gestate
and grow.
MIRACLES HAPPEN
*I have witnessed and personally experienced miracles in this business, namely
when good things happened for long shot projects and people. I remembered
that these good tidings ALWAYS came as a result of a “patron’s” (ie
agents and producers etc) pure and infectious belief. And how winning a combination
it could be; the supportive individual paired with projects which with a little
TLC, seemed to take on lives of their own. Observing otherwise “tough as
nails” movers and shakers softening and supporting when their hearts were
touched, was always a sight to behold. Passion, the magical ingredient in all
of these cases, is surely the decisive factor. And it’s nice to know that
it’s still alive and well and making things happen. Stars-to-be, scripts
that will find a home, and other worthy product can find warmth in the prospect
that after all is said and done, it still can be about deserving talent and material
getting caught in the throat and the heart of folks, finding ways to break through.
My own personal experience has borne out this truth. Perhaps it has something
to do with deep energy which transforms into something tangible. If you believe,
like many do, that all things are ultimately created from one’s most passionate
beliefs and desires, then maybe “being on fire” has inevitable
physical consequences, even in a seemingly impenetrable world.
THEY’RE ALL DIFFERENT
*If you take five professional screenplays, I’m talking “Sideways,” “Cold
Mountain,” “Sixth Sense,”– whatever, contemporary
or not, and you line up the scripts you’ll find the formatting of each
script is slightly but discernibly different from the others. Moreover, I
work with writers
who use “cut to’s” and writers who would never think of
putting one in the script. There are writers that think it’s real macho
NOT to use stage directions (just let the reader imagine what the physical
action
is--such as “they locked eyes” or “she begins to sweat”)
and others who put in whatever it takes to communicate the creative vision.
So, regarding
the do’s and the don’ts – the real do is that your script
should basically LOOK like everybody else’s even with it’s invariable
formatting differences. The title page should be standard, don’t use
any fancy binders or anything – it should just look like everyone else’s
script. That’s
the big DO. But the other big DO is make sure it’s really good.
*When you’re doing an ADAPTATION you must be very clear with yourself
on what point of view you want to take. Do you want to follow the book, strictly
replicate the perspective from which it is told? Or do you want to give it
a
different narrative spin. Also, get clear on how you’re going to write
-in dialogue and description- the very complex and (often) overly involved
stories that novelists get into, where it just sprawls on and on. One must
know how to be restrained and give stuff up. You’re not going
to be able to have ALL those characters and all those subplots and all ALL
those dramas. You’re going to have to distill what the book is about
to its main core: The central drama and a couple of subplots to contain it.
*ALTHOUGH a screenplay can be ninety-nine pages or a hundred and nineteen,
it’s
an illusion that it’s a free form and you can do whatever you want to do
AS FAR AS SIZE IS CONCERNED. We live in a very fast paced society and you have
to spit it out as succinctly and judiciously as you can. There are writers who
don’t trust brevity. They trust doling it out the long way because they
are (admirably) obsessed in making sure that you understand it all. They don’t
understand that what they’re writing is not a thesis or a dissertation.
It’s a screenplay which has its own weight and “requirements.” After
all watching a film is not something you can go back and study. You’re
only going to hear it once so it’s best to figure out how to say things
in a concise way.
SHAME AS A POSITIVE
*What if every time we hear something ostensibly negative about our work, we
remembered that every writer worth his or her salt had or is going through this
exact experience as well, fully knowing that this is only part of the process
and should not in any way be taken personally. And when the sometimes inevitable
feeling of negativity and shame arises to the surface it can often be viewed
as a positive, as it reminds us HOW PROFOUND AND VITAL THIS WORK IS TO US AND
HOW MUCH WE CARE and how we need to remember to take a deep breath and stay in
the game because it is worth it. In fact you can think of it like first being
in love, always uncomfortable but usually worth the pain.
Hang in there. We all fret and blush. Avoiding it can be hazardous to our well
being.
*WRITERS SEEM TO CROP UP up from the most unlikely places. Great ideas and art,
humor and passion coming out of the living rooms and kitchens of so called soccer
moms, docs who'd rather tell jokes, and lonely kids who are bursting with important
things to say. How strange it is to be invited into their lives. Me an almost
faceless stranger involved on such an vital and intimate level. Talk about an
honor as I get to be the anonymous stranger who hopefully hears them loud and
clear, feels their passion, catches their voices, and can often do something
about making the material better, while being ever so careful not to mess it
up. And then there's always that juicy prospect that this will be the one that
you can hook up.
*AS YOU REVISE IT HELPS TO THINK ABOUT:
What is at stake for the heroes?
Why is the story being told?
How are the characters shaped, changed, transformed by each new event
which occurs in the overall story?
*RE HORROR FLICKS:
All great horror movies are driven by some greater truth or real human fear that
is being addressed through the genre. Vampires, werewolves, even Freddi Krueger
are powerful metaphors for deep human questions and weaknesses.
RE WRITING A FABULOUS
SYNOPSIS:
Keep close to:
*giving a lean, bottom line pitch of youR story
*highlight key beats, key moments
*don't be shy about showing off exceptionally juicy twists, turns
*write it with as much attitude and swing as you can muster...the mood and tone
of the synopsis should reflect the mood and tone of the script. If it's a thriller,
the synopsis should be thrilling! If it's a romance, the
language of your synopsis is best made steamy..etc.
Remember in a way, you're writing a trailer, a mini movie, so have fun with it
and don't let perfectionism clamp your spirit down.
*RE: ORIGINALITY AND SEEING “YOUR IDEAS” MADE BY SOMEONE ELSE:
Keep in mind that we are ALL, really, telling the same stories over and over
and over again..we just have our own voice to bring to the table. You've got
an idea that is so good it's being made. So they make another version. You have
YOUR version, which only YOU can make
*WHEN TO SEEK FEEDBACK:
Often the best time to seek a consultation is when:
A) you've taken the material as far as you can and are in that zone where
you've hit the void, feel like you've done what you can and are now in
need of fresh eyes to break the block
B) you've reached a crucial point with the script where you're not sure
which direction to take, what the best choices are for the plot etc. and
need outside input to move forward
C) you’ve gotten so embroiled in the text you can no longer see forest
from trees and are losing track of why you started the thing in the first place,
are in need of a jump-start and some distance
But most of all, I believe you just follow your gut. If you feel in your
heart that you're ready to get some feedback, have an objective reader
carefully go through what you've got thus far and help you get clear on
what the next revision will look like, where to start etc. then send it
on out.
Constructive
Criticism! (Bits And Pieces / Samples Of Feedback
We've Given To Our Writers)
*One hint, if I were you I'd make the adjustments that
you know are needed NOW
and THEN dig into other issues. Effective revisions
are often a WHITTLING DOWN
process where light is further shed as the piece becomes
healthier and things
become more and more obvious. First things first --go
from big to little. It's
too good a project not to do carefully.
* Almost any effective protagonist has to find his
way, himself, or whatever,
during the course of a script. A protagonist who's
got his act together from
the get-go may be a happy hombre, but he's not great
fodder for theatrical
exploration....Part and parcel to this, the experiences
and adventures along the
way must brim with more obstacles, jeopardy, challenges
the whole nine yards.
Often, (in the current version) these situations seem
simplistic and way too
easy. They need to be more clever and complex--bigger,
more dangerous
multifaceted challenges. And everything needs to be
more relatable and much more EMOTIONAL. (The good news here is that the
aforementioned adjustments will make a huge difference in your promising
draft, stem to stern). After all, writing a script with an overly capable
protagonist whose adventure is too easy puts you
at a real disadvantage in terms of trying to be compelling
in your storytelling.
Creating a genuine underdog for whom we feel and admire,
but worry about, and
who is then confronted with climbing a mountain every
time he comes up for air,
has natural rooting currency and is always engaging
(and has been through the
ages).
*The project is dripping with evidence of talent and
potential. This is mostly
illustrated via your wonderful sense of humor and also
a good instinct in the
area of characters, character relationships and viable
situations. But there's
work to be done.
comedies need to be believable. This not only applies
to scenes, sequences and
situations but also to your players and the relationship
between them...I'm
suggesting to you on a macro level to give your story
and players a less
simplistic ambiance and instead provide a true dramatic
base that has
everything: a bitchin story with legitimate twists
and turns, real people,
pathos, drama, intrigue and lots and lots of good buddy
humor and other humor
all packed into one exciting vehicle. If you analyze
other good comedy dramas
(even really funny ones) you will usually find a serious
infrastructure that may
not be all that obvious but is incredibly necessary.
*Now whether or not your otherwise viable story is
all based on fact (that you
obtained from endless note-keeping, or whatever), matters
little. This is a
false argument because the TRUTH doesn't necessarily
have anything to do with
needed and workable theatricality. Writers who use
this argument to an extreme
are like writers to whom you give notes, who will point
out the one movie out of
five thousand that makes their flawed script seem "right" and
keeps it, in the
wake of this, mediocre. It's not about perfect sociological
accuracy, it's
about entertainment.
*Simply put, it can be too precarious a venture to
write a full script of things
like dreams, streams of consciousness, fantasies, etc
with little relief and
diversion . At some point, this can become too monotonous,
unrelatable, and
confusing. We need to relate to something tangible
along the way.
*The paradox here is the needs that you have with this
material are more
conducive to overall and, yes, conceptual/philosophical
conclusions, than
mathematically perfect, exact, finite "here's how to do this" kind
of notes. The
big stuff needs fixing first and that sometimes requires
macro changes and new
directions to come from you on the impetus of direction.
It's like the
difference between a trigonometry problem set, for
which there are exact methods
to reach prescribed answers, and a paper for say an
anthropology class where the
professor gives you conceptual notes about how you
can better shape your paper
to argue persuasively for your thesis, and you have
to figure out how to make
that happen. Screenwriting is art, not science.
*You have an often truly inspired but unmistakable "one note," "high
concept"
idea. In a nutshell, it's too relentless. It can become
monotonous, and
overdone. You never let up. If your justification is
that it's the "fault" of
the character ("that's how HE is"), the times we live in or
whatever--I say
better change things despite this. The solution is
to first REALIZE THIS and
then to cut down on its girth, and also to find other
elements to exploit,
especially in the soft arena/nuance/other shades of
life departments, in order
to give the script a sense of proportion and balance.
In a war movie for example
if the note was there's too much combat/killing, you
would need to add scenes
involving backstory, love issues, ironies and sidebars,
which would help in
giving things variety and breathing room.
*To write "bad people," we must find the visceral bad in ourselves
and go for it
100 percent. To write a tragic figure, we must locate
the pulsating fracture
in ourselves and find a way to blow it into fictitious
souls. Ultimately, all
theatrical writing is intended to generate emotional
relatability and feeling.
Audiences know when it's genuine.
*If you want to write screenplays for an American audience,
then you will
(unfortunately) have to either cut out your heartfelt
philosophical passages, or
else find other ways to convey them. Your writing,
it seems to me, would be
much better suited to a book. In literature you would
have the liberty to
philosophize and to offer long and detailed descriptions
of such things as the
nature of sleep, light, and soul. Film does not allow
the necessary room to
expound on such thoughts. Of course, you could always
try to find ways to show
those descriptions in other ways, perhaps through dialogue,
but you run a high
risk of testing the patience of an increasingly impatient
audience. Alas, long
passages are wonderful to read, but are not so fun
to watch being said onscreen.
**Don't stretch things out--comedy works better when
things are done FAST!!
*Ensemble pieces are notoriously hard to focus and
organize and, in the
hierarchy of difficult genres, this genre occupies
the top of the list. In this
genre, the writer often finds himself having many characters
to service,
multiple stories to invent and to somehow interconnect
them all. Instead of a
hard driving "high concept" idea or something more event based/story-like
and
linear, this arena skews more towards character and
character relationships that
must be supported by story trajectories which beg for
validity and spine. For
without the latter, things can get rough.
*First some mundane (but very important points). As
discussed, an essential
component of good screenwriting is the rule of thumb; "less is more." Your
script often feels overstated/over written/redundant/talking
heads. Too much
attention trying to say EVERYTHING and then some. As
a result, the pacing gets
thrown off course. It feels fat. One thing that might
help to keep things
moving would be the notion of getting into scenes as
late as you can and out as
early as possible. This practice can really help. So
can sweeping the script
for information that's repeated. With rare exception
we should only hear
something once. ("If, in the course of a screenplay Tom Dick and
Harry need to
be provided with the same info, tell Tom and when we
get to Dick and Harry,
let's assume that they've been told off camera.")
*No doubt that things are absolutely progressing nicely,
but as I'm sure you
realize, to write a professional script one has to
stretch to the max. There
are many fine, effective bits, moments, scenes but
there are other times where
things seem well intended but not well thought-out
enough or developed. It's so
easy for writers, particularly new ones, to feel satisfied
with a false sense of
something working, based on a smidgen of something
that does truly work rather
than making it happen across the board. Don't fool
yourself with resonating big
moments. It ALL needs to shine.
*To be honest, it's been years since I've seen either
film and they're both a
bit fuzzy in my mind, plus I'm not sure I'm totally
clear on what you mean by
wanting to incorporate these films into your own. I
gather from your questions
you mean, you just want to model your characters after
those in said movies?
That's a great thing to do, it's great to study how
other character treatments
have been done, how other writers have conveyed the
complexities and dynamics of
certain people in the script and handled the threads
of their relationships with
one another. So if you want to model your characters
and their ties with each
other after those shown in the film you mentioned,
it's a matter of close study,
of deconstructing how and why it is working in the
made films, then sitting down
with your own material to reshape the scenes and dialogue
to reflect what you've
taken from those other movies to nuance your own moments.
*The bottom line to your fundamental question is that if material is
good enough
it can "sell itself." You don't have to be out there to make
it happen. Of
course there's work getting it done--queries, submissions,
entering contests and
the like. And it doesn't mean that you won't go through
an obstacle course and
that it will probably take a ridiculous amount of time.
But it's my experience
that sooner or later the Missouri crosses the Mississippi
and justice is done.
This doesn't necessarily mean a script will sell but
if it's really good
something usually happens. A door opens, an invitation
to submit down the line,
an agent appears etc. But let me be clear: the process
can be a real pain in the
ass, and it is smart not to let hope and expectations
overwhelm you. There are
many talented new -ish writers sitting in motel rooms
in Hollywood, full of fear
and loathing because it's not going their way fast
enough. An ugly way to live,
let me tell you. This is a PROCESS where it's best
that the writer keep churning
stuff out, tending to marketing duties (about ten percent
of the time), and
leave the results to the universe. All the while never
quitting the day job,
until and unless it happens.
*At this point, this script is disproportionally "sizzle" oriented
rather than
substance (story) oriented, and that ratio needs to
change, as story is always
the horse that pulls the cart. And not just any story.
All story threads,
including the main event, must have credibility/believability/relate
ability.
This is a great secret in the elusive pursuit of making
people laugh. A guy in
a chicken suit only has so much shelf space, but feasible
comedy with raison
d'etre, heart, poignancy, and, indeed, drama, can be
eternal.
*As discussed, you sure picked a tough arena for an
existential "make it or
break it" moment of truth. I know about four people who could figure
out how to
keep a herd of people in one location shucking and
jiving successfully over a two hour
block of time. In my view you should pick a kinder
and gentler playing field for
yourself. So, it's a tribute to your good writing,
wit and insight, that you did
as well as you did.
*As mentioned, I'd avoid the tendency to overwrite
and overdo things, but my
theory on this is that you did it because you were
short on "real material",
which can cause the best and the brightest (like yourself)
to overdo what they actually have. The real trick
then would be to create more plot so that you don't
have to stretch.
*Both J and R need more discernible characterizations/personas
SOONER rather
than later. Saving the full wad of disclosure cheats
the audience of their
prerequisite right to have some early realization about
who's who and what's
what. To receive hints early on that we are dealing
with a couple of guys who
are down on their luck, fragile, vulnerable, and even
desperate, automatically
whets our appetite to want to know more about them.
This applies in a story
sense as well. Because if they're both basically okay
and only doing their
normal day-to-day activities, then what's your story
franchise?...The bottom
line is this: give these characters more conflict,
angst, obstacles, woes, and
situations, and they will automatically become more
interesting, and also their
dreams and goals will become more story-like because
we will be worried about
them, rooting for them, and wonder "what's going to happen next?" That's
the
essence of what story is about and why we continue
to turn pages.
*Although there's lots of room for good fun and spectacular
action, the "crime
story" must also ring true and, in its own way, be as dynamic and
inventive as
any effective crime story/drama whether the mother
vehicle be comedy or drama.
Currently, the situation is too "broad and bozo" often over-the-top,
and not
really all that intriguing, mysterious, or surprising.
And it needs to be. What
I'm suggesting to you on a macro level is to give your
story and players a less
simplistic ambiance and instead provide a true dramatic
base that has
everything: a bitchin story with legitimate twists
and turns, real people,
pathos, drama, intrigue and lots and lots of good buddy
humor (and other humor)
all packed into one exciting vehicle. If you analyze
other good comedy dramas
(even really funny ones) you will usually find a serious
infrastructure that may
not be all that obvious but is incredibly necessary.
And if all comedy were
predicated on just being funny, you'd be way ahead
of the pack. But the fact is
that it's not. Comedy is kind of a shield for pain,
angst, and tragedy, and
these qualities are usually present in all good comedy
offerings.
*RE
aesthetics: When you write your descriptions/stage directions, be sure
that the details, metaphors and visuals you use are
aesthetically
harmonious with the genre of your script, or you risk
destroying your
tonality and mood. For example, "marshmellow clouds" is fine
for a kid
fantasy flick but will be totally jarring in a sci-fi
thriller.
*When writing an action sequence - a chase, fight scene, for
examples - you
want to give us enough detail so that we can see it
clearly in our minds
but not so much blow by blow description that the very
action is slowed
down to a molasses pace
*Heroic
characters can be very naughty, very selfish, very "bad" and get
away with it unscathed, our love for them intact,
as long as you: A)
develop from the start clear reasons for why they
are the way they are B)
you give them charming attributes to balance out
the negative C) you expose
what makes them most human and vulnerable, so that
we can fully empathize
and identify with their malaise.
*A great
premise will not carry an entire screenplay. It is only the
starting point to a lot of hard work in the way
of story, plot, character
and theme development.
*When
creating a character, remember to bear in mind the macro,
sociological framework for who this person
is within the context of the
world. Is the person anachronistic to their
time and place? Are they
miscast within their own era? Or are they an
archetype of their
environment? Who are they within the parameters
of their location and
setting?
*If
your characters are going to sit around and shoot the breeze be sure
that just below the surface of the chit chat
there is a strong thematic,
character or story drive operative between
the lines. (For example, in
"
Raising Arizona", one of the key, character defining moments is
the picnic
scene where Nicholas Cage is just trying
to have lunch while his friend's
wife frantically goads Holly Hunter about
getting their baby "dipthets".
It is a hilarious exchange with powerful
character and story drive despite
the fact it is technically just a chatty
moment).
*Don't be scared to mold your stories or
characters around the most
powerful events or people in your life.
You must trust that those potent
starting points will give you the boost
to write with passion and
connection, and in the revising you will
gradually fictionalize away from
those launch pads into an original text
that will be all your own...less
recognizable but still carrying the strong
feelings of their origins.
*Check out the television series "24" as though this is a
soap opera of
sorts it is well written and is an excellent
example of how to A) keep a
breathless pace B) keep plot and story
moving C) how to slow down for
needed exposition D) how to write characters
with real conviction
*Remember when writing your descriptions
that you are directing our EYES.
You want to write to a VIEWER not a
READER. So for example, if your
character is feeling something, you
must DEMONSTRATE it via a visual. Keep
on adhering ot that adage: SHOW don't
TELL.
_____________
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