I sent off a screenplay last night. Don’t get excited, cos I’m not. I’ve been doing secret screenplay work for about five years. Secret because that’s the way these crazy fucking movie guys work. And TV guys. They’re all the same. They absofuckinglutely freak the fuck out if anyone figures out what they’re up to before it happens, which is hilarious because ninety-nine times out of a hundred, nothing ever happens.
I do get paid, I guess. So that ain’t entirely nothing. But mostly these things never get made.
Most of what I do is clean up other people’s scripted mess. Sometimes I script my own mess for someone else to clean up. And we all agree never to speak of it again.
I’m glad this latest thing is done, though. I’ve been on it since late last year. It’s a big part of the reason I’ve been getting nothing else done. At first I was trying to juggle everything, but eventually I figured out that was a sure path to failure.
Now, finally, I can send my invoice and get back to some novel writing.
The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols, is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb. The film is credited as being written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham. They shared the oscar nomination for the script.
I saw an interview with Buck Henry. He said, Mike Nichols asked him to write a script based on the novel. Buck Henry’s previous claim to fame was co-creating Get Smart and writing some of the episodes. Buck Henry wrote a script. Mike Nichols liked it and that was the script that was filmed. He was stunned to find out later that he was sharing the writing credit with Calder Willingham.
Buck Henry found out later that he was the fourth person to be asked to write a script. He was unaware of these previous attempts and did not see any of these scripts. Calder Willingham had written one of the rejected scripts but he had wangled a guaranteed credit into his contract. Buck Henry was still very angry about it. He thought it was unprincipled for Willingham to share a credit for writing he had nothing to do with.
Finishing stuff is good for your mental elf. According to this guy I know, you should be doing something every day, and I think he implied that you should be finishing something every day, because one of the examples he gave was making a meal, so give your elf a pat on the back.
Do they tell you whose work you are fixing up? Just in case, you know, someone is fixing up your words. "Why the hell did this kettle explode when the protagonist smashed it against the guys head?" flicks through the manuscript "oh right, Birmingham. Again".
What happens if there is a screen writers strike like over in the US and they go offshore? Does that ever happen? That they get someone OS to break the picket line and not tell you what they are doing?
Just got in under the wire before the writers strike, did you have a premonition?
Here’s a screenwriting anecdote.
The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols, is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb. The film is credited as being written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham. They shared the oscar nomination for the script.
I saw an interview with Buck Henry. He said, Mike Nichols asked him to write a script based on the novel. Buck Henry’s previous claim to fame was co-creating Get Smart and writing some of the episodes. Buck Henry wrote a script. Mike Nichols liked it and that was the script that was filmed. He was stunned to find out later that he was sharing the writing credit with Calder Willingham.
Buck Henry found out later that he was the fourth person to be asked to write a script. He was unaware of these previous attempts and did not see any of these scripts. Calder Willingham had written one of the rejected scripts but he had wangled a guaranteed credit into his contract. Buck Henry was still very angry about it. He thought it was unprincipled for Willingham to share a credit for writing he had nothing to do with.
Speaking of screenplays ...sure seems like Axis of Time would make a hell of a 5 or 6 season run on Amazon or Hulu or HBO or wherever.
Finishing stuff is good for your mental elf. According to this guy I know, you should be doing something every day, and I think he implied that you should be finishing something every day, because one of the examples he gave was making a meal, so give your elf a pat on the back.
Yes, back to more novel writing please!
Do they tell you whose work you are fixing up? Just in case, you know, someone is fixing up your words. "Why the hell did this kettle explode when the protagonist smashed it against the guys head?" flicks through the manuscript "oh right, Birmingham. Again".
What happens if there is a screen writers strike like over in the US and they go offshore? Does that ever happen? That they get someone OS to break the picket line and not tell you what they are doing?
LIKE