Actors and dialogue
Do you allow your actors to own the words of a script without any intervention or do you sometimes change the way they speak the dialogue?
–Ruble
In terms of feature films, that’s a better question for the director, because ultimately it’s the director who guides the performance. But in times when I’ve been on set as a writer (such as GO), I try to step back and let the actor find the right way to get the words out.
When you tell an actor exactly how to say something, that’s called "giving a line reading," and it’s considered one of the biggest no-no’s, sure to raise the hackles of actors everywhere. But there are subtle ways to influence a line’s delivery without explaining it word for word.
For instance, an actor might be directed to "throw the line away," (play it as unimportant, even if it’s not), or "really let it sting." Another technique is to offer an alternative line that the actor can play in his head while saying the line written. For instance, "When you say, ‘It’s really nice to see you," let it mean ‘Go to Hell.’" The important thing is to let the actor find the means - the tone and inflection - while getting across the intended message.
Writer’s block
I have a number of ideas for screenplays. My main obstacle is me. I become periodically immobilized by writer’s block. I am wondering if perhaps I would be better off writing with a partner or a team of folks instead of struggling on alone. Any thoughts on this?
–Kathryn Featherston
Whenever I see "writer’s block" in a movie, I’m baffled, because I’ve never suffered from the ailment shown. You know the symptoms: the writer sits down at an empty sheet of paper (or computer screen) and can’t think of anything to write. He shuffles; he paces; he crumples paper which overflows from his wire wastepaper basket. Then the writer inevitably gets involved in some sort of affair or caper that revitalizes his creativity.
More often than I care to admit, I suffer work stoppages. But I’d hestitate to call them Writer’s Block. Rather, I think they’re subtly different conditions, such as Pure Damn Laziness, Brain Lock and Perfection Paralysis.
Pure Damn Laziness is the most pervasive of these ailments, and the easiest to diagnose. Writing is really hard work - much harder than playing Diablo II, or reading US Weekly - and sometimes you just don’t want to do it. The more you try to force yourself, the more you rebel, and your id ends up dragging your ego around like a grumpy four-year old at a shopping mall.
Brain Lock usually occurs from overwork or exhaustion, and is characterized by the inability to put an entire sentence together. The only cure is usually to go to bed. (Or, get a really mindless day job, so that your brain is completely rested when you get home from work.)
Perfection Paralysis is when I avoid writing a certain scene because I know it will be a disaster unless it’s done just right, and what if I do it wrong? Of all these disorders, this is the hardest to treat, although deadlines seem to help.
Would you be better off writing with a partner or in a group? Maybe. The advantage to having other people around is that you can’t fall into the same traps that keep you from writing (though you’re likely to devise some new ones). My other advice would be to ease off on the self-flagellation. There are times when you’ll get a lot written, and times when you won’t. But don’t make a career of torturing yourself over it.
Adapting a videogame into a movie
This question is going to suck. I have an idea to turn a computer game (I feel so cheap) into a screenplay. Just as a side-note, it’s more of the atmosphere of the game that’s appealing, not the quick buck mentality. Obviously I can’t afford to buy the rights, but where do I lie submitting it to agencies? Would they even look at it?
–Chris
Your question doesn’t suck. I adapted a computer game into a movie ("American McGee’s Alice"), and I didn’t feel a wee bit cheap.
But then, it was a damn cool game, and I got paid. So there you have it.
Since you don’t think you can get the rights to the game, ask yourself if you’re still willing to write a script that can never get made (or even sold). If the answer is yes, go for it.
Some agents will avoid reading your script, simply because they know they can never sell it. But some agents will read it as a writing sample, and if the atmosphere of the game world is as cool as you say, maybe they’ll like it and see you have potential. Make sure you identify your source material on the cover page, which would read:
TITLE
written by Chris Somebody
based on the videogame "Underpants Wars"
published by Powerful Software Company
Considering you’re probably broke, and the fact you won’t be able to sell this anyway, there’s
very little danger
Powerful Software Company would bother coming after you. But you’re
morally and karmically better off giving credit where it’s due.
What a "pitch"
Would sending a baseball with a phrase written on it like "how about hearing my pitch" be a creative addition to an inquiry letter? Or would I stand out more as a novice?
–RLB
After an informal poll, 100% of my development friends picked "novice." Sorry.
Only once in my life did I perform a stunt during a pitch. I was trying to get the assignment to write "How to Eat Fried Worms," so I brought in a container of worms and dumped them right out onto a plate. Considering the whole movie hinged on how disgusting it would be to eat worms, the visual reinforced the idea.
But truthfully, my pitch was pretty good, and I probably would have gotten the job without doing anything weird. On the whole, you’re much better off refining (and shortening) your pitch than figuring out the right prop to go with it.
Bob marley
Why has no one ever considered making a movie of Bob Marley ?
–J. Quin
They have. Back when I was a terrified assistant at Oliver Stone’s production company, one of the executives was negotiating for the rights to "Catch a Fire," Timothy White’s biography of Marley. I know there were several Bob Marley projects in development at some time-I’m sure at least one had Denzel Washington attached-but none of them have made it to the screen yet.
Making a bio-pic of a musical icon can be tough for a few reasons. First, you have to get the artist’s music rights, because without the recognizable songs, what’s the point? Second, you need to find an actor who can pull off the role, which for Marley could be tricky.
Finally and most importantly, you have to figure out what the cinematic story is. Sadly, people’s actual lives don’t break down into three convenient acts with rising action and a winning combination of humor and pathos. (For that, see "Behind the Music," which shoehorns everything into the same "…and then drugs came into the picture" template.)
Real life is messy and tangled, with false starts and contradictory motivations. Assuming you died today (a safe bet, since most rock stars die young), how would your ghost write the story of your life? I suspect it would be hard to pull out any overall themes or structure, and you know yourself better than you know Bob Marley.
Despite these obstacles, I’m certain someone will figure out how to make a Bob Marley movie. Maybe it will be you.
Film censorship
In your opinion, can film censorship be used as a form of publicity to increase market interest?
–Alex Rimmer
I can only answer in terms of the U.S., where "film censorship" usually equates with getting an "NC-17" rating, which makes it difficult to book theaters and advertise.
While there’s some tradition of a distributor milking a ratings fight for publicity (SHOWGIRLS, DOGMA, CRASH), I’m not convinced the drama puts any more butts in seats opening weekend. Rather, I suspect that the number of patrons attracted by the controversy is largely offset by the number turned off. And it’s important to remember that most of the movies branded NC-17 receive the rating for sexual content, which is difficult to market beyond a certain level anyway. The attendant controversy only highlights the sexual aspect of the picture.
For truly tiny movies that might otherwise get no publicity at all, talk of censorship might be an effective strategy. But for most movies, trying to generate controversy this way seems ill-advised in my opinion.
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