Time again for Reader Questions

Every other month or so, I open things up for reader questions. You can go here and see the archives. I haven't counted lately, but I'm guessing there are over 200 questions and answers. If you have a question about screenwriting or working in Hollywood, I suggest you start there to see if we've already covered your subject.

If not, feel free to go into comments and post your question here. Or if you'd prefer to ask anonymously, you can email me.

Same deal as always. I make no claims to be anything other than I am: An outsider who broke into the business by selling a spec script, lived and worked in Hollywood for 15 years, wrote nearly 30 projects for all the major movie studios and most of the broadcast networks. I'm happy to give my two cents worth in response to any question related to screenwriting. The opinions expressed are solely my own and you are free to heed or reject my advice.

See you in comments for your questions!

Technical issues

Evidently there are some issues just now with the blog. Not sure if it's Blogger related or tied to the impending transition over to the new site, but every post from earlier today is somehow missing. I'm working on it. Thanks for your patience.

UPDATE: Okay, all the posts are back up. Turns out that for whatever reason, the reality TV post I did started 'eating' previous posts. As if we needed any more proof that reality TV is sucking the life-force out of the creative universe!!! So I pulled that post. You'll just have to trust me: When you see the credit "Consulting Producer" on a reality TV show, that means "Writer."

Why We Write: Steve Levitan

During the last WGA strike, TV writers Charles "Charlie" Craig and Thania St. John started a blog called Why We Write. They posed that question to a number of writers and over a period of several months, posted their answers on the site. As far as I can tell, the site has been dormant since 2008, and when I stumbled on it recently, I thought it was a shame for all these terrific essays to be sitting there fallow.

So over the course of the next few weeks, I'm going to feature essays from the site. Today: Steve Levitan ("Just Shoot Me," "Modern Family").

I swear to God this is true. A couple of years ago I had lunch with a network president who asked me the following question:

“If I offered you a billion dollars, but you could never write again, would you take it?”

I tried to keep a straight face and act snooty because I knew he assumed my answer would be “no” and was paying me a compliment, but, let’s face it, he had me at “billi…” Hell, he didn’t even make it hard. I mean, if he had added, “But you have to cut off your fingers,” well, then now we’re talking a much tougher decision. I play golf. I play guitar. I have an iPhone. What the hell am I going to do all day now that I have a billion dollars and no fingers?

The truth is the strike has given me the chance to experience life without a creative outlet like writing. Here’s something amusing I’ve started doing the past six weeks: I have two teenaged daughters who have just gotten to that age when they’re ashamed of me. So, whenever I drop them off outside a party and there are other kids standing around, I scream out desperately from the car, “MAKE GOOD CHOICES!!!” They’re just mortified. Now that’s good fun.

Maybe I don’t need this job to be happy. I have skills to fall back on. During my senior year of college at (the) Harvard (of America’s Dairyland UW-Madison), and for two years afterwards, I was a television news reporter and anchor for the local ABC affiliate. I covered big fires, killer tornados, grizzly murders and, worst of all, holiday parades.

Like most newsrooms at the time, ours had three televisions on the wall so we could see what the other stations were doing. However, I found myself more interested in what came on before the ten o’clock news than during: Hill Street Blues, Moonlighting, Wonder Years, Cheers. I began to wonder if I could ever write something like that. So, one day, without any plan or guidance, I started firing off my first script — a spec Moonlighting. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done and I had absolutely no clue what to do with it, but I finished. I had an incredible sense of accomplishment, even though, to those around me, I was like one of those crazy guys who builds a rocket in his backyard.

I then moved back to my hometown Chicago to take a job creating ad campaigns for Miller Beer, McDonalds and that little bastard the Pillsbury Doughboy (total prima donna). And I kept writing. A Cheers. Then a Wonder Years. My roommates would just shake their heads and wonder why the hell was I writing fake television shows instead of going out to the bars with them. a) I just couldn’t stop. b) It was fourteen below outside.

Long story short, I finally moved to L.A. to write and produce trailers and TV commercials for Disney Studios and, a year and a half later, got my first chance to meet on a television series: Wings. I went in, pitched a story and, what do you know, they bought it. I then wrote the freelance script and, when I went to the showrunners’ offices to turn it in, they invited me to come watch the filming of the season premiere later that week.

I had never been on a sitcom set in my life and it was everything I hoped it would be. I would have loved every minute of it, but I knew they invited me before they read my script and, throughout the filming, I became increasingly convinced they hated my script and consequently the talentless hack who “wrote” it. Finally the show ended and David Angell (who left us too soon) asked me to come down from the bleachers onto the set. Here it comes, I thought, the speech where he tells me I should go back to Chicago and write more cuddly copy for the doughboy (who, btw, has an eating disorder).

“Steve,” he said in a “let’s just be friends” tone. “We really liked your script and, if you want to join us, we’d love to have you on staff.”

I’m not sure I can adequately convey the glory of that moment, but cue the fireworks. There I was, on an actual sitcom set, in actual Hollywood-adjacent, being asked to join a network show by the guy who wrote some of my favorite episodes of television ever. Kiss my ass, Doughboy, I’m on staff!

Now, some sixteen years and three or four hundred episodes later, I have to admit to being, at times, a bit jaded. The hours can be long, cancelled shows break your heart, and I have, on occasion, walked onto a soundstage with more dread than delight.

But most days, I pinch myself because I’m one of the lucky few who’s living out his Rob Petrie-inspired dream. And every day I walk that picket line, I know I’m doing it so that, in the future, others will get to experience my good fortune. After all, my job is to sit in a room with genuinely funny people and tell stories. I get to see my work performed by some of the best actors ever on television. And, on a good night, I get to make millions of people laugh.

That’s something I never want to give up. Not even for a billio…I’m sorry, I can’t even say it with a straight face.

Obviously one of the big reasons I wanted to run this series is for you to ponder: "Why do I write?" If you care to share your thoughts in comments, please do.

For more essays from the terrific Why We Write site, go here.

GITS Script Reading & Analysis: "Gladiator"

We kick off this new GITS series with the 10.22.1998 draft of "Gladiator," your choice for the Action genre. If you haven't had a chance to read the script yet, you can go here to access it as we will be discussing the script throughout the week.

Let's use this post today for your general reactions to the script.

Did you enjoy it? Why? Why not?

Did it surprise you in comparison to the movie? Are there aspects that struck you about the script that you did not catch when watching the movie?

What are the script's strengths? Are there areas you felt could be strengthened?

What takeaway can we glean from the script as an example of action writing?

Tomorrow I propose we discuss the script's structure including a breakdown of the story's major plot points with a special focus on the significant differences between the script and movie ending.

If people are up for it, we could discuss in the days to come character, dialogue, scenes, themes, and so forth.

See you in comments!

[Remember next week's genre is comedy. The script: Bridesmaids.]

NOTE: THIS SERIES AND THE USE OF SCRIPTS IS STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!

Popcorn Fiction: "Thief Coach" by Rylend Grant and Dikran Ornekian

A new short story from Popcorn Fiction, the excellent site hosted by screenwriter-novelist Derek Haas:

For the first time ever on Popcorn Fiction, we have a writing team who collaborated on a short story. Teams are prevalent in Hollywood, and are becoming more so in literature… and when the collaboration is as good as it is in "Thief Coach," why the hell not?

"Thief Coach" centers on an old thief who enlists a young crew to help him pull off an impossible score. I hear a summary like that and I am all the way in. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

One other thing: there is now a Mulholland Books app out on iTunes, and most of the Popcorn Fiction offerings are available there so check it out!

To read "Thief Coach," go here.

On Writing

"If I waited until I felt like writing, I'd never write at all."

-- Anne Tyler

HT to @Quotes4Writers

Daily Dialogue -- September 5, 2011

Michael: Are you saying that nobody in New York will work with me?
George: No, no, that's too limited... nobody in Hollywood wants to work with you either. I can't even set you up for a commercial. You played a tomato for 30 seconds - they went a half a day over schedule because you wouldn't sit down.
Michael: Of course. It was illogical.
George: You were a tomato! A tomato doesn't have logic. A tomato can't move.
Michael: That's what I said. So if he can't move, how's he gonna sit down, George? I was a stand-up tomato: a juicy, sexy, beefsteak tomato. Nobody does vegetables like me. I did an evening of vegetables off-Broadway. I did the best tomato, the best cucumber... I did an endive salad that knocked the critics on their ass.

Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), George Fields (Sydney Pollack), Tootsie (1982), screenplay by Murray Schisgal and Larry Gelbart, story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart



The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is delivering bad news, suggested by Saint716. Tootsie suggested by Lazzard.

Trivia: Writer Larry Gelbart once said that he did not meet the other writers on this project until they were on stage together collecting their awards.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Here the approach of the person delivering the bad news is to try and drive home the point, while the receiver of the bad news just can't seem to hear that point. It's a role reversal from the more typical approach, but totally fits both characters. And what lines: "Nobody does vegetables like me." Great stuff.

GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: "Gladiator"

For those of you who may have missed this announcement, let me remind you about the GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series:

As longtime GITS readers may remember, in the past we have done a variety of script reading and analysis series including 40 Days of Screenplays, 6 Days of Screenplays, and so on.

I think it's time to bring something like that back for these reasons: (A) To encourage GITS followers to read screenplays. (B) To engage in an open dialogue about story-crafting principles. (C) To further develop our individual and collective critical analytical skills.

Here's my idea: We focus on one script per week. It will be a script from a notable produced movie. We will rotate by genre each week (e.g., Action, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller). The GITS community will suggest scripts and determine each week's choice by vote or consensus.

The concept is to create a schedule a few weeks in advance so people who want to participate will have a chance to download a copy of the script (via myPDFscripts.com) and read it in time for the weekly discussion.

After everyone had a chance to vote on the first four genres on our reading list -- Action, Comedy, Drama, Thriller-- these are the scripts you selected:

September 5: Action -- Gladiator
September 12: Comedy -- Bridesmaids
September 19: Drama -- Good Will Hunting
September 26: Thriller -- The Silence of the Lambs

So what will you be doing this weekend? Why reading Gladiator, of course.

While you're at it, keep some of these questions in mind:

* Structure: What are the story's major Plotline points? What do you think represent the act breaks? How many sequences do you think the story has?

* Characters: Who are the story's Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, and Tricksters? What is the nature of Maximus' metamorphosis?

* Theme: What are the key themes at work in the story? What symbols and talismans play a significant, recurring role in the story?

* Dialogue: What do you think about the balance between dialogue and action? Which sides of dialogue do you find the most memorable?

* Scenes: What the story's best scenes? Are there scenes you think the story could have done without? Are there scenes that could have been approached in a different way?

In all cases, ask yourself: What can I learn from this script about structure / characters / theme / dialogue / scenes?

We will start discussing Gladiator on Monday, September 5. You may access the draft of the script we will be discussing here.

It's perhaps the single best way to learn the craft of screenwriting: Reading scripts. Here is your chance to read and analyze a script per week.

"The Story Behind The Empire Strikes Back"

For all you Star Wars fans, Total Film has a nifty retrospective of the film franchise, focusing on the development and production of the best of the lot in my estimation: The Empire Strikes Back (screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, story by George Lucas):

Star Wars nearly killed George Lucas.

The director’s ambitious space saga, which nobody understood nor cared about (not even its cast) looked set to be a disaster of intergalactic proportions. During production in 1976, the special effects department was struggling with its groundbreaking technologies, while unbearable heat in Tunisia had tempers rising...

“People were looking at the first screenplay and saying, ‘What is this? Is this camp – or what is going on here?’ They didn’t get it and it’s not their fault,” star Mark Hamill said in an interview with Rona Barrett's Hollywood Super Special: Winter 1978.

It came to a head when Lucas suffered chest pains during filming of his opus. The director, diagnosed with hyper-tension and exhaustion, was advised by doctors to take things easy. He all-but refused.

And, somewhat fortuitously, the 1977 release of the soon-to-be-retitled Episode IV gave Lucas a new hope. The cold cynicism and disheartening apathy that plagued the film ahead of its cinematic debut changed overnight as Star Wars was welcomed by movie fans of all shapes and sizes.

All setting the stage for Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back. How cool was the battle on the ice planet Hoth?

Yoda's Zen philosophy and a paradigmatic Jung moment when Luke fights Darth Vader only to discover his own shadow?

The ending where Han gets frozen in carbonite?

Here is the original trailer from 1981:


What a terrific movie. And you can learn more about it via Total Film here.

How the whole film festival thing works

This Variety article is perhaps the best thing I've read about how major film festivals like Toronto and Telluride work:

After "Black Swan," "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network" erupted from last fall's festivals to share eight Oscars and gross nearly $1 billion worldwide, the stakes have been raised in the courtship between festival program directors and the big Hollywood players.

With so much cash and kudos on the line, festival toppers say negotiations over the selection of major titles have become more intense than ever.

"It's a mutual seduction. Sometimes we're chasing them, sometimes they are chasing us," says Cameron Bailey, co-director of the Toronto Film Festival. "After last year, there is more of an awareness now among the major companies that a festival can do a lot for their film, not just in prestige but in dollars and cents."

Tom Luddy, co-director of the Telluride Film Festival, agrees. "A lot of companies are definitely now holding films that could have been ready earlier in the year, because they see the fall festival circuit as what leads to awards, and from awards to a lot of business."

In recent years, Toronto played a key role in altering the trajectory of pics such as "Juno," which wasn't even slated for a fall release before Toronto sought it out, and "Slumdog Millionaire," when the enthusiasm of the Toronto team helped give Fox Searchlight the confidence to pick it up from Warner.

After the writer writes the script, somebody buys it, then the project goes through years of development, pre-production, production, and post, after all that, it all boils down to how the movie plays with audiences. We look at Juno or Slumdog Millionaire -- now -- as big indie hits, but there was a time when the studios didn't know what they had. Specifically Slumdog which as I understand it, Warner's was going to send direct to DVD, bypassing a theatrical run.

Then along came its screenings at the TIFF, Fox Searchlight stepped in, and voila -- $377M later at the box office, and everybody is dancing Jai Ho:







Read the rest of the article here.