John August

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The fine line between talented and bonkers

Psych 101, QandA

questionmarkMy question is kind of a personal question for me to ask and possibly for you to answer. I’ve been a writer, well you could say my entire life, because it’s more than a profession it’s an identity, isn’t it? I find that I spend a lot of time “in my head” so to speak. That is to say, I spend probably 80% of my day day dreaming and fantasizing and exploring my imagination. Something that I know could be easily misinterpreted as a mental illness but nobody’s perfect.

Do you find yourself in similar shoes? And if so, do you find that your writing in a way sort of hinders your life? How do you cope? I sometimes talk myself, well quite often I can be found talking to myself. It’s like all the characters of the story I’m currently working on just start having dialogue and I’m able to just listen and try to decide if this dialogue has the right rhythm, whether this dialogue sounds like real people talking. I’m comfortable with all this and when it comes to writing I don’t think I’m all that bad. I was just curious to see if I have something in common with a successful writer.

–Josiah

answer iconWhen it comes to writers, there’s a fine line between talented and bonkers. Yes, I talk to myself. Yes, I zone out at times, and if you were to ask me where I was, the honest answer would be, “on a bridge in Mongolia.” But I think that’s fairly normal. I don’t worry about it much.

The closest I came to the far side of sane was during my tenure on [“D.C.”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202724/), a television show I created for the WB in 2000. The wonder of TV, of course, was that I was writing for the same characters and the same sets week after week. But once exhaustion set in, any bit of external stimulation — a conversation with a friend, a song on the radio — went through this filter in my head to ask the Big Question: Could I use this on the show?

It’s like there were two worlds existing simultaneously, and the imaginary one was much more important. My job was to stoke its fires, and keep alive.

I got fired from the show before I could reach complete mental breakdown, but I’m sure it would have happened. The experience made me much more appreciative of normal life. Sometimes a conversation is just a conversation, and a song is just a song.

For those readers wondering if they might be Actually Crazy, rather than just artistic, I’d recommend taking an objective look at your daily life. Do you shower and go to work? Do you have meaningful conversations with friends and acquaintances? Is your living space reasonably tidy, and free of year-old newspapers? If so, keep on talking to yourself. If not, talk to a doctor or another mental health professional and get their considered opinion.

I don’t think you have to be nuts to be a good writer. Nor do I you should use writing as an excuse for not getting help when you need it.

The difference between homage and rip-off

QandA, Story and Plot

questionmarkYou knowing a lot about screenwriting and the law, I’ve got a question about ethics and rights; When is a screenplay an ‘homage’, as opposed to an illegal rip-off/unauthorized remake?

Let’s take [Seven Samurai](http://imdb.com/title/tt0047478/) for instance. It was remade officially and legally as [Magnificent Seven](http://imdb.com/title/tt0054047/combined), but then there have been other versions of the story made since then — most notably [Battle Beyond The Stars](http://imdb.com/title/tt0080421/combined) and, to an extent, [A Bug’s Life](http://imdb.com/title/tt0120623/combined). I might be mistaken, but I’m almost certain these films didn’t have remake rights. How was this done?

Is it all a matter of “shut your mouth about the source and you’ll get away with it”? For instance; I’ve noticed that despite it being blatantly obvious; [Tarantino](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000233/) has never been quoted as saying [City On Fire](http://imdb.com/title/tt0078976/combined) was an inspiration for [Reservoir Dogs](http://imdb.com/title/tt0105236/combined). However, [James Cameron](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000116/) came right out and said that some short works by [Harlan Ellison](http://imdb.com/name/nm0255196/) were the inspiration for [The Terminator](http://imdb.com/title/tt0088247/combined) — and then he got sued.

Is it a case of altering the situations, names and characters to the point where they are dissimilar enough to pass as a new work?

Or do you consider a pre-told story an ‘archetype’ from the point it enters the public arena? I could see that being the case for Seven Samurai — the story has been re-told so many times that the very core of the story (seven warriors defending a village from bandits) has now become an archetype. Would you agree?

Let’s put the theory in practice with a hypothetical: I write a script about a bank that hires seven police officers to guard them from a large-scale robbery they have heard rumored will take place (no, that’s not a script I’m working on…feel free to steal that idea if you want, people).

Would it really come down to the difference of me saying “I thought it was a great story and wanted to pay homage to the master; [Kurosawa](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000041/)” — as opposed to “I thought it was a great story, so I blatantly stole it.”?

Even if you’re not sure about the legal side of things, what would be your opinion on a writer working on an homage piece?

–Pete

answer iconThe great thing about your question is that it already did all the hard work for me. Observe and learn, dear readers: see the wonder of the self-answering question.

Basically, I think you’re right on all counts. An “idea” is essentially unprotectable, so seven guys defending a village can be done any number of times without owing a dime (or a tip of the hat) to Mr. Kurosawa. What is protectable is the execution: the plot, the characters and all of the details. The Magnificent Seven is a remake in that it took all of these elements fairly directly. The others are appropriating only the basic idea, or small details, and are thus labelled “homage.”

Regarding your theoretical bank-heist movie: yes, I think you’d be in the clear, but only to the degree you kept the characters and specific plot points far clear of Kurosawa’s film. And when you’re doing interviews, shut up about your influences.

Getting a reader job

Film Industry, QandA

I’m heading to LA to begin the Professional Program in Screenwriting at UCLA and would love to get a day job as a reader if possible. Where do you start looking for reader jobs being offered and what gets you hired as such?

–Angel
Fabens, Texas

For those unfamiliar with Hollywood parlance, a reader is someone who writes coverage on a screenplay — essentially a summary of the plot, along with a short critique of the the script’s characters, narrative, dialogue and structure. Along with answering phones and working in the mailroom, being a reader is one of the classic first jobs in the film industry.

In order to get hired as a paid reader, you need samples and references. The best way to get these is to intern somewhere. Pretty much any small production company would be fine for this. There are a few ways to find one:

1. When you get to Los Angeles, pick up a copy of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. In the classifieds section, you’ll find ads for “readers wanted.” Some of those are scams; some are real. You just have to meet with them to figure it out. (Trust your gut.)

2. Since you’re going to be at UCLA, check the bulletin boards in the film school. There will likely be some “interns wanted” flyers there.

3. The classic resource is the UTA job list, which is published every week and lists every assistant-level job open in Hollywood. Technically, you’re not supposed to get it unless you’re on the official distribution list, and if you call UTA, they’ll deny it exists. But if you’re already working one internship, chances are someone else in the office gets the UTA list, and if you ask nicely they’ll let you see it. A sample listing from this week would be:

> Feature film production company with Academy Award-winning Producer needs one more intern. Candidate must have experience writing coverage and should be a student or recent graduate. In addition to assisting with daily office management, our interns take on the role of story analysts, evaluating our current projects. Must be available to start immediately and be present in the office at least two days a week. Unpaid. Please fax cover letter and resume to 310-555-5555 5/14

The goal with this first, unpaid reader job is to get experience, a recommendation, and stack of 10-15 good examples of coverage. You can have multiple internships at the same time, and you don’t need to stay with one for very long — not more than a few months. Everyone leaves; you won’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Take your good sample coverage and look for a paid job. The same resources listed above are good places to start looking, but hopefully you’ve made some contacts by now who can help you as well. Many of the more interesting jobs are never listed.

David Dean Bottrell on How I Write

First Person, Writing Process

A few months ago, I asked several screenwriters to write a bit about their process for the [First Person](http://johnaugust.com/archives/category/first-person) section. The first one to email me back with an answer was David Dean Bottrell. While I waited for the others answers to come in, I promptly misfiled his response.

This week, David emailed me to ask what the hell happened, and I could only cite my own idiocy. Fortunately, he’s a kind person who will forgive me for it.
***
first personWhen I have an idea I really like, I launch into a fairly detailed treatment of it. This is where I find out if my seemingly ingenious idea will really translate into a viable (and fun) story. I do this because once I start writing the actual screenplay, my focus will naturally shift to the characters and dialogue and I can easily lose track of the big picture. Writing a treatment gives me a clear perspective on the overall story that I’ll never have again. And since (as we all know) story makes or breaks a screenplay, attention paid to it now will save me a ton of time and grief later.

Once I start the screenplay, the task is to make sure my story is fully and truthfully lived out by the characters — and if they seem to want to do things a little differently than I had planned, I let them do it. I never try to write well on a first draft. I just hammer it out. I never edit while I’m writing (that comes after I’ve finished a draft). After about three passes on a script, I’ll show it to someone I trust. Usually they confirm my worst suspicions and then the repair work begins.

From this point on, other people are going to be involved and my job becomes about shaping and reshaping the script based on the feedback I’m getting. The greatest lesson I’ve learned from this part of the process is that (contrary to MY former beliefs) other people sometimes have terrific ideas that can significantly improve my script. Not always, but sometimes. Sometimes I agree to a change that I don’t initially like only to find that within a couple of days I love it and can’t wait to take full credit for the idea! In my experience, screenwriting (kinda like life!) is about choosing a path, then accepting the inevitability of change and learning to deal with it creatively.

I have yet to have a normal day at work. I write daily though I don’t keep specific office hours. I’m not one of those guys who can write in coffee shops – mostly because I live in L.A. and inevitably someone always comes up and asks what I’m writing and then wants to tell me about what he’s writing and then I somehow wind up agreeing to read his script.

Sometimes, my work day is dictated by deadlines so there are occasional late nights. Generally speaking, I protect my writing time by turning off phones and disconnecting from the internet – which can be a very tough thing to do since writing is at times a lonely process. I’ve found that not much good work happens if I am in a bad or cynical mood so I have lots of goofy (AKA “borderline idiotic”) tricks I play on myself in order to stay happy and interested in the work — And if you think I’m going to tell you what they are, you’re sorely mistaken, bub. Mostly, I try to respect and take pride in being a writer which helps me sit there and do it when I’d much rather go out and get drunk.
***
David Dean Bottrell co-wrote the screenplay for the Fox Searchlight feature, [Kingdom Come](http://imdb.com/title/tt0246002/). He has sold both spec scripts and pitches, rewritten scripts by other writers, adapted novels and written for feature animation.