Greetings,
So, over my lifetime as a writer, I have written many things. Poems, songs, novels, short stories, this blog, obviously. But there is one thing I have never written - a script. Well, as far as I can remember anyway. Now I'm someone who, no matter how good I am at something, is always impressed by those who can do things I can't. Or haven't yet done. So, you can imagine how much I enjoyed Tales From the Script.
Tales From the Script is 2009 documentary which is, ultimately, storytelling about storytelling. It's chock full of interviews with some of the best and hardest working screenwriters in the business. People like John Carpenter, Shane Black, Frank Darbont and Paul Schrader, among countless others. And while we get to hear from some very famous writers, who are often known for other jobs like directing, I was pleased to see people like Billy Ray and Allison Anders, who wrote and directed two of my favorite movies, Shattered Glass and Grace of my Heart, respectively. Honestly, there are far to many people in this thing to mention them all by name. But whether or not you know the names or not, the stories they all tell are priceless, not to mention that great advice is given for any aspiring screenwriters.
While we do get to hear about the incredible thrill of having what you wrote turned into a film, they also don't sugarcoat things. They make it quite clear that this is a hard job, and one that you might not always get appreciation for. Yeah, no kidding. And a few point out that, not only will you work hard on the things that get picked up to actually become films, you will also work even harder on things that will never see the light of day. No lie, one guy wrote down all the scripts he had written in three lists. The first was of scripts that became movies, the second was scripts optioned but never made, the third was scripts that are still merely shelf space fillers. Guess which list was the longest? Exactly. Now, of course, that may not be the case for everyone, but I do like how this movie does not give anyone, particularly young and hopeful writers, any fairy tale stories about the life of a screenwriter. Yes, this might deter some of them from pursuing it, but it will also prepare others who are willing to walk through the fire.
Don't get me wrong, of course, they do share some stories that will inspire and remind people that hard work and taking advantage of opportunities can lead you to success. We hear about how David Hayter pretty much fell into the chance to write the first X-Men movie by having Bryan Singer respect his opinion, and how Antwone Fisher, while working as a security guard at Sony, starting writing about his life and sharing his story enough that it got noticed by the high up people. And speaking of tales that put a smile on my face, albeit don't exactly give me faith in the business, pay close attention to screenwriter Guinevere Turner's little anecdote about Uwe Boll. Whoa, boy! It is, let's say, confirmation for everyone who does not think that man deserves to be involved in film making at all. It's gold, I tell you. You know what? I take back what I said about that story and faith. In fact, her reaction and how she dealt with it is kind of a good lesson on what to do when one is screwed over in the business. Just laugh and move on, because sometimes that's all you can do.
I suppose that's all I can say about Tales From the Script. It's just interviews and stories from people who are very good at telling them, as I said before. I'm sure anyone who comes across this and gives it a chance will find it entertaining, but I think it would be suited best for people who are very much interested in the goings on of film making, especially writing, obviously. It's no secret that I love movies about writers, because I am one, but as someone who, even with all the writing I've already done, has always aspired to go into the world of the script, this especially effective for me. And thanks to these people, my fellow artists, I have a really good idea of what to expect.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
