view. All together in a theater.
Certainly other forms of writing can do
these things, but I
love how film does it
on such a large scale -
how many people you can reach and
talk to.
Me: Based on what I've heard/read, early
in your career you
worked under
Jodie Foster. Could you talk a little
about that experience and
how it
shaped your career path?
Meg: I worked with Jodie as an executive
and then a producer for 10
years.
She shaped me as a storyteller. She always asked,
"What's the big beautiful idea in here?" -- so first we had to talk
about what the story was about. Not in a literary way, more from
an
emotional place. Why is this something we need to put out into
the world? What are we asking people to think about? How are we
exploring the
human condition? And why is it, in some way,
personal and powerful for
us as filmmakers? Articulating this
theme or emotional point of view
can be challenging —
can take many drafts- and years - to fully clarify.
As my friend
Jane Anderson says, "Theme is the DNA of each scene."
Jodie taught me to build out from theme — to a character and
their transformation - which creates plot which creates set pieces.
Knowing how
to dig into this, how to build a story from theme,
has been crucial in my own writing.
Me: So far, (aside from current projects) what has been a
favorite
of yours to work on?
Meg: Well, working at Pixar was a dream come true.
So INSIDE
OUT and THE GOOD DINOSAUR were both special
experiences. I am very
proud of having been a part of both of
those films, and helped those directors bring their vision to the
screen. That is also a difference between novel writing and
screenwriting. Once a director is on a project my job as a
screenwriter is to help that director articulate their vision for
the story. Of course I
have to find my own personal passion
within that but the guiding light, the storyteller, is now the director.
Working with Pete Docter and Pete Sohn was an honor.
I’m always so moved when people let me know
how these films
have effected them and their families. One Mom told me that
her
young son has watched THE GOOD DINOSAUR every day for a
month, as he
tries to understand the death of his own father, and
how to move forward. A woman who works for LA County told me
that she is a psychiatrist who
works with traumatized children and
that INSIDE OUT has helped her in her job
- because she when
using the concept of emotions “driving” she can so quickly
talk
to the kids and get to what is happening inside of them.
So — that
kind of impact is amazing.
Me: For fun: What's your favorite indulgence?
(sweet treat,
trips, whatever)
Meg: Reading historical fiction, during the day,
in my pajamas, with a cup of tea and a cookie.
I have two kids and work, so this is
more a fantasy
than anything I get to do too often. :)
Thank
goodness for my amazing husband - he makes sure
I get time to reboot.
Me: Roughly how long does it take you to write a screenplay?
Can you talk a bit about the process?
Meg: Years. A screenplay goes through many drafts, I’d guess
15 drafts is an average before it hits the screen.
Each draft will have at least one rough pass, if not
several rough passes. And then
bring into the process producers,
executives and a director giving notes.
Even if the process started
with me alone writing the script of a story
I feel passionately about,
to get to the screen it will be turned over
to many hands.
And while that can be overwhelming, I also find it very
exciting.
Because all of those creative people are great storytellers
as well
and they push you to do your best work, to stretch your creative
abilities, to see things differently, to discover — to not take our
first answer, or second or third. Even if all those answers were
good, you keep pushing to the BEST story. I love having a high bar.
I
love collaboration and the special sparks that can happen
when smart people
all have the same goal - to tell a great story.
Me: What advice do you have to novel writers who would like to
see their books turned into screenplays?
Meg: Well, first that films are not novels. Meaning your
novel
will be interpreted into a film. A screenwriter
will see your novel
as the “paints” to use to paint a new picture— a new
work.
If you don't want that to happen then don't do it :)
As a producer I worked for years with a writer on a
book
adaptation. Draft after draft after draft. Until
finally I realized --
it's a really good BOOK but it's not a film. If you’d like to adapt
your own novel to a screenplay then you
have to learn the craft of
screenwriting and film storytelling (as you
learned novel writing).
I don’t mean that to sound daunting - it can
be fun, exciting and
challenging. It's a different form than
novel writing. And learning
it may help your novel writing. But expect to write bad screenplays
to start :) That's just the
way it is when you start something new.
You have to be brave enough to
stink at it and be open to getting
notes and learning. If you
want someone else to turn your novel
into a screenplay then learn the
marketplace. What books get
bought by film studios and why. Agents are good but maybe find
new ways into that market - for example
notice the producers who
makes films that are book adaptations that
are similar in genre to
the books you write.
Me: You've worked on Pixar's Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur,
any other Pixar projects you can talk about or do you have a
"wish
list"?
Meg: Can't talk about any other work at Pixar as it's all
confidential :) I am down at Disney Animation now working
on GIGANTIC
as a writer/director - so the wish list is manifesting.
And here, like
at Pixar, the bar is "is this the best story" and all that
means.
Me: What advice do you have for aspiring screenwriters?
Meg: Write. I know, that sounds silly but
you’d be surprised how
many aspiring writers don’t write! Every day. Even just for a half
hour, write every day. So that your brain begins to trust you, that
you are serious and are taking this dream you have
seriously - and
it will start to open to you. And know that writing
badly is part of
the process. Every writer everywhere writes badly. Don’t use it as
an excuse to not write. Judging yourself is boring and
not going to
get you anywhere but to eating a cookie. :)
Be
brave, be vulnerable —and write through the bad.
That’s what writing
is. And for screenwriting learn the craft.
It’s a visual medium. There
is a specific craft to writing for movies,
vs tv,vs plays, vs web series. Learn from watching and reading the
masters of the area you want to
write in (and genre).
Also watch/read the bad ones as they can be equally helpful to
your learning curve. Find a mentor. Find a group of other
screenwriters to support you and to help support. Get as much
feedback on your work as you can. No, it’s not easy. It’s super
hard to get feedback - just remember they aren’t talking about
YOU they are
talking about a story. Any note you get is just
what they don’t yet
understand. That’s incredibly important for you
to know. How to
address that note, is up to you and your vision for
the story. Read as
many scripts as you can get your hands on
- preferably the actual script (vs
someone online writing down the
movie). If you have an action sequence
see how great writers
have written action sequences. You’ll be amazed
how much
you learn from reading scripts. Have lots of ideas—
meaning
don’t just carry around one “passion project” for
ten years. Have that
project and another 5. Because writing
isn’t about ONE idea — trust the
creative well in you. If you go
to it every day, there will be more and
more ideas….
After you’ve written 5 scripts (and each script has been rewritten
at least 3 times) go back and read your first one. You will be
amazed
at the progress you’ve made just by WRITING.
Me: For fun: My sister told me you two watched a lot of sports
in college, do you have a favorite sport?
Meg: :) I watched all the Syracuse University sports with
your
sister. Basketball and Football. Now I love baseball.
My teenage son plays and the game has taught him, and me,
so much that
applies to life. And being a writer/artist. My son has
learned
that you strike out more than you hit but you stand in that
batters box and you believe and you try - each time. When you
make an error you learn from it, and let it go - get your head back
in the game. And that
it isn’t always about talent - sure that helps -
but the person who can
keep their head on straight, aren’t afraid to
learn from failure, know what they want, and work their butts off -
they are the ones who rise. A
story that I think applies to being a
writer too — My son started last year
hitting at the bottom of the
batting order. His dream was to hit a home run at the big
tournament in Cooperstown —a tournament that only happens
when you turn 12, and only one time. And he knew his grandfather
would be
there watching. But how was he gonna hit a homer
when his batting
average wasn’t great? He’d never even hit
a home run. He started
to practice every day hitting balls
off the tee in our front yard. He
worked so hard and we saw
the commitment so we got a hitting coach for him -
and that
meant he got WORSE first! (because you are changing core
dynamics of HOW you hit). But my son hung in there, he kept
trying, he
kept working hard, he learned the skills needed to hit
well. For a year
he did this work - it was physical, intellectual and
emotional work
(like writing!) And then he went to Cooperstown
.... and he hit SEVEN home runs! It was nuts. And I was so
happy because he learned
something really important about life and
about himself -- that it's about trying and believing its possible,
about knowing what you want,
about working hard and not letting
other people get you down even when you
are failing.
Understanding that failing is how you learn, so get back
in it and try
again--- and you do it EVERY DAY. That is how magic
happens.
Me: You've been both a producer and a screenwriter,
which one
is easier?
Meg: Easier??? Ha! Both are super hard, wonderful jobs
that
you must be passionate about. For me personally, my
worst day of
writing is still better than a good day of producing.
That's how I
know I am where I am supposed to be.
BUT I still use all
my producer skills and wouldn't be
the writer I am without having done
it. Everything you
do feeds into your writing. Everything that
happens to you
-even the not so great stuff. It’s all valuable.
All of it.
So stop worrying about it, analyzing it or bemoaning
it.
Use it and write.
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