Typecasting the Screenwriter Julius Ayodeji Nottingham Trent University UK
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To Genre or Not To Genre? Typecasting the Screenwriter Julius Ayodeji Nottingham Trent University UK Abstract: positive reframing of typecasting for the screenwriter. Typecast verb “and don’t worry about being 1. assign (an actor or actress) typecast until you’ve gotten a movie repeatedly to the same type of role, as a made” result of the appropriateness of their Writer, (Go, Big Fish, appearance or previous success in such Charlie’s Angels) John August. roles. (2007) "he tends to be typecast as the caring, intelligent male" Keywords: Storytelling, Authorship, Typecasting, 2. represent or regard (a person or their Characterisation, Psychology role) as fitting a particular stereotype. Introduction Typecasting in the film world is an In his introduction to Augusto Boal’s seminal expression typically applied to the actor. book Games for actors and non-actors This paper will discuss how typecasting translator Adrian Jackson describes for the screenwriter should be seen as a participants in Image Theatre creating a positive shorthand enthusiasm for the series of stills. These groups then suggest titles or themes, before going on to “’sculpt work from that screenwriter that has three-dimensional images under these titles” resonated. (Boal, xix). The psychology of the narrative As a writer for screen and stage myself this surrounding typecasting is ordinarily one idea is analogous of the transition from the as something that should be resisted “if script to screen or page to stage. The thesis you don’t want to be typecast, then you of this paper and the focus of a book being need to fight it every step of the way and developed by its author is that there are a lot never give up.” (Cooper, B. 2013) of parallels between the actor and the Whereas it should really be seen as an screenwriter. The way both professionals advantage, as something that gets the utilise craft, for example the employment of emotional intelligence when developing a screenwriter the job. “It’s a type of psychological approach to character “typecasting” that is actually great” development, spatial awareness and (Miyamoto, K. 2011) physical embodiment of character are Genre is a shorthand method of parallels drawn by the author of this paper in communicating with your audience and the book. The specific focus of this paper is to be typecast as an ‘action’ writer, or typecasting. In this instance though the ‘comedy’ writer is what has led to the approach is that unlike the negative attitude incorporation of the script doctor ‘polish’ to typecasting often associated with acting, typically associated, often negatively, typecasting for the writer is a good thing and with Hollywood big budget productions. a testament to the writer’s craft, skill and thematic concerns and not something that The script doctor is no recent needs to be fought “every step of the way.” phenomenon. By investigating selected (Cooper, B. 2013) screenwriters and through analysis of their thematic concerns, psychological Screenwriter tutor James Ryan describes a interests and career performance realisation he came to, which was that many trajectory, this paper will argue for a of his students didn’t understand “how to create complex and specific characters.” Online magazine www.scriptmag.comi has a (Ryan, 2000, Introduction, 7) The reason for section on the site devoted to marketing and this “lack of dramatic skills was that none of branding as a screenwriter. The text that these students had ever studied acting.” kicks off this section of the website reads (Ryan, 2000, Introduction, 7) To further the analogy with the acting “Knowing how to market yourself as a writer profession the parallel with casting actors is and create a personal brand is essential to going to be briefly examined. Bernie Telsey, bringing exposure to your work and self. It founder of Telsey + company a New York takes more than a screenwriting agent to casting office, stated “Our job is to try to get get your work noticed. You need to be your inside the imagination and inside the brain of own agent and own PR company to the people we’re casting for.” (Grant, 2016) promote your screenplays.” Switch casting for writing and you have one (www.scriptmag.com, 2017) of the key jobs of the screenwriter, where writing for should be seen as the immediate In an interview with Podcaster Ashley Scott audience and the exhibition audience. The Myers, producer Dallas Sonnier had the screenplay is both a literary document and a following to say on how he chooses writers technical template (Ayodeji, 2012) and as to work with such has to turn ideas into sentences ready for turning into visual expressions of those And try to give yourself a reason to be more original ideas. valuable that just a writer. What’s the angle, When discussing the casting of Anonymous what’s your bio that’s. What’s the part of your bio that’s interesting. Where you a Marine. (sic). Contents’ Mr Robot, a TV series that You know, did you grow-up in a foreign premieres on USA Network, casting director country? What’s your life’s story, that’s going to Susie Farris said “That’s part of the reason help you? Did you lose a family member early we end up doing what we do, you just have on and it’s really affected your writing? All kinds a sensibility and you can instinctually feel of stuff, there’s all different ways. But, you got to when you have the right one” (Mancuso, have a way to pitch it, you got to have a way in. 2016) (Scott Myers, 2017) In similar ways as other key above the line talent in filmmaking, screenwriters have Sonnier went on to discuss how producers agents and managers. Screenwriter pick projects “In the independent world, you Stephen Rebello states “Most writers don’t have to pick your lane. You got to pick your have the sort of nature that lends itself to lane and move your niche right?” (Scott self-promotion. Today’s writers and agents Myers, 2017). The same sentiment can be are teaching writers how to be better self- argued for how screenwriters should see promoters; and that’s making a major typecasting. decision in why some scripts sell”. The adaptation focus of Hollywood, defined Frensham (2008, 275). The auditioning broadly as an approach that goes someway process as understood for actors isn’t to mitigating financial risk, focusing on something that writers will formally do. As projects with some level of existing pre- Directors of Photography, composers, awareness or some sense of an established production designers will do, it is common audience. This might be through the that the screenwriter will take meetings to adaptation of a novel or the prequel/sequel get a feel for the project and its participants. spin-off from a previously released film. The Whilst this isn’t as formal as the audition is multiple rewrites, script doctor, script polish for actors, the role of agents and managers culture that underpins mid to high level for screenwriters has some similarities to Hollywood filmmaking couldn’t exist without how an agent will often have to act for the the idea of the writer being typecast. There actor they represent, in that they will often are those writers who are seen as being have to soft pitch that writer to that good with family issues, those good with producer/studio in order to attach the writer dialogue, those good with comedy, etc, etc. to the project. As such career management, Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard through agents, managers, PR in an interview with journalist Mark Lawson representatives require the writer to pay from 2010 described script-doctoring work attention to this aspect of the industry. on Hollywood films. “The second reason for doing it is that you get to work with people people you are pitching to, at least in you admire. The first reason, of course, is Hollywood, never have enough time. You’ve that it's overpaid.” (Lawson, 2010) A number really got 10 minutes to sell something” of obituariesii for Carrie Fisher discussed her (Anonymous, 2013). Sure that’s a long time script doctor work as well as her credited to be in an elevator but hopefully you get the screenplays and acting roles. idea that either rehearsing your story, or The Hollywood studio system in its golden even better having conviction about the type era, typically seen as 1925-1948, of writer you are and the type of stories you systemized this multiple writers approach. It wish to tell would be useful when soft- was typical for multiple screenwriters to be pitching in the mythical elevator. working on the same project, often at the same time, unaware that alternative drafts The Writer naturally concentrates on the were being produced contemporaneously. creative work, spends hundreds of hours writing The overtly political writer, as exemplified by a script, but almost none on marketing themselves. But when you’re out in the the prosecution, conviction and subsequent marketplace, you’re not just selling a piece of blacklisting of ten Hollywood writers in the work, you’re selling yourself too. The way you 1950’s is one example of the screenwriter come across and are perceived is often more being typecast. Nine of the ten were likely to bring you work than what you write, screenwriters. Their blacklisting is an assuming you write reasonably well in the first example of people unable to separate the place. Julian Friedmann, Literary Agent. writer, as individual, from the work the writer (Frensham 2008, 238) produced. One of screenwriter careers examined in terms of typecasting that this The collaborative nature of filmmaking paper studies is one of the Hollywood Ten, means it is essentially typically about a screenwriter John Howard Lawson.