Annapolis Film Festival: Screenwriting advice from David S. Ward

I recently attended the Annapolis Film Festival, which had a very interesting panel on Screenwriting. The panelists were

• Lane Shadgett, screenwriter, Jamesy Boy & Perkins 14
  
• Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Editor & Online Community Manager, Script Magazine
  
• David S. Ward, Oscar winning screenwriter, The Sting & Sleepless in Seattle
  

The moderator was Michael I. Miller, writer, producer; Writers Guild of America & Advisory Board, Annapolis Film Festival.

After Introductions, they discussed Advice for new writers, Today’s script market, How to handle notes from producers, How to deal with actors and directors, and they ended up with an audience Q&A. Of course, David S. Ward had lots of great stories about the making of The Sting.


Here are a few of my own (very brief) notes:

Advice for writers?

Lane:
Be prolific. Don’t be shy about promoting your work.

David:
The best thing is to write. You must write to get better, to get efficient, to find your voice. Getting an agent is much tougher. It is really really hard. Today they look for writers who have already sold. When I started, they were looking for writers whose script they liked. It is especially hard outside NYC and Hollywood.

Jeanne:
I live in upstate NY and write there. You do have to go to LA on occasion for meetings but you must write and have a product. My advice: Don’t suck. Don’t such as a human being or as a writer. Work really hard. Don’t give up.

David
In the beginning of my career, TV was inferior to film. Studios want branded IP – YA books and comics with a following. The indie world is different, but even they are starting to demand a name actor to help them sell foreign rights. These days in many cases, more money – up to 60% – comes from foreign sales than domestic. When I first started, the domestic sales typically were 85-90%, with foreign sales making up the difference. Good writers are moving to cable TV, where writers get more control. The studio gravy train is hard to get on.

Lane:
I agree with what David said. But the key that cracks open the lock is that actors want to play good roles. Think about your script from their perspective. For example, “Jamesy Boy” was this situation. To attract name actors for a supporting role they have to really want to play a part that won’t take much of their time. That part must be an interesting character that is present in the key scenes of the movie. A good casting director is very valuable. Also, actors have their favorite writers. Try to be one of them.

Jeanne:
Don’t pitch on twitter but use social media to build a network of supporters.

Mike:
How do you deal with notes from producers?

David
You must be diplomatic. Their intended concern may be different from their specific written complaint. Don’t get a reputation as a difficult writer. Even if the note is “stupid”, it may have a good point which is not well-expressed. What is the heart of your script? Don’t give that up. The note giver may not understand story structure. Given them an alternative or option, which they can take credit for and feel ownership for the film.

Lane:
Here is a statement that can be very useful: “I was thinking about that note of yours. I think what you mean is … . Another way to solve that problem is … ”

Jeanne:
Even if a note is “bad” something good can still come out of it.

Q: How to you write description? The Sting has lengthy descriptions but these days a script is supposed to be very sparse.

David:
Whether sparse or not, write your description in an interesting way. A comedy film might be written in a different style than a crime drama. Really work the descriptions very carefully.

Lane:
Skills needed for studio work:

1. writing
   
2. developing (revisions using notes)
   
3. pitching in a room.
   

These are different skills.

Q: Please comment on story vs structure.

David:
I tell my students this all the time: If you write structure, you won’t sell anything.


Notes from a separate event at the Annapolis Film Festival:


Conversation with David S Ward

My UCLA thesis film was Steelyard Blues. It had a scene with a pickpocket. To research this scene, I read a book on con-artists. Learned about the worlds of grifters, which lead to the idea for The Sting.

The Sting was pre-approved by Robert Redford before the script was written. It was optioned for $1200. Newman liked it and sent it to George Roy Hill (GRH). It was green-lit in two weeks.

GRH was incredibly well-prepared and taught me a lot about directing. GRH said to DSW: “Never be so unprepared that an actor can ask you a question about a scene that you can’t answer.” GRH has a PhD in music from Yale.

Cannery Row is near and dear to my heart. It was poorly marketed due to changes in the MGM organization.

Writing process: I try to never “cheat”. I have a goal but need to rewrite until it makes more sense.

The biggest problems in your script are often those that lead to the best part of your story, if you can solve them. Unfortunately, most people give up at that point. You must have a work ethic. As with many artistic endeavors, writing is problem solving. You must solve problems and you need the drive that says “I’m going to get there.”

Start with a short, then a low-budget script, then ask for money to make it. There are people that will fund to the $75 K level.

DSW: I write every day – usually in the night or early morning. Longhand, using a uniball micro pen. Occasionally, I skip a few days. But never more than that. I’m a writer, so I write even if i’m not in a paid job.