i only attended the panel discussions ('from pen to page,' 'writing funny,' 'creating compelling characters,' and 'the business of screenwriting'). although the panels themselves aren't terribly informative, they do provide a wonderful opportunity to audition the course instructors, as all of the presenters teach extension classes. some of the standouts were antwone fisher, wendi niad and victoria wisdom.
although all three were very practical in their advice and entertaining to listen to, victoria wisdom was the most impressive with a contagious energy and a no-bullshit, all-business, straight to the point style. after two soporific presentations by the male members of her panel, she woke everyone up with a cheerful hello and engaged the audience with questions and a rapid-fire delivery.
overall i was both heartened and saddened by one aspect of the experience: diversity. the audience was immensely diverse; women and men of all ages and races. but of the 12 panelists most were males and the majority of them were white (including all four presenters on the comedy panel). obviously we still have a way to go.
here are my rather rough notes from each seminar:
11a-11:40a. 'from pen to page: the art of storytelling'
presenter: steven wolfson
commentary: steven was an energetic and emphatic speaker. although he currently works as a screenwriter, his real love seems to be writing for theater.
recommended reading:11:50-12:30p. 'writing funny: techniques for comedic feature film and television writing'
david ball - backwards and forwards
on writing in general:
- we're all trying to do something that most people in the world don't do (writing).
- well remembered advice he received: embrace what you're afraid to write. because that's what you'll end up writing.
- his "cosmology" theory of writing:
starts with "little big bang" - the original idea - everyone has these
- do not confuse premise with narrative.
- make sure your original idea is powerful enough to carry you through the process, write it down on an index card and keep it nearby
steps to story:
- step 1: the idea must have a human connection and it must inherently have conflict
- step 2: find the characters: "everything emanates from the bright hot sun of character"; write their daily routine - you'll learn lot about them. you can do this before you start - but you can also do this whenever you're stuck. interview your characters - ask them where they want to go. but characters aren't enough, a problem with a lot of independent film is that they have no story - same with conventional film - too many visual fx, not enough story.
- step 3: find the want: stories are about the "superwant". we live in a constant state of wanting, but that's not interesting enough. it's about the wants we want more than anything else.
- step 4: ACTION: stories are about characters who want something and take action to get it. because they have superwants. two types of action: 1) physical action, 2) verbal action (dialogue)
- step 5: define your conflict; the emotional glue, what keeps an audience interested, is conflict. which comes in two forms: 1) person vs person - the vast majority fall into this type. one character in conflict with another. often the greatest struggle a character has is with themselves. 2) person vs self/environment? (he never got to the second point, ran out of time); characters fall into conflict because they externalize what they are internally feeling.
presenter: sheldon bull, keith giglio, phil kellard (chair), chris webb
commentary: ironically the first thing phil did was ask the rest of the panel if you could teach funny - and the answer was unequivocally "no". their best advice was to take your quirks and idiosyncrasies and celebrate them, use them.
recommended reading for tv writing:1:30-2:10p. 'creating compelling characters for the screen'
writing for dough by bill idelson.
general ideas:
- everyone steals from everyone; so start out by watching and reading funny
- "the funny comes last" - write it as a drama first. then take off the self-edit button.
- can't be both writer and editor. write first, worry about the editing later, the "is this ok?" shouldn't be a part of your inital writing. don't worry about that until later.
- characters are what make sitcoms
- comedy is there on the page. it's either funny or not. it's not like action where it may depend on how it's directed.
- you can tell in the first 10 pages if the writer is any good and if they're funny
- writers are people who:
1) don't give up
2) and are willing to change
- funny story by giglio:
closed deal with agent on a friday evening on the phone at work, literally while his boss was standing there telling him he had something he needed him to do. keith stood up and said, "no i don't," and quit. went home and cut up his suit with scissors. then he discovered that they don't pay you right away. had to take the train in on monday (sans suit), and ask for his job back (they gave it to him).
worked for city of los angeles.
- sacrifice:
chris said he reads stuff all the time in his class by people that could be professional writers but don't get there because they aren't willing to sacrifice and do the work
keith told how he used to get to work and hour early and stay an hour late to write on the computers at work. this while he had a baby on the way and working 40 hours/week. but he managed to write two scripts during that time that sold.
- chris recommended writing with a partner if you write comedy
audience question: how do you get read?
- do something to get noticed; contests, short film, (everyone in hollywood wants to be first to be second - once you have someone else that likes you then everyone else will fall in)
- you have to pour as much creativity into getting noticed as your writing
more than likely you will get you your first job
- don't worry about agentseveryone sheldon knew got their first job and then got an agent.
- the internet is the greatest commercial for yourself you can do
film recommends:
sullivan's travels; anything by preston sturges or howard hawks for comedy pacing
audience question: what's the rated R comedy format?
- basically the fool's quest, the inappropriate goal. a kid wanting to get laid, etc.
- on seeing the same idea as yours:
- keith said: "variety - 5 mins to read, 5 years to get over." you'll always read about films getting bought or greenlit that are the same as the idea you're working on. don't worry so much about it. either put it away for awile or trust that yours is different or good enough that it doesn't matter.
presenter: ernie contreras, claudia grazioso (chair), luciano saber, victoria wisdom
commentary: this was the most structured session, mainly because claudia came prepared with an outline to kick things off and then had the other panelists give a brief introduction and their ideas about creating characters. also the most dynamic speaker of the day was featured here, victoria wisdom.
ernie:
create backstory - characters need to be fully developed.
the layers of character are:
- physiological - appearance, physical interaction
- sociological - family, social status, point of origin
- psychological - the product of the first two
none of this has to be revealed on the screen; it's for you and for your characters to be fully developed within your story; adds to credibility onscreen
luciano:
started out as an actor and knows how important a well developed character is for actors
- your writing needs to do more than just describe the action, the action needs to be motivated by the internal emotional world of the actor.
victoria:
very focused on results; she represented christopher mcquarrie.
anyone can make it:
- mcquarrie was working a minimum wage job when he wrote 'usual suspects'.
- jeff davis, who created 'criminal minds' (a series victoria sold), had never written televison and only one screenplay.
about character:
- hero must have dichotmy, must appear one way but be another (have internal conflict).
- hero must have what appears to be a fatal flaw, and they must appear to fail in the story. but they get up.
- 'lars and the real girl' - extreme case of protagonist obstacle/fatal flaw
bad guy characters:
- she loves 'in the line of fire'. bad guys are often fallen good guys.
- "your film is only as good as your bad guy" - hitchcock.
- the achilles heel of the hero will be exploited by the bad guy
market-focused:
- you need to be invested in the market place.
- biggest genres are action, comedies, thrillers, drama. in that order. why? because of demographics (16-24 year old males biggest demo, followed by 18-34 year old men and women - thus comedies are second genre).
most important things to remember about characters:
- character must be accessible, be able to be identified with
- how is my character a contradiction?
- what are their obstacles?
- is my bad guy as strong as my good guy?
- characters are going to hit a brick wall at 100mph or this isn't interesting; so what's that wall and what's the strength in the character that allows them to get over the wall? florian henckel von donnersmarck, the writer of the 'the lives of others,' started with the stasi character (the bad guy), and kept asking, 'what happens next?' we need to keep wanting to know the answer to that question.
2:20-3:00p. 'the business of screenwriting'
presenter: wendi niad, antwone fisher, ron suppa (chair)
commentary: this was one of the most fun sessions, not only because all the panelists were straight to the point and honest, but because antwone fisher, with his casually uttered frank truths about the business, was hysterical.
ron:
breaking in:
- all the panelists broke in to the business; none of them knew people ("we aren't related to spielberg")
- related a story about george lucas; he was asked "how do you break in?" he answered, "somehow"
- it's a business of relationships; get as many contacts as you can
- try to meet people and have the goods when you do
- you have to act like you're already in - this town can smell desperation; if you need them, they don't need you - they want someone they need (goes back to the note about meetings)
three important things:
1) writing has to be good
2) can't be shy
3) meetings are never about you; it's about them; how can working with you
advance their career - they're always thinking of that. you have to sell yourself
to them as someone that can help them in that way; diablo cody - half of her success had to be selling her own story
agents:
- aren't necessary in features (more important in tv)
- he only had a lawyer for many years
- managers are a better way to go; and they can find you an agent or lawyer when you need one. they can be your business alter ego.
protecting your script:
- wga it, etc.
- watch who you give it to; remember whenever you give a script to someone, they'll shop it to everyone they know. so when you get it back, the next person you take it to may have already seen it
- don't worry too much about protecting your script. agents/managers/ent. lawyers won't steal from you.
misc:
- getting into the wga requires simply writing and selling to a signatory company; until then you can write for anyone
- selling a script is like selling a car; if they drive it off a cliff after they buy it, its not your problem; move on to the next one.
never stop working for your material, but always write more
- your scripts have be a little risky; a little different
- the business isn't as mysterious as it might seem
- only sold two specs but had over 24 jobs based on specs; specs are what get you writing jobs; even more important in tv
- read a LOT of scripts - you can't write them if you're not famiiar with them
wendi: writer at comedy store - comedians are the most depressed people she's ever worked with, quickly got out of that
on the diff between managers and agents:
- managers develop talent, are long-term goal oriented; she'll work with talent for 5 years or more
- agents look for the next deal and are only concerned with the bottom line
- she left icm because she discovered sean levy from a 20 minute film; thought he was the next john hughes and wanted to work with him
spec scripts:
- 9 out 10 don't sell
- they work best for making fans of your work and creating relationships and job opportunities; her policy is, get a meeting and don't leave until you get an assignment. if they like your work, keep them talking until they remember "oh there's this project that needs a writer..."
- the most important thing a spec script does is go out - not that it sells
- for agents - if it doesn't sell, it's over. for managers it's just the beginning.
query letters:
- 1/2 is substance
- 1/2 is how you present it
antwone: born in prison - mom, teenager; published poet; currently writing training day 2
on breaking in:
- wasn't planning on working in the industry at all; it's the magic of living in los angeles. was a prison guard for 3 years after navy. heard sony was hiring security guards (got job - had to downsize his life). then found out all the guards had been to film school. didn't get the guard job to be a writer, just thought it would be cool to be around movies, but eventually you become part of the team just being on the lot
- it's like being a trojan horse. you have to start by being in los angeles.
he had to go unlock a door for sidney poiter. it's a magical place to be.
- in the navy they said when you get on a ship, walk around and see what you want to do and persue that, so that you can present that and those relationships (with the guys who do it), when you want to apply for the job - same with hollywood
- had only worked at sony for a couple of months when he told his story to someone. though everyone liked it, to his surprise no one encouraged him to write it. so he stole a screenplay to study and wrote everything on legal pad.
eventually todd black read the script, liked it but said it was nowhere near ready, gave him an office and told him to quit his guard job and work full time on the script. 5 months later they'd sold it
- since then written 16 projects for the studios - his own screenplay was his only original
- make relationships with actors - which is hard because they're crazy
- make relationships with other writers who will help you through hard times and help you keep connected
on agents and managers:
- he's never gotten a job through an agent. he creates relationships.
- not a lot of writers have a personality - you have to make yourself one. you need to be "good in a room"
- you have to stand out - the people you meet with meet people all day, that's their job, so somehow you have to stand out without coming on too strong
- mangers work harder for their clients
- agents are like pimps (they just take the money when you get the work); manager are like hustlers (they're out there with you helping you take the money)
- he recommends an ent. lawyer and a manager; find ent. lawyer that likes you and you can create a personal relationship
- never go to lunch with your agent - that's the end of your relationship
- agents are like the girl you like that doesn't like you and then they like you when you don't like them anymore
- show you appreciate your lawyer and manager beyond the money; his manager gets a bunch of adidas shoes when they make a sale because antwone knows he likes those shoes
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