Interview: Chris Borrelli (2009 Black List) — Part 6

Christopher Borrelli, who wrote the 2007 Universal / Gold Circle horror thriller Whisper and co-wrote the 2009 Fox / WWE action film The Marine 2, sold the spec scripts “The Vatican Tapes” [Black List] to Lionsgate and Lakeshore in 2009, “Wake” to Hammer Films / Exclusive Media Group in 2010, and “Sad Jack” to Code Entertainment in 2011. In addition he has worked on the remake of Bad Influence for MGM, an adaptation of the French horror film ILS (“Them”) for Gold Circle, a live-action series “Necessary Evil” at the Cartoon Network with partners Jonathan Davis and Max Burnett, and has a blind deal at Focus / Rogue. In 2012, Chris adapted Joe Hill’s “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead” for Mandalay Pictures.

In April 2013, “The Vatican Tapes” was greenlit for production with a July 15th start date. In May, Chris agreed to terms on the sale of another spec, the announcement is forthcoming.

Today in Part 6, Chris provides more tips on the screenwriting craft:

Scott: That’s good advice. What do you think about when you’re writing a scene? Are there some questions you ask or goals you have in mind when you’re writing a scene?

Chris: It’s not so, I’m not so clinical as that. I have an idea of where the scene has to end up and what I need to get out of it. I try to have the back and forth, I try to have some kind of conflict within the scene. But, and I’m not saying this is the best way to work. I don’t really, I don’t have a checklist. I just kind of feel my way through it, and then when I read it the next day or really even, a month later, when I’m done with the script, and I reread it, I’m honest with myself. I know what might work, what might not work. Often times, I’m pleasantly surprised. When I’m not, it’s going to get cut or changed.

I don’t have a checklist, but I’m just open to trying to have interesting things happen in that scene. I know that sounds very basic, but it tends to work. I’m not so clinical with scene by scene.

Scott: How about scene description? What are some keys to writing entertaining, good scene descriptions?

Chris: Yeah, it should be entertaining. I don’t like it when it’s something a director ‑‑ this is just my personal preference ‑‑ a director can’t direct. I like to keep it basic. I want to set a mood, and that can happen very easily with a couple of sentences. If it’s a horror script, you do something with the lighting. Maybe you have water dripping somewhere. I’ve gone back to that old one quite a few times. You essentially want to set the scene up, and then you want it to happen. Again, we’re thinking visual.

I want that reader to be put there, but I want to make it as easy as possible for him or her. I don’t want them reading blocks of description in most cases unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ll just say, keep it short. Imagine your setting. Keep it short. You can always go back and build it out later.

Scott: When you finish a first draft and you’re faced with rewriting, what are some of the keys you have about the rewriting process, rewriting your own script?

Chris: I would say to be brutal with it, to know that stuff you cut, even if you loved it, that you’ll use it in another script. You’ll use it again. It’s not dead. It’s just gone from this script for now. I would say take some time away from the script. It doesn’t have to be too long, but take a week or two away, or perhaps you want longer. Really imagine you’re reading this for the first time. Don’t imagine you as yourself. You read it for the first time.

Then, I also have a character in my head who’s seeing the movie for the first time. It’s a bit strange again, but this character, if he’s enjoying the action scenes, if he’s into the dialogue, if he trusts the main character, then it’s working. The very base pass in my head, too.

I just want the basic emotions to come across. Then, again, I can build onto those and add scenes onto those and work it through. To me, it’s about not being prescient and not feeling when you cut something that it’s gone forever. It’s just maybe gone from this script. It didn’t belong.

Scott: What about your actual writing process?

Chris: I write five or six days a week. I try to take the weekend off or just Saturday off. That’s when other ideas come, because I’m not just writing. To me, that’s good and I’m much better. Everyone’s different. I’m good in the morning. I have friends who I call “binge writers,” who won’t write for days. Then they’ll do 10 hours of work and get an awful lot done. That doesn’t work for me. I like a schedule to it. I know we’re in a business where things are very speculative and can be difficult. There are the ups and downs, but to me, I like the consistency of writing in the morning. Throughout the day, I’ll go back and look at different things, and I’ll work and play with it and work on another idea. My mornings are very important to me, and that’s when I get most of my work done.

Scott: OK, here’s a good one. What’s your single best excuse not to write?

Chris: My single best excuse not to write?

Scott: Yeah.

Chris: It’s Saturday, it’s Saturday. [laughs] You know, I enjoy what we do. At the same time, I think part of writing is we can dread it. I think all those emotions are normal, but I’m happiest when I feel I’m accomplishing something, when I’m actually writing. There are times when you wake up and you’re not getting anything done, and you should go for a walk. You should put it aside for a little bit. If you trust yourself enough, and if you know you’re someone who loves this and wants to do this, then you can trust yourself that you’re going to come back to it.

Scott: How about the other side…what do you love most about writing?

Chris: I love when you feel that you’ve created life on that page, and when people are enjoying your work. Those couple of times I had a movie made, and the first day of shooting, and you almost fool people, you feel. You’ve created something, and now the actors are talking about roles as if they’re real people, and the director’s talking about them, and wardrobe is talking about the way your characters named Bill, or Mary, would dress.

That, to me, is a great, great pleasure. It’s why we do it, I feel.

Scott: In an ideal world, Chris, what do you see yourself doing in ten years?

Chris: Still this, and also directing. Just making films, and doing films that I care about, and I like. I’d still love to be working with different genres. They still have a bit of a popcorn feel to them, but also have something to say, and have characters you won’t forget, and you care about. But this is what I wanted to do, and I’m always thrilled at any bit of good news when you’re on that path to something you care about, and really work towards, then that good day, when you get a little bit of news, and when you feel you’re a little bit closer to that goal.

So ten years from now, just creating films. But I’ll always write. I never want to stop writing, because I believe it’s where it starts. It is where it starts.

Scott: Finally, what advice can you offer to aspiring screenwriters about learning a craft, and breaking into Hollywood?

Chris: I don’t like the saying, and it has a hair of truth to it, but I don’t like the saying that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I really believe that people who do well in this are good at what they do. You work hard, and you will meet those people. You probably should come to LA, or if not LA, then at least New York. But to me, you just should get really good at screen writing. Same thing I told students when I worked with them…my alumni organization at Chapman University.

Get really good at screenwriting. It’s so simple, and so basic, and it’s not an easy thing to accomplish. But if you have a talent for this, if you have a gift for this, and a love for this, then work really hard to be as good as possible at it, and that break will come, and you will have something to show for it, you will have the talent and the skill.

It’s not luck. My friends father, a very successful man, has a great quote, and it’s, the harder you work, the better your luck gets. So that’s my very basic, simple, no bells and whistles advice. Get really good, and work really hard at screenwriting…Rome wasn’t built in a day…and you’ll get a little better all the time.

I’d like to think I’m getting better everyday I worked at this. Then when it comes, you be ready for it, or as ready as you’re ever going to be.

For Part 1, go here.

For Part 2, go here.

For Part 3, go here.

For Part 4, go here.

For Part 5, go here.

Please stop by comments to thank Chris and ask any questions you may have.

Chris is repped by WME and DMG Entertainment.