John August

QandA

Robert Mckee

QandA, So-Called Experts

Have you taken Robert McKee’s screenwriting class? And if
so, what did you learn from it?
–Bill

To read his brochure, you’d think that everyone in Hollywood has taken McKee’s
course, but the truth is, I don’t know anyone who has.

Whenever I hear his
name brought up, it makes these tiny hairs rise on the back of my neck, because
it usually means the speaker is going to cite some piece of screenwriting gospel,
or use a clever word like "counter-theme."

I’ve never met McKee and have nothing against him, but to read his bio
it’s clear that he’s not a very successful screenwriter and never really was.
That’s not to say he can’t be a great teacher, just as many great film critics
are not filmmakers, nor do I think that there’s anything wrong with a screenwriting
class per se, especially if it helps you get off your ass and write. But I
would rather have dental surgery than go through a structural analysis of CHINATOWN.

The downfall of these classes and books (Syd Field’s is the best known), is
that the guru comes up with a theory about why scripts are good or bad, then
manipulates the examples to prove his or her point. I remember one professor
in graduate school who when confronted with counter-examples, would label some
of the greatest movies ever made "failed films," simply because they
didn’t fit her framework.

Overall, it’s worth reading a few books and taking a few classes to get a
handle on how Hollywood talks about scripts and movies. Internalize what makes
sense to you and chuck the rest. Kevin’s question goes right to the point:
You’ll learn the most by reading a lot of screenplays, good and bad, and learning
how they work.

The truth is, there’s no magic formula for writing a great script. (Or for
that matter, a commercial one.) Anyone who tries to convince you that theirs
is the One True Way is deluding themselves and you.

Being a writer’s assistant

First Person, QandA

I am interested in becoming an assistant to a TV or Film writer. I have experience in the industry as an assistant to a Producer/CEO of a Production company, but I’m not sure what the qualifications are to be a writer’s assistant or how to apply for the job.

–Beth

I’m passing off the question to my own very capable assistant, Rawson Thurber, who is an aspiring writer/director in his own right. He first started working with me on the TV show DC; and continued on with me since.

first person

rawson thurberThe qualifications to be a writer’s assistant are by no means Herculean. As long as you have basic assistant skills (answering the phone without hurting yourself, computer literacy and a working knowledge of the film & TV industry) you’re already there, especially if you’ve already assisted a producer/CEO of a production company.

The more important question you should ask yourself is: why do you want to be a writer’s assistant? Generally speaking, if your answer is anything other than, “Because I want to be a writer myself”, then you shouldn’t be one. There are other Hollywood jobs that pay better and have better chance for advancement.

That said, there is a big difference between being an assistant to a TV writer versus a feature writer. If you work for a TV writer, you’ll usually be working for the show-runner, the main voice/architect behind the show, in addition to doing the research/transcribing/copying for all the other staff writers. You’ll sit in on all the writer’s meetings, taking notes: jokes, storylines, plot points, etc.

Working on a television show, especially a sitcom, can keep you up until all hours of the night. When it’s crunch-time, several of my writer’s assistant friends don’t get home until 2 or 3 in the morning for several days in a row (weekends included). It can be exhausting and exhilarating (you learn how a writer’s room is run and how a television show is produced from politics to post-production). But it is also a great way to break into television – often times, television shows promote from within, and occasionally farm-out an episode or two to promising assistants — you just can’t say that about CAA.

Working as an assistant to a feature writer is generally less demanding, but just as educational. Of course you learn the tricks of the trade: what works and what doesn’t work in a two hour movie, how to deal with studio executives and how to ignore or embrace notes (sometimes contradictory or just plain wrong) given from all sides. This is, of course, on top of the usual assistant duties of research, faxing, and scheduling lunches, meetings, pitches, parties and premieres.

The only words of warning I would offer, before jumping headfirst into this breed of assistant-hood, is to understand that writing is a solitary process. Whomever you work for will spend most of his or her time behind closed doors creating. This leaves you with a lot of time to spend doing what you’re there to do, which is write.

Additionally, working for a writer isn’t like working at a production company. There’s usually only one or two projects going on at a time, not fifteen, and it’s just you and your writer, usually in separate rooms – there isn’t much “office culture” to be had, so if you’re looking for football pools or water cooler gossip, best look elsewhere. Lastly, and this is the most important one, only work for a writer whose writing you respect. There are plenty of millionaire screenwriting hacks out there and life is too short to begrudge your boss his or her success.

Being a writer’s assistant can be a wonderful apprenticeship, just be sure you want the job when you finally earn your stripes.

John would like to add: For the record, not all that many feature screenwriters have assistants. Partly that’s because the workday life of a feature writer is generally less hectic — fewer meetings and less to stay on top of — and partly it’s because many feature writers work in their homes. Rawson’s point about the solitary nature of the craft is important. It’s one thing to be stuck in an office with a maniac boss, and another thing to be trapped in his house. So make sure the personality is the right fit before considering the job.

Writing a biography

Film Industry, QandA

I’m submitting a script to a screenplay competition and to
an agent that accepts unsolicited material. Both ask for a biography. Common
sense says to keep it short and sweet–and spell everything correctly. But
I’m finding it very hard to write anything other than a two or three sentence
summation of my education and career (none of which is entertainment related
and all of which is surely boring). I suppose I could add something about my
interests or goals as a writer, but does anyone care? Any advice or guidance
would be greatly appreciated.

–MA

Here’s my all-purpose screenwriter bio. Change the relevant details
to match.

Mark
Anonymous hails from Osh Kosh, Pennsylvania, the zipper capital of
the world.

The son of average suburbanites, he found escape
from the crushing sameness of early-90’s America through the films of Pedro Almodovar
and Lars Van Trier. Inspired to become a rule-breaking filmmaker, he
dedicated himself to learning the rules so that he might break them more
fully and artistically. To this end, he earned a bachelor’s degree
in communications from Oberlin, where he made stylish and inscrutable
films. Forced to take a slave-job at The Gap in order to repay monumental
student loans, he turned his attention to screenwriting, hand-scribing
his first feature-length screenplay during
slow periods in Men’s
Wear.

That script wasn’t very good. However, his second screenplay, A SWIFTLY
TILTING DOUGHNUT, turned out great. A light-hearted riff on Joseph Conrad’s
HEART OF DARKNESS, DOUGHNUT tells the story of a Krispy Kreme manager
sent to close an unprofitable store in the Florida panhandle.

Mark is 25 and lives in Pittsburg.

Script promotion websites

QandA, So-Called Experts

I have a question about websites designed to promote your script for either
a motion picture production or for television. Are these sites legitimate and
worth paying money to? I ask because every instinct in my body tells me an
agent will do the exact same thing for me and that agents, directors and producers
are not spending their time scouring the internet looking for new talent.

–Dawn Wilson

Your instincts are right. I think they’re a waste of time and money.

While there might be one or two sites out there that are genuinely interested
in helping writers get their scripts into the hands of real buyers, I suspect
most of these "services" are just set up to take money from the gullible
and desperate. And those one or two sites not actively seeking to screw writers
probably don’t have the connections to make a difference.

If any readers have had an experience with one of these pay-for-read sites,
positive or negative, I’d love to hear about it.