John August

QandA

Male vs. Female lead

Film Industry, QandA

I am writing
a script that could have either a male or female lead. I need to make the decision
because it will either be the mother or father of the central figure. It is
a futuristic action script. I have outlined it and completed drafts both ways.
If all things are equal, is a Male or Female action lead easier to sell?

–David

Male. Which is stupid and wrong.

I’m currently working on an action script that has a male lead. Since I haven’t
pitched the story to anyone, I could easily change him to a her. I’ve thought
about it many times: it would be an interesting if somewhat arbitrary change.
Yet in the back of my mind, I know that having a female lead would cap the
budget at a lower level than the male equivalent, and since the nature of
the movie is hellaciously expensive, I worry it might not get made at all.

So he stays a man, and the stupid and wrong Hollywood system is perpetuated.
Although, in my defense, I wrote both CHARLIE’S ANGELS movies, so I might get
off the hook.

Process of writing

QandA, Writing Process

Briefly, could you explain to me your process of writing?
How long does it take you to write a full screenplay?
Do you listen to any music when you write?

–Justin Benton

Not only does every writer have a different process for getting words on the
page, but the process often varies from project to project. Generally, most
of the scripts I write have a long gestation period before a single scene is
written. Since a lot of the movies I work on are studio assignments, there
are inevitably a half-dozen meetings with producers, directors and studio executives
before we "commit" on exactly what I’ll be writing.

I’ve written first drafts of screenplays in as little as three weeks, and
as long as six months. As I’ve gotten more experience as a screenwriter, I’ve
become much better at estimating how long it will take me to write a script,
much like an experienced contractor will have a better idea how long it takes
to build a house. In general, most studio contracts will list 12 weeks for
a first draft, so I’d have to guess most writers could hand in a draft that
fast.

Being easily distracted, I never listen to music as I’m writing, though I’ll
often have music I use to get in the mood for a particular scene or sequence.

Stealing sequels

QandA, Rights and Copyright

Say a movie came out nearly 10 years ago and it did poorly,
and I wanted to make a re-creation of it as a sequel to the first one. I want
a different movie
company to make it instead of the other that made the first one, and I have
it patented. Does that mean I’m stealing their idea? Will I get sued?

–ShaeTwon

Yes, you’re stealing their idea. They made the first one, and if you try to make a sequel without securing their permission, they can and will sue you.
A lot. Let’s review why.

For starters, movies are never patented. Patents protect inventions, like
light bulbs and One-Click ordering on Amazon. Anything related to movies –
from screenplays, to the score, to the final film – is covered by copyright.
That’s what we’re really talking about.

Let’s say you wrote your fantasy sequel. You would automatically own the copyright
on the words you wrote, but not on the underlying property – the characters,
settings and plot of the first film. Even if that first movie wasn’t successful,
the original studio still holds the copyright on those elements. No other studio
on Earth will give you the money to make your movie until their legal department
feels secure that you’ve obtained these rights from the original studio.

This is not idle legal speculation, incidentally. Sequels are made all the
time in which Studio A is buying the remake rights from Studio B. The Terminator
franchise has been through three different studios, as have the Hannibal Lecter
movies.

Several years ago, I read a very good spec screenplay called ALIENS VS. PREDATOR.
20th Century Fox, which owns both franchises, decided not to buy it because
they were developing their own script. The writer had nowhere else to sell
it and was stuck with an interesting but somewhat useless writing sample.

So what should you, Shae Twon, do with your idea? If you feel like writing
the screenplay, great, but be prepared to approach the original studio first.
If they don’t want to make it, and no one else is willing to buy the rights
from them, you’re screwed.

Finding assistant gigs

Film Industry, QandA

Hello. Thank you for existing. Reading your answer about the job of a writer’s
assistant made me wonder: where and how do we find the feature writer who needs
an assistant?

–Sandrine

In the back of the trades (which means Variety and the Hollywood Reporter),
you’ll often find listings for "assistants wanted." Some of those
will be good jobs, a lot won’t. Personally, all the assistants I’ve hired have
been either referrals from friends, or people I worked with before. For instance,
two of my assistants worked in the production office on GO. My current assistant
came to me via my agent, who taught one of his classes at USC.

An internship, either paid or unpaid, is a great way to make contacts who
could get you a job working for a writer. If you attend any screenwriting symposiums,
it’s worth a shot talking to any writers there about the kind of job you’re
looking for. Even if the writer himself isn’t looking for an assistant, he
may have a friend who is.