Go Into The Story: Interviews
One of my goals in 2013 was to interview as many professional screenwriters as I could. Reasons:
* The lack of press coverage of screenwriters is a longstanding issue in Hollywood. It’s particularly galling when movies come out and the media focus is on the actors, directors, sometimes even the producers, yet no mention of the screenwriters. These interviews are this blog’s humble effort to shine more light on screenwriters and the craft.
* Following up on the previous, most interviews with screenwriters are pretty thin in terms of content. In large part, this is due to the fact the interviewer does not have much in the way of understanding the craft, and therefore their questions tend to be pretty generic and surface level. What I thought I could do was bring a writer’s perspective to these interviews, digging into specific movie projects and the scripting process, as well as craft questions.
* I believe one of the best ways to immerse oneself in the craft is by reading interviews with professional screenwriters. Their words are in effect primary source material, insights based on writers who actually work in Hollywood.
This year, I reached out to a number of screenwriters I had come to know over the years. Franklin Leonard provided an enormous assist by putting me in touch with many others. All told, I conducted 42 interviews including over 20 writers whose scripts have made the Black List as well as all 5 Nicholl Fellowship winners from 2012.
Here are links to every single interview from 2013:
SCREENWRITERS
2012 Screenwriters Roundtable: Chris Borrelli, F. Scott Frazier, Chris McCoy, Justin Rhodes, Greg Russo, John Swetnam.
Screenwriter-Director Spenser Cohen and Producer Anna Halberg: Sold 3 spec scripts in 2 years, The Driver, High Target Value, Pantheon.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber: (500) Days of Summer screenwriters, Black List 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012.
Jim Stansberry and Annika Tuneld: Writing duo from the U.S. and Sweden who wrote and sold spec script Wildflowers.
Arash Amel: Writer, Grace of Monaco, writing Seducing Ingrid Bergman and The Infinity Principle.
Nikole Beckwith: 2012 Black List, 2012 Nicholl winner for her script Stockholm, Pennsylvania.
Roberto Bentivegna: 2012 Black List for his screenplay The Eel.
Carter Blanchard: 2012 Black List for his screenplay Glimmer.
Chris Borrelli: 2009 Black List, sold three spec scripts, The Vatican Tapes, Wake, Sad Jack.
Reid Carolin: Writer-Producer [Magic Mike].
Laura Colella: Writer-director [Breakfast with Curtis].
Dana Coen: TV writer-producer [“JAG,” “Bones”], playwright, screenwriter.
Destin Daniel Cretton: Screenwriter-director of critically acclaimed independent movies I Am Not a Hipster and Short Term 12.
Sean Robert Daniels: 2012 Nicholl Fellowship winner for his screenplay Killers.
James DiLapo: 2012 Black List, 2012 Nicholl winner for his script Devils at Play.
Neil Drumming: Screenwriter-director of the movie Big Words.
Allan Durand: 2012 Nicholl Fellowship winner for his screenplay Willie Francis Must Die Again.
Ava DuVernay: Screenwriter-Director, I Will Follow, Middle of Nowhere.
Jay Eden: Sold spec script Incinerator to the Boies Schiller Film Group.
Liz W. Garcia: TV writer-producer (Dawson’s Creek, Wonderfalls, Cold Case) and writer-director (The Lifeguard).
David Guggenheim: Wrote and sold 3 spec scripts in 2 years, Safe House [2010 Black List], Narco Sub, and Black Box [2012 Black List].
Julia Hart: 2012 Black List for her screenplay The Keeping Room.
Eric Heisserer: 2012 Black List for his screenplay Story Of Your Life, writer-director, Hours, writer, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Final Destination 5, and The Thing.
Jim Hemphill: Writer-Director, The Trouble With the Truth.
Brad Ingelsby: 2008, 2012 Black List for his screenplays The Low Dweller, Hold On To Me, and Run All Night.
Justin Kremer: 2012 Black List for his screenplay McCarthy.
Daniel Kunka: Wrote and sold 2 spec scripts, Agent Ox and Bermuda Triangle.
Jeffrey Leiber: Screenwriter (Tangled, Tuck Everlasting) and TV writer-producer (Miami Medical, The Whole Truth, Pan Am, Necessary Roughness, Lost).
Seth Lochhead: Wrote the movie Hanna (2006 Black List script).
Kelly Marcel: Wrote the movie Saving Mr. Banks (2010 Black List script).
Justin Marks: Written over 20 movie projects and described as the “most gainfully employed professional fanboy on the planet right now.”
Craig Mazin: Screenwriting credits include Scary Movie 3, Scary Movie 4, Superhero Movie, The Hangover Part II, Identity Thief and The Hangover Part III.
Debbie Moon: Created the U.K. TV series “Wolfblood”.
Terrance Mulloy: Australia based writer who sold spec script Priority Run.
Declan O’Dwyer: U.K. based writer-director who sold spec Broken Cove.
Ashleigh Powell: Wrote and sold 2012 Black List script Somacell.
Chris Roessner: Wrote 2012 Black List script Sand Castle.
Will Simmons: Wrote and sold 2012 Black List spec script Murder City, two other projects set up Romeo and Defenders.
Daniel Turkewitz: Wrote and sold spec script Tranquility Base.
Michael Werwie: 2012 Nicholl Fellowship winner, 2012 Black List for his screenplay Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.
INDUSTRY
Adam Kolbrenner: Manager-producer, Madhouse Entertainment.
Mynette Louie: Independent film producer (Children of Invention, California Solo, Cold Comes the Night).
I’d like to thank all the writers, managers, and producers who either did interviews or facilitated them happening in 2013. A special shout-out to all the assistants who helped arrange schedules! As an initial sustained foray into interviews, I believe these represent an interesting cross-section of writers on the front edge of their careers, indie filmmakers and writers who are well-established. I must say, the response to the interviews has been strong with tons of emails and tweets from readers about how much they have enjoyed and learned from them.
Therefore I plan on continuing to do interviews in 2014, not as many as last year because the prep time I put in is considerable (i.e., watching and analyzing movies, reading and breaking down scripts, biographical research), but hopefully one series of daily posts every other week.
I have several interviews already done including 2 with Nicholl Fellowship winners in 2013, as well as a number more lined up with other screenwriters, several of whom made the 2013 Black List. Plus I’m working to include those beside writers who work in the film and TV business, and even some experts in the field of creativity.
If any of you have suggestions for writers or industry types you’d like to see interviewed, feel free to post those ideas. Also if you have any feedback on the interview format or questions you’d like to see asked, you can head to comments or email me.
I’ve learned a lot from the interviews I’ve conducted. I hope you have, too.
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