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Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 29, Issue 22 - Index

to see if I could do it.
SCREEN: Was it tedious?
SP: I wouldn’t say “tedious.” In terms of tone it was difficult because
I wanted it to be an R-rated movie, so I was limited by the rating
because it’s a college genre movie without anything that happens
in a college genre movie - there’s no sex and drugs, and last time
I checked that’s part of the college experience.
SCREEN: How do you like directing in comparison to writing?
SP: When you write a script, you’re not only telling a story the best
way you can but also you’re in a world of pure imagination, you
can do whatever you want and whatever serves the story you can
write it, but in making a film you’re limited by budget and reality.
You have to contend with the actual reality of making a film that
has the physical limitations of reality. When you write a script
you’re communicating to a reader and when you make a movie
you’re communicating to an audience. Your actors change the
tone; your locations change the tone and the way you shoot it.
You have all these other elements that are combined to achieve a
particular idea that takes groups of people sometimes. There’s a
vast, fantastic difference.
SCREEN: What’s the toughest job you’ve ever worked on?
SP: Well I won’t say specifically, but generally the toughest job is
when the people you’re working with don’t quite know what they
want. It doesn’t matter what movie, if you can’t convince them
that it’s the movie they want, then it’s a tough job. That either
means that you’re not the right writer or that they don’t know what
they want no matter who you’re pitching to.
When creative people and the execs in the studio and everybody
is on the same page and know what movie they’re making then
it’s a great process. But there’s a lot of confusion and/or debate
about what movie is being made and it’s always very, very hard.
It’s always a sliding scale and the jobs I’ve loved are the ones
where people know what the hell they want and I can execute it.
SCREEN: What about the job that was the least amount of fun?
Could you tell us anything about that?
SP: I don’t really know how to say it. One specific thing I did
that was really un-fun was I wrote a TV pilot, and in that specific
instance we knew that the project was dead the day we sold it.
Basically, it was because the wrong network insisted on buying it -
it’s hard to explain the details - and our circumstances forced us to
sell the pilot. So now we’re writing something and it doesn’t matter
how good it is and to know something like that is a real bummer.
That was really depressing.
SCREEN: What did you do about it?
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SP: We had to write it, and write it as well as possible, and we were
very unhappy about it. It was mediocre in the end because we
had to get through writing it. It wasn’t the worst pilot ever - it was
kinda funny - but it was sorely lacking any real quality because, you
know, what was the point?
SCREEN: What, if anything, can you tell us about the “Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels” remake from MGM?
SP: I’m writing it and am thrilled to be updating that particular
story. The original was called “Bedtime Story” and starred Marlon
Brando and David Niven.
My agent submitted me and they pitched to a producer and they
bought my take. They said, “Here’s the way you should update the
jokes and the characters and the world and still make it funny and
‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.’” So I’m just trying to write an updated
- for lack of a better word, hip - version.
SCREEN: And was there pressure in that?
SP: There was pressure from the old one
that people want to see again. Even
though people will laugh at the old jokes
you wanna give them something new, too,
so that’s where it’s difficult.
SCREEN: Lastly, what’s the best piece
of advice you can give to an emerging
screenwriter?
SP: Writing is rewriting, would be my advice.
A lot of young writers - most of the jobs you
have - learn the skill of rewriting and learn
the material over and over and over again
in order to be open to the vast potential
of any given idea because that’s what
you’re going to be required to do whether
you like it or not. Make sure you’ve fully
explored the potential of your ideas and
once you have, then defend them.
But do not be defensive until you’ve fully
vetted its potential. Don’t be lazy. Writing
is rewriting. I don’t think there’s a script
that I’ve been paid to write that I didn’t
write 400 pages on. You’re required by the
process and that’s both good and bad,
but it’s a reality so get used to it. Be able
to look at your own material and rewrite
it. Don’t be afraid of Hollywood because
[it needs] new writers every day. You can
make it. Everyone can.