John August

fixed

Theory #2

QandA, Story and Plot

This week’s column continues a lengthy answer to a question
posed earlier, namely…
Why does it seem that there are maybe 6 templates for Hollywood movies? As
a writer you pick one of those, fill in the check boxes, and poof the next
movie of the week. Is it because of the money to be made, or a lack of talented
writers getting their scripts to the right people, or is it due to producers
and directors not getting the ‘picture’, or is it because those mentioned above
don’t really give a rats butt about the people going out to see a movie?

–Niall

In a previous column, I talked about why so many movies seem to have the same
overall "shape," which
I postulate comes mostly from the limited number of outcomes any storyline
can have. In a romantic comedy, either the couple ends up together or they
don’t. Whatever the details, one of those two results is going to happen.

Of course, it’s the details that make a story unique and interesting. Even
with just two possible outcomes, there are a million different romantic comedies
you could write. So the real question is…
Why does Hollywood keep making the same damn movies?

Theory 2: Audiences Want Hamburger

Right from the start, I’ll have to admit to some strong personal biases in
this theory. I wrote and produced GO, which certainly wasn’t to everyone’s
taste,
but was at least different than every other youth-centered comedy on the market.
There was no high school, no prom, no parents, no awkward girl who’s really
pretty when she takes her glasses off. We got good reviews and great test audience
scores.

But when the dust settled and the box office receipts came in, it turned out
people wanted the prom. GO made money, but not nearly as much as NEVER BEEN
KISSED, VARSITY BLUES, SHE’S ALL THAT, or 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. The problem
wasn’t the
marketing, the problem was the movie itself.

We were offering taboulleh, but the audience wanted hamburger.
Deep down, I think the movie-going public wanted to see the white, middle-class
suburban fairy tale they’d seen a hundred times before. Our movie was a gritty
$7 million comedy with drugs and guns, and the presence of young attractive
stars wasn’t going to change that.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make difficult, challenging, rewarding movies.
You should. But you shouldn’t delude yourself into thinking they’re crowd-pleasing
populist entertainment when they’re not.

So how do we get Hollywood to make more good, original, groundbreaking films
and fewer by-the-numbers retreads? A few ways:

First and foremost, we need to support the quality movies that are made, which
means buying tickets and dragging your friends to see them. Around December,
there’s always a few "vitamin" movies, films that you’re told to
see because they’re good for you. But it’s just as important to rally behind
the groundbreaking action movies, comedies and genre pieces so Hollywood can
see
that quality counts.

Second, film critics play a crucial role in shaping the overall direction
of movies. By championing new talents like Quentin Tarantino, P.T. Anderson
or Darren Aronofsky, they legitimize these filmmakers in the eyes of the studios,
who become more willing to take a chance on one of their movies.

Finally, the rise of independent film and diminishing barriers to production
(i.e. shooting on videotape, or distributing via the Internet) allow new stories
to be told, and new voices to be heard. Most of these movies end up being horrible,
but that they can exist at all is cause for celebration. By not having to appeal
to all tastes, smaller movies can offer something besides hamburger.

Writing for VFX

QandA, Words on the page

questionmark
The visual effects in CHARLIE’S ANGELS are dazzling. Did you write this into the script, or was it the work of the director? Could you please advise on how to write those slow motion shots?

–Lawrence

answer icon
The writer’s job is to communicate whatever is seen or heard on screen, and that includes effects. The best way to do this is usually to visualize the scene in your head, and do the best job you can describing it efficiently and compellingly.

Obviously, the director, along with the cinematographer and visual effects supervisor, are going to have the final say about what the effects look like. But until these people come along, the writer is all those jobs, so you need to do what you can.

Regarding slow motion, we’ll start with a lesson in cinematography. To achieve slow-motion, the camera runs at a speed faster than the usual 24 frames per second, often at an even increment like 48 or 96 frames per second. Then, when the film is played back at normal speed (24 fps), the action appears to be slowed down. More than that: it often has a somewhat dreamy, sexy quality that makes car crashes and pretty-girls-getting-out-of-pools extra appealing.

In order to achieve this effect in a screenplay, I add extra vowels and consonants to words. So instead of writing:

The Thug fires four rounds at Maxwell.

I write:

Thheee Thhhuugg ffiirrees fooouurr rrrounds attt Maxxxxwweelllll.

I’m kidding. Please don’t do this.

Instead, at the start of a scene that really, really needs to be slow-motion to make sense, I’ll add the phrase, “in SLOW-MOTION,” to one of the action sentences. So the sentence might read, “In SLOW-MOTION, the Thug fires off four rounds at Maxwell, whose fingers just reach the button in time.”

In the CHARLIE’S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE, I wrote:

Handing off an UNCONSCIOUS MAN to PARAMEDICS, firefighter Alex pulls off her helmet to set loose a slow-motion cascade of black hair.

That time I didn’t capitalize “slow-motion,” because there were already a lot of words in all-caps. And I’ve been known to write, “in super bad-ass slow-motion” if that’s really the feeling I’m going for.

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.

Does a Brit have a chance?

Film Industry, QandA

questionmarkI’m a 20-year old university student from London, currently studying film and creative writing at Buckinghamshire University. I’ve got a few questions that I would really appreciate you answering:

  1. Coming from England and being a wannabe film writer, would you suggest moving to America or at least selling to America? To me the English movie scene is pretty dull and lifeless. Apart from the odd Guy Ritchie film, there’s not a lot to offer in England unless you want grim reality films of how poor the North of England is.
  2. Do you think being from England will affect my chances of selling to America in terms of dialogue etc?

–Scott Macinnes

answer icon(Scott actually had five questions, but other columns probably answered the other three. So let’s address the England question.)

While your assessment of the British film industry is funny, I also think it’s a little unfair. Considering its size, the U.K. has a pretty substantial film business, with a wider variety of genres than you’d admit. True, if you want non-James Bond big summer popcorn movies, you’re out of luck. But you can find good examples of almost every other kind of movie.

Unless you’re dying to leave England, my advice is to stay put and see what you can learn there, at least for a year or two. It’s much easier to make the transition to Hollywood if you have something to show for yourself.

For instance, Christopher Nolan went from the tiny-budgeted FOLLOWING (shot in the UK), to the small-budgeted MEMENTO (shot in the U.S.) to the studio feature INSOMNIA.

But if you’re sure it’s L.A.-or-nothing, then by all means come. But make sure you’re going to be able to get some kind of work or educational visa that will let you stay in the country for a few years.