John August

QandA

Camera angles and edits

QandA, Words on the page

I’m currently banging ideas around for a script, but have
a question concerning the implementation of camera angles/shots. Should
these be written into
the first draft as you envision it in your head, or are they best left until
you write a final shooting script?

–Ross Simms

Until the movie is in theatres, there’s no such thing as a final shooting
script. During production, and even during editing, the script itself is subject
to change.

In my opinion, every draft of a script should be shootable, with the same
level of detail, clarity and professionalism. Scripts do change to a small
degree when production begins, with every scene being numbered, and a byzantine
system for keeping track of changes. But the words themselves are no more or
less specific at this stage than any other.

If a director has specific camera angles that she feels necessary to put in
the script, they get put in the script. But more often, these non-story details
are handled by storyboards or shot lists, rather than the screenplay itself.

Paying for notes?

QandA, So-Called Experts

I would like
to get my script evaluated by a professional. How do I know who is reputable,
honest and skilled at this? And how much (approx.) should it cost?

–Anonymous

In Los Angeles, it’s pretty rare for the writer to pay for notes or coverage.
Usually, it’s done as a favor, either by friends who work in the industry,
as part of a class, or in exchange for work done at an internship. Professional
readers and story analysts are generally paid by the buyer, either a studio or production company, and spend their days reading through the material submitted
for consideration.

I worked as a reader for two years when I first moved to L.A., first as an
unpaid intern, then later for TriStar. It’s a good first job for any screenwriter,
as you get the opportunity to read a lot of scripts, and eventually earn enough
to pay rent.

There are some freelance analysts who will read and critique your work for
a fee. You can find listings for them in the back of Variety, The Hollywood
Reporter and the various screenwriting magazines. While I’m sure many of them
are dedicated and conscientious, there are a few things I would ask to see
before writing a check. First, they should show you a sample of the coverage
or story notes they write. Ask yourself, if you were handed this document,
would it help you write your next draft? Second, they should be able to give
you some references, both in terms of writers they’ve helped and places they’ve
worked. Third, you need to have some sort of contract or agreement that makes
it clear that they are working for you on a one-time basis, and that you’re
not signing over any rights to them. Many freelance readers are also aspiring
producers, and you need to be clear what the boundaries are.

Obviously, these are the kinds of guarantees you’re looking for when you’re
dealing with a complete stranger. If you’re dealing with a friend, acquaintance,
or friend-of-a-friend, you’ll probably be a little more flexible in your requirements.

How much should you pay? Like eye surgery, you really don’t want to shop for
the cheapest rate you can find. I could imagine it costing as little as $100,
or as much as $500. Only you know how much it’s worth to you.

There’s one online service I’ve seen that does coverage and story notes, called
ScriptShark. This is in no way an endorsement, because
I don’t know if they’re any good. But if any reader has worked with them or
any similar service, I’d love to hear about your experience, so I can pass
it along in a future column.

Movie quotes

Film Industry, QandA

It has always bothered me that screenwriters are left out
of the credit for famous quotes. For instance "Here’s looking at you kid," or "Put
your lips together and blow," are almost always credited to the actors
or even referenced as the movie directed by "so and so." Even worse,
some movie theatre chains throw quotes from famous films up on screen prior
to the previews
and NEVER credit the screenwriter.
Where is the screenwriter?! Do you have any
feelings about this? Does the
Writers Guild of America take a position on this?

–Robert

Although I am not an official spokesperson for the WGA in any way, I can safely
say they’re against it. They’re probably even outraged. But in the whole pecking
order of guild priorities, it’s certainly quite low.

Personally, I feel it’s always wrong to quote an author without giving credit.
It’s also wrong to bring a four-year old to an R-rated movie, but it happens
so much I’ve given up being angry about it. For better or worse, I’ve become
complacent about a lot of things that used to really piss me off.

If you feel like becoming an activist for this issue, you might direct your
first missive to the good folks at National Cinema Network (www.ncninc.com),
the company that actually creates and markets most of those pre-show slides
you see. While you’re getting them to properly attribute their movie quotes,
would you also get them to make their jumbles harder? It’s a little insulting
to have to decode a famous movie star when given "M O T S A N K H."

Past mistakes

Psych 101, QandA

Now that you look back on your career, what was the single biggest mistake
or wrong assumption you made early on that someone else could learn from?

–Damion

From the moment I got to Los Angeles, I felt I didn’t deserve to be here.
I was never a classic movie buff; I didn’t have a favorite director; my Honda
was rusting out, but not in a glamorous, beauty-in-poverty way.

I felt like a fraud, an imposter. Worse, I was taking up a slot that some
genuinely deserving person should have gotten. Working in Hollywood was never
my childhood dream. It was almost a flip-of-the-coin decision. For all I knew,
the next Spielberg was stuck flipping burgers in Wichita because I had taken
the last available opening.

Honestly, I felt this way for about three years. I kept waiting to get found
out and sent back to the Midwest.

Thinking this way was easily the biggest mistake I made. When you don’t think
you deserve to be in the room, no one else will, either.

But the truth, which took me an embarrassingly long time to realize, is that
all of the smart, confident people I was meeting really didn’t know any more
than I did. Okay, I had never seen Terrence Malick’s BADLANDS. But I had seen
every episode of "Bewitched," and that was just as valid.

And I could write better than most of them. That seems like an egotistical
statement, but considering I was marking myself lower in every other category,
that lone bright spot was a beacon of hope.

It’s hard to synthesize this advice without making sound like insipid pabulum, "just
believe in yourself." Perhaps it’s best expressed in the negative: "you’re
no stupider than everyone around you."