Scriptblaster Interviews Judy and Craig

SCRIPTBLASTER INTERVIEW
iv: Interview with Craig Kellem and Judy Kellem of HollywoodScript.com

Q. Can you tell us a little about your background?

A. (Craig) In a nutshell, I'm an Ex-agent; member of the original Saturday Night Live staff; produced movie classic, "The Rutles" (written and directed by Eric Idle of Monty Python); was a development executive at 20th Century Fox TV and Vice-President in charge of Comedy Development at Universal. I was also a writer/producer at Universal (WGA member) and Executive Vice President of Arthur Company at Universal. I developed such hit series as "Charles in Charge" and Co-Executive Produced, "FBI: The Untold Stories" on ABC-TV before I left L.A to enjoy new adventures both personally and professionally.

(Judy) I worked at Dreamworks and then freelance doing studio coverage for both screenplays and manuscripts for such agencies as the Agency for Performing Arts. Prior to that I was directing a language school in Italy (for ESL students) and worked with various human rights organizations both in New York and in Namibia, Africa. As writing fiction is my passion, I am currently finishing a Masters in Creative Writing. My most recent publication was in a literary journal called Reading Room" (vol. 3).

Q. What got you interested in films and screenwriting?

A.(Craig) Good question. The truth is I had a fascination for the credit "written by" and always had a natural attraction toward writing and related areas. Although my first efforts in the business had more to do with my association with performing talent, I seemed to drift towards the creative side as it pertained to writing and found that it suited me. I believe that we're led towards the things that we are destined to do and at some point I realized that my leanings were definitely towards matters re writing.

(Judy) More than half my friends work in film and I've often been brought in to help them in some capacity. So this industry has always felt very familiar, has always buzzed around me like any other regular element in life. When I was given the opportunity to freelance as a reader doing studio coverage for various agencies, I found the work incredibly satisfying. I love engaging material, understanding what does and doesn't work and why; figuring out how to fix or improve it. I am fascinated by screenplay form as it demands a writer to use words in such a way that the reader will forget she or he is reading and will be transported into an entirely visual experience. It's a visual art that is entirely dependent on language. I find that (among other aspects of the craft) very exciting and am always interested in how writers approach this challenge.

Q. What advice would you give todays up and coming screenwriters?

A. (Craig) Screenwriting is not a get rich quick lottery. It's a craft and a process that must be regarded with a long range point of view. Keep writing, keep developing, grow ideas, create files. Take classes, get help, keep growing and look for signs of life. If you begin to get positive signals, rejoice. When you're ready spend a portion of your time marketing but spend most of your time continuing to create material. Write from your heart. Do not write as a marketing maneuver.

Q. Can you tell our readers a little about how you work with your clients?

A.(Craig) We're a boutique operation. We do our own work, don't hire anyone. The consultations are highly personal. We give feedback in written notes, made directly on the script and also offer to make tapes for clients who prefer spoken notes. After we've read the script, we have an unrushed phone conversation with the writer, discussing the larger, macro notes, answering questions, brainstorming and whatever else is necessary to cover. Then we mail the marked screenplay back to the writer, with an open invitation to them for further exchange once they've reviewed the notes.

Q. From your experience how has the internet changed the business of screenwriting?

A. (Craig) The internet has become a healthy tool for screenwriters in two major ways:

1. It is a potent reservoir for information concerning screenwriting the marketing of screenplays.

2. Screenwriters tend to be loners, and it's given them a chance to get collaborate and communicate to whatever extent they feel comfortable via chat rooms and other various writer's sites.

Q. How do you approach writing your own screenplays?

A. (Craig) 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 being the writing process as if it were my wedding night.

(Judy) I love reading and editing screenplays but when writing myself I tend to prefer fiction. Were I to sit down today and start a screenplay, I'd probably approach it much the way I go about fleshing out a prose story. I'd first free write all the scenes and dialogue, character descriptions, story ideas, etc. that are currently boiling up in me and once I'd been emptied out of all that wonderful but distracting head noise, I'd put those pages away and begin to stake out a well thought outline. I'd make myself a blueprint, not to be followed rigidly but to serve me as a good anchor, mapping out how I want the film to start - what's my opening - what needs to happen by the end of the first act, middle of the second and so forth, until I've reached the closing moment. All the while I'd be honing my sense of story, getting crystal clear on what I was writing towards, what lies at the bottom line, gut of the piece, so that I'd have that creative, thematic compass to guide me through the development of the entire script.

Q. You have had an incredibly interesting career in film and TV, do you have any interesting anecdotes you would like to share with our readers?

A. (Craig) I know a guy who spent time in LA, got an unsteady foothold into writing for television and then began to falter. His material was worthy but he got to a point where he couldn't get arrested. He got on a plane to Boston in complete defeat, resigned to go back home, and get a day job. On the plane he happened to sit beside an up and coming movie executive and they started up a conversation. By the end of the flight, after pitching his opus, he ended up with a close to seven figured deal. Needless to say, he didn't stay in Boston. His time had come at thirty-seven thousand feet.

Never give up hope!

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