John August

Education

2007 Insomnia Film Festival

Education, Resources, Video

posterApple is sponsoring a 24-hour film festival for high school and college filmmakers. If you fall into this demographic, absolutely do it. You get 24 hours to write, produce, edit, score and deliver a 3-minute short film incorporating specific elements they only announce on the day.

I’ve had the pleasure of being a judge for the equivalent contest at USC, and while many of the resulting films are terrible, they’re mercifully short. A handful end up being truly inspired.

Some advice, since I obviously want my readers to win:

1. Think about the most obvious ways to incorporate the required elements. Then don’t do those.
2. Avoid bad puns. If all you have to offer is a witty title, you won’t score.
3. Go funny. While there will no doubt be one or two dramatic shorts in the finals, the winner will be funny.
4. Don’t forget to write a script. It’s tempting to rush out and start shooting. Spend a few of those first hours writing. What is the story? How does it progress?
5. Sound matters more than picture. If we can’t understand your dialogue, you won’t win.
6. Lighting matters more than resolution. A cheap camcorder with thoughtful lighting is better than a Red One at noon.
7. Prepare to edit. You don’t want to get back to your computer only to find it’s impossible to get footage from the UDX-HR5 into the Mac.It is, incidentally. I had to install Windows in order to use Sony’s proprietary software to access the camera. Uggh.
8. Protein, not carbs. Because you’ll likely be working all night, sugar will send you into a crash.
9. Plan ahead to think of what locations, props and (most importantly) people you might have at your disposal. It’s also fine to think of general story ideas, but don’t get locked into anything. If the required elements feel tacked-on rather than integral, you won’t win.
10. Lock your picture edit with enough time to tweak sound and music.

Other thoughts and suggestions? Add them in the comments.

(Thanks to [Daring Fireball](http://daringfireball.net) for the link.)

Skipping drama class

Education, QandA

questionmarkI’ve looked through your archives and have found nothing that closely applies to my question. I’ve been a visitor for about three years now, and for some reason have never gotten up the nerve to ask you a question.

I’m 16 and have wanted to pursue a career in filmmaking since 8th grade. I’m sure you’re not too old to remember what it was like to be 16 years old and trying your best to not ruin your own life forever. (I really don’t want to be a receptionist.)

So far I’ve been teaching myself the various techniques of screenwriting through books I find at Chapters, audio commentaries on my favorite DVDs and you.

And here I am. Terrified that I might be making all the wrong moves. Should I have taken drama and bitten my tongue every time that insane teacher opened her mouth? Should I be doing more after school type programs?

And, of course, should I go to film school? (I know you’ve done a response on this, but I’m more concerned with what I need to do before I get there.)

Thank you for your time, it really means a lot.

— Veronica

You’re sixteen. Go out and experience life. As interesting things happen, write them down. If something other than screenwriting appeals to you at some point, pursue it with full abandon and no regrets. You’re at an age when you don’t need to be making any firm decisions, or beating yourself up about missed opportunities. A bad high school drama class is a bullet dodged, in my opinion.

When you’re applying to universities, sure, apply to a film school if that’s still your dream. But if you don’t end up going there, you won’t have missed the boat. Most people in the film industry didn’t go to film school. It’s not like medical school, or law school. It’s not mandatory.

My one bit of trust-me-on-this advice: work on your spelling and punctuation. Your original email had seven mistakes, which I fixed so that they wouldn’t be the focus of a lot of the comments. What I’ve [written](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/of-course-grammar-matters) about [professionalism](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/professional-writing-and-the-rise-of-the-amateur) has no minimum age requirement. You’re writing in to get professional advice. Make sure you’re presenting yourself professionally.

Lecture over. Go be sixteen.

What is a script doctor?

Education, Film Industry, QandA, Recycled

questionmarkI’m sure this is an unusual type of email, but I am doing some footwork for a friend of mine who wants to be a script doctor and doesn’t really know where to start. Right now he has a degree in English – Creative Writing and some film classes under his belt, but no experience in the industry. Can you offer some quick advise to someone looking to break into the field?

— Heather

Actually, this basic question comes up a fair amount, so it’s time I explain a term of art:

SCRIPT DOCTOR
An established screenwriter with significant credits who rewrites a script to address specific concerns, often shortly before production begins.

By this definition, I am a script doctor. I get brought in to help out on big expensive movies — two of which you’ll see in Summer 2008. They pay me significant money to do a few weeks’ work, for which I’ll never get credit. I’m hired for my talent, hopefully, but also my track record in getting movies up on their feet. I enjoy the work, partially because it’s a chance to date other movies while being married to the ones I’m “really” writing.

The thing is, no one who actually is a script doctor uses the term. My hunch is that some journalist made it up, likely because the work the screenwriter is doing on a script in this stage is often described as “surgical” — you’re going in to fix a very specific issue, and leaving everything else intact. [Steve Zaillian](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001873/) is often brought up as script doctor, but make no mistake, that’s not a side-job to his writing career. It is part of his writing career.

To summarize, Heather, a script doctor is a screenwriter. So if that’s your friend’s goal, he needs to write a lot of scripts and have them produced. There are also non-writers involved in the process of shaping a story — producers, development executives — but their focus is working with a writer. If that’s his ambition, he’ll start out in the trenches, answering phones and writing script coverage.

UPDATE:
Damn, I knew I’d [answered this before](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2004/hiring-a-script-doctor). In fact, it’s the [fifth hit on Google](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22script%20doctor%22&sourceid=mozilla2&ie=utf8&oe=utf8) for “script doctor.” Here’s what I said in 2004:

In the industry, a script doctor is an established screenwriter with a bunch of credits who comes in on a project shortly before production and does a rewrite to fix some specific, nagging problems. (Or, depending on your perspective, destroys the things that made the project unique.) Steve Zaillian is a highly-regarded script doctor. Arguably, I could be considered a script doctor, because I’ve done a fair number of these 23rd-hour emergency jobs. But no one’s business card reads “script doctor.” It’s a specific task within screenwriting, but not really a profession in-and-of itself.

A lot of times, the work you do on these projects is described as “surgical,” which fits well with the script doctor moniker. Generally, you’re not rewriting the whole script. You’re fixing a few key sections that aren’t working.

It’s strange to read an answer written nearly three years ago and see the same phrasing, same examples. I guess it’s good that I’m consistent.

By the way, I’ve [added this](http://johnaugust.com/jawiki/script_doctor) to the [wiki](http://johnaugust.com/jawiki/), in anticipation of the next time someone asks the question.

How do you become successful?

Education, Film Industry, QandA

questionmarkI’m currently a grad student at USC film school. Your site was a great help to me in learning how to write screenplays, then applying to and getting into USC.

From the class that graduated with you, either from Stark, production, or writing programs, what percentage in your estimation have gone on to success in the industry? What traits defined those who did from those who didn’t?

And if you post this question, please sign me as…

— Rosebud
Los Angeles

“Success” is a pretty hard term to define when looking at a career.

What’s the measure? Money, credits, awards — or some sort of internal satisfaction index? And perhaps more importantly, what’s the time frame? While some grads are directing $100 million blockbusters within years of graduating, most are happy to keep continuously employed.

Probably the best measure of “making it” is to look at people five years after graduation and see if they’re still working in the industry. Yes, Kathy may have arrived at USC looking to direct, but if she’s now an editor on 24, I’d say she’s doing well. Likewise, Dan may have applied to the Stark program hoping to produce the next Schindler’s List, but now he’s an executive at Warner Bros. So he might still make big Oscar-winning movies, but they won’t have his name on them.

By this metric, from my Stark class of 25 students, more than half are still working in the industry. Some run studios; some run TV shows; some run interference for directors. We were unusally successful right out of the gate,Michael Cieply wrote a lengthy piece about our class (1994) for the New York Times. but I think there are some general lessons to distill:

1. __You’re not entitled to anything.__ A film degree is basically worthless. You won’t get recruited, and no one will ever ask to see it.I have no idea where my degree is at this moment. An MBA from USC gets you a $100,000 starting salary. A film degree from USC might get you an unpaid internship. All you get out of it is the education, so make sure you’re learning every second of the day.
2. __It’s about the story.__ No matter whether it’s film, TV, or a 30-second spot, the ability to convey a compelling story in whatever medium is crucial. A director’s reel can have the slickest shots imaginable, but funny comedy or compelling drama is more likely to get him his next job.
3. __Everyone climbs the ladder together.__ A common misconception is that you need to make friends with people a few steps ahead of you. No. You need a lot of friends doing what you’re doing, and you need to help each other out — with information, with advice, and with manpower while they’re making their sixth short film.
4. __Ask questions.__ Film school isn’t like other schools. There aren’t many textbooks or exams. Instead, you have smart people who know things, and it’s your job to get the answers you need. Stark has dozens of guest speakers each semester. At first, we’d just ask polite questions about their jobs and the industry. But soon we were asking, “So, what is your life really like? Do you ever see your family? Is it worth it?”
5. __Make your own luck.__ Sometimes, magic happens and Spielberg likes your wacky short film. But that can’t happen if you didn’t make it in the first place, and the seven others no one saw. You never know which script, which lunch, which random idea is going to be important. So treat them all as important.
6. __It’s not Wall Street.__ While it seems glamorous and lucrative, if you’re coming to the film industry looking to get rich, you’re wasting your time. While you can get rich, the odds are a lot slimmer than almost any other industry a smart person could choose to work in.

Pushed for a number, I’d guess 30-40% of USC film school grads are actively working in the industry. The people from my program who aren’t are by no means unsuccessful. They each found other careers which suited them — though sometimes, that wasn’t by choice. Hollywood isn’t a perfect meritocracy. Really great people get overlooked, or find their stepping stones sinking into bankruptcy just as everything seems to be coming together. It sucks. Success and circumstance are deeply entangled.

But if you, Rosebud, find your own criteria for what you want to do, and better yet, plan for how you’re going to do it, I don’t think those percentages really apply. If you start each day of school and life with the question, “How am I going to get closer to my goal of…” then you’re unlikely to end up outside looking in.