Film Courage: Everyone can write but is everyone a writer? Writer/Instructor and Script Consultant Shannan E. Johnson (The Professional Pen): Great question. Everyone can write
and everyone can be a writer but I think the bigger question is what
part of the creative process are you trying to be a part of and a lot of
people don't know that there are so many other ways of being a part of the
creative process in this particular industry that you don't have to be a
writer so I think because of the lack of knowledge people know there's a director
they know there's a writer they know there's a producer some people might not
think past those three things right and so they're thinking to themselves a lot
of people think well I want to be the writer because the writer is the person
who's in charge you know they're the ones who are making the story they're
the ones who get to say what happens little do they know that the writer is
not in charge the writer puts that stuff on the script they may receive their
paycheck and they may not be a part of the rest of the process because there
are other people who have creative jobs throughout the process so I definitely
think anybody can be a writer but I do think that they have to want to hone the
skill and they have to respect the art but in but other than that some people
and this is what I enjoyed about going to Florida State's film school because
we did get to learn all of the below-the-line positions some people get
in and realize I don't want to be the director I want to be the camera
operator everyone thinks that the camera operator is the director right like if
you know people who are at home who might just within a movie see a movie
being made they assume that the person who's actually behind the camera is the
director and it's like no the directors over there in the chair watching the
monitor you know so they can see the whole frame etc and some people really
want to be the person physically out there with the camera so I think if we
just had more knowledge about all of the parts of the process and how you can be
a part of that process many people wouldn't choose writing because even if
we just think about it in general a lot of people just aren't aren't that great
with the english/language period a lot of people don't like to write period you
know some people don't like to read that's just that their thing that's
totally fine but to then have this creative thing that you want to get out
it's like yeah well you can be a non writing producer you can be the person
who has the ideas and then hire someone who can actually do the physical writing
because they've you know been able to master that skill in some kind of way
but I think it just really comes from a place of having idea
and not knowing how they can fit into the overall puzzle of the industry and
have a creative voice so then going back to that hypothetical person that wakes
up one day and says I want to be a writer and a really cool story
everyone's gonna love this they need to know that that's not exactly how it
works and it takes a lot of time and what do you say to that one that you
said the person at home watching TV and maybe they did have an incredible life
and they overcame a lot of challenges but they're not really writers yeah I
think it's hard to make people understand that they're not writers
right I think just like with the example of thinking of an athlete people think
they know what athletes look like people think they know what the skill sets
should be if you're an athlete some people have athletic bodies you might
not know what kind of sport they play right but they walk into the room and
you're thinking oh you're probably some kind of athlete with writers there's no
additional thing like that because anybody can be a writer
so I say if you have an idea respect the craft enough to then go hone your skill
that doesn't mean you have to go to film school film school is not for everyone
I enjoy film school because I like learning in a classroom structure right
but I could have had that same education by just going and being on some sets I
think all writers should PA at some time all writers should be on set so that you
can see what it takes to get done what you're asking people to do right so you
can understand what budgets actually look like when you're writing your car
chasing and you know writing your action scenes and understanding that needing
blood and eating prosthetics and needing stunt doubles and eating all these
people all of that is gonna cost money right so just hone your skill hone your
craft there are online courses I teach online courses I give feedback on on
screenplays because I'm not saying don't try you definitely should try but within
that process get some feedback and get better one of the things that I tell
people is if this is actually your baby if you think this this is the best idea
idea ever don't practice on your baby practice on some other idea so that you
can get good and then write your baby because you want people to take your
baby seriously the other thing is I tell people stop calling it your baby it's
not your baby at some point you're gonna have to sell your baby
and you don't want to write so realize that it's art and it's there for other
people to participate in the process and on your side of it if you're trying to
be a professional writer because not everybody is trying to be a professional
writer some people just have an idea and that's the thing they want to get made
some people actually want to have writing as their profession meaning this
is how they make money this is how they feed their families and those people are
the ones that really have to let go of the baby because you just need to be
writing things so that you can be making income right so your baby somebody
else's baby whoever's baby you'll write whatever you need to write so that you
can have a consistent income but for those people who just have an idea and
that's the thing that they want to get made do the work make sure that it's
good stuff find some other people to come in and be a part of the process I
tell writers all the time if you're not a director and you don't want to be a
director go find someone to direct your to direct your script because if you're
gonna take the time to put in the money and the energy of actually making the
film then you want that product to look good so what if you write a good
screenplay but you don't get the people necessary so that you can make it look
good on the screen and then now the thing that you have to represent your
screenplay is not representing it very well right
the same thing is true if you're a director but you're not a writer and you
don't want to learn how to be a writer go find you one of your writer friends
who has a script and then you can direct that there so this is a collaborative
process it's collaborative effort and as writers we a lot of times get stuck with
thinking it's just me and my computer right it's like well no there's so many
other people who participate in this process so anybody who has an idea can
write it whether it will be good whether it will fit the structure whether it's
something that is a part of the art you know because I get stuck in that place
of like just respect the art you know go out there and get the information that
you need so that you can have something that's great on the page and when you
hear certain code words or you see a demeanor in someone how do you know that
ooh this one these people where we're gonna have to have a talk because
they're too precious with their material let's see I think I think the code words
are as simple as they're always talking about my
and well when I get there they'll know and I'll tell them in blah blah blah and
I always have to say to them you might not be there like you just physically
might not be there just understanding the potentially in features they may
literally pay for your script and send you on your way and never ask you
another thing right so just explaining to them the writers place in the process
like I even have a Hollywood pyramid that I show people that I made and I
show them who is king the studios are king the networks are the team of the
King production companies are not far under them then you have all of the
executives you have all of the above the line people and then the writer is way
down at the bottom because they are just the first part of the process and after
they're part of the process is over everybody else has to do theirs right
it's one of the reasons that no one invites the writers not no one but
people don't often invite the writers to the set because they don't want to hear
the writers going well this is what it was supposed to be in blah blah blah now
they're giving notes and it's like that part of the process is the directors
part of the process he or she is now bringing his or her vision to your
script so you don't know what direction it's going in now and now you're invited
to set and you're on set giving notes to actor who's in talking to all of these
people and you're now out of line you've now stepped outside of your bounds so
it's really easy to see when people don't know that that's how the process
goes so I always just say hey I just want to give you what the what the help
you set your expectation of what this will be and it doesn't mean that there
aren't exceptions there are exceptions there are people who write their films
and they're also able to be producers and be there along the way so it's
possible does it happen often for someone who's writing their very first
film not at all you know and that's just a part of the a part of the business and
so a lot of people don't have the knowledge of the business and that's one
of the reasons why I exist as a script consultant so that you can call me and
ask me and I can just tell you what it is and again anytime I give people if I
saw I always tell them somebody did it another way like this is not the kind of
industry that has a step-by-step this is how you make it kind of thing not for
actors not for writers not for anybody everybody gets there and
different way so it's totally possible that you can get that get there the way
that you want to get there but generally speaking this is how things work in the
industry
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