It's not (just) about the story

It's Sunday, weekend errands are finished and I just took a phone call (a friend is excited that she will be helping cater Nicki Minaj's party after the BET Awards tonight). 

It's been a long time since I've blogged, but I have been working on a new screenplay. It's been fun to begin the process again with my colleague Alan* as he knows more about crafting a screenplay now than I did when I finished my writing program at USC. As we began to cowrite the screenplay last year I shared what I'd learned over several years from professions with hundreds of combined years of experience. I've captured many of the same theories/ideas/counsel here.

Since my last blog post, Alan and I edited the screenplay we wrote last year. I remember not wanting him to feel so frustrated about screenwriting that he would give up, so we submitted the first draft to the Nicholl Fellowships competition, even if it wasn't as polished as it could be. Earlier this year it was fun rewriting scenes, fixing problems and tightening up dialogue. We resubmitted it to the 2014 competition, with results to be announced in August. 

One of the most important things to do to make it into the industry is to create material that can be sold. Most writers who accept professional positions are not able to do this. In fact, if I remember correctly Frank Wuliger mentioned in class that he hadn't met anyone, even talented writers, working full-time professional positions who had entered the industry.

I received an A- on the mid-term and an A and "Well thought through" on his Business of Screenwriting final in the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The assignment was for each student to create an outline of their path into the industry. 

I continue to follow that outline. So, though we didn't make it into the quarter finals last year, we've continued to write.

I had an idea for an animated story and Alan was interested in being the second/supporting co-writer, but we've decided to follow advice from Frank Wuliger, Mark Ross, and others — choose one genre. We've been meeting at lunch or during breaks at work, and eventually spent weeks talking about a story inspired by real events. 

We talked about why we were interested this story. Why should we tell it now. Why would someone in the midwest United States be interested? Russia? China? Why would families want to invest the time and entertainment budget to go to this movie?

We talked about the characters. We pared them down. Nothing was rushed, everything planned carefully. Some ideas became strong while others faded. We were determined that the story should be strong enough to create controversy.

Finally, we talked about creating enough tension. If we couldn't, then we'd have to say, "next idea!"

We reviewed lessons learned from Irvin Kershner (Kersh) and notes and final test from Advanced Screenplay Analysis class (USC School of Cinematic Arts).

Finally, this past week we began transferring ideas onto 3 x 5 cards. We followed Kersh's advice to write two words, MAYBE three, on each card. He had become so frustrated with me writing too many tiny details on cards. He finally told me to get the biggest, boldest marker I could find to write on the 3 x 5 cards so it would be impossible for me to write too many details on them.

Alan found about seven 3 x 5 cards in his office, and I had a few cards that I'd tossed into the recycle bin earlier in the day, and so after weeks of preparation, we began sketching out the story. Alan had wanted everyone to change and for all problems to be resolved and for the characters to be happy; we talked about the characters again.

I told him that true, lasting change in any human being is so rare, the magic of sitting in a theater, the magic of experiencing a well-told story is that miraculously, the protagonist changes (polarity).

My greatest wish is that I could sit with Kersh in his study and tell him about this experience. It's something he never thought I would completely understand. "You're TOO NICE!" he would roar after reading my latest work. He thought I'd never learn that the audience has to cry for our characters, their hearts must break, the screenwriter can't let them off easily. Then, they must be tested.

Screenwriting is the most challenging type of writing I've ever attempted. We used sound, and begin to plant things in the story that will be paid off, we followed structure with the intent that it would not be obvious. 

We had both felt disconnected to the story at first but we both agree that amazing, creative things are happening. 

The next time we met I sat back and asked Alan to tell the story (we're about halfway into the first act). 

In our small, glass-walled writers room I sat back and Alan told the story we've developed so far. Then I said OK, I love it. I'm not changing anything we've written. Now relax, sit back and listen — I want to talk about what we've written. I'm not going to change the story and I'm going to follow the story cards.

I talked about the opening scene and why where we began is powerful. I said that it's told with great simplicity but that it flips back and forth so nothing is what it seems and that the audience will enjoy figuring out important details without having the characters tell them. In each scene every character wants something. They may not say a word. What will they do to get it? Now that's interesting.

I described protagonist; his flaw. What he thinks he wants and what he really needs. I talked about the younger character and why it's important that he doesn't change; yet he becomes powerful enough in the protagonist's life that the protagonist changes. I talked about one of the adult figures in the story. She is strong and futuristic (or is she crazy and manipulative)?

I've enjoy watching David Edelstein critique movies on the Sunday Morning show. He's also  a film critic for New York magazine. Mr. Edelstein looks into the souls of the characters in the films he discusses; he feels what they're feeling. 

Even after finishing my writing program I kept going back to USC to take courses. I wanted to know how to make the audience suspend disbelief. I wanted to know why sometimes I sat in a movie theater and 10 minutes felt like 10 hours while other times two-and-a-half hours felt like 10 minutes. I dared hope that I could someday write a screenplay that would make others become lost in the story.

With our new screenplay the story is fascinating. The characters are strong; the protagonist is flawed, and changes. The young child is brave but does not change; the adult character may be a manipulator, unless she comes through with her promises. There aren't so many storylines that it becomes frustrating; it is fulfilling to see how they come together.

If I were able to talk to Kersh I would tell him I finally undersatnd. It's not (just) about the story, or mastering the elements of filmmaking. 

It's not about making charactesr act like puppets. Life isn't always nice and neat; rarely does anyone change. It is extremely challenging for a storyteller to capture the moments where the need to change is revealed to them, and the heartbreaking attempts are made followed by change and the final testing.

It's about a story well-told, that reveals the characters' souls.