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SUNDANCE WHITE PAPER The Hour of the Wolf: Four Screenwriters Discuss Their Craft This is a condensation of a discussion of before he's allowed to proceed. He says, that if we ever had talent, it has screenwriting which took place at the "I see . . . I see some mountains, and deserted us. In all the familiar tortures filmmakers' lab sponsored by the there's a little. . . there's a house—I of creative activity, one is close to those Sundance institute in June of 1985. The think it's a peasant house, with a red emotional terrors that psychoanalysis participants were: .ftank Daniel, Artistic tile roof, and some trees. And there's a was invented to only nibble at It is in Director of the Sundance Institute June woman—I don't know quite how old she this naked and vulnerable state that Lab and Co-Chairman of the Film is—but she's very beautiful, and she's the only truly worthwhile ideas are Department at Columbia University; Ring smiling, but. . . maybe she's not born. And nobody likes to go through Lardner, Jr., (Woman of the Year, smiling." And the producer, or the pope, it The writer has no way to avoid it, Forever Amber, The Cincinnati Kid, or whoever, says, "Wait a second, you except to be ordinary; shallow, or dull. M*A*S*H); Rank Pierson, (Cool Hand expect me to lay out seven million The director and actor have an out: Luke, A Star is Born, Dog Day bucks and you don't even know if the change the script, rather than dig down Afternoon); and Waldo Salt, (Midnight bitch is smiling?" for the creative answers within Cowboy, Serpico, Coming Home). themselves. then, that As a screenwriter you have to "It is very strange, remember that they bought your script ammimi with this document in hand— or hired you because they needed you, I. On Screenwriting As the screenplay that we've and never forget it. You are their com- A Collaborative Art —we then have pass, their guide. But you have to know finally written where you're going. and you have to be Bernard Shaw ' Frank Pierson—George • to go and convince someone in ready to quit when it's not your story - of an once said that the sole business millions anymore. This is not to say that actots create -.- a blue suit to lay out author in the theatre is to and directors cannot change a script for and that of dollars to even see what it text for exhibitions of acting the better, that their collaboration a matter of any lasting literary value is is. It's a little bit like not essential; that would be ridiculous. and timing for the writer. That luck Leonardo having to You must be strong enough to force -- of looking at imagining sort of business-like way them to exhaust themselves in the way actor, pitch a pope, or a Medici, or it is at least professional. 'lb an you have first exhausted yourself. be that [a screenplay] is a list of lines to Mark Rosenberg, his scheme But, to be strong, you must know your of learned; to the designer it's a list a painting before he's story, know it in the center, know it all a list for sets to be built; to the costumer, the way out to its edges, with a passion a blueprint, allowed to proceed." of clothes; to the director, that can carry them along with you. that Raoul Frank MEM and sometimes not even INMENIMI Walsh, a great director of silent films Salt—I think that a film is a col- who moved on into taking days, used to Well, if screenplays are extremely odd Waldo between a screenwriter and refer to the script as a piece of yellow documents, then the writing of screen- laboration director. I say categorically that's paper that he kept in his back pocket plays is surely an eccentric occupation. a it is. It's not that a director But to the writer, the screenplay is an Only a very few are really good at it, what on the script or that the attempt to describe a movie as yet un- but everybody thinks they can do collaborates collaborates in the shooting, but created. In this sense, it is utterly it. . . a director who wouldn't dream of writer that it is a constant collabor- worthless as a work of art, because it giving an actor a line reading has no I think —properly—between the writer is a description of an art work that hesitation in dictating a line of dialogue ation the director, with all of the other doesn't even exist. And yet the screen- starting on page one and going all the and feeding in as their service is play must be born of the unconscious, way through to the end. It stems from people art, and must be labored over with a universal attempt by actors and needed. like is the basic craft, like art. My own approach to a directors to escape the tyranny of the I think the script business. In the old screenplay is to write it like a pas- text. And the reason for this, in my commodity of our they were, perhaps— sionate letter to the director and the own mind, is that when the original days—as vulgar as Cohn knew this, actors in order to try to forge in their work of creation is done, it is always L.B. Meyer and Harry could ruin a souls the uncreated movie in my mind. the hour of the wolf. The writer facing because a bad script It is very strange, then, that with the B.P. [the blank page] if he or she is valuable property like Garbo. As a bad script that this document in hand—the screenplay doing their business, rejects all of the matter of fact, it was a to that we've finally written—we then remembered solutions, all of the stolen did irreparable harm for awhile They had to have good scripts, have to go and convince someone in a solutions, all of the cliche solutions, Gable. they had writers at the head of the blue suit to lay out millions of dollars until there's no solution left at all, so \ producers largely came out of to even see what it is. It's a little bit except the one that lies undiscovered studio; the ranks of writers, and they were like imagining Leonardo having to among the demons of the writer's to pay a lot of money. Goldwyn, ,-11 a pope, or a Medici, or Mark unconscious mind. This induces a willing when sound came in, immediately `'erg, his scheme for a painting terminal state of terror, a conviction Sundance Institute wrote to George Bernard Shaw. There's the subject, [then] you get a fresh slant, a great correspondance. But when he Waldo Salt—I think it results in a and so on, and they made some pretty couldn't get Shaw, he got Sidney series of first rough drafts. good pictures that way. But, I think, it Howard, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy has come to be recognized increasingly, Parker, Ring Lanker, and a whole lot =mem that some of the very best pictures of other people. All during the thirties Frank Daniel—Sometimes a collabor- have been the creation of the screen- they tried to get the best possible ation of two writers is very useful—if play author from the very beginning, writers. The scripts were sacrosanct; no it's done organically . . . from the idea. Some of the top pictures and director could change it on the set. imanoma - have been where the writer director are the same person. They were absolutely firm about that. Waldo Salt—As a collaboration . . minimma Frank PIES011-1 think what we've Frank Pierson—If it is a film that is a Frank Daniel—That's fine, but if it's evolved into in terms of that moment of very personal statement of yours, then I rewriting, then I don't think you can think you'd better direct it yourself. collaboration . . . there are all different have something which is organic and who But, at the same time, there is a point forms of it. There are directors which is really original in the sense in con- at which you have to make a transition have their own writer who they which scripts need to be. stantly collaborate with, and right from —which is extremely difficult to make, is able the beginning they are working together, and I'm never sure that anyone but there is a clear understanding "I remember an Academy to make it completely—at which point being the , among those people as to who is the you are moving over from Awards ceremony in which the director. And-: writer and who is the director; none- scriptwriter to being the picture Patton won the best it is not really a very adequate way of theless. that arises.* Bob Rafelson and I, screenplay award. They dealing with a problem I remember of a crowded and hectic set many years ago, were attempting to do the award to the middle announced when you're already over time, and so a movie version of Peter Mathiesson's Edmund North and Rands and And we on, for you as both screenwriter book, The Fields of the Lord. this shit?" which was Ford Coppola. Edmund North director to say, `Who wrote had an all-day meeting same time it times forward—Coppola was You really. . . but at the terrific, I mean, one of those came different mindset, and just a wonderful flow is an entirely when there was somewhere else—Ed came to prepared to throw away and excitement and you must be of creative ideas, said, Tm you have sometimes spent so, Bob said, "God, the microphone and things that around five-thirty or at great pain and cost to think it's sorry that Rands Coppola years evolving this is terrific," and I said, "I [because] suddenly you dis- said, "Well, shall we yourself, sensational:' He isn't here because rue always cover in a moment through a gesture do it?" and I said, "Yes." to meet him.' " actor makes that everything one thing wanted that an And he said, "Well, I want labored so hard over doesn't before we go ahead. Ring Ladner, Jr. you've clearly understood work. And it's a lot easier to be a is, as a director I make a And that different person then, than the person to the screenplay on great contribution Immo who created that, so you can do what that I work on. So I want any picture Ring Lardne4 Jr.—I remember an the director must do, which is seize understood that well share credit for it Academy Awards ceremony in which upon that moment and say, "Oh my the screenplay" the picture Patton won the best screen- yes! You [the actor] have just done perfectly fine by me. god, I said, "That's play award. They announced the award with the flick of an eye, that I make an enormous contri- something As a writer to Edmund North and Francis Ford took that son of a bitch six months— to the direction of any picture bution Coppola. Edmund North came forward— and I don't know why we had to pay I'll share your directorial credit." and Coppola was somewhere else—FA came him all that money in the first place—to That was the end of the project. to the microphone and said, "I'm sorry write!" Nimanom that Francis Coppola isn't here because always wanted to meet him" Question—It is a common practice to I've the This has happened a great many Ring Lardner, Jr.—[On M *A.S.H] have more than one writer on a screen- changes. There a well-known times; fortunately, I think, not as much director made a lot of play, and in fact I heard I didn't like, he always has at as it used to. Milberg and Selznick were even some changes producer say recently I did. Bob some writers are and people like that in the old days but the majority of them least three, because let actors, par- some are good at really worked on the theory the more Altman in some scenes good at structure, leading ones, Gould and some write good jokes. writers the better. Selznick had ticularly the characters, and improvise, as long as they As who have worked for a long seventeen on Gone With the Wind. Sutherland, writers point of the scene. time in that business, how do you feel Thalberg had this theory that [after] got back to the exactly the same about that? someone has given all his thinking on But. . . he had Sundance institute White Paper attitude toward the material that I did, in the directions—to be written with form; there is no dramatic use of sound. so that almost everything he did was in regard for the language. I was dis- Most of the scripts don't have a full the spirit . . was something rd wished tressed to find, in four of the eight understanding of what costumes can do, I'd thought of. I remember I'd written a scripts that Fve read here, the same what props can do. I think the reason scene in a football game in which it simple error, the confusion of two for it is the fact that in the last twenty became necessary for this M.A.S.H. three-letter English verbs, "lay" and years script has been totally neglected, team to get rid of the star of the other "lie." and the art of scriptwriting almost team. I had this character established disappeared. The aftermath of the as the anesthesist get into it Be sent =mum auteur theory and the New Wave has in just for the purpose of—in the Waldo Salt—I'm not sure of that myself. been felt over the whole world. scrimmage—shooting a hypodermic into I'll just add one thing to what Frank I was in France just ten days ago; I this other guy. Well, when Bob shot said, about Leonardo da Vinci, who was selecting the French project for that, he had him take a little piece of actually did write a screenplay, Sundance. The French selected ten cotton and swab off the area before he according to Eisenstein in his book. He filmmakers, and I had to make the would be invited. stuck the hypodermic in. It was that says the best screenplay ever written choice of the one who I ten French filmmakers, kind of . . . I mean, I spent very little was da Vincits description of what he interviewed and there was no one among those ten time on the set because there was no was going to do in a painting that he who didn't answer my question: "What way of influencing what he was doing, painted, which was The actually never would you like to learn at Sundancer but nevertheless, it was that kind of He de- Deluge, I think it was called. in the same manner All of them said, collaboration. to scribes every image that he wants "We need to learn scriptwritingr Fbur paint, and he was trying to sell it. years ago it would be absolutely IL On Structure, Character, an My main thing about screenplays is unthinkable to get these answers from Dialogue that they're images. This is the specific French directors, or filmmakers, who and unique thing about our particular realize that people go to the movies to Ring Ladner, Jr.—I think too many form, which I think is the greatness of see the stories performed by good writers try to write a screenplay as if it it, that we have the opportunity to do actors. were going right onto the set, and fill it something that can be done in almost mos with a lot of directions that generally no other form—maybe in no other know Frank, when make the director think about some form—which is to present simultaneous Freak Piersee—You you were talking about the fact that in other way of doing it. It's quite possible action, simultaneous conflict. Almost most of the screenplays that we see, to tell a story in visual terms without forms require some kind of all other is not a full use of the medium. ever mentioning the camera, just trying On the stage you have there linear structure. What tends to be described in most of to tell in the best possible language— post, riposte—people dialogue, you have the screenplays we see, especially these novel you have state and answer. In a days, is in effect the inner conscious- "I think too many writers try to follow the sentence. On the screen, ness or awareness of the actors. There to write a screenplay as if it you can have two people coming is an attempt to explain what is hap- onto the set, together, you can show conflict, you pening inside the actor's mind, rather were going right sides of the conflict, and a lot of can show both than limit themselves very concretely and fill it with you can do this in imagery and without and specifically to what only can be directions that generally make dialogue. For me that's our goal and seen, because that is the only thing the director think about some beauty that is of any interest. I once read a other way of doing it." screenplay in which there was a stage direction that said, "An actor comes out Ring Lordlier, Jr. Frank Daniel—Kurosawa says in his of a building, looking like he wants to interviews that if you want to under- make a telephone call" and as Bernard Shaw said, style is stand film, you must be able to write a simply the dearest way of expressing script And if you reverse this saying: yourself—to convey to the reader what "Show me your script and I will tell Waldo Salt—I think that the chief thing you want to be seen on the screen at you how much you know about film?" is posing choice. . . that you pose of any given time, and from whose point You get scripts that are just another choices for your characters and out of view it is, but without doing it with form of radio play: dialogue, dialogue, their decisions the character comes, is technical terms. It has to captivate dialogue. You have scripts . . . most of exposed. I have my own rule of thumb, similar people, some of whom don't have as the scripts are black and white, they all people operate out of univer- aware much power to visualize as the writer never have colors there. Most of the sal needs that they're not even a conscious motive does, so he has to do it for them. Also I scripts are absolutely evenly of. They may have that we usually talk think it helps for screenplays to be like watching television. Most of the as they call it, the motive comes the written—not only in the dialogue, but scripts use sound only in a sync sound about, but before

January, 1986 Volume 2 No. 1 Sund,ince Jn i It LI - 4 V'hitn Paper

need. In the case of "Midnight Cowboy," him in situations—background. He belongs with the music and the Schlesinger and I talked by mail about brings the suitcase with him, of his soundtrack; the story's got to be told what should be done with the script, past — and forward; if you know the through images, and the dialogue and I felt—and we agreed finally—that dream of that character, if you know should be an additional, wonderful this silly boy from Texas had a totally what he wants to achieve, the ultimate thing you can add to it. infantile need: for touch, and this dream that he is after, then you have became our specific. And all the things both sides and then if this character is "My theory is the dialogue he did were out of this need, which, I hit in the vulnerable spot and starts the music and the think, through the performance, fighting for the dream of his, he writes belongs with through the direction, through the set the story. He immediately begins to soundtrack; the story's got to decoration, everything, contributed to involve all the characters, both those be told through images, and our understanding what this was, and against him and those who help him to the dialogue should be an gave us choices all the way along the achieve whatever he sets up to achieve. line, until the very last one, the final There is another thing: we say char- additional, wonderful thing thing in the picture, [where] he touched acter, but we don't write characters, we you can add to it." Ratso and put him on his shoulder. And write parts. Character is something you Waldo Salt this was kind of a moment that the fantnsizr about. You have to know them audience had been feeling without our as well as you can. But then you must 7 front of you that it is having to say it all the way through have the idea in Frank Pisraan—I love my words; God, I will perform, therefore the picture. I think that for me, the actors who it, but what is deadly is, when you situations in which love character rises out of the conflict you must look for come out of the theater and you hear . the emotions is - between people's profound universal the externalization of people quoting the dialogue, you know the most difficult needs, and their methods of going possible. And this is you're in trouble. after it. part of scriptwriting, because when you write a scene in which two people can • siminmok sit down and talk, easily, then you mai tardier, Js—You learn, I guess Frank Pierson—George Bernard Shaw must be aware of the fact that you only by practice, that there just isn't once referred to the well-made play as a haven't got a scene the same kind of attention to what group of characters hung on the people are saying that there is in the gallows of a plot I don't think that plot and you can't depend on it to Waldo Salt—Absolutely. theatre, is worth a damn. I hate movies with a establish an important point in the plot. The only thing that's important is NIEMEN' - story You don't learn it just by seeing the story, and the story arises from the Frank Daniel—A picture must be pictures; I think you learn it best by conflict between the characters. And understood from what we see, from the seeing your own, and realizing just you can only evolve that by beginning behavior, from the relationships how unimportant something you with those characters and their needs expressed—and the emotions—expres- sweated over for a long time to get it and their motives, and by bringing sed through actions, because we don't just right really is. them together, and they will create the paint portraits. We paint portraits by story for you. using the action, and that helps all the collaborators, the director and others, to Waldo Salt—Especially when you're inner conflict. do exposition. Where you Daniel—There are different ways find the cues for those trying to Frank have a man on his deathbed, explAining approaching this problem. When we of to the audience what disease he has. work on scripts, this is the first Rh* Urdu:, Jr.—What Frank said—if question we begin discussing with each two people can talk, you don't have a he know his charac- filminAker does scene—is another way of stating the Pierson—At Screen Gems we aware of the main direction, Frank ters? Is he rule that . . . drama is conflict. Many call that "dusting the iron of the person? What used to the main drive writers don't appreciate the fact that apples." There was a producer there is to know the character both helps each scene is only a scene if it has its whose name escapes me, but he had all ways, which means, backwards—to conflict. When you read a script and "Dusting the biography, these phrases for things. know his life, not to write a you're suddenly aware that this is a old days of from iron apples" was, in the but to know what he remembers little bit dull, it's because the people well-made moments Broadway, in the days of his past, what were the great are just talking, and they're just reviewing would go up and and what were plays. . the curtain through which he went, things the writer wants the audience to maid, and she would most distressing there would be a the most shameful, the know and they are not in conflict with dusting things and he want to be running around memories? What does each other about anything. . . be saying, "I just don't know what does he want to forget? she would remember, I'm going to get the place cleaned gives the character immediately— momow how That before master's coming home from in your mind, when you begin to put Waldo Salt—My theory is the dialogue up

January. 1986 Volume 2 No I Sundance Institute 5 White Paper school and the mistress will be to you. I was unfaithful to you." And he here. . ." and she's setting up the whole says, "Sarah, don't get so excited." She "I was asked the last time I thing while she's dusting the iron says, "But I slept with all your friends, was cooking dinner if there's a apples. You can't do it in film. and everybody in this town!" And he comparison between cooking says, "Sarah, and why do you think I "Ring and I did a number of put the poison in your coffee?" and writing scripts, and I said, Now imagine this story told in its "Well, if you want to make a Robin Hood scripts and time continuity. Mrs. Cohen was good goulash, you must follow buccaneer scripts and so forth unfaithful to Mr. Cohen, Cohen found the recipe absolutely in the fifties, and one of the out, put poison in her coffee. Now she things you find out is that you is dying, confesses; and he explains religiously. If you want to that he put the poison in the coffee. No write a good script, forget can't say, "We're going to not even joke. It's a stupid melodrama, about all the recipes that you attack the castle, and this is that. So in this case, it's the structure that makes the joke work. It's the know." Frank Daniel— the way we're going to do it." same with suspense, the same with You just never can say that. psychological stories. Because there is would write anything—a symphony, a It's just boring talk. Go and a difference between a story structure sonata, anything—in the style of show it; do it." which is based upon the logic of life Mozart. And it actually synthesizes the . . . and then the structure of the film. music as well, so they didn't even need Waldo Salt— When do you say something, what do an orchestra to play it. you reveal, what do you hide from the They demonstrated it for me; they audience? All those things make the cranked in a couple of things. They Waldo Salt—Ring and I did a number of story work. You can tell every story a said, "What key do you want?" and I Robin Hood scripts and buccaneer hundred different ways, and with a told them a key. They asked a couple scripts and so forth in the fifties, and hundred different effects. And I think other questions, "Do you want it sad, one of the things you find out is that that's where the scriptwriting skill do you want it this or that. . .?" and so you can't say, "We're going to attack begts. It's how you tell the story, not on; I told them a couple of things they the castle, and this is the way we're just what story you tell. needed to know, then the computer going to do it:' You just never can say went "blip" and proceeded to start to that It's just boring talk. Go and show Frank Pierson—All these questions and play this wonderful. . . I mean, it was it; do it. Film is at all times present answers are beginning to make me astounding, it was Mozart. It was tense, it's perceived as present tense. think that there's a method to doing Vienna and the whole thing. And I this, and that scares me, because if listened to it feeling a mixture of anybody can feelings, not all of which were positive. Frank Danlel—[Buti. .you anticipate there's a method, then everbody can do it, And they sat and watched me very what's coming. learn it, and then and I'd be out of a job. carefully. We began to talk about my feelings, my reactions, and so on. And then one of them stopped me, and said, Waldo Salt—That's what you're there Frank Daniel—I was asked the last time "Do you notice something?" And I said, for, yeah. I was cooking dinner if there's a "No." He said, "You notice that we're comparison between cooking and hearing an absolutely new composition writing scripts, and I said, "Well, if you Frank Daniel—It's using all the by Mozart and we're not listening to want to make a good goulash, you must elements of future you can gather: we're talking right over it?" And I follow the recipe absolutely religiously. plans, forebodings, fears, dreams; those suddenly realized that what we were want to write a good script, are all elements. . . and then there is If you hearing was boring. Because the one forget about all the recipes that you the structure, that can help thing that the computer could not do— tremendously to keep the audience know" talking about your goulash recipe—is watching a story that otherwise what Mozart did. [There was] always wouldn't be too exciting. I have an Frank Pierson—You know, it reminds that thing that came zipping in—from example for this: it's one of the Mr. me of something that happened . . . some weird way—out of his sub- Cohen and Mr. Rubicek jokes. Those years ago, I went, for some reason or conscious that disrupted the even are two characters in Prague Jewish another that escapes me now, to The harmonies that the computer could jokes. This one is just Cohen sitting at Stanford Artificial Intelligence understand. Certainly he had a method the bed of his wife, who's dying. And Laboratory to look at what they were to doing what he was doing that you suddenly she says, "Cohen I must tell doing there. And I ran into a couple of could teach to a computer, but the one you something." And he says, "Sarah, guys who had written a computer thing you couldn't give was that please:' She says, "No, I must confess program which would write music; it unexpected stroke of genius.M

Volume 2 No. 1 January. 1986