Nigh Journal

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Scripting with Directors

Doesn’t matter whether they’re hands are both full of Oscars or grasping empty-handed for an angora sweater, as a writer the director is your boss.

Particularly in the world of film and short film, the director is overlord. You are but the word-monkey. However, having a director in your corner while you’re writing is a tremendous ally to have on your side. I’ve worked on a few projects with directors right from the beginning or they have approached me or I have approached them with an initial pitch/first draft and built it from there.

But as with any collaboration, things can get lost in translation so here are a few thoughts on working with the person who may one day make your film…and maybe your career!

1. Get them to TELL you the idea. Not the whole plot, just the basic story in three or four sentences. Beginning, middle and end. If it’s their idea, this will help you understand what they think is the most important spine of their story. And if it’s your idea, this will reassure you that they understand what you have in mind. Don’t just let them give you the script and make you guess.

2. What bits can they already imagine? Following getting the story straight, whether it’s your idea or theirs, let them talk about what they can already see clearly in their head. Chances are these set-pieces, scenes, moments of suspense or visual motifs are the bits that could easily translate from script to screen.

3. What other films is it like? It’s easy to throw around buzzwords like dark, gritty and muesli (okay, that last one might be me-specific) but using existing movies that you’ve both seen (and like!) is a good short-hand.

4. How do they want the audience to feel? Especially with film, nailing the audience at the end is all-important. So do you and the director agree on how you want the audience to feel when they’ve finished watching?  

5. How do you like your notes? Work out the best creative process for the back and forth of various drafts. For example, I think it’s better to start with more ‘headline’ notes in earlier drafts (eg- ‘this character is a bit dull’ or ‘the first act is a bit slow’) and then move into comments on specific scenes or lines of dialogue. I once had a 1st draft back from a producer with notes on every page but none relating to the actual story or characters. Not helpful.

6. Work on the pitch together.  As a writer, writing supporting material is usually left to me. But producers aren’t hiring me. They’re buying my idea. It’s the director they’re hiring and trusting with their money. Make sure that the director does their share of the pitch work as, ultimately, they’ll be the one selling the idea as well as being one of the selling points themselves. Their take on the script is what will make this film theirs! 

It can be very rewarding to have a collaborater in the early stages but who isn’t a co-writer. But if it all falls apart between the two of you, you can always BOTH become writer-directors and have some sort of constant, competitive movie feud