Film Courage: Can you tell us about an actual assignment you've received and go
through the timeline and how you worked your way through the deadline? Maybe you
came in over it? Maybe under it? Gary Goldstein, Screenwriter/Playwright: Yeah well you know it with assignments.
It's often there's a particular deadline or a goal
that you're trying to reach but then then the goal posts keep changing just
because schedules changed and and you know you end up with more time sometimes
and it was a little less time you know I've worked on films that that they were
they were they realize they needed to shoot a little sooner than they thought
so you have to step it up but generally there's enough time to to do your draft
to do several other drafts you can i-i've on a lot of my TV movies I've
worked throughout you know throughout the production even you know where where
if something has been a problem I've changed something the director will call
and I'll change something or or alter something or add a scene or that kind of
thing so sometimes it goes even you know beyond the the just turning in the
script stage but you know generally the way it goes is that you know you get the
outline approved you I I structure the script I outline the script you know do
that step process that I do and then I start writing and I do generally
schedule myself to you know take out like a calendar and say you know okay
I've got six weeks to write this first draft so I'm gonna but you know by this
week I want to get here I want to finish it here I want to have two weeks to
rewrite that kind of thing and that helps me I used to find writing anything
down and seeing anything visually really helps me you know make it happen and
then I just try to just barrel forward you know and and and and also if I see
honestly if I see a you know a glitch or I see something that's not working to
make sure to check in with my executive or my producer and say look what do you
think about this you know I'm not I don't worry about like not having the
answer or something like that I want to make sure that you know that that were
all in agreement on something and I'm a big believer in collaboration I like
collaborating especially when there are good ideas and you know and and
sometimes you just talk out a problem and and just talking it out you you
can't it kind of opens up what the problem is or the person you're talking
to has an idea well why don't you try this that might work better and you know
and that's a big help and that can take a little time you know that can take a
little time you have to backtrack and then you know catch up
again but but by and large you know what happens is where you where you end up
losing time is in the rewriting you know we're not losing time as much as like
what the schedule can kind of kind of go off kilter
you know because you may you may get something in on time or even a little
bit earlier there are times I'll get something in a little earlier than
expected other times generally I think I hit the
deadline sometimes Oh maybe a little bit late but but but then then it takes time
for everybody to read the script and and for to get input from maybe the director
if the director is on board and then before you know it you're writing
another draft and another draft I mean sometimes it could be several drafts
sometimes as many drafts it just depends upon you know how many voices there are
and and and you know certain production issues that they know are gonna happen
they they ready to shoot the script and then their location scouting and they
realize they don't have a church but they have a you know a bowling alley
whatever you know and so you have to rearrange the scene for the location
that's available whether it can be an issue sometimes you have to change there
lots of changes along the way one thing is I'm gonna go into production that's
the you know that's the good news that's the high-class problem because
you're making changes because the movies actually being made but you know I I I
like to I like to work in waves you know I like to work in movements you know
where where where I can I like what's the word stages of closure so I like to
be able to finish a draft and then start over and rewrite that draft and you know
so that it goes in more quicker stages than one massively long stage you know
where you're just you know just agonizing over something for months and
months and months I'd rather write it faster hopefully it's good and then go
back and still clean sweep through it and fix everything and just keep them
again and go back to the clay keep molding the clay to me it's it's very
motivating to have new drafts all the time you know and and to see to see that
you know you see everything sort of like it's almost a graphic relief it sort of
comes out a little bit more at you and you see what's happening but again
everybody's process is different you know I over the course of time I become
very much not in agonizer writer an agonising writer I I I just you know
just pushed forward you know head down push forward and and just really try to
try to do the best I can like everybody does but you know I just worry less you
know I just try to do a great job hopefully and and you know and just I
know I can fix things you know I always feel like I have enough tools I've
written so many things that I do understand how to how to fix things and
had to come up with ideas if somebody doesn't like the product how I can fix
and how we can make it better what why it work what was my intention
that kind of thing so so yeah
you