Interview [Part 6]: Brian Duffield
In Hollywood development circles, Brian Duffield is a popular figure. As evidence, two of his original screenplays have made the Black List: Your Bridesmaid is a Bitch and Jane Got a Gun, putting him on the 10 Screenwriters to Watch in 2013 list. In addition, he sold his spec script Monster Problems to Paramount in 2012 and has written on a big budget franchise movie: Insurgent. And if that’s not enough, Duffield is slated to make his debut as a director on his own script Vivien Hasn’t Been Herself Lately.
Brian is an active presence on Twitter (you should definitely follow him: @BrianDuffield) and we’ve gotten to know each other over the years, so I was pleased to have the chance to interview him.
In Part 6, Brian shares some thoughts about breaking into the business as a writer:
Scott: What keys do you have to write entertaining scene description?
Brian: For some scripts, definitely trying to make it feel either in the main character’s voice, or at the very least part of their world. This is especially true of the more comedic scripts — the heavier dramas don’t really lend itself to it, so I strive for brevity there. The scene description probably sets the mood for the script faster than anything else — it’s really the first impression you give off after the title, so I try to be aware of that as much as possible.
Scott: When you finish a first draft, you are faced with the inevitable rewriting process. Are there some keys you have to rewriting your scripts and if so what are they?
Brian: When I used to write specs I usually had been sitting with and internalizing the idea for so long that the first draft was never exceedingly different from what went out. It’s usually tonal clarifications. So in BRIDESMAID it was figuring out that balance of comedy and heartache, and keeping Noah on the side of doing his best to not let his misery show and not of him being whiny or pathetic. Structurally, because I rewrite a lot as I go since I don’t outline (and really like short specs) they would never change too much. For the script I’m directing, a lot of the rewriting was very specific to the main character, and doing my best to give something so evil an arc, as well as separating her from being just a monster or so unappealing that she’d be unwatchable.
I’m a huge nerd for editing. I will spend gleeful hours at night figuring out how many words I can take out sentences to make the scripts shorter. I think I enjoy that part so much because it’s basically the victory lap. The hard work is done, and now you’re just dressing it up.
Scott: What is your actual writing process?
Brian: Typically Monday to Fridays, usually at the same spot. I should probably get an office. I even have a lot of dinosaurs and art for an office ready to go, but I’m afraid once I get the actual office I won’t be able to work there and it will all be for nought. For Insurgent, I actually wrote the majority of it at a food court in Sherman Oaks. It was pretty deserted during the day except for an elderly lady book & mahjong club, which was amazing. I thought about getting them copies of Divergent, but I never did because they have probably never noticed me, and I’m a cold, selfish man.
For some scripts I make playlists (here’s my Monster Problems one, which is all songs about being lonely) and for others I have a hard time finding the right sound for it so I just write quietly, or with the TV on. My fiancé got our puppy DogTV for a month, and that entire soundtrack is carnival music mixed with people saying “I love you! Good boy!” over and over again, and I would not recommend writing to that.
Scott: What is your single best excuse not to write?
Brian: Last year, it has definitely been exhaustion, which is probably more of a medical thing than anything. I think I’m typically too neurotic to not write. When it’s an assignment, I’m always terrified they’ll hate me, so I work my ass off. And besides, they give you a deadline, so you literally can’t afford to dick around. It’s the one away where complete terror really pays off for me.
Scott: What do you love most about writing?
Brian: I don’t know, man. I’ve been thinking about that, and “why do I write?” a lot lately. It’s fun to create. I keep trying to come up with something more insightful and profound, but that’s all I got!
Scott: Let me round this out with that classic question, what’s your advice that you give to aspiring writers, aspiring film writers? How do they go about breaking in the business?
Brian: I certainly don’t know how to break in because I did it so much by accident. A college buddy of mine gave it to somebody else without telling me. Everything happened to me because of that. So I think part of the thing is obviously give your script to everybody possible. Even if they’re not necessarily in the industry or whatever. I think most, probably 99 percent of the people won’t read it and one person will hand it off to other people. That is exactly what happened to me on Bridesmaid.
The biggest piece of advice is really, if you are a writer, finding producers who are actually producers because there is nothing more damaging to you or your writing than producers that are only that in name. Find producers that will fight on your side. Don’t give your scripts to producers who back down from a fight for you, or who throw you under the bus in the name of “moving the project forward”. That’s basically like your spouse knocking up someone else to move your dream of having a kid forward.
Once you find those producers that love your material and you feel that they will protect your script, find directors that love the materials more than directors that just need jobs. The same goes for every aspect of the job and project. Surround yourself with good, kind people.
The thing that I have been really passionate about in recent months is encouraging writers in protecting and taking care of each other. I went through a really crappy film experience last year, but the most beautiful thing that came out of it were these writers that I was like huge fans of reached out to me on their own and they would take me out for drinks. They kind of kept their wings around me a little bit and it saved my life, literally, I think.
I’d love to encourage writers to reach out to me and ask me about my experiences with different companies if they’re thinking of working with them. I think there’s a lot of us on twitter right now that are more than happy to help each other out. Anyone who is a writer on twitter is probably open to answering any questions. For me, I definitely would not be a screenwriter right now if it not were for all these other screenwriters that kind of came out of nowhere and really protected me. And hopefully, I can do the same for other writers who are going through the same, awful situations.
For Part 1 of the interview, go here.
Part 2, here.
Part 3, here.
Part 4, here.
Part 5, here.
Brian is repped by Gersh and Circle of Confusion.
Twitter: @BrianDuffield.
Instagram: http://instagram.com/briancduffield.
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