I finally had a chance to see Tales From the Script last night. Every screenwriter should check out this documentary. It features interviews with forty-four screenwriters -- including William Goldman, Frank Darabont, Steven de Souza, and Shane Black -- who discuss the film industry, the development process, and the ups and downs that come with being a writer.
It is at some points discouraging and at other points motivating and inspiring. You'll hear from writers who have penned more than thirty scripts but only sold one or two, and you'll hear from Academy Award winning writers who have sold one screenplay after another.
My favorite part of the film was Kris Young's comment comparing screenwriting to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan -- thousands of soldiers land on the beach and are mowed down by gunfire, but a few make it through and survive. Yes, it's a dramatic analogy, but if anyone is allowed to be dramatic, shouldn't it be a screenwriter?
I also loved this quote from Dennis Palumbo: "Writers are egomaniacs with low self-esteem."
You can get Tales From the Script through Netflix, and it's also available on DVD through Amazon.com
Here's the trailer:
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I heard about this a while ago, and couldn’t get hold of it. Today I finally tracked it down.
Oh boy. What an insight, and a treasure for aspiring screenwriters. I ended up more depressed than encouraged, but at least now I know what to expect the day I find myself working with Tim Burton or uncle Steven :o)
I loved the comments about Spielberg being the old Jewish uncle you ignore or dismiss until you find out he was right all along. :)
Some of the film definitely was depressing. It was discouraging to find out how even these highly successful writers have dozens of screenplays that haven’t sold, and equally discouraging to hear about the almost magical circumstances that helped them sell a script. And the entire Hollywood system was perfectly summed up in Guinevere Turner’s anecdote about pitching an idea and getting an incredibly positive response only to have the network hand the writing assignment to someone else.