Interview (Part 5): Destin Daniel Cretton
One of my favorite movies of 2013 is Short Term 12, so I was understandably excited when its talented writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton agreed to an interview. Our hour-long conversation did not disappoint.
Destin’s script “Short Term 12″ won a 2010 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. He used that to write the script for the 2012 movie I Am Not A Hipster which Destin also directed.
Today in Part 5, Destin tells us about how both I Am Not A Hipster and Short Term 12 went from concept to produced films:
Scott: How long did it take you to write the script from the time you wrote the first full feature length version of the script to the point where you were going into production?
Destin: I wrote the first draft in 2009 and it was off and on with other things I was working on. At the end of 2009 I did a giant rewrite of it for about two months and then March of 2010 was pretty close to the final script. That’s the screenplay that I submitted to the Nicholl Fellowship that won the Academy Nicholl Fellowship in 2010.
Scott: How did you go from there to getting into production?
Destin: With the Nicholl Fellowship money, I was able to actually write and direct my first feature which was I Am Not A Hipster in 2011. We were trying to get funding for Short Term 12, but I was also writing I Am Not A Hipster and when funding for Short Term 12, we just did I Am Not A Hipster with our own funds and our own money. That premiered at Sundance 2012 and that helped get us the funding for Short Term 12 that year.
Scott: I Am Not a Hipster is actually the script you had to write for the Nicholl when you won it?
Destin: Yeah. That was my Nicholl Fellowship year script.
Scott: You got a double dose of goodness out of that whole Nicholl experience.
Destin: Yeah, I know. I have a lot of gratitude to those folks.
Scott: Short Term 12 has come out and got incredible reviews. In fact, I saw an interview with you where the interviewer said it’s the only movie he’s ever reviewed where there’s not one person who has said a bad thing about the film, they’ve all said good things about it. As you sit here today thinking back on the process, what are you feeling about the movie Short Term 12?
Destin: Most filmmakers feel very different about their movies than other people do. For me, a lot of that has to do with just the memories that are wrapped up in it. When I watch the film it just brings back so many memories of all the people that worked on it. I see the costumes that my sister worked on, I see the music that my friend Paul worked on, every camera move is Brett’s instinct.
It’s almost like looking through a photo album for me. I love it. It’s captured a moment in my life that I’ll never forget and I’m really, really happy that people are connecting with it.
Scott: What do you have on your plate now?
Destin: I’m not sure. I’ve got a few things brewing, but I’m not sure where I’m going to land. I should have some direction in a few months. I am in the process of beginning to write another screenplay that I’m really excited about. I don’t think that’ll be the next thing I do. It might be the next, next thing I do.
Scott: Are you going to stay in the indie film world or do you have aspirations to move more into the studio mainstream type of arena?
Destin: It honestly depends on where the next story comes from. I really don’t have a preference. If it’s a great story that I connect to as much as I did with my first two movies I’m happy to do it in any realm. I don’t have kids and I can survive off of very little right now. My rent’s pretty low, I drive an old truck. Money is not really what I’m after at this point in my career. I’m just after doing something that I feel really passionate about.
Tomorrow in Part 6, Destin talks about his approach to the craft of screenwriting.
For Part 1, go here.
Part 2, go here.
Part 3, go here.
Part 4, go here.
The official movie site is here.
Destin is repped by WME.
UPDATE: Could it be Destin Daniel Cretton directing Jennifer Lawrence in The Glass Castle? That’s what Variety is reporting. Can’t think of a better combination!