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Screenwriter Spotlight: Jim Vines

7/31/2015

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Interview by Audrey Larson

Jim Vines is a professional screenwriter, script consultant, and author. He compiled and edited interviews with 16 screenwriters for his book "Q & A: The Working Screenwriter: An In-the-Trenches Perspective of Writing Movies in Today's Film Industry". Jim lives in Los Angeles, CA. 

PictureJim Vines at work
Introduce yourself:

My name is Jim Vines. I was born in 1963 in New York City, but grew up in Beverly Hills, California. My parents were in the film and TV industry. Since the day I was born I’ve been a performer, somewhat of a comedian, and very creative. I started making Super-8 movies with my friends when I was eleven. During the 1980s I worked as a stuntman, still photographer, and I even carried heavy equipment around movie sets (they call that being a “grip”). I also worked at some big talent agencies, but those jobs were basically just office gigs. I officially began my career as a screenwriter around 1991. Though I had optioned a script or two just a few years later, it wasn’t until 1997 that I sold my first script. That script was actually produced—a thriller titled The Perfect Tenant—and was released on cable TV in 2000. Since then I have optioned many screenplays, have been assigned to write or adapt other scripts, and even had another movie produced a few years ago, but it has yet to be released. In 2004 I posted my short comedy, That Darn Bill, on YouTube. 

How did you get started in screenwriting? 

When I made movies as a kid, we never used a script of any kind. Remember, this was back in olden days, long back before everyone had a video camera. (Back then, pretty much the only place you could find a video camera was in a TV studio!) No, we used what’s called Super-8. It was actual movie film and it came in 50 foot cartridges. We didn’t even have sound! (Super-8 sound film showed up in about 1973, but I didn’t get my hands on it until 1979.) But anyway, we didn’t have to worry about writing dialogue because there wasn’t any. So the most I’d write was some sort of a brief outline. This happens, then something else happens…that sort of thing. It wasn’t until I got into high school that I had the chance to shoot on video tape. I did these goofy sketch comedy shows and we scripted everything. I loved coming up with crazy characters and writing dialogue for them. It was during those high school days that I also wrote my first screenplay; it wasn’t much, but it was the first. After high school I wrote some very short one-act plays, which I actually got to perform on stage at a few small theaters here in Los Angeles. I didn’t write much after that (I got married, had a daughter) and it wouldn’t be until the late 1980s that I decided to get back to writing screenplays.

What is your pre-writing process? 

I always tell budding writers to draw up some kind of an outline before they begin writing their script. You really need to know what the story is about, if it all works, if it makes sense, if it flows. It’s like planning a trip across country. You probably wouldn’t want to get in the car and just start driving. No, you’d want to map out your route. If you don’t, you could end up irretrievably lost. As for myself, I outline my script pretty extensively. I write what are called “scriptments,” which is a combination script and treatment. My scriptments are pretty detailed and can be 40 or so pages. Once I have the scriptment written, I sit down and write the actual script.

Picture"The Perfect Tenant" (2000)
How long does it typically take you to complete a feature-length script (including editing)?

I’ve written a full-length screenplay, editing included, in less than 3 weeks. Was the script any good? Well, it wasn’t bad, but if I had taken more time on it, it would’ve been so much better. But I typically write a screenplay, outline and editing included, in 4 to 6 months. I know some writers who take a year or more to write a script. That’s fine if you’re not under a deadline, but if you’re lucky enough to sell an idea, or if you get a rewrite assignment (rewriting another writer’s screenplay), then you need to work fairly quickly. Producers won’t give you 9 months or a year; they’ll give you anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 or 4 months.

What part of screenwriting do you find most difficult? 

For me, the hard part comes after the screenplay is written. It’s getting the script out into the world and getting agents, managers, producers, etc. to read it. There’s a lot of wait, wait, wait in the film business. You have to have patience. But if you’re asking what the most difficult part is during the writing process…well, it’s just staying focused on that one idea for months and months. You have to make sure you love the idea you’re writing because you’re gonna be living with it an awfully long time.

When coming up with an idea or writing a screenplay, how do you balance commercial viability (sticking to somewhat of a “formula”) with originality? 

Sometimes you just have to take an old idea and update it, make it your own; you have to make it fit the times. There are plenty of movies from the past—going back to the 1920s—that have been updated and tweaked. I think A Star Is Born has been made something like 5 times in the past 80 years. Or, sometimes, you merely have to take an old idea and change the gender of the main character(s). That's what they're doing with the upcoming Ghostbusters movie. There's an old saying in Hollywood, which goes something like this: "I want something familiar...but it has to be completely different!"

What challenges are there when writing for film that aren’t present when writing for other mediums— like a play or novel?

Unlike in a novel, in a screenplay you can't wander off into scenes not entirely relevant to the "spine" of your story. In other words, if Indiana Jones is rescuing a damsel in distress from some creepy cave, you can't suddenly have him flashback to when he as a kid, rescuing a dog from a storm drain. No, with a movie you have stick to the story; it must always be moving in a forward direction. Dialogue is also very important in a screenplay. Dialogue that wanders aimlessly (unless it's pertinent to the character), or dialogue that isn't relevant to the story you're telling, is forbidden. Also—and this is so so so important—unlike plays and novels, screenplays need to be very visual. You're telling your story not only with dialogue, but with images (which will be important to the producer reading your script). Be a visual, cinematic screenwriter and you'll go far. 

Who are your favorite screenwriters? What are your favorite movie or TV scripts? 

I don’t really have any favorites. I do really enjoy William Goldman’s work. He wrote Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. I love Woody Allen (his stuff isn’t always great, but at least he’s usually pretty interesting, and his output is amazing). I think Shane Black can be a terrific writer. One of the best…and this is going way, way, way back to the 1940s…was Preston Sturges. Go watch Sullivan’s Travels and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. The man was truly amazing. I also think the stuff they’re doing on TV/cable nowadays is pretty interesting. It used to be that television was considered a wasteland, but now it’s far more inventive than what’s out in movie theaters!

What’s next for you? What projects or screenplays are you working on now?

I just wrapped up a rewrite assignment for a producer. I was glad to finally get done with it because I really wanted to get back to writing my next novel. Writing novels is my main focus right now and I honestly don’t see that focus changing any time soon. But don’t worry, I haven’t given up on screenwriting. It’s a great gig!

What advice or tips would you give to aspiring screenwriters (especially young ones)?

You need some brains in your head if you want to be a writer. So definitely stay in school. If at all possible, go to college. Consider going to film school. Most of all, start writing as soon as possible. Experiment with different types of writing. Write prose, write screenplays, write poetry, keep a daily journal. Remember: In your teenage years you’re not writing to sell, you’re writing to learn. Also, if you want to write you need to do more than sit around playing video games or goofing around on the Net. It’s so important to get out and live. You have to meet people and get involved in interesting things. Everything you do will eventually factor into your writing. The more you do, the more you know; the more you can write about with a degree of honesty.

Any activities/exercises you’d suggest for young writers to get better at screenwriting? 

You should be reading scripts written by professional screenwriters. Don’t read just three or four, read fifty…read 100! Don’t just read them, study them. If you can get printed copies, underline words and phrases you find interesting or funny or entertaining. This will help you come up with a writing style of your own. As you go through these scripts, underline words you don’t know and look up their meaning. Build your vocabulary. There are also several good how-to books available. Go online and get some suggestions from other writers, then read a few of these books. But I cannot stress enough how important it is to read pro scripts…or the importance of sitting down and actually writing material of your own. Get your writing critiqued by writers who know how scripts are put together. You should also be reading novels. So, those are all things that are high on my “to do” list for budding screenwriters. And finally, something to think about: Learning to write a screenplay that you can potentially sell can take a few years. It won’t necessarily be an easy thing, but if you really want to write movies or television shows, you have to put in lots of time and effort. But it’ll be soooooo worth it, you’ll see.

You can visit Jim's website, The Working Screenwriter, and follow him on Twitter @WriterJimVines. 

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Talk it Out: How to Make the Best of Dialogue in Your Writing

7/28/2015

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By Sara Peters

A dialogue is a written or spoken conversation between two or more people. Most of us have many dialogues daily. With all the real life experience we get, it seems like writing dialogue would be as easy as making toast! But dialogue is one of the most difficult parts of writing to master, and it also happens to be one of the most important. Below are some pointers on dialogue. 

DIALOGUE MUST SERVE A PURPOSE

Dialogue serves two purposes: 

  1. To move the story forward
  2. To reveal something about the characters

Read through your writing carefully, and make sure each line is doing one (or both) of these things. If not, you don’t need it!

DIALOGUE IS LIKE AN ICEBERG

In university, I had a writing professor who drew a picture of an iceberg on the chalkboard every time he talked about dialogue. “Make your dialogue like this iceberg,” he would say. 

Why? 

We can only see the part of the iceberg that floats above the surface of the ocean. Most of the iceberg is hidden below the water’s surface. This is the way your dialogue should be, too. Look at this example line below:

“Sweetheart, please don’t embarrass me again.”

At the tip of the iceberg, we know that someone is asking another person to not embarrass them. 

Under the surface, we can tell three things: 

  1. These people are probably close, because the speaker uses “sweetheart.” 
  2. The speaker is trying to be nice, by saying please. Saying “please don’t embarrass me again” is a lot different than saying “don’t embarrass me again.” 
  3. These people have a past together, because the speaker says “again.” We don’t need to know exactly what happened last time – the important thing is that we know it happened. 

DIALOGUE SHOWS CHARACTER

The way a character speaks is called voice. Voice can be revealed through dialogue, and tell us a lot about them. Here are a few questions to ask yourself while you are creating a voice: 

1.Where did my character grow up? 
Are they from a loud and rambunctious family where they have to speak up to be heard, or is their family small and quiet? 

2. How old is your character? 
A 60-year-old is probably going to speak very differently than a 13-year-old. 

3. How does your character feel?
Someone who is sad will speak very differently than someone who is happy. 

4. Who is your character with?
We speak differently around our friends than we do our teachers. Consider the ways dialogue might change depending on who your characters are with. 

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READ & LISTEN & READ ALOUD

Read examples of dialogue in books and scripts. Keep a journal. Write down lines that you love. Write down bits of dialogue that you overhear. Over time, your dialogue will become sharper and more focused. 

When you have written your own dialogue, read it aloud. It may seem silly, but dialogue in your head is different when spoken aloud. 

RHYTHM & FINE TUNING

Dialogue, when done well, can feel a lot like music. It has rhythm. It has flow. One way to help with rhythmic dialogue is to consider word and sentence length. Make your sentences contain long, medium and short words. Make your paragraphs contain long, medium and short sentences. This helps keep everything exciting and fresh. 

Happy Writing!

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Sara Peters is a young artist living in Toronto, Ontario. Her written work can be found in several anthologies and University of Toronto course packs, on the Life Rattle Radio Show, and in theatres across London and Toronto. Sara is the recent recipient of the City of Toronto's Women and Gender Studies Scholarship for her commitment to the diversification of media. In her spare time, she co-produces The Ocean’s Net screening series featuring works by Canadian filmmakers, and assists with the publication of The Casserole Magazine.

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Screenwriter Spotlight: Michael W. Reid

7/23/2015

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Interviewed by Audrey Larson

Michael W. Reid has been interested in screenwriting since he was 19 years old, but only became serious about it after retiring from his job 5 years ago. He's written 5 scripts ("Pranks", "Making Your Bones", "How to Handle Your Bullies", "Reunion Crashers", and "Retribution") and has his own production company, Two Guys from Brooklyn Films. He is also a director and part-time actor. He has studied at the Gotham Writers Workshop. 

PictureMichael W. Reid
How did you get started in screenwriting?

I became interested in screenwriting after reading Taxi Driver as a teenager. I also read all the works by Ingmar Bergman.

What is your pre-writing process?

I like to think about my subject before I write. I like to make an outline before I begin. I believe you must know where you are going before you begin.


What part of screenwriting do you find most difficult? 

I think the most difficult part of screenwriting is grammar. It is very important to know grammar.

What was the most rewarding moment of your career so far? 

I belong to a meet-up group for screenwriters. I believe it’s rewarding to speak to others and get their opinion of what you are writing. It may hurt sometimes, but it's rewarding.

Who are your favorite screenwriters? What are your favorite movie or TV scripts?

A couple of my favorite screenwriters are Aaron Sorkin, Ed Burns and Woody Allen. Some of my favorite movie scripts are Taxi Driver, The Tenant, Juno, and The Seventh Seal. Breaking Bad is my favorite TV script to read. 

What’s next for you? What projects or screenplays are you working on now?

I am currently working on a short film called Retribution— three victims exact revenge on a serial killer from the afterlife.

What advice or tips would you give to aspiring screenwriters:

My advice I would give is: pay attention in English class, learn the format and tell a good story.

Any specific screenwriting books you would recommend? 

I would recommend Pilar Alessandra’s book “The Coffee Break Screenwriter”; it really breaks down everything, especially rewriting. Also, “Screenplay” by Syd Field.

Connect with Michael on his Twitter profile or LinkedIn profile. You can also visit his production company's Facebook page.

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Screenwriter Spotlight: Rufus Chaffee

7/21/2015

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Interviewed by Audrey Larson

Rufus Chaffee has been making and writing movies since he was 8 years old. He graduated in 1999 with a Masters in Film and Video Production from Emerson College and has written 20 features and numerous short scripts. He has also made 2 feature films.

PictureRufus Chaffee
How did you get into screenwriting? 

I didn't really get into screenwriting, I have always been a screenwriter. When I was in middle school I just started writing scripts and my friends and I would make them. I got more serious about it as I got older when I started reading other scripts and books on screenwriting. While I also direct and produce, I look at myself as a screenwriter first and foremost. 

What is your pre-writing process? Do you plan a lot or jump right in to writing?
 
I am too impatient to do a lot of planning so I am more of the jump in type but there are some things I always have to do first. Once I get the idea, I'll first come up with a one sentence logline to describe it. It doesn't have to be a perfect or groundbreaking logline, just a good focused sentence. Once I have that I am confident I truly know what I'm writing about and I'll expand it to a paragraph and then a page. If I have a good one-page outline that's when I'll often start writing my script. Sometimes I'll go longer on the outline, sometimes I'll use index cards to outline it-- but for the most part I just need a good solid one pager with a beginning middle and end so I have an idea of what I'm doing. However, it all starts with that sentence and having a basic focused idea to launch from. 

What part of writing a script do you find most difficult? 

Oddly enough it's character names. I struggle with that because every name sounds stupid and when you're naming a character it has to feel right. If we are talking about the writing process it's usually pages 35-50 because that's when you're initial enthusiasm has died, a new idea has popped into your head that always seems far more exciting and the end seems so far away. The most important thing is to push through that because every new idea always seems better because it's new and you'll get stuck in a cycle of writing 30 pages and giving up if you do that.

"...if you're going to present something to the world it should be something you love, not something that is written to please others."
What do you find most rewarding about screenwriting? 

Finishing the first draft. When I know I completed the thought and it will no longer be terrorizing my brain. Yes I will do rewrites and polishes, but that is all much easier than creating a world from scratch and completing the idea. 

Who are your favorite screenwriters? What are your favorite movie or TV scripts? 

I find much of the great writing is on TV now. Vince Gilligan with Breaking Bad and Matthew Weiner with Mad Men do amazing work and those are shows that 20 years ago would have been feature films. Game of Thrones is always fantastic. With feature films I love Charlie Kaufman, Michael Mann and Quentin Tarrantino. Alexander Payne does great stuff and JC Chandor is quietly putting together an impressive string of films.

If you got to write the screen adaptation of any book, what would it be? 

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It would blend my two greatest passions - running and film.The story of that book is incredible and I've been thinking about adapting it forever but the rights have been purchased already. 

What’s next for you? What projects or screenplays are you working on right now?

I've been trying to get one of my scripts made so it's caused me to turn more towards the business and directing side of things. I'm making a short film in August and then in the fall I think I'll try to see if anything inspires me. I go through these phases where I feel dry for creative ideas and like I'll never have another good idea but something always pops in my head. It's good to let your brain recharge sometimes and not work on anything for a few days, weeks or months.

What advice or tips would you give to aspiring screenwriters? 

If you are working on a screenplay, write every day. It's a discipline and you force yourself to write new pages every day whether you know what you are going to write or not. 1 page, 10 pages-- just write. Get a routine and stick to it. Once you loose the momentum it's very difficult to get it back. Beyond that, write the movie you want to see. Everybody else will tell you what it should be or what you should change but that is the movie they want to see. You are the gatekeeper and need to keep your voice so don't feel like you have to listen (unless they are actually producing the movie or investing in it). In the end, if you're going to present something to the world it should be something you love, not something that is written to please others.
To learn more, you can visit the website for The Muse -- a feature film Rufus Chaffee wrote, directed, and produced. 
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Launching Summer of Screenwriting

7/15/2015

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By Audrey Larson

You may have heard about our exciting new program Summer of Screenwriting. It’s free and open to youth 18 and under. And the best part— you can live across the country from us and still participate! We’re so excited to see kids sign up from California, Oregon, Montana, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and New York (in addition to our home-base of New England). 

Why did we start this program? 
  1. We love screenwriting
  2. It’s hard to find resources for youth on the subject
  3. Most kids like movies or TV
  4. But many kids have never seen or read a screenplay, let alone written one
  5. And have we mentioned we love screenwriting?

Our goal is to introduce kids and teens to screenwriting by providing hand-picked resources, videos, tips, spotlights on successful screenwriters, and everything else they’ll need to get started on their own screenplay. We’re even running a contest for New England residents to submit their short (max 20 pages) script to win prizes. 

I got interested in screenwriting many years ago, before I was interested in filmmaking. I liked writing, especially novel writing. The more I practiced screenwriting, the more I realized that I think very visually— which lends itself well to screenwriting. I soon found it was easier for me to express my vision as a screenplay. 

I also found that I didn’t know anyone else my age who was screenwriting. That’s why an important element of Summer of Screenwriting is connecting young writers. We created a private Facebook group for participants to share, discuss, and connect with each other. We’ll also be doing several live stream discussions or chats that participants can listen and participate in. FYP’s Young Writers Meet-Ups are also a great opportunity for local participants to join together, play games, and discuss screenwriting. 

And don't think that Shay and I won’t also be participating! We are working on FYP's next short film script-- so we’ll be writing along with everyone this Summer. 
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Attending the "Best of the 48-Hour Film Project"

7/6/2015

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PictureArriving at the theatre
By Shay Martin

Recently, Audrey and I attended the Best of The Boston 48-Hour Film Project 2015 screening and awards at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA. It was a really great experience and we wanted to share it with you. For those of you who don't know what the 48-Hour Film Project is, you can visit their website here. It's a really cool project and worth checking out. 

The only way I can describe the Kendall Square Cinema is an alternative movie theater. In addition to standard new releases, it shows many films that you won't see at other theaters, including independent films, restored classics, and foreign films. It also hosts many local premieres, benefit screenings, and film festivals. But that's not the only way it's different. Your first clue that you are not in a standard movie theater is the menu: filled with all the theater classics like popcorn, candy, soda and water, it also goes further. Much further. It includes not only refreshments, but dinner items, and specialized food like vegan cookies and edamame. Very cool!

Once in our theater, we watched a total of sixteen short films and were blown away by the quality that these filmmakers managed to inject into their films in only 48 hours! There were some truly great moments on the screen in front of us. It was very inspiring to realize what can be done in two days—even in film. We can attest to how much goes into producing even a short film. We were impressed with ourselves because we made “Drawing Inspiration” in one week, but that didn't include editing. These filmmakers made their entire films, start to finish, idea to post-production, in 48 hours. I can barely comprehend it, let alone impress upon someone else the enormity of the achievement. Especially because they were actually pretty good! 

A couple of my favorites were DIEnamics, Holiday For Hire, Note-worthy, Human Family Unit, Rhyme And Punishment, Los Locos Dientes, DynoCorp, and Take Two. Of course they had rough spots; most films do. But I would watch any of these films again. Not to belittle the other eight films in any way. Their accomplishments are still tremendous and I think it's safe to say that every single film screened had at least two strong points. These are just my personal favorites. 
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"Dynocorp" took home the highest honor of the night
After the screening, there was an awards ceremony with some great prizes (see full winners list here). It was very fun to watch. They even added two categories that didn't previously exist because they wanted to award particular things that certain films did.  Audrey and I were of course pleased to see a category for young women in film, presented by Women in Film New England. The big winner of the night, the winner of “Best Film”, was DynoCorp. But the film that won in the most categories (by a lot), and was runner up, was BOS > LAX. I would love to include more information about the films and a quick review, but that would make this very long. Perhaps another blog post?

Some of the films are available to watch on online (though sadly not the winners or Take Two.) For your convenience, I've included the links to the those titles that I could find (see below). Which is your favorite? What were you most impressed by in these films? Have you had any experiences with the 48-Hour Film Project? Comment below. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Links: 

DIEnamics
Human Family Unit
Holiday for Hire
Note-Worthy
Los Locos Dientes
Rhyme and Punishment
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Shay Martin
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Audrey Larson
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