Twelve screenwriting principles

Here is some excellent advice from Daniel Martin Eckhart, whose screenplay Blood Eagle has just started shooting in Hamburg.  

These wise words have been reposted in many places, but, for obvious reasons, are well worth repeating here.  

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There's more to screenwriting than a few broad strokes. But if you're just starting out, then these 12 principles should give you something to hold on to, something to live by and something to grow with. Now go write!

1. Thou shalt write daily.

(You need a strong writing muscle to succeed - so exercise it.)

2. Thou shalt enjoy procrastination.

(Procrastination is life - never feel guilty about it.)

3. Thou shalt trust thy instincts.

(Learn from others but never depend on them.)

4. Thou shalt believe in thyself.

(If you don't, no one ever will.)

5. Thou shalt suck it up.

(Learn from rejection - it'll make you stronger.)

6. Thou shalt know thy world.

(Make movie history, films and scripts part of your essence.)

7. Thou shalt network.

(You'll never have a career if you don't get out there.)

8. Thou shalt be happy.

(If writing doesn't make you happy, stop.)

9. Thou shalt be generous.

(Spread your ideas, don't hide them.)

10. Thou shalt be a craftsman/woman.

(It may become art in time.)

11. Thou shalt deliver on time.

(Never miss a deadline, not even one you gave yourself.)

12. Thou shalt collaborate.

(You'll never make a film happen on your own)
 

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First posted:  13 November 2011
 

Interview with Daniel Martin Eckhart

Daniel Martin Eckhart is a classically trained actor who lives on a farm in Switzerland. After following an unusual employment path, he studied scriptwriting in New York. Although Daniel didn't win a Nicholl Fellowship, in four attempts he managed to be a semi finalist, a quarter finalist, and twice finished in the top ten. He has worked with some of Germany’s best TV networks, producers, directors and actors, and has created top-rated TV movies. He has a passion for dark thrillers, crime stories and comic books.
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St. Gallen Cathedral

• Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in St. Gallen, Switzerland, a small town near the Austrian border.

• What kind of a family did you grow up with?

Good family, average in most ways. My mom was the center, my dad was a salesman and on the road most of the time. My elder brother was the rebel and I was the one who watched his fights with authority, saw what worked and what didn't, and hence coasted most of the time.

• When did you first take an interest in films/stories?

First time I saw moving images, i.e. for as long as I can remember. I was in love with film long before I realized people like me could be part of that magical world, could actually make the magic on screen happen.   

As a young kid my favorites were Swashbucklers [The Crimson Pirate (1952), Prince Valiant (1954), Ivanhoe (1952, The Three Musketeers (1948), The Black Swan (1942), etc.]; Westerns [Rio Bravo (1959), The Cowboys (1972), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), The Searchers (1956), etc.]. And, I admit it, Musicals [Singing In The Rain (1952), On The Town (1949), Brigadoon (1954), Easter Parade (1948), etc.].

As a teenager, I added Film Noir and Spaghetti Westerns to the mix.

• You have a remarkable employment history. Give us a quick summation of your jobs and countries of residence.

Here goes, countries of residence in order—Switzerland, Vatican, United States, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, United States, Switzerland. Spent the first bit of my life in security (Army, United Nations), then studied acting in New York where I discovered screenwriting.

• I’m curious to know: How/why did you land a job as the Pope’s bodyguard?

Joining the Pope's Swiss Guard works about the same as it does for any other job—you apply—then you either qualify or you don't. Qualifications are a bit unusual—you need to have a minimum height, you need to be Catholic, you need to be single, you need to be a graduated professional in some field, you need to have completed basic military training in Switzerland, and you need to prove that you don't have a criminal record, and the priest from your parish needs to give you a letter of recommendation. Somehow, I got in.

• What was your first paying job in the screenwriting business?

That's a long story! In short, a foreign investment banker in Switzerland was totally in love with Switzerland's independence wars (around 1300)—he wanted to turn it into a Braveheart-style blockbuster and hired me to write it. When I was done with the treatment, he was arrested by Switzerland financial authorities for some sort of wheeler-dealing. I was paid but, needless to say, the film was never made. Still, a fun and most unusual first paid gig!

• Who was the screenwriting teacher who had the biggest influence on you?

I had just finished acting school in New York, read a bunch of how-to books on screenwriting, and figured a semester at NYU might not hurt. It didn't. The course was run by Dina Harris and she was the first professional who read a scene of mine and who implored me to continue writing. That single short moment with her was worth that whole semester (aside from all the good writing I got done then).

• Have you had a mentor or are you a self-directed screenwriter?

No, no mentor. In fact, I'm kind of solitary that way. I like to write my scripts on my own, also don't like collaborating with other writers on a script. I tried that once and ended up rewriting everything they had written! Usually, my first draft is my own, my time and I'm very protective of this time. The second draft is between me and my wife—my best and toughest critic. From then on scripts are sent to the collaboration partners at networks or production companies and as of the third draft I'm no longer protective—in fact, I love working with them to turn the script into something that will end up being filmed. The reason I enjoy collaboration is because I view the later drafts as something completely different from the first draft (which remains in pristine condition on my shelf.) I feel like Gollum about these—those many first drafts are "my preciousses".

• What are three things you wish someone had told you about filmmaking when you were starting out?

I honestly can't say I had a lack of information and/or insights. I read the books, I read a ton of scripts, I analyzed them all, I did the competitions, I hustled to get a lit agent. I think I ticked pretty much all the right boxes while steering clear of the bullshit that stops you from actually writing.

• If you had to suggest just one screenwriting book to a newbie writer back in Adelaide, which one would it be?

Let me say that most well-known screenwriting how-to books have bits that are valuable. I read a half dozen and found the things they all had in common—that's the gold. Where they differ it's usually a guru's grandstanding that will do nothing but make you feel inadequate as a beginning writer. 

If I had to recommend a book, I'd recommend a screenplay—read Die Hard. I'm not kidding—one of the best, tightest scripts ever. Read it, watch the movie, analyze it again and again. It is brilliant in many ways and you'll learn more from this single screenplay than you would from a ton of how-to books.

[ I endorse Daniel's comments about Die Hard. The tricky part for most newbie screenwriters is knowing where to put your hands on a copy. One option is to fork out $25 to Script Fly. You used to be able to purchase it from Amazon.Com, but it seems to be out of print. Another way is to download a copy from the internet—except all the usual suppliers have removed their copies. That usually means the lawyers have been busy threatening people. You can read the screenplay at The Internet Movie Screenplay Database. Or you can ask your own informal network; someone should have a PDF copy they're willing to send you. ]

• What has been the most memorable moment in your career(s) to date?  

First time I saw my name in the credits. I had officially become a creating part of that magical world I had lived in as a child.

• What are your ten favourite (favourite, not ‘best’) movies of all time?

This will be an odd list! Here goes:

The Ninth Configuration (1980)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Hair (1979)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Killer (1989)
The Vanishing (1988)
The Changeling (1980)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Big Sleep (1946)

• What’s next for Daniel Martin Eckhart?

For the first time in years I'm NOT taking an assignment but will instead focus on a spec I've wanted to write for a long time. I can tell you one thing, if all goes well Jeremy Irons will play the male lead.

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London Screenwriters' Festival - 2012

The London Screenwriters' Festival (LSF), the largest event of its type in the world, has just closed for 2012. (The Australian equivalent, National Screenwriters Conference 2013, will take place on the Mornington Peninsula next February. Yep, too remote and expensive for most Australian wannabe screenwriters to attend. The more things change...) 

I didn't make it to the LSF this year, so I've decided to write a post on the subject instead.

Chris Jones and the volunteers receive a closing ovation from appreciative screenwriters.

As I have no firsthand information, I am shamelessly depending on reports from selected eye-witnesses.

Daniel Martin Eckhart is an American-educated Swiss writer of German crime television/movies, who was a member of the Swiss Guard protecting the Pope in the Vatican for a number of years. No, I'm not kidding. Daniel has provided an enthusiastic summary of the event (along with his usual solid advice) on the blog Write, write, write.

"The LSF - I'm telling you, it's so easy to make connections here - the danger is not making the most of them after the festival. Meet new people, talk to other writers, find the execs and the directors - talk, pitch, exchange business cards ... but don't waste those opportunities. Try to be different - try to be/have/say something that sticks in their mind - and then contact them as soon as possible after the festival ... if you wait three months - most likely they won't remember you - and in addition, what does that time lapse say to the person you reach out to?"

Elinor Perry-Smith is a writer, producer and owner of Nun With A Gun Productions. She administers the blog Lock and load, brides of Christ, which included the following observations.

• I was looking forward to this very much. I can remember going the first year, feeling quite scared but this year bounded in, business cards at the ready, keen to meet people, start up convos with total strangers and even catch sight of my co-writer Scott, which I did incidentally.
• The opening speech by Chris was a rousing call to arms. How does he do it? Clearly the man never sleeps. He also unveiled the exquisite horror of the 'elevator pitch' in which - le gasp! - REAL executives would travel up and down in the lift (as we say here in Blighty) whilst nervous writers would give them their spiel and hopefully emerge with a business card after sixty seconds! I heard lots of people went up for this.
• The woman of the match for me was Pilar Alessandra, who with grace and efficiency got down to the nitty-gritty of dialogue and how to navigate it to your script's advantage. Inspirational, I thought.
• I saw David Yates speak about his career, especially about shooting three Harry Potters back-to-back. Interestingly, he said he was shooting new scripts written by women based on true stories that really made him care. In fact 'why should we care?' was very much a theme of the whole festival. Why should an audience care about your characters?
• I saw The Red Dwarf Redux session and excitedly texted my daughter 'OMG, I'm in a room with Kryten!' whereupon she replied 'Just don't ask him to stir your tea with his groinal attachment.' Not the first time she's upstaged me.
• Luke Ryan's session was well-attended and he was very generous and funny with how he got started and who to approach in Hollywood. Tip: Always be polite to the assistants, they want to be producers. Which is a good rule anyway! As has been tweeted before the pitch should be concise, include a logline and be sure who your audience is. Pitching is good practice in starting a relationsghip with producers. Are you an easy person to work with?

Richard Dinnick is a writer who has written pretty well everything, including Doctor Who comics. Richard was part of the panel that gave Survival Tips for writers. On his blog, Richard Dinnick, he gives this advice on what-to-do-now that the Festival is over.

• So, make sure you get following all those remarkable professionals you met on twitter. Email all the people you met to say “hi” and to maximise the goodwill:
• Adjudicate: why not offer your help reading their script(s)? Give them some notes? Be in their circle of trust?
• Collaborate: would it be good to work together on your project? Or have you been inspired to create a new one, or would you like to work with that person? Make a proposition!
• Facilitate: Did you meet someone who you think one of your other contacts would love to know? Would he or she be a perfect fit for their project/script/film? Get them together! Everyone will always remember a favour and feel well disposed towards you. Filmic karma. It’s good for the soul. :)
• Associate: arrange to meet up with them. Christmas drink? New Year coffee? How about a working meet-up? A writers’ group for screenwriters? Or meet up and watch a DVD and critique the film afterwards – like a book club, but for films!
• Remember, be seen and be visible was one my survival tips. So join groups, contribute, get along to other events.
• But most of all – write! Be inspired to finish the script. Or start on that tricky re-write (and finish it)! Or start a new project (and finish it)!

Michelle Goode is a script reader, writer and editor. She administers the blog Writesofluid, where she reports on her experience witnessing a role-play on pitching and selling a screenplay at LSF. She drew the following conclusions:

• Have a concise yet passionate and colourful pitch – know your logline and concept, don’t ramble/go off on a tangent/go over time limit and don’t worry too much about being nervous; producers *are* human and as long as you speak clearly and have a good idea they will listen.
• It’s not enough to just write a good pitch and script. You have to know about budgets, target channels and their implications, target audiences and their implications, viewing trends/time slots, what people you want to work with (directors, actors etc) and associated costs and implications.
• It’s bloody scary, but you have to be a businessperson as well as a writer; you need to sell your script!

Sarah Cassidy,  is a UK-based blogger who administers the website sarahscribbler.

"So, that rounds up my second day at the festival. It was my favourite day by far, and although the ticket is arguably expensive, I would state that I got my moneys worth on Saturday. I can’t state how motivating it is to even be in the same room as these geniuses of their craft. Normal people like myself who have worked hard, never given up when they received rejection and are proof that people can get their lucky break. Matthew Graham spent nine years trying to get a commission for Life on Mars and that was initially just a story about his uncle John."

This is a great little video blurb, a bit dated, but you can only tell that by looking at the dates. The information is current. See what you missed...

Twelve screenwriting principles

Here is some excellent advice from Daniel Martin Eckhart, whose screenplay Blood Eagle has just started shooting in Hamburg.  

These wise words have been reposted in many places, but, for obvious reasons, are well worth repeating here.  

______________________________________________

There's more to screenwriting than a few broad strokes. But if you're just starting out, then these 12 principles should give you something to hold on to, something to live by and something to grow with. Now go write!

1. Thou shalt write daily.

(You need a strong writing muscle to succeed - so exercise it.)

2. Thou shalt enjoy procrastination.

(Procrastination is life - never feel guilty about it.)

3. Thou shalt trust thy instincts.

(Learn from others but never depend on them.)

4. Thou shalt believe in thyself.

(If you don't, no one ever will.)

5. Thou shalt suck it up.

(Learn from rejection - it'll make you stronger.)

6. Thou shalt know thy world.

(Make movie history, films and scripts part of your essence.)

7. Thou shalt network.

(You'll never have a career if you don't get out there.)

8. Thou shalt be happy.

(If writing doesn't make you happy, stop.)

9. Thou shalt be generous.

(Spread your ideas, don't hide them.)

10. Thou shalt be a craftsman/woman.

(It may become art in time.)

11. Thou shalt deliver on time.

(Never miss a deadline, not even one you gave yourself.)

12. Thou shalt collaborate.

(You'll never make a film happen on your own)