In this column we chat up various industry professionals about their lives, their careers, their projects, and how the art of the written word affects their given profession.
Other bits of randomness may also occur. It happens…
CUT TO: Brian Koppelman (Writer/Director/Producer)
J.C. had the chance to chat with Brian Koppelman last year at the 13th Annual Nashville Screenwriters Conference, and Brian (lucky for us!) reluctantly agreed to be harassed via e-mail for this interview. Brian and his writing partner, David Levien, started their screenwriting career with the 1998 Matt Damon/Ed Norton film Rounders, and have been working steadily in the industry ever since, including a half dozen currently in development properties. Their next star-studded film, the drama-thriller Runner, Runner starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake is in pre-production now. Q: First off, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Brian Koppelman? A: Some guy who should be writing a screenplay right now but is procrastinating by answering these Read more »
CUT TO: Dan Fogelman (Screenwriter/Producer)
J.C. and I had the honor of attending the 13th Annual Nashville Screenwriters Conference last year, and as a result we had the chance to speak with several of the panelists and many of them graciously agreed to interviews. This interview is a departure from our standard operating procedure, though, as I normally like to let the writers do what they do best: write. But Dan Fogelman is a busy man these days and asked if he and J.C. could chat by phone, so what you’re about to read is a little more fast and loose than what you’re used to here, but it is by no means any less informative or educational. In fact, J.C. had a lot of Read more »
CUT TO: Matt Manfredi (Screenwriter)
J.C. had the chance to chat with Matt Manfredi earlier this year at the 13th Annual Nashville Screenwriters Conference, and Matt (lucky for us!) happily agreed to be harassed via e-mail for this interview. Matt and his writing partner, Phil Hay, started their screenwriting career with the 2001 Kirsten Dunst film, crazy/beautiful, and have been working steadily in the industry ever since, including a half dozen currently in development properties. You can catch their next star-studded film, the action-comedy R.I.P.D. starring Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Bacon, in theaters next summer! Q: First off, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Matt Manfredi? A: Just some dude from Palos Verdes, California. I live in L.A. with Read more »
CUT TO: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (Writers/Directors/Producers)
J.C. and I had the honor of attending the 13th Annual Nashville Screenwriters Conference this year, and as a result we had the chance to speak with several of the panelists and many of them graciously agreed to interviews. First up is J.C. chatting with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, best known as the writers of the films Cats & Dogs, Bad Santa, Bad News Bears, and I Love You Phillip Morris. The latter of which was also their feature directing debut. Their next directing gig, Crazy, Stupid, Love., penned by Dan Fogelman, will hit theaters within the next few weeks. We also have a recap of their panel from the conference (Writing a Screenplay Read more »
CUT TO: Max D. Adams (Screenwriter/Author)
When I first approached Max for this interview, I was surprised to find her a bit hesitant. She asked a few questions about the site and the interview process and why I was interested in what she had to say, exactly. Of the few writers that I’ve interviewed, she was the first to be somewhat standoff-ish. But what I came to learn very quickly is that Max is of a very rare breed in this industry: she doesn’t like to waste her time… or yours. She’s direct, to the point, and will not sugarcoat any b******t. And it’s refreshing to speak to someone so brutally honest about this profession because screenwriting is not all happy-go-lucky; showered in puppy dogs and Read more »
CUT TO: Kevin Lehane (Screenwriter)
Funny thing, that Twitter, which is how I met Kevin. He retweeted one of our posts and a few mouse clicks later I was reading the logline of Grabbers. After hysterically laughing out loud, my next goal was to harass Kevin until he submitted and agreed to tell the backstory. Luckily, he instantly obliged and voila! our latest CUT TO. When chatting with Kevin three things are immediately apparent: he’s funny, affable, and one heck of a nice guy. It’s easy to see how he’s quickly making a name for himself across the pond in the realms of the screenwriting world. If he keeps it up, I’m sure it won’t be long until his good name storms our shores Read more »
CUT TO: Gary Young (Screenwriter)
My introduction to Gary Young’s work, as I imagine most anyone reading this, was with the exceptional but seemingly little-known film (at least here in the States) Harry Brown. Seriously, if you have not seen this film, please do yourself a favor and watch it as soon as humanly possible. Purchase it, Netflix it, stream it, whatever you have to do. I promise you won’t be disappointed. And, as a bonus, watch it again with the audio commentary by Michael Caine, director Daniel Barber, and producer Kris Thykier. Caine has a comedic field day and it’s absolutely hilarious. The only disappointment I found with the commentary, though, is the lack of discussion regarding the script. Why is that a Read more »
CUT TO: Derek Haas (Screenwriter/Novelist/Producer)
Our very own J.C. and Adam had the privilege to attend the 12th Annual Nashville Screenwriting Conference that was held June 4-6, 2010, in Nashville, Tennessee. Along with attending several of the great panels featured last year, they had the chance to chat with a some of the panelists, which resulted in a few of them agreeing to partake in our CUT TO: shenanigans. Derek Haas agreed to an interview months ago, but due to his busy schedule as screenwriter and first-time producer on The Double it has taken J.C. the better part of a year to complete this interview. Don’t know who Derek Haas is? Where have you been? Seriously? Writing partners Michael Brandt and Derek Haas are the Read more »
CUT TO: Bob DeRosa (Screenwriter)
So, I’ll be honest, the real reason I created this column was because I wanted to chat with industry folk and be inspired by their stories. As an aspiring writer myself, I know all too well how easy it can be to lose focus after that umpteenth draft or how discouraging it is to receive that hundredth NO. And that’s why I really enjoyed this interview with Bob. He’s like a walking, talking, living, breathing version of that saying we’ve all heard a million times: If I can do it, you can do it. The difference here is Bob bypasses the b******t and cuts straight to the heart of the matter: “…writing is not glamorous, it is a Read more »
CUT TO: Andy Diggle (Comic Book Writer)
Hey, all. Sheridan here. To me, comic books are like a dear old friend. My parents divorced when I was in fourth grade, which caused me to become somewhat more introverted and shy than I already was at the time. So, when a friend handed me a copy of Thor during our fifth grade year, just imagine what a revelation it was! And, at that strange, dark, confusing time in my life, it was also a much-needed escape. Here were the worlds of Spider-Man, The Uncanny X-Men, and The Fantastic Four et al. that I could wholly lose myself in. A place where I could find clearly defined answers, where things made sense even on a grand, epic Read more »
CUT TO: Jeff Lowell (Writer/Director/Producer)
Our very own J.C. and Adam had the privilege to attend the 12th Annual Nashville Screenwriting Conference that was held June 4-6 in Nashville, Tennessee. Along with attending several of the great panels featured this year, they had the chance to chat with a some of the panelists, which resulted in a few of them agreeing to partake in our CUT TO: shenanigans. J.C. recently had the chance to chat with Jeff Lowell who has written, produced and directed features and television for more than fifteen years. He currently has projects in various stages of development at multiple studios. And, surprisingly, Jeff took his wife and children and fled Los Angeles for Charlottesville, Virginia five years ago. Q: Who is Read more »
CUT TO: Craig Mazin (Writer/Director/Producer)
Our very own J.C. and Adam had the privilege to attend the 12th Annual Nashville Screenwriting Conference that was held June 4-6 in Nashville, Tennessee. Along with attending several of the great panels featured this year, they had the chance to chat with a some of the panelists, which resulted in a few of them agreeing to partake in our CUT TO: shenanigans. First up? Craig Mazin. The co-writer of the hit comedies Scary Movie 3 and 4. Currently, he is writing The Hangover 2 with director Todd Phillips, as well as an action-comedy for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a science-fiction comedy for Paramount Pictures, and a family adventure for 20th Century Fox. Craig served on the Board of Directors Read more »
CUT TO: Matthew Grainger (Screenwriter/Producer)
Sheridan here. I interviewed New Zealand based screenwriter and producer, Matthew Grainger, over the course of eight months via e-mail while Matthew was in the midst of post production and releasing his latest film Under the Mountain.
I think what sets this interview apart from the few, but highly informative and extremely educational, interviews already on the site is that, while Matthew has hopes of cracking the proverbial Hollywood nut at some point, his passion to tell stories set in his homeland is of far greater importance at this stage of his career. This is a lesson that I think all burgeoning screenwriters should really contemplate because while the majority of us wish to eventually make it to/in L.A., if Read more »CUT TO: J.T. Cummins (Writer/Director/Special Effects Artist)
How and why, exactly, does one make the jump from special effects artist to writer/director? What turmoil does a special effects artist endure because of a screenwriter’s description? And what happens when life throws you a curveball? Those are a few of the many things that Sheridan wanted to find out when he sat down to compose his questions for the rather versatile J.T. Cummins. Q: First off, tell us a little about yourself. Who is J.T. Cummins? A: In nine-hundred words or less? (Laughs). I’m an American born, Los Angeles based author-screenwriter who studied art and film at the California Institute of the Arts under the only full character animation scholarship awarded by the Walt Disney Company during the Read more »
CUT TO: Eric Heisserer (Screenwriter)
Screenwriter Eric Heisserer took a few moments out of his busy schedule to chat with Sheridan via e-mail about writing, breaking into the industry, the accidental creation of an internet viral sensation, and treading on hallowed cinematic ground with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and THE THING. Q. First off, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Eric Heisserer? A. I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, as the son of an ancient history professor. My writing career began humbly, in the tabletop roleplaying game industry. This was after high school, when I lived in Houston. Then one day I submitted a scenario to a publisher and got the rejection of: “This would make a good movie, though.” Short stories Read more »
CUT TO: David Lemon (Screenwriter)
Sheridan chatted with UK screenwriter David Lemon via e-mail about his work, his writing process, what inspires him, the differences of writing for television and film, and his first produced screenplay Faintheart and what it’s like to watch your first produced work with an audience for the first time. Q: First off, tell us a little about yourself. Who is David Lemon? A: I’m a scriptwriter, born just outside London and now living there (not far from the area tourists know as ‘Jack The Ripper’ country). Before becoming a full-time scriptwriter I worked in TV production for several years. This included directing and shooting ‘fly on the wall’ documentaries for BBC and ITV (UK Commercial television). I filmed raids on Read more »
CUT TO: Rian Johnson (Writer/Director)
Rian Johnson took a break from writing his new feature, Looper, to chat with J.C. about screenwriting, working with actors, directing, and the magical journey of a story from script to screen. Q: I’m curious as to what screenplays you have studied the most and why? A: I’ll be honest, I haven’t studied many scripts. This is probably a bad thing. I do watch way too many movies, and often I’ll outline a film scene for scene to understand how it ticks, but when I read it’s mostly novels. My few experiences with reading a script before seeing a film have been pretty disconcerting. I remember reading Fargo, for instance, and having no idea about the Minnesota accents. Read more »
CUT TO: Marc Jackson (Composer)
Sheridan sat down with composer Marc Jackson to discuss film, music, composing, and the importance of the written word. Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be a composer.
A: I didn’t actually set out to be a composer but began as a recording artist, first in a band and later as a solo artist. The band I was in landed a deal with MCA records and had a release in Europe. The release was associated with a film project and four of the songs went into the film. Later as a solo artist I recorded my only CD while I was on tour as a musician for another artist. I recorded each song in Read more »CUT TO: C.D. Payne (Author)
Coming later this year, Michael Cera stars in the C. D. Payne created, Gustin Nash adapted, and Miguel Arteta directed film, “Youth in Revolt,” that chronicles the hilarious misadventures of Nick Twisp. Our very own Adam Morris sat down with the author and got the scoop on how a book makes the transition from cult classic novel to feature film. Q: Your book (YiR) has been optioned at one time or another as both a television series and a feature film. What medium do you think would capture the best representation of your work? A: I think a 9-hour film with a $200 million budget would work best. There’s a lot of story to cram into a script. I also Read more »