Film Courage: Let’s say I’m a screenwriter and I email you and need my script fixed a.s.a.p.
and we agree to work together, what are the first things that you’re looking at?
Jill Chamberlain, Author/Screenwriter: I’m kind of simultaneously looking at both the
macro and micro level.
So as I’m going ultimately the story is of utmost importance but also as I’m reading
on the page noting things so I mark things up as I go.
So I may already have questions or suggestions that have to do with minor kind of things
where I could think of a better phrasing or your action description isn’t clear enough
especially those first 10 pages which are super important where I am having a very hard
time slogging through those.
That’s a really bad sign so I might even spend more time trying to point that out.
So I’m looking at the micro level but I’m also sitting back and looking at the macro
level.
How does this story work and I often don’t know the answer to that until I get to the
very end.
I’m kind of doing two things at once.
Film Courage: And then at what point do you send them notes?
Do they have to make changes for you to review?
Or it’s up to them whether they want to make those changes?
Jill: What I do is I meet with the writer either person or via Skype and I have their
script marked up but I don’t do written notes.
I don’t do a written report unless you want to pay for that separately which I don’t
recommend.
I don’t think it’s a very efficient use of your money.
I’ll happily do it if you want to pay me by the hour to sit and type up a report.
I don’t think it’s a very time efficient use of your money.
I think it’s much more efficient if we…so with each of my consultations it includes
60-90 minutes where we talk either in person or via Skype.
So we go through on the page pointing out things but also talking story.
It’s not just that it’s time inefficient for me to type up a report is to do that is
not a two-way thing.
So it’s more efficient for me to start asking questions and try to find out if something
is not working, try to find out what it was that you’re trying to do.
Versus doing some kind of detached cover report.
That’s just not a very useful tool for a writer.
As a writer you want to know just how to make this better.
So for the way to make this better is to talk about it, for us to talk about it, for us
to say “If that’s what we’re trying to do, I totally did not get that this was
the character’s flaw.
You need to look at this character’s first scene and see if you can adjust and that’s
the flaw.
If that’s the flaw they should be saying this in the first scene.”
We want to look at specifics.
So I’m really kind of script doctoring and trying to help.
I’m not just giving you a passive report that tells you thumbs up or thumbs down.
It’s not very useful.
Who cares if I think it’s thumbs up or thumbs down.
My job is to make your script as good as it can possibly be.
So I like to have that two-way conversation.
So we can talk about “Oh, that’s what you’re trying to do if…I did not get that
at all.
You need to bring it up in moments like this.
I want to hear the character’s flaws, that they are jealous.”
They should be saying that in this moment or they should try doing this.
So there is a two-way conversation that happens there.
Film Courage: Are most people receptive to when you want to make changes or when you
suggest them?
Jill: I would say 97% of the time, right?
97% of the time they are and that’s why I generally love my job.
Is that people pay me to tell them what works and what doesn’t work in their script.
And they say “Oh my gosh, thank you!
That’s such a good suggestion.”
And they love it and they go with it.
And then there’s the three percent where I don’t know if they think I’m run a studio
or something or I’m some sort of gatekeeper because I’m not.
They are occasionally unhappy that I…and this is not a productive thing.
You’re not trying to convince me, why are you trying to convince me that your script
doesn’t work when I telling you it doesn’t work.
I’m trying to help you so you can make it work.
So occasionally you find someone who is resistant.
Film Courage: That’s funny because that prompted my memory for something.
I was watching this old interview with [documentary filmmaker] Errol Morris and he said “Most
people don’t see themselves are they are.
And other people are better gauges at who they are.”
You know that cliche saying “I know you better than you know yourself.”
I’ve always hated that expression but he said that is actually kind of true especially
in the retelling of his things.
Do you think this is true with writers?
Jill: Do you mean as far as their ability or…?
Film Courage: Yes.
Jill: You know I’m actually surprised that for the most part (and the reason that 97%
of them are receptive) is that deep down they do know and that is why most of them go well
is that they are not generally shocked at what I’m going to say.
They might be disappointed, they might have hoped that they tried this thing and that
it worked but they’re not shocked.
They’re kind of like “Yeah, I kind of suspected it.”
And they are trying and that is part of the point some of the things work and I’ll tell
you that and it will be pleasantly surprised and then other ones aren’t and it’s going
to confirm what you maybe suspected.
But that’s the point of getting the draft done and on paper and out of your head so
that someone…or have a professional read it so you can find out what works and what
doesn’t.
And some things you will surprise yourself and do better than you thought and some things
not as well.
So for the most part people aren’t so surprised.
I think those are the 3% are the ones who have a disconnect in their head about what
it is and how it’s working.
97% of people don’t.
They hope I love every single word.
But when I point out something they are like “Yeah, I kind of knew that wasn’t working.”
So it resonates with them.
Film Courage: Do you think writers are very self aware or they’ve been critiqued so
much either through school or classes that they’ve taken.
That they just kind of know “Yeah, I know I’m not using active voice here.
I’m using passive voice.”
I don’t know?
What do you think it is?
Jill: At varies at their level.
It varies at how often they’ve been critiqued.
It varies at the kind of critiques.
I see all different levels where people are quite self aware and are quite used to criticism
and are not going to be defensive and they know the things and they will say it right
out when I point out a weakness.
They will be like “Yes, I’m not great at doing action sequences.”
And there are others who are not as self-aware, it really depends.