"Writing for or against
Hollywood"
by
Alex Ross
A
few years ago, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with
Jean-Claude Carrière. I had just finished writing my first script, a very
complicated 500 page story, in three sequels!
It
was the characters' fault! Sometimes, as I was writing, the characters would
start doing things I had not planned in the original story. Leaving me to
watch them do their thing helplessly, as if
they were on a movie screen.
I
told this to M. Carrière with some trepidation, thinking he would take me for
a total amateur. To my great surprise, he took a deep breath, frowned and
said: "That happens to me very rarely, but when it does, I know that I am
doing my best work"
For
me, this is the essential difference between writing scripts in Europe and in
America.
In
Hollywood, every detail is worked out. Writers are encouraged to describe
every minute aspect of a character, every turning point in the story
development before starting the screenplay.
Screenplays
must have a "central question":e.g. "Will the gladiator get
his revenge?", "The cop, the murderer?" Those questions must be
set up at the beginning of the story to make the content structured
around it.
Sub-plots often
tell the real story the writer wants to tell: "Will John Brook, a loner
and a tough cop, stay with Rachel, the Amish woman?", "Will Deckard
fall in love with Rachael, the replicant?". You must always go back to
this central question.
The
best books to read on this matter are written by Linda Seger and Robert McKee.
Seger
and McKee pose many interesting questions in their books, that can help
screenwriters, if they are used correctly. Unfortunately, some people,
particularly short-sighted studio executives, have started to take these works
as "gospel" about script writing, and as a result, use them to
evaluate everything. Other times, writers themselves try to answer each
question asked in those books, which is impossible.
That
is why too many movies made in Hollywood look alike, and some visionary
writers are left out.
Nevertheless,
it is very important to read those books. Rules must be learned to work in
Hollywood, and to excel, you must learn how to break them. With this approach,
you can get quality screenplays such as: "The Fisherking",
"L.A. Confidential", and "The Usual Suspects".
This
reminds me of a diner I had with Herbie Hancok. He has an amazing knowledge of
classical music, but when he goes beyond, it is pure magic.
Become
a brilliant story teller. Tell your friends your ideas for a movie, watch
attentively how they react, ask
them if they found your story interesting and learn from their answers.
Above
all, create interesting characters, subject them to unique
situations, and let them free. They will either blossom and carry your story
in ways you would never have thought possible or, turn into cliches and
run into brick walls, telling you that you had the wrong characters in the
first place.
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