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Q & A with Allison Chaney Whitmore
December 6, 2019 December 6, 2019 Maximum Z character arc, characters, comic books, concept, consultant, emotion, format, Netflix, outlines, pie, plot, plot points, publishing, reading, relatability, television, theme, writing	characters, comic books, consultant, emotions, Netflix, publishing, relatability, screenplays, screenwriting, script, theme, writing
Allison Chaney Whitmore is a screenwriter, graphic novelist, and writing coach from Los Angeles. She loves to tell coming-of-age stories with a hint of romance, fantasy, or adventure, but also enjoys a good gothic horror story. She's also the writer of the comic Love University.
As a coach, working with new writers with a passion for story is her favorite thing. Allison holds a Master's degree in English education and has studied screenwriting at the graduate level. Outside of her work, she enjoys classic films, genre television, a good book, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
What's the last thing you read or watched that you thought was incredibly well-written?
The current season of This Is Us is really good. I love the way they weave together plot, character, and theme. I also got to watch all of Fleabag and Killing Eve this summer, both of which I found amazing. I'm looking forward to watching season 3 of The Crown, as it always has top writing, and The Haunting of Hill House, which I hear has incredible writing as well. I can never pick one thing.
Were you always a writer, or was it something you eventually discovered you had a knack for?
I've always been a dreamer and a story enthusiast. I wanted to be an actor from a young age and started writing skits in elementary school. Long-form prose came in high school, and I wrote my first screenplay in a pink composition notebook with graph line paper the summer after graduation. So, if I haven't always been a writer, I've been one for a pretty long time.
What inspired you to write your comic Love University?
The concept came to me many years ago. One Friday after work, I was stuck in traffic on Sunset behind UCLA and just randomly thought — What if there was a school for cupids, called Love U? I thought it was funny at the time, but also strongly felt it was something I could see on television. When the opportunity came up to write a comic book series, I pitched it, and they really liked it.
What was your process for writing it?
This particular story just had a concept, no character to start. That's not usual with me. Both typically come to me at the same time. This one I had to take the idea and pull the story out of it. I found the main character, Lucy, then I began thinking about the journey she might take over several issues as the world around her began to populate in my mind. I wondered about her day-to-day struggles, her lifelong personal wounds, and her hopes and dreams. From there, I just let the story unfold. After that brainstorming phase, I went through my usual process of theme, logline, beat sheet, outline, and script. Then it was notes, revision, and so forth.
How did you connect with the publishing company for your comics, and what role do they play with your projects?
I was working with another writer on a web series who was also a comic book writer. I'd recently been hired to write a couple of comics for a pair of independent creators. They were looking for screenwriters to complete the work. I was sort of lost in terms of what to do, so I asked my colleague to take a look at what I'd been working on. He really liked my work and sent it on to his publisher, who asked if I'd like to write a series of my own.
A key component of writing (for both film and comics) is to make the stories and characters relatable. What sort of approaches do you take to accomplish that?
To me, my characters are reflections of the human experience. I simply remember the human sides of their experiences — wounds, worries, hopes, dreams. I think about the way they speak, and why that is. I think about the way they dress, their favorite music, how they navigate through the world. Everyone has a specific journey that makes them uniquely who they are. I realize that should be the same for my characters, and that helps bring them to life, as well as making them more relatable to the reader.
As a writing coach, what are some of the more common mistakes you see?
Most of the mistakes come from finding the core of their stories, hitting plot points, and formatting. Sometimes it's tough for people to figure out whether they have just an idea, or enough to make an actual story. That's what we work on. It's actually a lot of fun.
There are a lot of writing coaches out there. What's unique about you and your methods?
I come from a teaching background, so my approach is about building skills from the ground up, but also starting with the big picture in mind. I like to help people work through their creative blocks and find the stories they want to tell. I'm much more of a coach than a consultant. I'll give notes and focus on that type of thing, but I'm often looking to help writers become the best version of themselves. Working with me is like having your own personal teacher. Not everyone needs that, but it definitely works for some people.
What do you consider the components of a good script?
Strong character arcs, relatability, clear concept, emotional hook, and an identifiable theme.
What are some key rules/guidelines every writer should know?
-Always plan to write more stories. Don't put everything into just one script. Move on. Write more. Keep getting better.
-The writing process is different for everyone. Just like we have different ways of learning and absorbing information, the way we get to a story can vary. Give yourself time to find your way.
-Your first draft is not going to be perfect. Ever.
-Plan if you can. It saves you time.
-Make time for both writing and living.
-Be observant.
-Read as much as you can.
-Stay committed.
-Be open-minded.
-Think outside the box.
How can people find out more about you and the services you provide?
Email me at: allison@theophilusfilms.com or go here: https://allisonchaney.typeform.com/to/c5PFJC. You can also get a digital copy of Love University here, and check out the Facebook page here.
Readers of this blog are more than familiar with my love/appreciation of pie. What's your favorite kind?
Cheesecake could be considered pie, so…cheesecake. In terms of actual pie, probably pumpkin! Perfect time of year for that. Happy holidays!
Q & A with Jeff Buitenveld of ScriptArsenal
April 12, 2019 Maximum Z analysis, antagonist, characters, concept, consultant, contests, development, dialogue, directing, feedback, flaws, goals, Los Angeles, Marvel Comics, movies, objective, originality, pie, producer, production company, protagonist, screenplay, screenwriting, script, stakes, story, storytelling, structure, subtext, theme, UCLA, writing	antagonist, characters, concept, flaws, Marvel Comics, originality, producer, production companies, protagonist, screenplays, screenwriting, script, story, theme, writing
Jeff Buitenveld of ScriptArsenal is an independent producer and former development executive with over 15 years of experience on some of Hollywood's biggest films. He is currently a producer on the upcoming thriller The Kimberlite Process. After graduating with an MFA from UCLA's Producers Program, Jeff worked in various capacities on numerous productions for Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner including The Last Samurai, Mission Impossible 3, Jack Reacher, Valkyrie, Lions for Lambs starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, Ask the Dust starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek, Death Race starring Jason Statham, The Eye starring Jessica Alba, Suspect Zero starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley and many more.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a blast. HBO's Barry is a funny and oddly haunting series. I recently re-watched/re-read Hell or High Water, which is a deceptively simple, sad, and suspenseful story with rich, complicated characters. Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House delivered the goods on scares and family dysfunction for me. Issa Rae ("Insecure,") Jill Soloway ("Transparent,") Amy Sherman-Palladino ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,") and Andrea Savage ("I'm Sorry,") all have unique, exciting, and powerful voices.
How'd you get your start in the industry?
I didn't know anyone in LA when I first moved here but developed a sci-fi project that was quickly optioned by an Academy Award-winning producer (and never made). During that time, I was also accepted into UCLA's Producers Program where I took Meg Le Fauve's ("Inside Out" "Captain Marvel") Development class, which was instrumental to my growth and understanding of cinematic storytelling and how to work effectively with screenwriters. I started cold-calling various companies for internships and was lucky enough to land positions at both Artisan Entertainment and Mike Medavoy's Phoenix Pictures. Back then, Artisan had a deal with Marvel and I was immediately thrown into pitch meetings with various notable writers/directors on properties like Thor, Hulk, The Punisher, Black Widow, and Iron Fist, etc. I was also taking pitches at Phoenix – it was an incredible learning experience. I eventually became an assistant briefly to a Hong Kong action director and then used those experiences to land a job with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner once I graduated from UCLA.
Is recognizing good writing something you think can be taught or learned?
Though having an eye for quality material can be a natural instinct, it needs to be honed. I ultimately feel that recognizing good writing can be learned and taught.
Generally speaking, a good script maintains a captivating concept, and a flawed but likeable hero with a concrete objective attached to grave stakes (whether intimate or epic). The hero's emotional flaw is often rectified as a result of him/her achieving their practical goal (he/she should also be active, resourceful, and exhibit a range of change). It's helpful if the hero's goal is time-sensitive and somehow socially relevant. Lastly, if the script is a feature, it should adhere to a three-act structure.
What are some of the most common screenwriting mistakes you see?
Too much description, on-the-nose dialogue, flimsy structure, and the lack of a flawed hero with a concrete objective, attached to grave stakes.
What story tropes are you just tired of seeing?
I'm not at all opposed to writers using things like "one last job," "a reluctant hero who can save the world," "a family in peril," or "a fish out of water," etc. The familiar can be very accessible and., if used effectively, can lure a reader into the story. The trick, however, is to infuse that story with other unique and complex qualities so that it unfolds in fresh and unexpected ways. What can make your story different or set it apart? I always urge writers to challenge the reader's expectations or preconceived notions as to what type of story they're entering!
-Use Final Draft.
-Study the most notable screenwriting books and authors.
-Read every script you can get your hands on whether good, bad, or mediocre.
-Have conviction but be open to ideas – ultimately this is a collaborative industry.
-Don't be afraid of genre and don't be afraid to push the boundaries on the tenets of said genre (but know what those tenets are).
-Actively seek feedback and don't be precious.
-Strive to be both clear and complex in your writing and understand the difference between the two.
-Don't be a hater – watch all kinds of movies and TV shows, and be mindful of those that are both commercially and critically successful as well as those that aren't.
-Read the trades to better understand the marketplace.
-Don't chase trends – write from the heart.
Have you ever read a spec script that was an absolute, without-a-doubt "recommend"? If so, what were the reasons why?
"Recommends" are a rare breed. Those that do qualify show a master of the craft, are usually somewhat familiar but also somehow unique, tend to maintain complex characters, rich themes, and have an easily identifiable position in the marketplace (you can visualize the poster, trailer, audience, etc.) That being said, most of the scripts I've read, even from the most notable A-list writers in the industry, still needed some further development.
How do you feel about screenwriting contests? Worth it or not?
I think it can be incredibly important and worthwhile, particularly for young writers, to enter screenwriting contests. However, I would also encourage writers to do some homework on which ones are notable and relevant so as to not waste too much money and time.
Go to www.scriptarsenal.com and follow us on FaceBook and Twitter to get updates on upcoming sales and weekly helpful screenwriting tips.
Given my mid-section I generally try to stay away from sweets, but a few years ago, I had some homemade pecan pie (numerous pieces actually) for Thanksgiving and it was an absolutely transformative experience…a chemical portal to another dimension that somehow transcended the time-space continuum…okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but damn, it was good!
Q & A with Jim Mercurio
February 1, 2019 February 1, 2019 Maximum Z books, characters, concept, consultant, craft, emotion, exposition, filmmaking, ideas, pages, pie, rewriting, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, theme, voice, writing	books, characters, concept, emotion, pie, scenes, screenplays, screenwriting, scripts, story, storytelling, writing
Jim Mercurio is a writer, author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His book The Craft of Scene Writing is the first-ever screenwriting book that focuses solely on scenes. He has directed and produced five feature films, and helped countless writers as a teacher, story analyst, and script doctor. He directed more than 40 DVDs on screenwriting, including his own 6-disc set, Complete Screenwriting. One of the country's top story consultants, Jim works with Oscar-nominated and A-List writers as well as beginners.
Editor's note 1 – a q&a with Jim was featured in a series of interviews with script consultants that ran on this blog between 2014 and 2015.
Editor's note 2 – full disclosure: Jim played the role of adviser/sounding board for the rewrite of my dramedy spec.
What was the inspiration/motivation for this book?
I was prepping my webinar on February 7th for The Writers Store on Personal Voice, (FYI – Feb 1 is the last day to save $20 on registering) and I stumbled upon the idea that a writer must figure out what is special about what he does and then focus on that. I feel like it is the same way with me and the book.
I have always focused on the nitty-gritty of craft. Probably because I worked so hard trying to figure it out for myself as a writer. When I directed the 40ish DVDs in the Expo Series, I did my own class concentrating only on theme.
Years ago, I happened to be prepping for a feature I was directing. In a week, I saw the same scene performed more than 200 times by a hundred different actresses. I was trying to figure out what I could do that hadn't been done before as far as a screenwriting book. My experience as a filmmaker has always informed my approach to understanding and teaching screenwriting. I'm not sure why it didn't come to me sooner. I had an "A-ha!" or better yet a "Duh!" moment — SCENE WRITING!
There are a lot of screenwriting books out there. What makes this one unique?
The obvious distinction is that it focuses solely on scene writing… the first screenwriting book to do so.
I was fortunate enough to have story gurus Richard Walter and Michael Hauge review the book. Something Michael said really touched me. He said that there were a lot of ideas in the book he hadn't even thought of. I wanted to cover new ideas or at least some seldom taught concepts in a novel way.
Having been in the screenwriting education niche writing for Creative Screenwriting, directing, creating 50 hours of educational DVDs and working as a consultant, I know what's out there. I believe this book will carry the torch and be among the next go-to books for all screenwriters entering the field.
As I mentioned, my filmmaking experience and the fact that I am actively writing screenplays and making projects impacts my perspective. I try to be very specific in my examples. For a given topic, I may start with theory but I always try to end with concrete principles and tools that you can apply to your writing on the spot.
Some books are geared more towards covering the screenwriting basics, while others "go beyond (or way beyond) the basics". Is this a book that both new and experienced writers could use?
I feel very strongly that this book will appeal to writers across a wide spectrum of skill levels. A friend of mine said I teach the last hundred pages of "the screenwriting book" more than I do the first hundred. So, if anything, I would be more concerned about whether this would serve beginners.
I even asked my editor if it did and she gave me a great response. But then out of the blue, the universe gave me a better answer. My 23-year-old stepson who is a computer engineer texted me. He said he was halfway through the book and said "It's very accessible… nothing's confusing."
The only research I did while writing this book was to watch movies and think about them. Each chapter is like a stand-alone piece on topics such as exposition, concept, theme, and rewriting. I tried to begin with my, at least somewhat, original and basic take on a topic to ease the reader in and to orient them. A new writer can jump right in.
More advanced writers might recognize my approach as somewhat novel. I then try to go as deep as I can with the material, so that even professional writers might benefit. A writer who read the book said that 70-80% of it was stuff he had never heard before. He might be overstating it, but I'm proud that the book feels that way. I wanted to offer new insight into the nitty-gritty challenge of craft.
Even though the book's title is THE CRAFT OF SCENE WRITING, what else does it cover besides writing scenes?
At its essence, scene writing is storytelling and the same principles apply. You are poring over characters, characterization, idiosyncrasies of the world, setups – to create reversals. You've heard of turning points, right? Writers have to turn a story. They also have to learn how to turn a scene. Or a line of dialogue.
However, I wanted this to complement all of the other screenwriting books that cover story structure. I am looking at screenplays at the molecular level. In the final section of the book, I cover rewriting in a parallel way to how I discuss scene structure. And then I explore how to discover and use your personal voice in your screenplays.
One of the phrases you really emphasized during the process with my script was "write to concept." Can you elaborate on what you mean by that?
Whew, no softballs here. Making me earn my pie.
There are 7500 words in my chapter on concept, which have been through the wringer with my 18 copyeditors, but I will try to summarize with insightful pithiness.
Like I mentioned, as a writer you should use what's special about yourself and your writing. Writing to concept means that you are using what's special about your story as the main inspiration for its surprises. For fun, consider a 3-D horror movie where an axe flies across the screen left to right. Do you see how on some level that's just wrong? It should be flying toward the camera. Otherwise, it's ignoring the most prominent element of its medium.
Of course, I'm not that rigid, but writers have to narrow down the handful of elements that are essential to their concept because not only do their surprises spin out of them, but, for the most part, they spin out only from them. I don't know if I can teach that here. Hopefully, I can intrigue you to go to the source.
Writing to concept allows you to find a unique way to express what otherwise might be a familiar story beat. Based on their concept, the moments will look very different. In Memento, Natalie hurts Leonard by hiding pencils. In Her, Samantha, an operating system, hurts her lover by telling him she's in love with 641 other people.
Another of your favorite phrases during the writing process was "go deeper." What should that mean to a writer?
It refers to a missed opportunity to get at more emotion with a character or to complicate a relationship, which would hopefully do the same. While we were working on your script, there's a scene I pointed out featuring a moment where you were on the verge of discovering a powerful and transcendent moment, but then it was all over too soon. Sometimes writers hit a beat (in the broader sense), and maybe they are worried about a looming expansive page count or don't appreciate what they have stumbled upon, so they move on too quickly. They might be better off — pick your metaphor — milking or massaging a moment for a bit longer and letting it play out.
Take a look at the long and emotional monologue in Good Will Hunting where Will's best friend Chuckie tells him that he should "cash the winning lottery ticket" and get out of town to find a better life. He even tells him that the best part of the day is in the morning when he comes to pick him up, he has a moment of hope that Will has left — without even leaving a note. Imagine, if we cut that down to a sentence: "I will miss you but you gotta get the hell out of here." We lose Chuckie's voice, the suspense of it, the emotional heft and importance. It goes from a set-piece scene to a bland, merely functional one.
In addition to the book, Jim also provides a script consulting service. How can people get in touch to find out more?
Easy. Go to my site at www.jamespmercurio.com. I discuss why coaching is my preferred mode of working with writers. You can check out my DVD set and sign up for my free e-newsletter Craft & Career, which will also let you stay informed about classes and workshops I'm offering later in the year.
Last time around, you said your favorite kind of pie was the metaphoric "gross points from my last film". Still the same today, or something different?
A pie in the hand is worth two gross points in a bush. Or 20 for that matter. So, hand me some Dutch Apple, please.
Q & A with Peter Russell
January 11, 2019 Maximum Z analysis, beats, characters, comic books, consultant, contests, craft, DC, genre, Marvel Comics, perseverance, persistence, pie, quality, reading, screenplay, screenwriting, script, skill, stakes, story, storytelling, superheroes, television, ticking clock, writing	analysis, characters, craft, DC Comics, genre, Marvel Comics, reading, screenplays, screenwriting, script, script consultant, skill, story, storytelling, superheroes, television
Peter Russell is a screenwriter who sold two television pilots in 2018 – a crime procedural and a biographical mini-series. He is also a long-time story doctor in Hollywood whose clients include Imagine, HBO, Participant, Viacom, CBS Television and many more. Peter is in demand for his legendary seminars and master classes on film and TV story. Peter's charismatic speaking style won him UCLA Teacher of the Year in 2009.
Peter ghostwrites for both new and established film and television writers and producers. He has consulted on many TV shows, including GENIUS (National Geographic series 2017-present) MR. ROBOT (Emmy for Best New Television Drama 2015), Chronicles Of Narnia (Lion, Witch & Wardrobe), The Da Vinci Code (Imagine Films) and many others.
Peter privately collaborates with producers, writers, and actors on film and TV story from treatments to pilots and full story development. He teaches his own classes online at: http://peterrussellscriptdoctor.com/, and live at major universities, including UCLA.
SNOWFALL. Fantastic writing. The way both the showrunner and the staff-written eps broke the beats in every ep was insanely good. They used every trick in the book to surprise you. The beat almost NEVER went where you thought it was gonna go. Surprises, reversals, ticking clocks, raising stakes – I admire the craftsmanship of that TV writing wonderfully. SNEAKY PETE – the storylines – my god, the storylines! Sometimes 12 in a single episode! And they were wonderful. THE DEUCE – again, with the beats and the storylines! Such amazing juggling. My hats off to them. My tv eps have five storylines max, and even then it's hard to get those to mesh.
Also just saw McQueen's WIDOWS. Mystery thrillers are so hard to do. He probably wanted to take a swing at a commercial story. He really hit a home run. It's such a relief, in a way, to watch a movie these days when you work in TV. The form feels so much simpler. It's not any easier, but it is simpler. I adore McQueen. If you want to see how I talk about to do what they do, go to my newest TV lecture on creating a great story beat: https://peterrussellscriptdoctor.com/course/creating-the-great-tv-beats/
Script reading. I read scripts for CBS and then for companies like Imagine. I learned so much from Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. I read scripts for seven years – waaaay too long for anybody in their right mind – it's suppose to be a year and then you become a supersuccessful industry DYNAMO! LOL. I loooved it, though – I learned so, so much about story, sooo much about every genre. Brian and Ron taught me that a zeal and excitement for the WORLD you wanted to write about was everything.
You can definitely learn how to recognize good writing for sure – just read tons and tons of great scripts. Watch any great story and read along with the script. You can learn it; it just takes a while. Learning how to write? That's a LOT harder than learning how to recognize great story. It takes a shit-ton more time to do that. I only feel like I've done that in the last few years, since I started selling my own stuff. But it took for-fucking-ever! LOL. That's what you gotta know. And I'm no smarter than anybody – here's a tip – just watch the movie or tv show 50 times! I'm not kidding. Watch the same show fifty times! You'll see EVERY device behind the curtain. Don't take my class, don't listen to me, never buy a thing from me – just WATCH ONE TV SHOW or one movie FIFTY TIMES.
Scripts are the most amazingly complex devices on the planet — far more so than an algorithm. It's a bit like asking me to explain differential equations in a sentence. Okay, I'll try. In a movie, a hero is a wounded person given a chance to heal (or bleed out.) In TV, it's a wounded hero with a fascinating objective and fascinating obstacles in his way. You want more? Right here: peterrussellscriptdoctor.com. Okay, I lied. I DO want you to look at my stuff.
Characters who don't have great core wounds. A great core wound (whether in film or TV) is the basis for 90 percent of how good a story is, especially in the first act. Bleed him (or her, or it). BLEED THEM! Show their pain! Instantly!
I can't watch 90 percent of network television, simply because the grooves of most of the genres are worn out for me. I loathe seeing hero-worshipping stories about superhero cops and superhero lawyers and superhero doctors – all the old, straight from radio shows (Blue Bloods, CSI, stuff like that.)
None of those professions are worthy of such praise – in fact those professions contain a higher than average proportion of assholes – probably far higher than most professions, and it makes me gag to see the hagiography. But audiences looove to see the make-believe that these people are gods on earth. It depresses the hell out of me.
I realize network TV is a factory and I honor how hard these folks work and the high level of professional product they turn out on an incredibly tight schedule – but that doesn't mean the product interests me at all. The TALENT involved – both in front of and behind the camera – is insanely great! The level of competence and extraordinary grace under pressure is heroic. Everybody who works in TV has to have extraordinary abilities, or they don't get on staff. I mean that. The writers I know personally who work in TV – both in writer's rooms and out – my god, they are sooo talented! It's just that I find the product godawful. Dick Wolf is a genius, but his product makes me despair.
I do think dark heroes are popular because most people have realized the world is a lot more like a Russian novel than a comic book. Speaking of which, fantasy superheroes, played straight, especially in the DC story world (which suffers from execs who don't know what they're doing), are also monumentally boring to me now. Twist the genre – DEADPOOL is genius, THOR: RAGNAROK, too, and the first GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – they are FUNNY. My god, that's the greatest thing on earth to be.
What are some important rules every writer should know?
-Know your craft.
-Know you'll never really know your craft and that you'll write a lot of crap. Write anyway.
-Know that you've picked a profession that requires either – a) genius-level talent, or b) an enormous work ethic and persistence far beyond what you've imagined and that will take you far longer than you believed possible.
-None of these rules apply to a true genius. They can do anything.
-If you have neither genius nor an enormous work ethic, you will absolutely fail. Writing in Hollywood is a job for people who are as smart, or smarter, than nuclear physicists or mathematicians. It's far harder than, say, brain surgery. I've never met smarter, or more mercilessly competitive people, than people in Hollywood. By the way, most of them are also massively unhealthy. This isn't a business for well-balanced people, in the main.
-The best way forward is to LEARN how to write.
Have you ever read a script that was an absolute, without-a-doubt "recommend"? If so, what were the reasons why?
In my entire scriptreading life, the number of scripts I have fully recommended is a grand total of two. That's not unusual, by the way. 95 percent of scripts you read are not good (and this is from the very best screenwriters in the biz). But the big secret is – you don't have to be very good. You just have to be better than most people.
If they motivate you to write, great. Most screenwriting contests are run by mercenary assholes who are making their money by taking your contest fees. There are a couple of big 'screenwriting' websites who do nothing but that – they've turned it into a marketing algorithm. That's okay – if they honor their pact with you and legitimately judge your work and then publicize it if you win or place. Some do, some don't. Most just want your money. Not saying that's dishonorable. But it's true and they're very, very smart in how they market.
How can people can get in touch with you to find out more about the services you provide?
Just e-mail me at: russell310@mac.com, or go to peterrussellscriptdoctor.com. Mention this interview, and I'll give you a ten percent discount.
There is nothing better than true key lime pie. Not the type that is mostly white froth. The kind with a dense, green, wonderful pie stuffing, and under that – a buttery, flaky, heart attack-inducing crust.
A most informative Q & A with Andrew Zinnes
December 7, 2018 December 7, 2018 Maximum Z acting, Anderson, antagonist, assistant, characters, conflict, consultant, contests, emotion, ideas, Los Angeles, motivation, networking, originality, overwriting, passion, pie, production company, protagonist, reading, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, structure, studio, style, superheroes, Tarantino, tension, tropes, voice, writing	antagonist, conflict, contests, emotions, ideas, originality, overwriting, pie, production companies, protagonist, screenplays, screenwriting, script, storytelling, structure, voice
Andrew Zinnes is a UK-based screenwriter, screenwriting consultant and producer who's worked for production companies, read for contests, and co-author of The Documentary Film Makers Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Documentary Filmmaking and The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Film Making. He currently holds the position of Lecturer in Screenwriting at The Bournemouth Film School at Arts University Bournemouth, the London Film Academy, and the University of Portsmouth.
What's the last thing you read/watched you thought was incredibly well-written?
I have small children so I don't get to the theater as much as I'd like, but I recently saw I, TONYA and thought it was fantastic – a real pleasant surprise! I remember the Nancy Kerrigan incident vividly and, at the time, there wasn't a bigger villain than Tonya. Yet Steve Rogers managed to make her sympathetic by focusing on her relationship with her mother and other aspects of her home life. Then you add breaking the fourth wall and other stylistic choices, and the characters became self-aware in a manner that added to their depth and relatability. BABY DRIVER was great, too. Loved the way they used music to tell the story. Very Edgar Wright.
I became a script reader for a small production company based at Sony. I read for free as I wanted anyway into the machine. I would go in on off days or they would messenger me scripts, back when that was a thing, and I would write up coverage and fax it back to them, when that was a thing. I became friends with the assistants in the office and when I said I wanted to do development, they put me up for other assistant gigs.
From my experience, recognizing good writing is innate. Many years ago, I went home for Thanksgiving and took my weekend read with me. My sister got curious and started reading some of them. She read one that was a spec from an unknown writer and she was surprised at its mediocrity. She stopped reading after 40 pages and picked up another. This time she started laughing straight away and continued through the whole 100 pages. That script turned out to be AMERICAN PIE. She knew the difference between the two scripts quality-wise with no training, but what she wasn't able to do was tell me what was wrong with them via screenplay/story theory or how she would have fixed any issues. That part needs to be learned and practiced as one would with any craft.
The biggest component revolves around making the story or premise personal to you, the writer. If it's not something you're passionate about then how are you going to put 100% effort into it? If you can't connect to the premise, then how can the reader or the viewer? John Truby says this issue leads to generic, unoriginal work and I have seen this first hand with my college/university students. Just recently, one wanted to do a crime thriller that had an okay hook, but was otherwise unremarkable. I asked why he wanted to do this project and he said it was because he loved those kind of movies and this sounded cool. I told him my doubts and he got frustrated. He said that he has trouble making decisions about writing because he doesn't want to make mistakes that can't be undone easily. When I pressed, he said he felt that way about many things in life, not just writing. I told him he should write about that concept. His eyes lit up!
The other key component are the forces of antagonism. I don't just mean the villain. I mean everything that holds back the protagonist(s) from their goals. The better they are, the better the tension, drama and comedy become.
Because I work with many writers in the development of stories from early in their conception, impatience reigns the king of mistakes. Often times writers want to rush into the actual writing before they've explored a premise fully. The don't want to do enough research to make the story richer or come up with alternative character motivations and story points that might make their project surprising and original. They don't want to take hard looks at their structure because they have something in their head and want to get it out. I get it. I've felt the rush of getting something down in Final Draft, too. However, whenever I've let a client or student get on with it despite my objections, it always goes wrong. They create a story and/or characters that are generic or derivative. They come to the point where the structure doesn't work and either get stuck or plow forward anyway and there's structure or story flaws. Now for some writers, this is the process they need to go through. This is how their brains process information. That's fine, but whether that is the case or they are just steadfast, we end up going back to the drawing board to pull everything apart as we should have done originally.
Aside from that, overwriting tends to be an issue, especially with newer writers. Screenplays are meant to be quick reads and having a lot of black on the page slows that down. Learning economy of writing is essential. I realize that many people, myself included, like Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino's style, which creates these dense, epic screenplays and, that further, feel they should follow suit. However, one, that's being derivative; two, they're directing the work so they probably doing it partially because they don't want to forget anything; and three, they've earned it as they had to fund their first films in this style mostly themselves and became successful with it.
Tropes don't bother me. It's what is done with the tropes that matters. Whenever a superhero movie comes out social media garners a a lot of eye rolls and hate from various creative or general public communities and then WONDER WOMAN, DEADPOOL or BLACK PANTHER comes out and shakes things up. Teen horror films is another one that gets a lot of grief, and then HAPPY DEATH DAY hits the screens and all of a sudden cyberspace is hit with short memory syndrome. Take tropes and tell them in unique ways.
-Observe people, places, things and ideas.
-Observe by asking questions and listening to what people say and don' t cut them off to speak about yourself.
-Travel and observe what's around you.
-Write down what you observe and think about what universal truths of the human condition emerge that matter to you.
-Read good scripts and watch good movies so you know what works.
-Read bad scripts and watch bad movies so you can recognize problems to avoid.
-Notes are opinions. They aren't personal.
I haven't read many. TRAINING DAY may have been one. THE SIXTH SENSE may have been one, too. The reasons are for the usual hallmarks: great voice, original take on a premise, explored some kind or large idea, writing that moved my emotions (tense, scary, etc) and structured well. Then the other side of the equation, the business side, saw great roles for movie stars to play, was something my company might do and had general commercial appeal.
That's a tricky one. On the one hand, if you can win one or at least become a finalist, it can get you noticed. The bigger the competition the better your chances, obviously. If you live outside of Los Angeles or don't have a friend that works in the industry, it may be one of the only ways that you can garner attention. On the other hand, if you enter many of them, it can get expensive. Also there is a fundamental truth about screenplay competitions: there has to be a winner. It's the best of what a competition gets that year, not necessarily the best written thing that would attract an agent or manager and that sometimes makes Hollywood impatient with competitions. But all in all, I say they are worth it. Especially if there's some sort of networking attached to winning or placing.
I'm very easy to find: andrewzinnes.co.uk. You can message me from there. I live in the UK, but work with writers all over the world. Thank you FaceTime, Skype and WhatsApp!
Blueberry! I make a mean one, too.