Guest Post: An interview with screenwriter Amy Talkington

Eilis Mernagh is a screenwriter whose latest short script, TIGER, is set to be produced this year, directed by award-winning director Cathal Nally. Eilis heard Amy Talkington speak at the 2011 Austin Film Festival and followed up with her for an interview. She generously shared her subsequent blog post with us. For more from Eilis, visit her blog, Dublin to Hollywood.

When you’re embarking on a venture it’s always good to hear from someone who’s been there and done that. So if you want to be a screenwriter, why not talk to an established writer?

One of the sessions at this year’s Austin Film Festival featured an interview with screenwriter Amy Talkington and her agent, talking about their working relationship. It was one of the most informative and interesting panels of the festival. I contacted Amy afterwards and she kindly agreed to answer some questions for this blog about her career to date and life as a working writer in Hollywood.

Amy Talkington

Amy is a writer and director based in Los Angeles. Originally from Texas, she graduated from Barnard College with a degree in art history and went on to achieve an MFA in film from Columbia University’s film division. Amy’s short films “Our Very First Sex Tape” (2003), “The New Arrival” (2000), “Bust” (1999), “Second Skin” (1998) and “Number One Fan” (1997) were selected for numerous distinguished festivals including Sundance. Second Skin earned her the New Line Cinema award for Best Director. She wrote and directed the feature film, “The Night of the White Pants,” released in 2008, which starred Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and Selma Blair.

Amy has written screenplays for several major studios, including Fox 2000, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Summit Entertainment, Disney and New Line Cinema. She penned the remake of the Eighties teen movie “Valley Girl” for MGM and the remake of “Private Benjamin” for New Line Cinema with Anna Faris set to star. Most recently she worked on “Kicked, Bitten and Scratched” for Summit Entertainment and sold an original pitch to Disney, which she is currently writing.

 In TV, Amy wrote “Avalon High” for the Disney Channel (for which she won a 2010 WGA award) and the ABC family movie “Brave New Girl” which starred Virginia Madsen and Lindsay Haun.

While Amy’s primary focus has been on traditional narratives for film and television, she is also accomplished as an interactive, new media filmmaker, where she strives to experiment with new kinds of storytelling. She co-wrote and directed the world’s first 360-degree movie, “The New Arrival,” for which The New York Times named her “one of the few women to break out on the internet.” She also wrote and directed “Confessions,” an interactive web project which was released on atomfilms.com in August, 2007.

Thanks for giving this interview! Can you give some details about how your interest in film developed and in particular your interest in writing for film? 

In my teens, I was a painter but I also loved to write fiction and I loved music. I wasn’t quite sure how to choose between them. But then, during college, I saw some inspiring art films and suddenly realized that writing and directing film would encompass all the things I things I loved.  

You wrote and directed five short movies at the start of your career – how did these develop? How did you approach the process of making what were (presumably!) low budget films?

I made my first two shorts while I was a graduate student in the Film Division at Columbia University. The film school setting provides a community to help develop and make a short. But, from the very first film, I strived to make the films as professional as possible and reached out to the independent film community in New York for my key crew and cast. I always encourage students not to settle and to reach for that composer or cinematographer or actor who you admire. You never know, if they like your script and they’re available, they might work on your film!

 Would you regard Second Skin as having been your “big break” and can you talk a little about how it arrived at New Line?

Yes, “Second Skin” was my entrée into both the independent film community and Hollywood. I traveled with that film to many film festivals and, through those festivals, got to know many people in the NYC indie scene. And then, when Columbia screened it in Los Angeles (because I’d won the award for “Best Director”), a young agent from United Talent Agency saw it and contacted me. She is still my agent today. As for the New Line Cinema Awards, New Line had a relationship with Columbia’s Film Division at the time and they sponsored two awards that “Second Skin” won. 

Night of the White Pants has an amazing cast. Can you talk about how you attracted actors like Tom Wilkinson and what it was like directing your first feature film? 

Tom just really loved the script. He also liked the idea of working with Nick Stahl again (they’d done “In The Bedroom” together some years before). I was really lucky that he happened to have a window of time and hadn’t done an indie in a while. Then, once Tom and Nick were in, the project was very attractive to many actors who wanted to work with them. It was 100 degrees in Dallas and every day was hard as hell but we had a great time making that movie.  

Is the finished movie very similar to the script or did you have to change a lot during production? 

We definitely had to make a lot of compromises due to the small budget and short shooting schedule but the movie is pretty close to the original script. The voice over was added in post, that’s one of the biggest changes from the shooting script. 

Can you talk a little about the process of “pitching” to the studios and how do you approach this?

Pitching is hell. And the way I approach it is by being as prepared as possible. I have a rock solid set of notes and I pitch “off” of them. I know a lot of people say you shouldn’t pitch off of notes, but it works for me. I practice a lot beforehand so that it doesn’t seem like I’m reading notes. I try to make it feel as casual as possible. 

Private Benjamin is a beloved film for a lot of people – it’s certainly one of my favourites! How do you approach writing a remake of a well-known movie? 

That was tough. I love the original too!! I kind of had forget about people’s expectations and just try to write the best script possible and one that felt as fresh as the original. It’s currently being rewritten by someone else so… we’ll see how it turns out! 

What’s your writing process like? Do you outline/write a treatment before starting? 

Yes, I do write a fairly detailed treatment and I work off of that. On the studio assignments you kind of have to. When I’m writing something for “myself” I usually have an outline but it’s less developed.  

What’s your writing schedule like – do you write everyday at a set time, for example?

I write five days a week, five to seven hours a day, depending on how much I have going on. I usually like to write in the mornings, maybe 8am – 2 or 3pm. 

The issue of “movies for women” often comes up at festivals. Do you feel that as a female writer, you can do a better job of telling a woman’s story? And do you feel that there are differences in the industry working as a female writer? 

Oh boy, that’s a pretty complicated issue. Not sure I can really tackle it here. I feel very capable of writing male and female characters. And, as far as the industry goes, I try not to think about the dismally low percentages of working female writers and directors. I choose not to focus on it and just keep working hard.  

You write for film and TV but also for the internet – what are your favourite things about writing for these different mediums? 

I am very interested in interactive storytelling. We are at an exciting time when a new kind of storytelling might emerge. I love to explore that.  

I saw an interview with you and your agent Rebecca Ewing at AFF and you seem to have a very good working relationship. Do you have any tips for young writers on a. finding a representative and b. working effectively with an agent once you get one? 

I really lucked out in terms of getting a representative so quickly and easily. But, I think the best way to find a good representative is to write a great script.  And as far as working effectively with an agent… I don’t know, I guess it’s the same as any working relationship — don’t be a jerk! 

Lastly, do you have any practical advice in general for writers starting out in their careers? 

Be prepared to work hard and face a lot of rejection. If you can’t handle either of those things than it’s probably not the right line of work. 

Big thanks to Amy for taking the time to do this interview!

Kids Who Write Good

Proper grammer and speling is important for writers of all ages and levels if they want to be more better writers.  If you aspire to be a professional writer and didn’t notice the errors in the previous sentence, you’ve got a problem (or you better have a good copy editor).  This week’s blog entry is not so much a lesson in grammar and dusting off your copy of Strunk & White; it is more about the importance of proofing your work before turning it in to someone who can either make or break your script.

I gained some perspective on this topic when I was asked to help teach the basics of screenwriting to an English class at a local high school as part of our Young Filmmakers Program.  The students were required to write a short screenplay for us to review and narrow down to one script which the kids would later produce.  The goal for the program is not only to help improve the students’ writing skills but to also provide them a real world experience similar to that of a working screenwriter in the industry (of course on a much smaller scale, not as ruthless, and without illegal substances).  Many of the kids submitted brilliant stories that were unfortunately marred by distractingly bad grammar, punctuation, spelling, and not to mention poor use of present progressive.  What we asked the kids to think about was: “Would you feel confident submitting this script to a studio?”  We gave the kids another opportunity to proof and refine their scripts before making our final decision.  In the studio system or a screenplay competition, there are no second chances like this once you’ve submitted a script.

 

Even in this age of text messaging and auto-correct, this is something not unique to today’s youth but to amateur writers in general.  I’ve come across many scripts in the competition with great stories but with poor grammar and spelling.  This is not necessarily a deal breaker for a script to advance in our competition; the quality of the story and writing always come first but the last thing you want to do is annoy your reader.  Your words should flow easily for the reader as if they’re going to fly off the page.  There is such a thing as spell check but it’s always best to have a new set of eyes copy edit your work before submitting it somewhere.  So just like those kids in class, ask yourself, “Do I feel confident submitting this script to a studio?”

Bad grammar may or may not make or break your script but, in an industry where thousands of scripts are passed around, why not make yours the most polished it can be?  The last thing you want is for your first impression to be the last impression.  Even though some Hollywood producers may still act like they’re in high school, it doesn’t mean you have to.

--Matt Dy, Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director

“How To Get your Groove Back…”

 
 It’s funny what we’ll do to find inspiration.  When it comes to the creative process, it seems like all of us will do what we can to find that “a-ha!” moment.  Maybe it’s exercising, or visiting your favorite place.  Maybe it’s praying, or chanting, or turning to a higher power for help.  We focus so much on finding that one thing that will help us write that story, or paint that picture, or sing that song that we’ve been dying to get out.  As artists (and really also, as humans), that’s what we live for.

But, what happens when that moment hasn’t quite hit you yet?  When you haven’t found that creative spark in your life?

As a novice writer, I can tell you that inspiration doesn’t come easy.  I have one set of friends who say, “Just sit down and write, something will come to you.  What’s the big deal?” On the flip side, there is the other set who say, “No, you have to wait until something hits you.  It might take time, but it’ll happen when you’re ready.”  So the question is: which side do you choose?  

For a whole year, I have struggled with these sides, teetering back and forth, ultimately just settling on not writing anything because it became such a creative battle.  And, at the end of the day, it was easier to use the excuse of “I’m just waiting for some inspiration to hit.”

I labored under this thought until I attended our 2011 festival.  It was my first year both as a writer and as an employee of AFF.  Although I did not get to sit in on as many panels as I would have liked, I noticed that one common element seemed to stand out amongst all of the panelists: they each spoke of at least one person in their lives who was interested in what they had to say.

There, on that final sleep-deprived Sunday afternoon of the Festival, did I finally have a pivotal realization: inspiration comes from the support of those around you.  This realization came further into play when our Marketing Director, Taylor, asked if anyone wanted to contribute to our blog, read by thousands of writers, attendees, and panelists alike.  I hesitated to throw my name into the hat because I wasn’t sure what an Office Manager could say that would be of use to people.  Once again, I used the fall back of “not writing is easier”.  But it wasn’t until she said that it didn’t matter what my title was or what I do at the office every day, but that my voice is just as important as everyone else’s – that I have thoughts and ideas that should be shared.  I knew that that was exactly what I needed to hear, if even for this small project, to get my creative juices flowing again.  And thus, I landed myself a spot on this lovely little blog!

My advice to you, dear reader/writer, is this: surround yourself with the people who know what you truly want to do.  You may not have that “a-ha!” moment today, or tomorrow, or even 5 years from now.  But it will happen.  Because of her, as well as an equally supportive staff, I can now pass that same encouragement along to all of you.  Sure, maybe what you have to say won’t appeal to everyone... but I promise you that there will always be one person who believes in and wants to hear what you have to say. I hope that you, too, can find your inspiration through them.

-- Marcie Mayhorn, AFF Office Manager

Writers on Screenwriting - Herschel Weingrod

Herschel Weingrod at the 2011 Austin Film Festival & Conference
Photo credit: Jack Plunkett

We know how valuable it can be to hear another writer, especially a successful one, discuss their craft. It can inspire renewed commitment to one's work, give ideas for different ways to approach a story and remind us that we are not alone with our frustrations - and joys - in the writing process.

We've asked some friends of Austin Film Festival to share some of their thoughts on aspects of the writing process with us. Below, our good friend Herschel Weingrod shares some advice on preparing to tell your story.

Ray Bradbury once said, "Find out what your hero wants, then follow him." He didn't say lead him, he said follow him. If you've created your protagonists well enough, they'll take you where your story needs to go and, in doing so, you'll discover your theme rather than start with one and then hammer us over the head with it - the theme needs to be invoked rather than imposed. The trick is to get rid of all the facile cliches that are the first things you go for, the easy solutions to scenes and plot and character. Good writing can only begin after a lot of heavy lifting - a mountain of false starts and stops and what used to be crumpled paper. And then, if you're lucky, and talented, in return for your labor and humiliation you might wake up in the morning and know more about the scene you're about to write than when you went to sleep the night before...and, if you're really lucky, your characters will start to take you where they would go and do what they would do...and you'll experience the writer's equivalent of what athletes call being "in the zone".

- Herschel Weingrod, screenwriter Trading Places, Brewster’s Millions, producer Falling Down