Interview (Video): Liz Hannah
From Season 11 of the PBS series “On Story”.
In association with the Austin Film Festival and KLRU-TV, the PBS series “On Story” is a must for anybody interested in screenwriting, movies, and/or TV. This week in the 11th season of the series, a conversation with Liz Hannah.
Liz Hannah reflects on her career, from her sudden rise in the industry with her first screenplay, The Post, to the modern rom com Long Shot starring Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron which she co-wrote, as well as her role as writer/producer on the Netflix true crime series Mindhunter.
Quote: “There is a huge connection between adapting a novel and writing a story about something that happened in true life, which is you have to understand the integrity of the characters and you have to understand the integrity of the story. You cannot get every page on screen… I’m not a huge fan of ‘cradle-to-grave’ biopics. I think Forrest Gump and Benjamin Button are the only two that can do it. The Katherine Graham adaptation for me was… what is the moment in their life that they suddenly became person they are going to be for the rest of their life.”
Two great pieces of advice which extend beyond adaptations:
- You have to understand the integrity of the characters and you have to understand the integrity of the story. In part, this means understanding your characters so deeply, you not only know what you have to protect, you also know who they are what you need to explore in the story.
- What is the moment in their life that they suddenly became person they are going to be for the rest of their life. As Carl Jung said, “The privilege of a lifetime it to become who you are.” Dig into your characters, especially your Protagonist, and determine their deepest need. Why do they go on this journey? Because this is THE journey they have to take in order to become who they already are.
There are dozens of videos in the “On Story” archives which you can access here.
Twitter: @austinfilmfest, @AFFOnStory, @klru, @itslizhannah
For hundreds of links to audio, video, and written interviews with screenwriters and filmmakers hosted at Go Into The Story, go here.
