Tarantino

I was perusing YouTube as I tend to do when I’ve got nothing better to do and came across Charlie Rose’s channel. I was astounded to see he’s got over 4,000 videos posted of interviews he’s done over the years. Simply incredible. Last night I watched his interview with Tarantino right before Kill Bill Vol. 2 was released.  He’s also got previous interviews with Tarantino here and here and here.

Most of the first half of the interview is all about his writing process. The thing I like about Tarantino is that he’s consciously aware of his abilities, but he uses that to propel himself rather than let it hinder him. When discussing his process of writing Inglorious Bastards, he mentioned how he couldn’t figure out a way to end it, so he started back on Kill Bill. This is somewhat similar to what I mentioned with my post on taking a break.

Mystery Team Distribution

As of this posting, the new Derrick Comedy film Mystery Team does not have a major distributor attached. They’re best known for their sketch comedy videos that have gained millions of views. After reading through some film blogs, it appears Mystery Team absolutely brought down the house and gained rave reviews at Sundance.

Call me crazy, but I think the guys at Derrick Comedy should reject the traditional avenues of distribution. Here are a few things they can do to get people to see their film.

- Mobilize the fanbase
Start a mailing list, email YouTube subcribers to keep them updated or ask them if they want to help organize for…

- College Screening Tour
By far the biggest demographic for this film are high school/college aged students. They should hit up major universities and do screenings of their film. Afterward, they could have a Q&A, sell schwag, autographs, the whole nine. They could even perform a live skit or two if they so chose.

- Start a Torrent for the Film
Give away high quality versions of the film in different formats (.avi and .mp4s for the iPhone/iPod). Tell the users they can have the film DRM-free. But if they like it, they are encouraged to tell friends and buy the DVD.

-Sell the DVD on the DC website

Pack the DVD with TONS of extras, behind-the-scenes material, and commentaries.  Attach thank you notes to the DVD and make the purchaser feel like they’re getting something unique and worthy of their money. Build a long lasting relationship with your fanbase.

If this campaign is successful, it will do a few things. First, they’ll expand the fanbase exponentially. Second, those who enjoy the film will pay to own a copy. Those who don’t weren’t going to buy the film anyway. Third, it will get the attention of major Hollywood players. I can’t pretend to know the intentions of the Derrick Comedy guys (and gal), but I assume they didn’t enter Sundance without the intention of landing a distribution deal of some sort. If the film becomes a hit, it will cause Hollywood to take notice. From everything I’ve heard, it has the makings to be extremely successful.

Swingers Commentary

Last night I went downstairs and saw my roommates and their friends watching Swingers. On a whim, I decided to look up the production budget. A whopping $250,000. Today I watched Swingers for what had to be the 10th time but with the commentary. The insight was tremendous. I love to geek out and listen to all the behind-the-scenes details about filmmaking because the final product has come so far from what was originally shot or intended.

This commentary featured Favreau and Vaughn, and it was amazing how much they incorporated real life into the film (the bear and bunny/relationship conversations). In one of my previous posts, I mentioned writing things down that happen to you. As a writer, things happen spontaneously in life that are so fitting they belong in a film. Favreau seemed to absorb all the goings on around him, and he took the initiative to write them down.

I got a renewed sense of passion for my own project because a lot of the issues I conjure up in my head (production, permits, talent) were all handled so smoothly by these guys. Many times, they went completely guerilla and shot without permits. They used family members and friends, and they got it done. They had a hunger to finish the film, and it really shows in the end. To any aspiring filmmaker, I totally recommend watching some of your favorite movies (of any genre) with the commentary. The independent films are especially good since they deal with some of the limitations we feel in our everyday life to pursue the dream of making our own films.

Write on,

Sean

Outline? I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Outline.

We discussed the beats in the last post. To catch you up, the beats are the main events that occur. Think of them more as sequences than scenes. The outline is the most detailed writer’s tool and is used as a guide when you start your script. The outline usually contains sluglines, major action, and dialogue where needed. You should include every scene you plan to write in the script. For instance:

EXT. BRIDGE – DAY
Johnny squats by a makeshift fire as he warms his hands. Other transients nearby scavenge through cans in the dumpster. Johnny gets up and asks, “Do you know where I can get some food?” The transient grunts and waves him off.

The slugline should contain an EXT/INT., location, and time. The time can be Day/Night/Continuous/Later/Morning, it’s pretty flexible but those are usually the most commonly used. When describing action, be sure to use descriptive language, avoid verbs like “is” (Johnny is sitting vs. Johnny squats). The dialogue choices are really up to the writer. I only include dialogue if there is a specific/clever line I think of and want to use it later. I do, however, include rough structures to what the dialogue will be about. For instance, “Johnny talks with his father about his abandonment.” Notice I’m not using any specific dialogue, but when I write the scene, I’ll know what the conversation should contain.

Next, I’ll discuss miscellaneous tips, tricks, and ways to avoid common mistakes.

Filling in the Acts

Great, now we have our act breaks. Time to fill the gaps. To me, film is all about human relationships. Friends, family, significant others. Maybe Johnny the orphan has a love interest, family members who want his money, and other lottery winners. Let’s just give him all three. Remember, the more conflict the better. Again, character sketches/motives are great.

Example: Johnny’s estranged father. His father was an alcoholic and a deadbeat, but when he hears word of an orphan who wins the lottery, he suddenly appears back in Johnny’s life. When Johnny refuses to give him the money, his father threatens to turn him in.

It’s a very simplified version, but you get the idea.

Next, it’s time to sketch out the beats of the story. This isn’t quite as detailed as an outline, but it serves an important function. It covers the major events of each act to put some meat on the bones of the story. These usually contain no dialogue, but there’s no set rules. This is all about your comfort level and having a place to throw any and all ideas onto paper (or computer).

Act 1:
Johnny runs away from foster home.
Johnny struggles to live on the streets.
Johnny has a run-in with the law.
Johnny meets the love of his life.
Johnny decides to play the lottery and has reasons for picking each number.
Johnny wins the lottery.

Next post we’ll discuss outlines.

Act Structure

Alright you’ve got the greatest idea known to man. Bruckheimer is going to wet his pants with anticipation when he reads the script. So what next? You write the damn thing. Not tomorrow, not when you get time off. Today. If you budget your time well, you can find time to dedicate to writing if you want it bad enough.

Every writer has a different process, but I know very few that can just stare at a blank screen and type a completed script without some sort of preparation. If you were one of those people, you wouldn’t need this blog to help you.

The following is my process. First, I get an idea. For the sake of posterity, let’s say it’s about an orphan, Johnny, who wins the lottery but isn’t old enough to cash the ticket. Terrible idea but stay with me.

The first thing I do is sketch out the character. How old is he? Why is he an orphan? How did he get the ticket, etc., etc.? Once the basic questions are answered, I begin to map out a beginning, middle, and end.

Maybe we see the orphan in his day-to-day life of misery, the process by which he picks each winning number, etc. Unless you want to write an independent film where only five people see it, a classical narrative structure is going to be easiest. The end of act one should set the tone for the main conflict of the film (i.e. he finds out he wins the lottery, but oh no, he’s only 14!).

The second act is really the meat and bones of your entire script. You will win or lose an audience with the second act which, not surprisingly, is the most difficult to write. The end of the second act should be the moment where we don’t know if the main character is going to make it. Some screenwriting books call this the “culmination” or “climax.” So maybe the end of the second act, the state lottery investigation team discovers he’s only 14 and therefore ineligible to win.

The third act is your chance to tie everything up in a bow. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a happy ending but should satisfy an audience’s need for closure. Off the top of my head, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid didn’t end necessarily “happy,” but it was effective and awesome, if a bit ambiguous. (For the record, Bill Goldman says on the commentary that there’s no possible way Butch and Sundance could have survived.) And if you haven’t seen that film, apologies for spoiling it, but it should be required viewing for any aspiring writers.

Next, we’ll discuss how to fill out each act with a bit more detail.

Finding Inspiration

Everyone has a great idea for a movie. I should know, people always tell me, “Sean, I have a great idea for a movie.” I decided that I would stop listening to pitches when I hear about how “Hitler was really an alien who sent from another planet to destroy the human race.” Feel free to steal the idea, Hollywood. That said, there are great ways to find real ideas. But if your Aunt Mae is your source of creative fire, please feel free to skip over this.

Over the past week or so, I’ve been taking a course called “Breaking the Story.” Essentially, we’re given 30 minutes to form a movie pitch. The sources of inspiration vary, but we’re usually given a picture or news article and go from there. I’ve found it incredibly beneficial thus far. If your first thought is about securing the rights for the film, you’re in the wrong business. Rather, these are merely jumping off points for creating an entire story. Tangents are always a good thing, especially when the original idea is vague and only a small segment of the entire piece.

Scour the news, web, and museums and see what you can turn up. If ideas aren’t your problem, I’ll be writing a post soon on how to amp up what you have in your head and turn it into something more.

Don’t you know who I am?

My roommate and I decided to get pizza last night. We picked a place we hadn’t been and made the 3 mile (read: 30 minute) trip to go. After we’d received our food, my roommate motioned over my shoulder where Jonah Hill and Justin Long had just walked inside. I texted a friend who might find it mildly interesting since he seems to be a big fan of Jonah. Of course, our friendship has a history of practical jokes, and he didn’t believe me. He told me to go up and take a picture. Not wanting to be THAT guy, I declined his offer, and he called me a liar. Fair enough.

A few things came to my mind afterward. One, if ever I get into a position where someone recognizes me and wants to take a picture, I hope they take the opportunity to do so. As someone who has grown up as a fan of film and television, I know the feeling to see someone whose work you admire and the temptation to tell them as much. Two, celebrities (for the most part) are normal people. When the guy asked for Justin’s name, I totally expected him to say, “Goddamn it, how many fucking Mac commercials do I have to do before I get some recognition in this town?! I was in Die Hard with Bruce Willis for chrissakes. I’ve had it with you fucks!” Ok, not really. He seemed really laid back, like the vast majority of celebrities I’ve run into. Jeremy Piven? Well that’s another story.

If that train gets off the track, pick it up, pick it up.

When I’m re-writing, I sometimes tend to over-edit. I highly recommend taking a break from a screenplay you’ve completed for at least three months. This allows you to pick it up again later with a completely fresh perspective.

Throughout the launch of this blog, I’ve picked up a dramatic screenplay that I finished back in April. Nearly 8 months afterward, I’m able to read through it and am amazed that I ever finished it in the first place. It’s still a bit raw, but I can more clearly see what I need to improve since this time around I’m not so close. Forrest, trees, you get the picture.

Another tip, write something completely out of your genre. To me, writing a historical drama is outside my comfort level, but I’m still passionate about the subject matter. I’m a total History Channel junkie and thrive on the stuff. I never believed I would be any good at it, since my strength lies in comedy. You’ll surprise yourself with what’s possible when you take chances and commit to them fully. Whether you decide to do anything with the screenplay is up to you. At worst, you can use it as a writing sample. At best, someone likes it and wants to pay you for it. Win-win.

Write on,

Sean

And the winner is…

I posted before that I would list some of the better screenwriting competitions. These are the ones that will get the attention of the Hollywood elite. I’ve mentioned before that I have very few connections in the business, but I do have some advantages. I live in Los Angeles, major in screenwriting, and have talent and resources within reach.

That said, there have been many writers who live in New York, work a mundane office job, managed to sell a spec screenplay and been given an assignment from Warner Brothers to adapt a graphic novel. That person would be none other than Ryan Condal, who wrote Galahad, which placed in a few screenwriting competitions and founds its way onto The Black List. Ryan is a frequent poster on the Done Deal Pro and Two Adverbs forums. From what I’ve read of his posts, he’s an incredibly talented and helpful guy. He managed to overcome his obstacles by focusing on his craft and bettering himself every day, and it’s paid off in spades. There’s no reason that someone with talent and ambition can’t do exactly what Ryan’s done.

Some of these don’t yet have updated deadlines for 2009, but here are the ones worth checking out:

Nicholl Fellowship – this is the creme de la creme of competitions. It’s run by the Academy and a serious game-changer for those who advance. I had the opportunity to meet one of this year’s winners, Eric Nazarian, last spring semester and the guy is incredibly talented and driven. Very down to earth and answered tons of mundane questions. Condal, as I mentioned earlier, was contacted by numerous managers/agents for merely advancing to the semis with his submission.

Scriptapalooza – Ugly site design but widely respected contest in the industry.

Slamdance – Quickly gaining in popularity.

Austin Film Festival – Great festival.

These are the major ones. I might have left another one off, but I’ll add it if I remember. Just be weary of any competition makes promises well beyond what they can deliver. Most are setup to take your submission fee and don’t care about the writers or scripts. One last thing, while winning the prize money is nice, it shouldn’t be the focus. These are places to exhibit your work and get it read by people who might not have read it otherwise. Tremendous opportunity to market yourself so work hard, and it’ll show.