Writers and filmmakers quotes I've heared lately

"The good writer seems to be writing about himself, but has his eye always on that thread of the Universe which runs through himself and all things."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself."
– Albert Camus

"There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn't because the book is not there and worth being written -- it is only because the right form of the story does not present itself. There is only one right form for a story and if you fail to find that form the story will not tell itself."
– Mark Twain

"I write to discover what I think."
– Joan Didion

“MODERN CINEMA IS A CODE.”
– Gus Van Sant

Writing a good monologue

For me, writing a monologue is a real tough business. I like to use minimal number od spoken words in my scripts, and my characters never give lectures. So it always seems contrived when I put a monologue in their mouth. Unless, of course, I do it good. And there are ways to write a good monologue.

What is a monologue, and why do we need it?

the whole idea is that monologue consists of change. The character's emotions are changing, or its ability to express it changes. So we don't get a lecture, we get drama. Inner drama covered by words. The use of monologue lets us expose the character, even if the words are just a disguise. Also, a monologue in the right moment in the script can get the theme on the surface. Don't make it too obvious, though. Let it be found.

The Four Emotions

You thought humans are complex, think again. At the end there are only four basic emotions you need to deal with: Happiness, Sadness, Fear and Anger. All other emotions are a combination of two or more of those four. Just like a painter, mix and match the basic emotions to touch your character's wound and transfer it through the journey of the script, the scene, the monologue.

Animation, combined technique

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo

Don't forget your readers know a thing or two

Adam Sandler is an actor I really like in dramas and really don't like in comedies. Now his new film is out, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and from the title alone I could tell you it's crap.

The story is about an Israeli who arrives NY to be a hairdresser. The original name of the Israeli was Boaz, a real Israeli name. Then they changes it to Zohan, which is nothing. For me it really said a lot about the rest of the film. It's a comedy, yes, but there is a real world behind it. Like every fantasy must have a clear set of rules to be plausible, so is a comedy. The reality that is the background of the story and the hero (in that case Israel and the war in the middle east) is very clear. How come the name of the hero is not part of this set of rules? Maybe they thought it sounded better, maybe they were afraid of too much realism that will make their comedy less funny, I don't know. For an Israeli guy, and especially the guy they chose to represent the ex-soldier macho, Zohan is not an option for a name. They could call him Zohar, which is a real name and the name of the Kabbalah book. Or just Boaz would be fine.

So when you're writing a script, don't forget there are people with some knowledge who read it. Jargon, slang and at least the basic set of principles of the described world - they should be correct. That's it.

Screenwriters' lab with Tawfik Abu Wael

As part of the student film festival in tel Aviv, I went to the screenwriters' lab with Tawfik Abu Wael. It wasn't really a workshop, it looked more like a local version of Actors' Studio (a show I enjoy a lot). Only the interviewer wasn't as bright as the bearded man at Actors' Studio.

Tawfik was charming. Very good looking, say what he thinks and never takes himself too seriously. I enjoyed looking at him while he talked. Yes, he's the most beautiful Israeli director. Competition is not very high, as most of the directors are spoiled skinny asses that are too pale to stand under the set lightning.

A funny moment was when the interviewer asked him if he had a cinema where he grew up, and Tawfik said that he didn't but when he was 14-15 he went to Tel Aviv to watch movies at the cinemas there. The interviewer asked him then: "how did you arrive to tel Aviv? you just took the bus..?". Tawfik gave her a De Niro look that says: "are you kidding me lady?" and someone from the audience said "he came here on his donkey". This was just a short moment that showed how for some Israelies an arab Israeli is always an Arab, that lives somewhere 'not far, not close, but never grasped'.

What's your favorite Coen brothers' film?

I loved No Country for Old Men, and after watching the trailer of the new Coen brothers' film, I can't wait to watch it. Seems like the summer film I'd enjoy. I also like the title: Burn After Reading.
I've always loved their films, also the way they write their script is great, making reading a pleasure.

I thought Blood Simple was excellent, also Miller Junction. Barton Fink is great, but a bit too much with the "hell" motif. A bit too simple perhaps. I hated, really hated, the film they've made with Cloony and Catherine (forgot the name, the one with the divorce lawyer). I don't like Cloony and anywhere he's in is not a place for me to be. I also thought the other film, with the robbery from the basement of the old black woman - that film was not good as well.

Alright, it's 9AM, must get this writing going before the day will fall on me!

Making your script visual

sometimes you have a very dull scene. Like, you need to show a conversation between two guys and it really has nothing special in it. Make it visually interesting so your audience (and readers) will have an extra detail to hang on to.

The bandaid on Wallace's nape is a great example. We feel Bruce's pain, and we don't need to see Wallace's face. It's actually much better without seeing it. The bandaid does the trick for keeping us interested visually (as our mind is searching for an explanation or meaning in this small disturbing detail).

Make sure your script has this visual side, or else why would we watch?

Where will my script take place?

The location you choose for your script is very important. This of course is also true for the smaller scale pieces, your scenes, but i'll talk about the general location of the script. A few points to think about when choosing the place where the action happens:

1. The location defines the world of your script. Or, better say, you define the world by choosing the locations. Say you write a hospital drama. Does it take place in a hospital like you and I know? Is it a hospital in a rough area of the city? A small private institute? How does it look: maybe it's a super modern facility in the middle of the desert? Think of the hospital in House and the hospital of Grey's Anatomy. They feel different. And it serves the script.

2. How real is your location? Is it there for some fantasy feeling? I'm not talking about SF here, but something more basic. Is it a place that looks very normal (the beach) but we see it in a new light, that makes it very unique (in Israel, a beach that's only for religious women, no men allowed)? There is a dramatic force to this location, conflicts and rules that go with it.

3. How well do you know this location? Say you write a comedy in space. You don't need to be related to NASA by any case. Maybe space is just another way to describe your highschool. Like they did in Alien: the spaceship (and the crew) look more like a truck drivers' station. Location, that is, goes hand in hand with character. And when your character doesn't fit the place - it's another conflict you must deal with.