The Invisible Men
See the writer?Something happened to a colleague of mine that epitomizes what I call the “The Invisible Writer” snub. She and her husband are one of the credited writers of Disney’s upcoming remake of The Shaggy Dog. A day or so ago, they read the following quote in The Hollywood Reporter from the director of the film, referring to himself, the producer and the star, Tim Allen.
In our case, we felt we wanted to carry on the tradition of the father sort of having to bear the weight of the burden of turning into a dog. And it just gave Tim a great opportunity to play all that sort of fantastic physical comedy that comes into play when the dog mannerisms are overtaking the human — such as sticking your face into a cereal bowl instead of using your spoon to eat cereal and all these dog instincts. When you go to kiss your wife goodbye you can’t help but lick her face rather than kiss her. Things like that. Tim was just incredibly embracing of the whole physical part of the role and had a lot of fun with it.
Hmmm. Where are the writers? Oh. Here they are…in another quote from the director.
We definitely beat our heads against the wall with a few writers.
Here’s the interesting part. My writer friends attest that they had a great relationship with this director. So why would he talk like this? They resent the generic reference to “writers” that had to be overcome, and they certainly weren’t happy to read a quote that ascribed the authorship of creative decisions and specific jokes to practically everyone but them!
I remember watching a press junket for one of my movies. When asked about the script, the director didn’t even mention my name. In fact, all she did was talk about her favorite lines that weren’t scripted!
“How was the process from script to film?”
“It was great. We found a ton of stuff while we were shooting. Just ad libbing, coming up with jokes on the set. My favorite line in the movie wasn’t even in the script!”
Uh huh. Why you little….
So why does this happen (and boy, does it happen all the time)? Are directors that egotistical? Are they purposefully ignoring writers because of enmity? Are they intentionally characterizing writers as obstacles because they really believe they are (and are they)? Are they overemphasizing the authorial contributions of actors because it’s a good business move?
All possible, but I have a different theory.
I think directors de-emphasize the writer and overemphasize all non-writer contributions to the movie because they are flat out frightened that their actual contributions are insignificant in the face of what we, the writers, have contributed.
Yes, directors often believe in the auteur theory. But doesn’t that theory strike some of you as overcompensating? Isn’t it the academic equivalent of a 50 year-old man with erectile dysfunction tooling around town in a Lamborghini, his arm around a stripper?
The truth is that directing is very hard. And acting? Also hard. Still, when you direct a film from someone else’s script, you’re itching to prove to the world that you didn’t just follow someone else’s paint-by-numbers instructional manual for making the film.
This holds especially true for comedies, where so much of the apparent value of the film is in the dialogue or the concepts. It turns out that directing comedy is perhaps the hardest of all directing skills, because it requires an enormous talent for timing and tone.
The thing is, people don’t know they’re laughing at timing and tone. They think they’re just laughing at the idea of, say, a man getting his chest hair waxed off. They are, but they’re also laughing at the performance of the actor, the realistic tone of the scene, the timing of the cut between set ups, punches and reactions, the presence or lack of score, the framing, the…
…well, all the directing stuff.
Directors and actors know that’s all going on, but they also know that the writer who dreamed the bit up in the first place is the real hero. It’s only human to want to then crow about the very things that you think the audience will appreciate you for as a director. Besides, if you don’t, then what the hell did you do, right?
Okay, so that’s my theory about why directors pull this crap.
Now here’s my plea to them.
Stop it. Please, please, please just stop it. It’s a much stronger move to acknowledge the positive relationship you had with your writers. It’s a much more confident projection to credit them for their wonderful ideas. It makes you look smart for working with them, it makes the movie sound more literate and crafted, and, quite frankly, it’s the moral thing to do.
The whole world automatically credits the director more than the writer. Don’t be greedy. When the little voice in your head prods you to talk about that great line you came up with on the set because you don’t want people to see you as somehow diminished by the achievements of the writer, ignore it. Praise the writers instead. Be humble. If the development was difficult, don’t blame the writers. Thank them for prevailing against tough circumstances or cracking a tricky problem.
You’re the director. You control what the audience will see and hear.
Let them see and hear us.
We’ve earned it. And no matter what you might fear, your star won’t lose a single watt of shine.
craig
a very small percentage of the public is aware of the existance of writers in the movie-making process, but most aren’t. certainly, if asked, most people know there is such a thing as a screenwriter, and what that person does, but, in general the perception of movies is that they are created by directors and actors (and studios, prodcos, distibutors, etc), not screenwriters.
this is the way it’s always been. writers have always been invisible. the solution is not to beg the industry to stop it please please please, it’s to become a producer or actor or director so that more of the limelight is yours. the public is much more aware of high-profile directors and producers (and obviously actors). otherwise, roll with the punches because nothing is going to change. ever. i don’t really see what difference it makes. if a director will not credit the writer in an interview it’s because he knows the people that will read the interview are not interested. perhaps he is wrong. but, i believe this is why this happens. the public is at fault here not the movie industry. the public simply does not care about the writer - they care about the glamorous movie star (and who they’re sleeping with, and whether their marriage is about to break up, etc).
who are you kidding? do you really think the average guy wants to hear the director go on about the writer? no way. he wants to hear about working with (whichever) actress. same for the average gal - she wants to know if the leading man is still dating the same woman.
while ‘the hollywood reporter’ may not be a mainstream publication, it’s hard to blame a director for not mentioning the writer - he is simply used to it (press junkets are endless interviews [almost all of which are for superficial publications and/or tv shows]). it’s not really possible switch from the ‘appeal to the broadest market’ mode to the ‘industry nitty gritty’ mode at the drop of a hat. give the guy a break. if it was me, i would mention the writer and all their work, but that’s because i’m a writer. the question is: will it ever be me that is interviewed? probably not. why? because i’m the writer, and…who cares what the writer has to say. a crystal-clear paradox if i ever knew of one.
i don’t think it’s fear upon realizing of how important the writer’s contribution is that makes a director (or whoever) decline to acknowledge said contribution. i think it’s the understanding of how the media works and the need to make what you say in an interview accessible to the masses - that is don’t turn people off - that is; get the masses interested in the product - that is; get good box office - that is; keep your career going.
and here, i think, lies the rub. the bottom line is flash, glam, appealing to the most people (very often the lowest common denominator) and money, not who wrote the damn script. this is our lot in life. embrace it (or, if you like, keep bitching). it’s still a free country
z
This swings both ways.
How many times do you hear a writer, when interviewed, praise the director? (More often than vice versa, I’ll wager.) Or hear the editor praise the sound engineer? The Costume designer praise the SFX team?
Fact is, movies are an aggregation of many singular talents, cogs of many shapes and sizes. Some cogs are shiny and noisy, others tiny and hidden but equally crucial to the overall smooth running of the show.
I think it’s natural for a director to focus on his or her role instead of worrying about who to thank in the brief time available in an interview.
Yes, the writer is the Alpha and the Director the Omega in the movie-making lifecycle. But why stop at acknowledging the Writer? Shouldn’t the Director reach further back and thank the Producers for lining up the money and talent to transfer the script to film?
So, no, I don’t think this issue needs to be tooled into a big deal. Sure, it’s polite to be humble and thankful, but it’s no prerequisite. After all, that’s what credits are for :-)
andrew
ah, yes! i do agree. that is what credits (and paychecks) are for. accepting the nature of the beast is in order.
how many people get to make movies or even get their voice heard at all? complacency isn’t what’s called for but neither is banging your head against a wall. i think it’s a matter of perspective. life is full of insults. what bothers you, what doesn’t - it’s relative, it’s how you see it.
i’ll accept my lot in life, even if it’s to be a successful hollywood writer
z
hey, that last part is quotable. i want credit (and a paycheck if it’s in the cards)
I think the reason for all this “ghost writing” actually has 2 answers. And I believe both of them to be really true.
1. Some of these Directors are jerks.
Simple, yes but sometimes alarmingly true. I did promise a second reason. Here it is:
A couple of blog entries ago, we were all entrenched in a debate about the status of writers which raised up to 266 posts! A record, I think. In the middle of this debate, Oscar Nominated Screenwriter, Josh Olson said something very interesting. He said:
“Many writers are hermetic creatures, they live in caves and fear daylight.”
I believe this to be 100% true. I also believe that this is a problem.
About 15 years ago there was a screenwriter who became quite famous. His specs sold for record breaking prices, studios loved him (Joel Silver loved him more), and he was always in the trades.
His name was Shane Black. Cue the Music…
Believe it or not I know that there are some people on here that are thinking, “Who?”. Kind of makes sense. Shane Black then ain’t Shane Black now. Shane Black Now writes scripts and pilots that are imitations of well…Shane Black Then. But there was something interesting about Shane Black. He didn’t have a lightly receding Jew fro. He didn’t wander around LA in jogging pants and a trenchcoat. No, Shane Black acted and looked like…A STAR. His writing was good, yes but the way he looked definitely attributed to his success.
Then there was Joe Eszterhas. Not quite what you’d call “A Looker” but there was something very Rock & Roll about him. Kind of like an overweight Tommy Lee.
When marketing a movie, the audience wants to see all the dynamic and pretty people. But The Actors aren’t the only ones who are looking good. Nowadays, even The Directors look like stars. Shit, Len Wiseman looks like Tom Cruise!
Writers need to get it together and put on the glamour face. Only then will the marketing people start to make an effort to publicize the writer.
Is this fair? Well, I don’t know what fair means here. Should writers have to clean up and look good to get in front of some cameras? Everyone else does.
Hey, it’s 2006. Actors look like Brad Pitt. Directors look like George Clooney. And Screenwriters look like…Adam Corolla meets Jimmy Kimmel.
Shave, Shower, and Go To The Gym.
Kevin, that cracked me up (and I do mean cracked). Lord forbid any of us should become a name that can be left dangling in mid sentence with no further explanation (save for a quick roll of they eyes). “Nothing exceeds like excess.”
The proportion of writers who want to be celebs is, I propose, exceedingly small. Yes, perhaps we want our ugly mugshot on the cover of Screenwriting and Good Housekeeping Weekly, but that’s a peer thing. The payoff is not supposed to be a paparazzi photo of you and Colin Farrell slugging tequila slammers (and then slugging each other) at the Viper Room. The payoff is sitting in that dark cinema, slouched in your chair, waiting for the final credits to roll, waiting for that thirty-something couple beside you to yawn or go ‘wow’.
To quote a famous gentleman who was as potent with his pen as his sword:
DE GUICHE: But when a verse approves itself to him He pays it dear, good friend.
CYRANO: He pays less dear Than I myself; when a verse pleases me I pay myself, and sing it to myself!
(I do prefer the Ferrer 1950 film quote for this, “I pay myself a thousand times” IIRC)
kevin
agree. some directors are jerks, but you find jerks in every walk of life. you find ridiculous situations that must be endured. all of us do: clerks in stores, people in offices who work dead end jobs for decades, anybody anywhere including screenwriters (and directors, execs, agents, et al).
also agree - most screenwriters look like slobs. if i were a top dog exec and drove a mercedes and wore thousand-dollar suits, and i had a problem being seen with a slovenly inarticulate writer that always managed to embarrass everyone in his sphere of infuence - could you blame me? i’m sorry, but most writers aren’t cool (not hollywood cool). they can’t get themselves invited to events, dress like high school schlubs, and carry a lot of resentment. who needs it?
hollywood is all image. it’s face. it’s super cool. you can’t miss a beat. you have to deliver every time. you got to have the goods. most writers do not fit this bill.
yeah, life is a bitch. the answer is to adapt, rise to the occasion, and bring more talent and work harder than the next guy. if you really can do something to change the status quo, then do it. if not, it might be better to just go along get along.
oh, and getting a hundred dollar hair cut and hitting the gym wouldn’t hurt. get yourself invited to a sexy party, introduce yourself around, tell some funny-ass jokes, and flirt with some hot babes. then get back to me with a well-written script. can you do that?
z
It isn’t just Hollywood that is all glam on the publicity circuit. Just look at novelists. More specifically, look at the well-groomed mugshots that appear on their dust jackets and book tour posters.
Jesus, it’s not enough to make up the entire story and characters from inside our heads, we have to be funny, cool, and good looking too?
The old “become a producer or director” chestnut seems to have popped up again, too. Why the hell should we have to do all that? All we want is our proper credit, and a bit of respect, just like anyone else. Of course, we could just start bigging ourself up a bit, mention our achievements without fawning over the director. They’d soon get the message if we were as dismissive of them as they are of us…
Being presentable isn’t that difficult. But honestly, a lot of this discussion is procrasturbation; the “glamour” that directors get that writers don’t is confined to LA and a relatively small number of movie buffs scattered around the world.
Most movie-goers would be pressed to name 2 directors (probably Spielberg and Lucas), while they’d have no trouble giving you 20 actor’s names.
When it comes to the audience, directors are almost as non-existent as writers.
All the fuss about glamour/prestige/A-film-by only matters to people in the industry and movie buffs.
Indeed — if you want to be a writer-auteur, with the attendant ass-smooching and back-slapping, stick with novel writing. You’ll wrestle with just one bear: your editor. And there’s no danger you’ll see your editor on E.T. spouting lines like “… yeah, and I wanna also thank the cover designer — great work there by Nancy. And… oh, crazy me, I almost forgot to thank the author!”
To be a screenwriter-auteur, you have to do a Cameron (or a Welles — hey, I didn’t want to intimidate you THAT much!). You have to know you’ll have creative control all down the line. I was about to say ‘Like with Craig and The Specials’ but I just checked imdb and James Gunn scribed that one. Well, at least Craig can take credit for launching Thomas Haden Church’s comicbook-character career! (Can’t wait for Spidey 3) My kids love THC in George of the Jungle… [mouthful of steaming elephant dung] “That was nowhere near properly digested!” hehe.
Isn’t there something in it of “the moor has done his duty, the moor can go”?
Directors suffer. They work together with a lot of specialists, and each of them knows more about his work then a director does, in most cases.
Power-people are, like everybode else, very ambivalent. They need writers. That’s why they want to work with them. But very often, that’s exactly why they, deep in their heart: hate them. Writers are the proove for their inperfection. So, sometimes, somewhere, the time will come to get rid of them.
Of course, not every director is this way. But a few are. Well, some. Actually, quite a lot.
While I agree that the writer-snub also has a lot to do with the media (i.e., writers make boring news)…
Directors “bang their heads against the wall” with actors EVERY DAY in pre-production and on the set, and yet you’ll rarely if ever hear them say so in the press…even though it’d make exciting news.
Is that because directors respect actors more than writers? Or are they more afraid of offending them? I wonder…
You know its funny, I could take my top ten favorite movies, or the last ten movies I saw…and probably hit 95-100% of the names of the directors.
But with both lists, maybe only 50-75%…realistically with the last 10 movies I saw…20%.
Maybe it’s lack of attention while I’m trying to simply enjoy myself. Perhaps it’s because they rtump you over the head with the Big 3 (Two stars and the Director)…
Regardless, maybe we can change the attention from the bottom up? (er…)
Very few movie spectators know who wrote or directed a film, just as very few people know who the achitects are of most corporate office parks.
Craig,
Thank you for this post - I felt it addressed an issue that is very important and very topical and I hope you can weigh in more and more upon it in future days.
To Whomever it was that said they never hear a writer praise a director - I call bullshit on that - when in fact the writer is interviewed at all, usually the first thing they do is praise the director, especially when the director is worthy of praise.
To whomever wrote that (i think that there were two of you going back an forth on the subject) it seems, just from your viewpoint and rhetoric, that you hate writers. Felt that way, anyway.
Kevin (who does’t hate writers) I have an issue with the misfit quote from JO - not all and not even most writers are anti-social misfits - you’ve met me and you know that’s true - some are, sure, but so are some directors (love that indie-director of Queens Blvd in Entourage) - it’s not really about how socialible a person is - I know many, many social writers (some of whom have blogs and lots of friends) so the dissing of the writers isn’t a social issue.
It really is an issue of ownership, as Craig says - directors want to feel that they owned something completely (they’ll do it when it comes to casting, even if they never suggested someone for a part, etc, they’ll do it with regards to the lighting of the picture, the music) - and it’s especially galling if only because the writers contribution to a project is at least equal to the creative contribution of the director and actors - I think it’s more, but you would at least agree it’s at least equal.
It happens in theatre too, just last month in an OffBway show I was a part of, the director went out of his way to diminish the contribution of the writers, for no reason other than to make himself more important.
And here’s the thing - it hurts him, the director, in the end, because really good writers will now not work with him again (there were six of us on that project) just for that one action he took.
I like that Craig makes the same point film directors at the end of the post. Damn, Craig and I are actually agreeing? I’m defending Craig’s POV to Kevin?
Hell’s frozen over, folks - it’s a whole new paradigm.
“All writer look like slobs”
Funny story, when my first play THE MEN’S ROOM was produced in New York, I was called in for a bunch of meetings with development execs at different companies in town, this and that. I was young and didn’t have any screenplays, no other plays even. I just had this one thing and it wasn’t really a movie, it was a play. I didn’t even have an agent then.
But I figured, they want to meet me and possibly give me work. So I showed up for my meetings in a suit and tie.
Freaked them out, it seems. Later on, one of the DE’s became one of my friends and told me never, ever dress up when I go to a meeting with DE’s. He said, “it freaks them out because that’s how they dress and they don’t know how to deal with you if you’re not dressed as a creative - you’re supposed to be wearing a baseball caps and jeans because that’s what creatives wear” -
Ever since then, I’ve gone into meetings unshaven and wearing motorcycle boots. And things picked up after that.
Josh Friedman wrote a whole wonderful post on his site about wearing sweats to meetings and why we have to - it all rung true to me.
I don’t see what your point is?
My boss takes credit for my work all the time. It sucks but its also a fact of life, and It’s just one more reason to work hard and move up the corporate ladder.
Basically, I do agree with you Joshua—I hope everyone’s made their peace with God, the Apocalypse is coming!
Some Directors are truly egomaniacs and they want to appear like Redbeard, piloting the out of control ship into 2500 theatres.
But I do have to say that most screenwriters, at least the hundreds that I’ve met, don’t look like you or me. In 13 years you’re the only other martial artist I’ve met (sorry folks, Tae Kwon Do don’t count!). Most screenwriters really do look like Adam Goldberg on his 3rd day of binge drinking.
While it’s true that wearing a suit is death for a screenwriter in a meeting, I think that the sweat pants ensemble really isn’t doing much for us either.
But I will say this: If I ever hear another Director talking about being an Auteur, I’m gonna deliver a roundhouse to the head like Ernesto Hoost!:)
Craig:
“We definitely beat our heads against the wall with a few writers.”
I understood this to mean: ‘We and a few writers definitely beat our heads against the wall’. Not that the writers had to be overcome.
… plus:
I think it’s entirely possible that the director mentioned the names of the writers but the HR interviewer didn’t bother to include them in the article.
“Tae Kwon Do don’t count!”
I think Bruce Lee’s animated corpse would take exception to that.
“Tae Kwon Do don’t count!”
I think Bruce Lee’s animated corpse would take exception to that.
Why? He didn’t practice Tae Kwon Do.
Kevin, I think I’m the only other person on this list who knows who Ernesto Hoost is besides you - I like Hoost because he ain’t ripped and roided out - he’s got a body that looks like he’s thrown down a few brews, you know?
I personally admire the japanese Pride fighter Gomi - that guy’s a maniac.
And now for a quick Bruce Lee casual aside for everyone in the gallery- for those that don’t know, B. Lee got his start as a boy in wing chun kung fu (trained under an instructer called Yip Man) and later complimented it with a wide variety of styles including but not limited to juijitso, judo, karate, boxing and especially escrima, then incorporated it into his own art which he called Jeet Kune Do (way of the intercepting fist) - he never studied tae kwon do, though chuck norris has claimed that he introduced high kicks to Bruce one night after a tournament (Chuck also claims that Dubya is one of our best presidents ever, so make your own decision on his judgment) - Chuck is a karate man, but his system is really tang soo do, an early forefather of modern day tae kwon do, which is why a lot of the kicks look similar to tkd. Norris brought the system to the US from Korea and called it karate because he figured no one knew or cared what Tang Soo Do was or where Korea was. And he probably figured that Japan, Korea, they’re all Asian, who cares?
But it is true Norris trained with Lee, though moreso (according to actual letters by Lee) as Lee’s student than contemporary. Lee trained early kickboxer Joe Lewis as well as Norris and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
And while Lee was a sponge for all the arts, one could not say that he was or ever studied or practiced Tae Kwon Do or Tang Soo Do. He trained himself and the only teacher he ever acknowledged was Yip Man.
Thus endeth the Bruce Lee aside.
And I really agree with Kevin on tkd, but it’s too bad. At one point, Tae Kwon Do could claim status as a legit martial art, but has unfortunately slid way down since the late eighties.
See Kevin, I’m telling you, we need to do a martial art movie together if we can ever find a way to get along and agree with each other, we’d crack out a damn good one - I’ll write it, you produce it - put it on a post-it and stick it to the refrigerator for future shit we gotta do.
What doubly sucks is that reviewers will inevitably blame the writer or at least the screenplay for a cruddy movie.
I think it’s just business, Craig. Simple branding. The public and industry press statements serve to keep the director’s name associated with whatever was good about the film. The fear is real, not of the screenwriter’s art or craft, but of a town that might not credit them, keep them hot and keep them working. Their agents read those quotes, Studio execs read those quotes. Anything good is theirs, which is why you should hire them again. I suspect some of them aren’t thrilled to play the credit-grab game, but fear drives them. “Sorry to do this to you, screenwriters, but it’s how the town works and if I don’t, everyone else will and I’ll be at a competitive disadvantage.” The ones who are able to believe the words as they hear them come out of their lips are the most successful.
On the tangent: Bruce Lee not only didn’t practice TKD, he was not a fan. He once asked a top student (D.I.), “what’s the least efficient technique you can think of?” The student suggested the rear hand reverse punch from a linear japanese or korean style (longest distance to target, telegraphic, etc.) Lee said, “okay, that’s the only technique I’ll use. You can use anything you want.” They sparred, Lee limited to the one technique, and he punished him with a weak technique using superior timing and distance. His premise was it was the man, not the art, and how he made it his own.
Good one, John -
one of the primary differences between the Japanese and Korean styles (besides the fact that Korean styles use feet more than hands and Japanese is the reverse) is the fact that (and this is just the majority) a lot of the korean techniques are non-linear (like wheel kick) - most old school karate techniques are strictly linear (like Shorien Rye or Shotokan) for the reason you mentioned, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Norris, by naming a Korean style with a japanese label, confused things forever in america as a result.
Being a Kung Fu man, Lee didn’t subscribe necessarily to linear or non- he focused simply on what worked most efficiantly for whomever he was teaching - in other words, the fighter doesn’t necessarly adapt to the style, but rather the reverse (which is why it would be silly for Kareem to do judo exclusively, his hips are higher than most folk’s heads) - but they key word was efficiency -
I think it’s HILARIOUS that we just hijacked Craig’s site to talk about martial arts. So here’s one more:
I started out in Tae Kwon Do and after 2 years I wanted to switch. I searched all around and found a Shaolin Kung Fu school that taught Kung Fu, Chinese Boxing, and Muay Boran (pretty much Muay Thai). I had no idea what Muay Thai, or much less Muay Boran was back then.
Now when you go to this school, you have to spar with someone so the sifu knew what your skill level was.
I got destroyed in the 1st round.
And I also fell in love with practical martial arts. Back in the days, much like The Karate Kid, different martial art schools actually competed against each other in tournaments in Long Island. We fought against Tiger Shulman’s Karate, Y.H. Park’s Tae Kwon Do, and even Mike Ryan’s Jeet Kune Do (which is a style WILDLY misinterpreted over the years). We beat every school in about 2 rounds. I actually won the championship 2 years in a row.
Practical and Efficient Martial Arts will win every time.
Josh, I was actually supposed to do a writing assignment for New Line Cinema involving heavy martial arts. Maybe your idea is not far off! ;)
Sorry, Craig.
Kevin,
I’m ready to make the movie when you are!;)
Send me a link off-list to your school - I’m looking to get back into training this summer -
Thanks -
Sorry for the hijack, Craig.
The school doesn’t have a website. It’s pretty old school. It’s called Asian American Martial Arts and it was located in Plaindome. The sifu was Winston Omega. It might be closed.
This was awhile ago…;)
So, uh…screenwriting, huh?
By the way, the trailer for Scary Movie 4 looks hilarious! Craig Bierko doesn’t get to do enough comedy. Good stuff!
Okay, so let’s say I may be going in for some meetings in the next few weeks (agencies, producers etc.). Let’s also say I do dress well (and by well I mean contemporary and a little metrosexual). I’m not going to rock out in a suit by any means, and I don’t tuck my shirts in, but do I really need to worry about not appearing sloppy? I only ask because a few writer friends of mine have told me that I shouldn’t dress well on any level.
You also need to understand that the majority of the press stop taking notes the second a writer begins to talk at the press junket.
I got my Kwon Dos mixed up.
It is alarmingly apparent that the re-animated corpse of Bruce Lee would not only NOT take exception to your words, but use his undead powers and considerable Jeet prowess to vanquish the evil Kwon Do from the face of the earth.
My bad.
ONe guy,
it needs to be a look that works for you, you know? You just cannot look like one of the suits (zookeepers) but find the look that’s right for you - metrosexual casual is good for some, leather motorcycle boy for others (mine) - geek chic is big right now (napoloeon dynamite) -
this is what my friends tell me - me, I was grunge when grunge wasn’t cool, so it was an easy call for me.
REALITY CHECK:
Craig just opened his blog, read all the inane posts, and punched his assistant in the face.
According to previous reports, Craig’s assistant is a rather large young man - so perhaps he just said something snippy …
If anyone doubted that real writers hang out on this forum, that doubt just PHOOOFED! [bright eruption of smoke and sparks].
GET BACK TO YOUR SCREENPLAY, YOU LAZY S… oh my, is that a bluejay outside my window [quickly receeding footsteps]… LOL.
Uh…
whuh….???
That was certainly unexpected. :)
It’s funny. At the AMPAS site the nominations for adapted and original screenplay are at the very end. Does the industry have a grudge or what?
http://www.oscars.org/78academyawards/noms.html
I agree with Kevin Arbouet’s post about being somewhat of a looker. Not to say you have to look like a model or anything, but I imagine it’d help if you didn’t actually look like a writer.
Good post, Kevin.
Back on topic for a sec. I’m probably being generous here, but what I think is happening is that the interview with the director is usually taking place one to two years after the script is locked. In that time all the interesting stuff has happened and the director has built up the anecdotes that interviewers are looking for. Most of all, he’s developed personal relationships with the cast and crew, so when it’s time to dish out the props, they’re first in line.
If the writer is on-set and working to fix problems, then he/she becomes part of the royal “we” which includes the producer.
Producers also get shorted on the kudos, the poor slobs.
oh, woe is me!
my phone rings off the hook with offers to make more money in a week than most make in a year… but, i’d have to be an invisible man! the s.o.b. i just talked to told me my writing was superlative (how long had he been waiting to slip that into a conversation?[he’s always slipping something into something]). he said he could not do this project without my adroit ability. he said i was the only writer that could wring all the character and drama from the plot. he said he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
he takes me for a fool! i’ll just bet he’s on the phone right now reading that same spiel to another writer and i’ll just bet i know who that hack is!
why should i take it? for the huge $$$$$$$? to see my story unfold magically on screen? to see my name roll past? (as the ungrateful audience files out, not even bothering to ooh or aah at the glorious sight of the writer’s name (me) on the big screen). why? in the next interview he’d only fail to name me (or, worse. take credit for the story as his own)!!! bastard!!!!!
look at me! forced to resort to exclamation points! how low i have sunk! despair itself is upon me!!
!!!!!!!!
i’m quitting this gig and getting some pointless job in an office somewhere. there i will toil in anonymity, and duly recieve the praise of my boss as, at the end of each day, he announces to the whole office what a fine job i’ve done. oh, the glory. the praise. i simply can’t wait. and, do you realize how many three-day weekends there are each year? there’s, well, a lot. i’ll have peace of mind on the weekends, a good career, a steady paycheck, and the encouragement and steady comfort of daily praise (each day) for my work, from my superiors, my peers, and (let’s not forget the little guys), my inferiors.
what joy my new life shall bring(! - exclamation point of joy not anger). what steadiness my new nine to five life shall have! oh! i am unable to continue, so filled with joyous joy at my wonderful and terrific shiny new decision to break free of the horror that is being a hollywood screenwriter.
oh!
but, before i go allow me to express my heartfelt sorrow, nay, pity, for those of you who continue with your dreary life of hollywood scribitude. oh, you poor condemned souls! how i weep for you. but, persevere. stay strong. the hell of development shall give way to the glory of the great post-production in the sky! you shall know perpetual back-end points! you shall be saved in the next life (perhaps you will be reborn an Exalted — say an editor, or an effects guy - those guys get all the credit (and a lot of tail).
so i bid you farewell. but, before i go, one last comment for those who have forced me out. those whose thoughtless comments have given me no recourse than to exile myself from this wicked profession. jerk directors!! may you rot. from hell’s heart i stab at thee!!! bastards
z
This is why we must strike! STRIKE, BROTERS ND SISTERS!!! STRRIIIKKKKKEEEE!
pant pant
Huh, I guess I’m the only one who finds it ironic that the title of this post is “The Invisible MEN ”, when there was clearly a female writer involved in the snub mentioned. Guess we women scribes should be prepared for EVERYONE (including writers) to ignore us.
That is if the “boys” don’t want to “date” us.
Dude, your capitalization skills are superalative.
oh, ben
how long have you been waiting to slip that in?
z
Alan, I’m not earning millions and billions. But even if you are, it’s just a basic moral principle that you don’t take credit for other people’s stuff, or fail to credit their idea. Suppose you’d spent ages working on a report in an office. The guy at the next desk takes it, deletes your name and adds his, hands it to the boss, gets promoted. Illegal? No. Deserving of a punch in the fucking face? Yes. Very much so. I don’t give a shit if you’re earning a billion per script and getting orally pleasured by Japanese virgins while you type. You still deserve not to be ignored or marginalised.
is that what alan was saying? That we writers should just shut up, take the money and let whomever wants to take the credit have it with no lip or nothin’?
I couldn’t tell, I couldn’t make it three sentences into any of his ponderous posts due to excessive adverbs, adjectives and just plain bad scribework.
It could be something simpler than ego or lack of ego or the writer having a mullet — it could be just bad manners.
The advice of “if you don’t have anything good to say, then don’t say anything” got drowned out in the stacatto of flashlight bulbs.
Nerd humor isn’t my thing, but I couldn’t pass that up.
While those comments do reek of sour grapes, it’s not hard to see how the complaints of some appear superficial to those on the outside looking in.
Injustices in all areas are wrong, but what would your reaction be if a multi-billionaire complained about a new tax law that unfairly treated her?
It’s very easy to say “I wish I had your problems” from the outside.
I’m currently on the outside, but I understand how getting due credit is a big deal to working writers. I also understand that there are legions of writers out there who would trade places with any working writer in a heartbeat, problems and all.
Of course I also understand that most of those aspiring writers would end up bitching about the same issues once the honeymoon wore off.
We had a big discussion on this a while ago on my blog. Here was our joint-effort conclusion:
Writing is a lonely existence
As the writer of the script you have little influence on the final film
You have no power as you are invisible to the public
The public don’t know you as what you do is not ‘sexy’
You need to be sexy
One way is to do something else. What we have called a hyphen, eg. writer-director
Another way is to be a ‘brand’. Someone who delivers fresh thinking. eg. Charlie Kaufman
The traditional structure of delivery is about marketing - NOT about making good films.
We want to make good films
So we need to remove as much of the middle man as possible.
If I’m ever fighting over writing credit on the “Shaggy Dog” remake, please kill me.
Precious:
Yes, success is soooooo very painful.
joshua
i checked the first three lines of my posts in this thread. there was no ponderousness apparent and adverbs and adjectives seemed to be used with a ‘normal-to-low’ frequency.
you must have read more than three lines (or perhaps you just got unlucky and picked the three most ponderous lines from some random point other than the beginning).
i think my writing is wonderfully wonderful and concise almost to the point that one can tell where i’m going with something long before i actually get there.
joshua, sir, i object. however, no publicity is bad publicity, so…thanks
z
“i think my writing is wonderfully wonderful and concise almost to the point that one can tell where i’m going with something long before i actually get there.”
Uh-huh. And during my days as a bouncer I knew lots of guys who insisted they drove better drunk.
And James Frey insisted for the longest time he told the “truth” (and can I add, his was a badly written book in a whole lotta ways, and didn’t he have issues with capitalization as well?) until it bit him back in the ass.
It’s fine, you think you’re great. You’re free to do that. I encourage you to do so. Do some great work and sit back happy when a neophyte director takes credit for what you’ve done.
Alan,
This is an issue where speaking from experience trumps speaking from desire. The fact that this job is vastly preferable to digging ditches for a living does not mean that anyone who does it should welcome every insult thrown in their direction.
You labor under the delusion that anyone who does this is so freakishly lucky and so blessed that they should welcome every morning with a great yelp of gratitude to the Maker. It doesn’t seem to occur to you that hard work and talent might have something to do with it, and that perhaps those attributes are worthy of respect.
When I win the lottery, I’ll accept whatever ignominy comes with that freakish bit of luck. This job, on the other hand, is something you earn.
PS: Concise, you ain’t.
Alan, the next time someone drops his pants and takes a wet dump in your Cobb salad, I suggest you eat every morsel without complaint and be thankful that at least you HAVE a Cobb salad, you lucky rich whiny bastard, you.
Meanwhile, to everyone else here:
Yes, it’s true, there are children without development deals in India. That does not invalidate the well-reasoned plaints of professional screenwriters against directors who denigrate or take credit for their work in press interviews.
I am already brainstorming my DVD commentary for DEJA VU. I wonder how Tony Scott would like it when a particularly brilliant shot comes onscreen, and there I am saying, “Ah yes, this opening. I like to use long lenses on all my movies, it gives the frame depth.”
Bill
Do you mean thematic depth or actual depth? Because thematic depth is gained through the use of long lenses (IE the isolation of an individual from their surroundings, which can emphasize the emotion of the character/performance of the actor) and actual depth of field is gained through the use of wide lenses (IE a Terry Gilliam film).
my my. what a wonderfully wonderful thread i’ve written. it was difficult. you know, logging in and posting all these messages. using different names so it doesn’t get boring. but, i’m happy with the result. some posts have one tone, others have another - i like to mix things up.
however, i could not have done it without a minor contribution from craig - i don’t want to forget him. but, that’s enough about him. let’s get back to me and my gloriously glorious thread and all the comments i’ve posted in it. i must say, i’m quite the creative genius. all these posts. all mine. i’m great! let’s all admit it together.
z
It’s not just a question of ego. In the end, it’s about money. A writer’s reputation and the perception of how much heat he or she has directly relates to his or her paycheck. If P.R. didn’t work, there wouldn’t be a P.R. industry. When someone else takes credit for something you created, you don’t get the benefit. Writers are like any product that needs to be sold. Writers are a brand. And they need to advertise. And I’m not talking about advertising to the general public. I’m talking about advertising to the people who write the checks.
haris
you’re flirting with objectivity and clarity of thought. you might want to check that
z
the reality is — fair or unfair — that film is considered a director’s medium. the news media have for years referred to a film as [director]’s [film title], completely ignoring the writer and even the producer who may have originated the idea before hiring a writer. billy wilder got tired of the situation (and having the scripts he wrote misinterpreted by directors) so he decided to direct. other writers have directed to ensure their words aren’t rewritten to oblivion. it’s a safe bet that the directors who want to pretend that writers don’t exist do so because of insecurity about the writer having an ability that that director doesn’t have. so they try to diss the writer and try to build themselves up. but writers are not the only critical ingredients on a film to get ignored. producers, even brand name producers, realize that each film is ultimately at the mercy of the director’s talent and that the reward of recognition tends to go in that direction (quick—who produced capote?). it should be very telling that harvey weinstein, one of the most successful producers, wants to direct. the only way for a writer to get the credit he deserves is to step up and direct his own script. unfortunate, but true.
the reality is — fair or unfair — that film is considered a director’s medium. the news media have for years referred to a film as [director]’s [film title], completely ignoring the writer and even the producer who may have originated the idea before hiring a writer. billy wilder got tired of the situation (and having the scripts he wrote misinterpreted by directors) so he decided to direct. other writers have directed to ensure their words aren’t rewritten to oblivion. it’s a safe bet that the directors who want to pretend that writers don’t exist do so because of insecurity about the writer having an ability that that director doesn’t have. so they try to diss the writer and try to build themselves up. but writers are not the only critical ingredients on a film to get ignored. producers, even brand name producers, realize that each film is ultimately at the mercy of the director’s talent and that the reward of recognition tends to go in that direction (quick—who produced capote?). it should be very telling that harvey weinstein, one of the most successful producers, wants to direct. the only way for a writer to get the credit he deserves is to step up and direct his own script. unfortunate, but true.
the reality is — fair or unfair — that film is considered a director’s medium. the news media have for years referred to a film as [director]’s [film title], completely ignoring the writer and even the producer who may have originated the idea before hiring a writer. billy wilder got tired of the situation (and having the scripts he wrote misinterpreted by directors) so he decided to direct. other writers have directed to ensure their words aren’t rewritten into oblivion. it’s a safe bet that the directors who want to pretend that writers don’t exist do so because of insecurity about the writer having an ability that that director doesn’t have. so they try to diss the writer and try to build themselves up. but writers are not the only critical ingredients on a film to get ignored. producers, even brand name producers, realize that each film is ultimately at the mercy of the director’s talent and that the reward of recognition tends to go in that direction (do you know who produced capote?). it should be very telling that harvey weinstein, one of the most successful producers, wants to direct. the only way for a writer to get the credit he deserves is to step up and direct his own script. unfortunate, but true.
Turning on the commentary of every DVD I watch has become a favorite past-time of mine.
This is what I’ve noticed. Plenty of directors have absolutely wonderful things to say about their writers (at least on the DVDs) — and not just “bumblegum wonderful.” They tell vignettes about how the writers rose to the occasion and transcended a difficult situation caused by budget or other constraints. (This weekend I watched Benny & Joon. The director gave high praise to the writer for rewriting the key scene because the original was too expensive to shoot. His rewrite was so incredible they almost renamed the movie to “its a shame about raisins”)
The real culprit (from my observations) is the media. Entertainment journalists & movie critics seem to consistently dish out criticism directed at the writer which perhaps should be more widely spread around and also to transfer praise that should go to the writer to someone else involved in the film. I don’t know why that is, just something I’ve observed.
Oh, and as far as martial arts go, Tai Kwan Do is as legitimate as any. In any martial art, it begins with the breath and the chi. This is like arguing over who is better, Mozart or Beethoven. So there! (or something, I’m just being silly now)
disagree with you on Tae Kwon Do (I used to teach it for a living) - not that the potential isn’t there within the system, not that there are not good fighters and artists who came out of TKD - but these days, most if not all tkd schools are now advanced day-care with black belt guarantees (sign up for a year, get a black belt!) which is NOT a legit martial art (some karate schools do this too) approach. these days, in america, tkd is only about the money, not the technique or the art form, but the money.
when I was young, in the late eighties, when you saw a 2nd black belt at a tournament you pointed them out to the others because you didn’t see that many - ten years later, you saw scads of thirteen and fourteen year olds with 3rd and 4th degree black belts walking around importantly, kids who could barely do a round kick but their folks paid big bucks for the belt ranks and tourament fees.
So sad but true. TKD sold out, lost its soul, and when the way of the American ninja schools.
If writing a script is providing a paint-by-number instructional manual, anyone who can craft a script worthy of production and able to articulate such an argument must certainly have the wherewithal to direct. Prove it.
Dave, if creating the template for a movie is such an easy thing to do, then directors must certainly have the wherewithal to write. Prove it.
“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” Whether you choose to be a writer, or even educator for that matter, it is to be expected that one should stop whining at what they haven’t received and go figure their ‘area’ out. Learn your business, the business you chose to be involved in, before expecting to get something out your/this business.
Master your interest, as per it is in your best interest and then live within your means - but Christ stop whining about how much you don’t receive, i.e. verbal b.j.’s, commendations, recognintion. If you are unpleased with it, sit it down, look & analyze and review your ‘career’. Decide where you’d like to go with it.(Reread that last line, it should be empowering if you’re willing to adhere to the fact that we are completely responsible for our own destiny) Take control of your own business! Recognize that EVERYTHING is business - good bad or indifferent, and if you are doing what you love then commend your own damn self! :)
As you hint at: it’s all about power. They fear our power so want to take it away, and do. Thus the belittling. On my two produced films the directors never mentioned me in any interview, though were very positive and supportive on the set (good people management). They won’t change unless they have to because system works for them. But the trigger never gets pulled on any project unless the script is solid, and they all know that too. There’s also the sense of ownership that comes from a making a new thing (the film) from an old thing (the script) and feeling that the old thing is in the past and is now - for better or worse - history. And not living history, mind you, but dead. That’s how they think of us when the film is done. So how to change it? Respect. And respect in this town comes from two things, control, or money. And until writers get more of those things, there won’t be any more respect, and we won’t be treated with more respect out of any altruistic plea. http://www.screenwriterbones.blogspot.com
movie critic david kipen has some comments re: importance of writers vs. directors (link below). from npr’s weekend edition 3/4/06. interviewed by susan stamberg
z
ps - craig, for what it’s worth i agree with mr. kipen’s comments (and yours)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5245346
(or go to npr.org
Craig, I absolutely agreed with the notion of giving credit where credit’s due - screenwriters must burn at having their work dissed by actors and directors who claim all the credit for the best bits of a film. But what about screenwriters on adaptations who diss their source material and claim all the credit for the best bits of a screenplay? This seems especially true when they’ve adapted a graphic novel. God forbid anybody should think their much acclaimed, Oscar-nominated screenplay might have anything to do with a mere comic book…
Gee, David, whatever could you be talking about?
Since I’m up early today - for reasons I’m sure even your imagination can concoct - I’ll happily disabuse you of your ignorance. However, in the future, you might want to make certain that the next time you expound on a matter in public, you have some vague grasp on the facts of the matter. Saves you looking like a rude, ignorant monkey who likes to hurl his own feces at people, know what I mean?
I’ve spoken at length in literally hundreds of interviews about the fact that A History of Violence is based on John Wagner and Vince Locke’s graphic novel.
If you consider the best bits of the screenplay the shootout in the diner, then you should know that I have, in all of those interviews, explained that that comes almost verbatim from the book.
If, however, like the majority of people who’ve seen the film, you consider the sex scenes, the William Hurt stuff, or the end of the film the best stuff in the movie, I’ll happily give you every penny I made off it if you can find even a hint of those scenes in the graphic novel. (And, by the way, I’ve also said many, many times that for those eight minutes, it’s A Film By William Hurt. Find that character in the book, and I’ll throw in a brand new car.)
If you can read the book, then see the movie and seriously claim that I used the book as anything but the loosest launching pad to tell a VERY different story, with different characters, different themes, and different resolutions, then I’d have to say your critical faculties are, well, completely absent.
I had the privelige of meeting the very talented John Wagner Wagner at the premiere of the film. (I’d already met the lovely Vince Locke on the set) and he told me he’d been blown away by the film, that he loved it, and he loved the changes I’d made. I took that as a high compliment indeed, as without his tremendous work, there’d have been no movie, no matter how much I, or Cronenberg, or the actors took it into a completely different direction, or wish we’d been clever enought to come up with that title or the central plot device.
As someone who’s been reading comic books for probably as long as you’ve been alive, the notion that I’d be embarrassed to admit that the source material for one of the very best screenplays I’ve written was a comic book is as absurd as anything I’ve read. I’ve used the podium my screenplay has given me to argue vigorously for a rethinking of the perjorative fashion in which studios and the public perceive comic books.
I’ve checked out your blog and the arena you work in, and I can safely say, with no insult intended, that while you may have opportunity to express such notions to groups of people who already agree with you, I’ve had access to a much wider audience, one who doesn’t already understand the power of one of America’s greatest Art forms. The coals I’ve carried for comics this past year haven’t ended up in Newcastle, you dig?
Cronenberg is not a comic guy, and he was unaware that my script was based on a comic when he got it. If you have the slightest understanding of how these things work, you’d get that I have no control whatsoever over what cover sheet they put on the thing when they submitted it to director’s agents. When he DID find out that it was an adaptation, he was very complimentary, but the story he was more interested in telling was the one I had extrapolated from the premise of the book.
I’m sorry if that upsets you. I’m sorry if you were a huge fan of the book, and were looking forward to a faithful adaptation of it. If you want to express ire over this aty someone, point it at the studio. They’re the ones who preferred my take on it, and allowed me to unleash it on the world. Without them, you’d never have had to endure the terrible, soul-devouring pain of sitting through a movie that wasn’t faithful to its source material. Had they turned down my pitch and asked me if I’d write a faithful adaptation, I’d have passed on the job, because while I enjoyed and admired the book very much, it was simply not a story I wanted to spend several months of my life re-telling.
The book itself remains, however, and it is there for you to enjoy over and over any time you want. As is the film, which comes out next week on DVD, and which I am tremendously proud of.
As you probably know, I’m a stickler for getting credit right. I DO want people to know I made enormous and significant changes to the story in the book, because I deserve that credit, in the truest sense - love the screenplay, I’ll take that credit. Hate it, I’ll take that, too. If you think it’s a load of pretentious twaddle about identity and America, those are accusations you must level at me, and not at Mr. Wagner.
In the case of my next project, an adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s short story Until Gwen, I am equally inistent in making sure credit goes where it’s due. You couldn’t have a more faithful adaptation, and while I had to expand the story to make it a feature film, there isn’t a moment of that movie that isn’t true to Lehane’s brilliant vision. In that one, I am a simple, loyal and passionate translator. In the case of AHOV, I used the title and the premise to tell a story that meant a lot more to me personally than the one I’d read, and that is no aspersion on the work of Mr. Wagner or Locke. Had I bothered to write a speech for tonight (Damn those gay cowboys again!), you can rest assured that John Wagner would receive the biggest thanks.
I will give you credit for one thing - unlike the usual online sniper, you had the courage to post your extremely off base opinions under your real name. That is, I suppose, a step in the right direction. Perhaps next time, you could take the time to inform those opinions with facts. I don’t mind rude or hostile anywhere near as much as I mind ignorant.
Josh:
Okay, but what if he’s not talking about you? :)
Have fun tonight. I’d wish you luck, but I think you’re probably right—the gay cowboys are gonna sweep. Still, I hope you can enjoy the experience and still feel enormous pride for being there. I can only imagine what it’s like (and there’s little chance of that ever changing).
I apologise unreservedly for my comments and for any offense they might have caused - I should know better. In future I will attempt to engage my brain and get my facts straight before I post such hurtful opinions online.
Again, please accept my apologies.
davidbishop
David; You rule for such an apology! Good boy!
Josh, Your piece above was a chunk of great writing, as well as superlative thrashing, must’ve been a tough pill to swallow for David.
I waited all night to get a glimpse of you, and I had my fingers crossed too! I was really hoping you’d win, however your time awaits for you in the future.
Great hair.
Craig, thanks, man. It was a gas.
Laura, hey, the future is now. It amazes me how many people feel they need to console you because you didn’t actually win the Oscar. Believe me - being nominated is so far beyond anything I could have anticipated, it’s insane. Being considered in the same crowd as any of those cats is the biggest honor I can imagine. And the truth? Pretty much everyone there feels the same way. My only regret about it all is that the happy little club we all had that travelled the world together is now disbanded.
David, wow. Cool. I did not expect a decent response. Thanks for being one of the few people I’ve ever encountered on the internets who was actually capable of assimilating information and adjusting their view accordingly. Impressive. Your apology is certainly accepted.
“Go to a gym.” “Get a haircut.” “Be sexy.” “Try to become a director or producer.”
!? Mpfmh.
Do I hear “Try to become a star by yourself, loser!” out of these advices?
Ever noticed that characters/people who go to the gym, have an expensive haircut, try to be sexy and/or are directors or producers always are the…uhm… let’s say: not very likeable ones in screenplays?! Often turn out to be the REAL lonely ones?!
Guess why!
Amusing discussion. By the way.
And not to forget:
crash
will inspire me forever!!!
More than congratulations and all the best… thanks for the mark.
How funny you are.
I remember reading something on wordplayer
Jeffrey Katzenberg once said in a story meeting, “The screenplay is first and foremost a selling tool. It isn’t always the movie that gets made — but it’s always what gets the movie made.”
Hi, I’m a screenwriter working in the UK and an avid reader of this and other equally fantastic US screenwriter blogs. (Credit where credit is due!) I apologise in advance for the long, rambling post but I’m really loving this discussion and just wanted to throw my tuppence worth in. (And, let’s face it, it beats working.)
The ‘invisible writer’ situation is, sadly, as prevalent over here as it is over there, as more and more British development execs and media hacks aspire to the LA industry ‘standard’.
On my first feature I was naive enough to think the collaborative experience you enjoyed with your director and producer during the making of the work just carried on during the selling of the same.
Hah! Wrong!
Miramax bought our film and premiered it at Cannes. First film. Miramax. Cannes! To say I felt shiny would be understating. The gilt soon rubbed off when the producer and I were trudging back and forth, on foot, to our cheap B and B, miles away from the Croisette and our Director. (To be fair to her, though, that wasn’t her choice either)
‘Stop bleating and direct it yourself then!’, isn’t really the answer. There are many writers who don’t want to direct. It’s not what they do. They just want due respect for the work they create. And they shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for it.
Four years and three films on, I’ve finally stopped apologising for demanding equal status and respect. But I make sure I do it with a bucketload of ironic self-deprecation. ( I still don’t get it though. An American friend just sent me a copy of the US dvd of our film and, surprise, surprise, my name isn’t even on the credit block on the back cover!) Some people try to make you feel really bad about asking for acknowledgement - as if there’s something demeaning or dirty in shouting about it. There isn’t. And we shouldn’t. Feel bad, that is.
I used to be an actor so I’m pretty comfortable in public - I could still do with an extreme makeover and a yearly pass to the gym! I push to be included in Q and A’s and in all the press and interviews. I work in Scotland so that makes it easier - small pond, big mouth. It’s not a vanity thing, believe me. I just think it’s important to challenge the so called industry standard. And to give some kind of nudge to younger, better looking writers!
I’ve also set up my own company with my aforementioned producer (shared blisters made for great bonding.)
Andrea
Hi, I’m a screenwriter working in the UK and an avid reader of this and other equally fantastic US screenwriter blogs. (Credit where credit is due!) I apologise in advance for the long, rambling post but I’m really loving this discussion and just wanted to throw my tuppence worth in. (And, let’s face it, it beats working.)
The ‘invisible writer’ situation is, sadly, as prevalent over here as it is over there, as more and more British development execs and media hacks aspire to the LA industry ‘standard’.
On my first feature I was naive enough to think the collaborative experience you enjoyed with your director and producer during the making of the work just carried on during the selling of the same.
Hah! Wrong!
Miramax bought our film and premiered it at Cannes. First film. Miramax. Cannes! To say I felt shiny would be understating. The gilt soon rubbed off when the producer and I were trudging back and forth, on foot, to our cheap B and B, miles away from the Croisette and our Director. (To be fair to her, though, that wasn’t her choice either)
‘Stop bleating and direct it yourself then!’, isn’t really the answer. There are many writers who don’t want to direct. It’s not what they do. They just want due respect for the work they create. And they shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for it.
Four years and three films on, I’ve finally stopped apologising for demanding equal status and respect. But I make sure I do it with a bucketload of ironic self-deprecation. ( I still don’t get it though. An American friend just sent me a copy of the US dvd of our film and, surprise, surprise, my name isn’t even on the credit block on the back cover!) Some people try to make you feel really bad about asking for acknowledgement - as if there’s something demeaning or dirty in shouting about it. There isn’t. And we shouldn’t. Feel bad, that is.
I used to be an actor so I’m pretty comfortable in public - I could still do with an extreme makeover and a yearly pass to the gym! I push to be included in Q and A’s and in all the press and interviews. I work in Scotland so that makes it easier - small pond, big mouth. It’s not a vanity thing, believe me. I just think it’s important to challenge the so called industry standard. And to give some kind of nudge to younger, better looking writers!
I’ve also set up my own company with my aforementioned producer (shared blisters made for great bonding.)
Andrea
Sorry, double post. Just over keen to be heard!
Andrea
Just wanted share some thoughts with the posters who think that writers need no more attention than they already have (and especially Alan whose posts really do annoy me, although I realize from their quality that his writing experiences may not necessarily consist of much more than what’s been published in this forum…)
Because there’s still one thing I haven’t seen mentioned. Namely: fear. Or uncertainty. That’s the biggest problems with never getting credit for what you do.
Writers work, alone, on their own, day after day. Every now and then we get summoned to meetings, where people tell us what in our work that suck and what we need to improve. Then, back home we go, sit alone, work some more. Our best friend is our coffee machine. And we all know coffee isn’t very good for us, either.
Then, finally, we submit our final draft. And that’s it.
Rarely are we contacted again to answer questions (pity, as questions most obviously do arise, only everybody who works down the road would rather invent their own solutions than ask the writer) and rarely do we get any updates on the progress. And never, ever, do we get praise or pats on the back.
If we’re invited to the wrap party, we’ll be standing in a corner, and if someone speaks to us at all, they will be smugly wondering who we are, and what we’re doing there, and why. In speeches, we will be the ones left out, although we don’t lose our hope until well after they producer is done thanking the cell-tape-driver’s assistant. (Who incidentally, more often than not, was the smug guy asking who we were.)
Then we walk back home, wondering if the world will ever know you were involved in this production. And that’s on a good day. Because deep down we know that if we ever do get mentioned, that’s the time to run.
If there’s been problems on the set, we will be the ones blamed. “The script sucked. We had to rewrite it while we shot. We had to get new pages delivered everyday.” That is kind of interesting, as nobody has ever said: “The director sucked. Although having worked with preparation for months, it was not until he was on the set that he realized he didn’t like the script, and decided have it rewritten…” No. Fault is always ours.
So: Fear.
Because we would like to have a job tomorrow, too. We would like to be recognized, for vanity reasons, sure, but also because it’s good from a career point of view. If nobody knows what you have done, that means every day is the first day on your job. Every time you enter a project, you’re back on square one. And nobody will say, let’s get that guy, he did a great job on that movie. Can’t happen. Because you were invisible.
And slowly, slowly, we’re starting to believe it ourselves: We suck. It’s all we ever hear from the people we work with. So there’s gotta be some truth to it, right? And never, ever, do we get to taste some of that sweet, red-carpety glamour that the directors and actors do — never do we get that little moment of appreciation that would make our efforts more worthwhile.
In a regular workplace, it’s called bullying. In screenwriting, it’s the job description.
Hi Andrea,
My first script is about to going in to production later this year and as another big-mouthed fished in the small pond of Scotland. I have just read your post with interest because you are my trail blazer; where you are treading now, I am about two miles behind! I am lucky to have a great, new production company to work with (MeadKerr) and they have nursed the story for over a year. Will I have such a sympathetic team in the future? - probably not. But I get the feeling that Scotland is producing a mini wave of good writers/producers/directors. Maybe as our numbers grow we’ll be able to support each other in the act of shouting to be heard.
And here’s a problem unique, I think, to Scotland. From now on there can be no depiction of smoking on screen. No cigarettes can be filmed, not even a herbal substitute. From now on, Scotland will apear to the world a totally smoke-free country. Has any other state or country tried this legislation?
(PS. Andrea, I met you in the Newton at Nairn. We had a ‘hello, goodbye’ conversation and I legged it like Cinderella.)