Film Courage: Let’s take that same student who came to you and said
Zach I want to know how to write a script that is going to sell.
How would you talk to them about working the craft of writing? How would you guide them?
Zach Zerries, Screenwriter: I would speak to them asking them again
what’s the idea, what’s the pitch? How are you going to sell this to me because again
screenwriting is selling. You’re not only representing the product (the
product that you’re writing), you’re representing yourself in a lot of ways
especially when you get out there and you start pitching and you go on meetings.
The craft…I mean again I would books like go read Syd Field, read Blake Snyder’s books, read
William Goldman’s books. Just try to get every screenwriting book you can and then read scripts,
read 10-20 scripts before you actually sit down to start writing, just getting a sense
to go about it and how again read 10 Oscar-winning screenplays. Read Tarantino, read Alan Ball, read
Brian Helgeland, Robert Towne, Francis Ford Coppola. I would say just read
all of the great scripts. Herman Mankiewicz, I think it’s Herman who wrote CITIZEN KANE?
I know there were a few Mankiewiczs, I think it was Herman. There is that new David Fincher
movie that is about him [MANK]. Again it goes back to reference, use those as your reference.
Then I would say look do you have an idea? What’s your idea? What’s your logline?
And what is it about that logline that’s fresh? What is it about that logline that is captivating?
What’s the twist? What is the irony in that logline?
And then from there just sort of repeating what I said earlier about then taking the next steps,
plotting, exploring your character, wanting to know where they begin and where they end,
that’s important. Where does your character start? Is he loathed? Is he loved? By the end is he
loved or is he loathed? Boiling it down, what is his journey? Where are you taking us?
What do you want to say with it? What’s your theme, most important part, that’s a huge part.
What are you trying to say with your writing thematically. Is it about the evils of war?
Maybe that’s the best, there are a lot. Is it about a guy choosing between love and money?
Film Courage: How far will you go for a corporation?
Zach: Absolutely. Or again a woman, how far will she go for her children. I just watched the
UNDOING on HBO with Nicole Kidman and not to give anything away but that definitely touches on that
theme. The person that you love not being who they claim to be or who they are or who you thought
they were, unraveling them, unraveling the mystery behind someone. So I think that is something when
you set out to write what are you trying to say? I had a friend of a friend billed it down to
this - when you’re writing a story what’s the story about (the logline)? What’s it also about?
What’s it really about? Those are definitely when you set out those are questions that if
you answer them and those are the ones that take time but I think once you answer them and you’re
truthful about what it is and this is where you see it going again it’s like
answering these tough questions early on opens up the story for you. But that’s what I’m
talking again working smarter not harder. You can answer again those 15 beats and these additional
questions earlier on. It’s going to make your plotting process and your writing far easier and
more enjoyable and you won’t be banging your head agains the wall or worse.
Film Courage: I like that…so What’s it about? What’s it also about? What’s it really about? Wow.
Zach: I remember hearing that probably about
15 years ago and it definitely helped me as a young writer, it definitely opened it up (that
was great). What it’s basically saying is once you have the logline that’s great,
but what is it you’re trying to say - dude, what are you really trying to do with this?
And I think that’s something that people should be asked and sometimes (oftentimes)
I think people don’t know, they can’t answer it and it’s like alright well
that’s okay but you better well know it before you sit down and take on the task of writing
a 90, 100, 110 page script and devoting your emotion and your time and taking away
time from other things to really devote to this because it is your baby, it is your child.
You want to know your child inside-out right? Do the work, do the smart work.
Film Courage: I used to work at a company that had that banner
up [“Work smarter, not harder”] above the accounting department. And I would sometimes
reverse it “Work harder, not smarter.” Oh no wait? That’s wrong. I would switch it.
Zach: It’s true and again for me it’s something that came with age and becoming
mature and I think initially we’re impatient and look, I’m still impatient but with certain things
I become much more patient in letting the process play out. It’s not always easy but in the end
it definitely lends itself to more success and more productivity.
Film Courage: If someone came to you and said I want to learn how to write a script
that will sell, what would you tell them?
Zach: Well I would tell them…ask them what their logline is
and then I would really tell then to focus on where they plan on taking that character.
Everyone has their own tastes and everyone sees things in their own way.
It’s funny back in the day I’ve submitted scripts to contests and they do wonderfully in one contest
and make it to the finals or semi-finals and then I’d submit that same script to another
contest or to a producer and they’d be like you’d never hear from them or it wouldn’t go anywhere.
It is so dependent on the taste of the person you’re sending it to. I would say what does
help and it’s helping nowadays is if writers have source material (IP - intellectual property). If
they have the rights to a comic book, a newspaper article, so we’re talking about a novella,
a podcast (podcasts are being made). If you own the IP, so many studios
and production companies, etc. now are basing so much of their material
on intellectual property that has already been written or produced or spoken about in the case of
audio/podcasts. That is one way to go because I think if you’ve got a really compelling story
and you own the rights to it that definitely can get a lot of people’s attention. You can
say I want to write the script. Again it varies from producer to studio head
but that is definitely a way to help break in. Again, if it’s a story (something really
compelling) or multiple people are after it or you happen to own the rights, that’s a nice bargaining
chip that you have and a good way to negotiate yourself in as a writer. That’s one way to go.
There’s no sure fire way to come up. I think if you are just writing it as a spec,
if you’ve got a great logline and you have an intriguing path forward for your character and
you send it to a few people who are like yeah, you’re really onto something here then by all
means see it through but as we know there are no guarantees in the business unfortunately.
Film Courage: Or should the question to the person be first off before you
want to write one that sells, to ask why you want to write it? I mean it’s not like
you’re selling timeshares and hey show me how to do it? What’s the hot market?
Zach: Right, it goes back to what you want to write. Right now the Western has come
back (let’s just say) and it’s a hot market. I mean for awhile there it was after GRAVITY right
everyone wanted (the studios and the producers) of all varieties wanted
a great space film. Okay…so I’m sure there were a lot of people who saw GRAVITY, got inspired,
up-and-coming writers were like “Yes, I’m going to write the next great space film.”
And it very well may have been a great space film but guess what, the market has moved on?
Again, you can’t write for the market. In a way you have to let the market come to you
and that means writing a story that it goes back to writing a story with compelling characters who
you actually give a poop about and you have others who are invested in them or in their journey,
that’s what I would say. You ask a question like why are you writing?
What’s the point? Are you in this to make a buck or are you in this to - do you actually really
enjoy the craft and the process and all that and you really have to. I’m sure there’s some writers
who’ve just set out to write a script and they’ve done it and made money but I think the majority of
us we really have to be inspired by the type of story we want to invest 6 months/a year.
If you’re writing a novel 2, 3, 4, 5 years into.
Film Courage: Sure so DRIVE did well but if you’re trying to copy that style?
Zach: Yes and I think you always have to be kind of reinventing
yourself. I don’t say reinventing yourself as a writer but in a way yes because you always have to
come at it from a different angle and an original angle. Look again coming back to the space story,
the market may move on but maybe you have a unique twist on that space story or
on a werewolf story or whatever. I think it always…how do I say it?
You can have the same approach to crafting it but you have to constantly have a fresh take
on different stories and how you not necessarily want to tell them but fresh takes and twists on
your material and what you’re trying to say. I referenced 1917, not only was that technically
well done in my opinion, I just thought that from a sheer filmmaking standpoint but more
important from a character standpoint. It’s really not a complicated story. He’s trying to
get across France to this guy to tell him that these men are going to go and it’s life stakes
and his friend goes along the way and man we’re invested in these two guys,
these two young guys in the middle of this brutal war. Oh my gosh! Similar to SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
You don’t have to be a lover of war films to just be like…I was on the edge of my seat and
Sam Mendes is such a great, wonderful director but wow! And again not an overly complicated
story but just being invested entirely in the characters and then getting there in the end.
It’s like he saves the men and then he’s got to deliver this news to the lieutenant whose brother
he was with who was gone. Oh man, I had tears streaming down my cheeks but you talk
about a film that just worked, that stew just worked brilliantly. Oh many, it was wonderful.
Film Courage: I like that…a stew. That’s good!
Zach: A stew, a creative stew. But for me personally I hadn’t experience that in a
film in awhile and I guess I used to more but I think it shows where move making has gone
(studio filmmaking has gone to an extent).
Question for the viewers: What is this video
about? What is it also about? And what is it really about?