Interview (Written): David Goyer
The Script Lab interview with David S. Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins, Man of Steel):
JB: David, I have heard pieces of how you got into screenwriting, but would you mind giving me the full A-Z? What initially drew you into this medium of storytelling?
DSG: I was always interested in writing. I wrote tons of short stories when I was in grade school and junior high. And I was a voracious reader. In junior high, I won a national writing award. Having said that, writing didn’t seem like a viable career path growing up in Michigan. I planned, instead, on becoming a homicide detective. I was going to go to Michigan State and get a degree in criminal justice. Some teachers of mine intervened and told me about the screenwriting program at USC. USC seemed like a longshot as well, but I was accepted to their undergraduate screenwriting program. That said, I managed to get kicked out of beginning screenwriting my first year! (I clashed with my teacher.) Eventually, after appealing to the dean, I was reinstated. I managed to secure an agent while still attending USC. I wrote A LOT. I graduated with 4 scripts under my belt, whereas a lot of my classmates had only turned out one. I ended up selling my first screenplay about 6 months after I graduated. A thriller called Dusted, which was reconceived into a Jean-Claude Van Damme project. That film was made in ’89. Not high art, but it was successful and I was able to stay on the film during production. It wasn’t until I wrote the script for Blade, though, that my career really started taking off.
JB: Do you think you gravitate towards a specific genre? Or do you enjoy writing all genres of screenwriting/movies?
DSG: I tend to gravitate towards darker, edgier drama. I enjoy writing other genres, but even with the best of intentions, I suppose I have gotten pigeon-holed, to a certain extent. One of the reasons I leapt at the chance to do a show about Da Vinci was because it was a period piece (which I had never done before) and because it involved a certain amount of witty repartee. I’m told I can be funny (despite my reputation for darkness). But I suppose you’d have to ask my associates about that.
For the rest of the interview, go here.