Inspiration – The Story Department

After months of little progress, I tried this wondrous thing called the internet. I googled. Meat freezer. Slaughterhouse. Trapped in cooler. Words that I hoped would trigger some sort of creative anything. As I searched, I came across an abandoned, slaughterhouse near Edson, Alberta that was for sale. After contacting the woman who owned it, I asked if I could come for a visit.

When I got there, I then asked if she would lock me in her freezer, and NOT LET ME OUT – until the script was done.

Admittedly, this does sound somewhat… extreme. Looking back, the expression on her face (part fear, part confusion, mixed with a whole lot of ‘are you friggin kidding’) was understandable. But anyone who knows me also understands how obsession, and the quest for authenticity in one’s craft often removes the ability to reason.

After spending five days locked in the freezer, I emerged with a completed script. A year later, we were in production on the feature film, ‘Below Zero’, filming in the same location I wrote it, with stars Edward Furlong (Green Hornet, American History X, Terminator II), horror icon, Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, Weird Science), and Kristin Booth (Young People Fucking, The Kennedys).

I then asked if she would lock me in her freezer… until the script was done.

I’ll write another time about how we did THAT. But for now, let’s get back to that solution I promised you. How do you get past your own creative ice block? Where do you find inspiration in your own life?

I’m not saying you have to lock yourself in the freezer of an abandoned slaughterhouse to write a great script. But you do have to be willing to do what it takes. Inspiration is a luxury, and we should all cling to it when the muse strikes, like the welcome friend she is.

Most of the time, we have to create our own inspiration. To my workaholic mind, that generally means making a ‘to do list’ and racing around to accomplish a whole bunch of things to ‘inspire’ inspiration. But the opposite is generally true. What we really need to do… is often, nothing.

Inspiration is a luxury.

‘Nothing’ means just experiencing the laughter of our children, and the company of good friends and family. Finding it in the movies, books, and tv shows we love. Taking walks and ‘nature moments’ where we simply breathe and appreciate the world we live in. Getting rest and taking vacations, so we are capable of even being inspired.

I haven’t decided what I am going to write next, but having myself locked up in a freezer seemed to be the only way I could overcome my own writer’s block. Perhaps my next script will be about some guy, trapped in Club Med. That sounds so… inspiring.

-Signe Olynyk

Signe Olynyk is a Writer / Producer, who also is founder of the Great American PitchFest Screenwriting Conference, held annually in Los Angeles, CA.

Signe is also behind the Great British PitchFest, held in partnership with the London Screenwriters’ Festival in the UK. You can check out her movie, Below Zero.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

[Video]: Chris Terrio on Argo

Jamie Wynen — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 20:42:25 +0000

An uncut conversation between screenwriter Chris Terrio (Argo, ) on reclusive contemplation, crippling debt, weathering the loneliness of writing and using desire to find one’s path.

If you liked this, check out more videos about screenwriting or filmmaking. And if you know of a great video on Screenwriting, let us know in the comments. Thanks!

[Video]: Why we fail, unless…

Jamie Wynen — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 02:33:01 +0000

Do you write as much as you should? Take a moment to watch this sobering talk tempered with a sparkling, wry sense of humour. The idiosyncratic professor of economics, Larry Smith, appears at TedX to discuss the nature of true passion, how fear presents itself in the form of distraction, and the price of pursuing a great career.

If you liked this, check out more videos about screenwriting or filmmaking. And if you know of a great video on Screenwriting, let us know in the comments. Thanks!

Best of the Web 26 May

Jamie Campbell — Sat, 25 May 2013 23:33:59 +0000

Story & Structure

:: Story Inspiration
:: Script Review: Star Trek Into Darkness
:: Screenplay Review: Superman (JJ Abrams 2002 draft)
:: Amateur Friday – Going Postal
:: Steven Spielberg’s Techniques and Themes
:: 10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Script Perfection

:: The Devil We Know
:: The 52 Script Master List
:: How Kickstarter Can Make You A Better Screenwriter
:: The Flickering Myth Podcast #9 – Roman Coppola Interview
:: How I’d Fix Mad Men
:: Do Better

Pitching & Selling

:: Interview: Justin Marks – “My Life as a Screenwriter You Never Heard of”
:: Must-Have Screenwriting & Career Tips May 19, 2013

Best of the Rest

:: ‘Star Trek’s’ Damon Lindelof on Brad Pitt and Having Power as a Writer
:: Summit Entertainment Has Already Hired Writers to Script ‘RED 3’
:: Video Interview: Baz Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby”)
:: 25 Greatest Unscripted Scenes in Films
:: Xbox One vs PlayStation 4
:: What Franchise Would You Want to Pull a FAST 5 On?
:: Sequel Bits: ‘Transformers 4’, ‘Expendables 3’, ‘Transporter 4-6’ etc
:: Big Bad Bruce
:: Only God Forgives – Video Review
:: The 50 Best Television Pilots of All Time
:: First Trailer for Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Directorial Debut ‘Don Jon’
_______________________________

With thanks to Jamie Campbell.

Enjoy!

Karel

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

[The Writing Director]: A Spark of Rom-Com Inspiration

Ben Cox — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:30:29 +0000

I’ve had this image in my head for two years now. It’s this man in a suit, and he’s sprinting through an airport you know, arms flailing wildly. In one hand is a duffle bag, presumably with clothes in it, maybe some toiletries; and in the other hand is a bunch of red roses.

by Ben Cox

So he’s sprinting through the airport, security chasing after him, he’s going the wrong way on the walkway thing. I’m not gonna lie, it’s your typical clichéd climax scene (except that I want to open the film this way). I don’t need to go on, you can put it together and that’s not really what I want to talk about. What I want to write about is that for whatever reason, whenever I think about this I hear ‘We Belong’ by Pat Benatar.

Pat Benatar?

Thing is, I’m writing a romantic comedy and for whatever reason it’s much easier thinking of funny things when I’m listening to 80’s synth pop/rock. I’m sort of torn between trying to justify it and wearing it as a badge of honour. No one admits to liking stuff like Def Leppard do they? My friends know that I do but, you know when you’ve just met someone and they ask you what music you like, you have to really size the person up before you drop a “yeah I’m a big Phil Collins fan” into the conversation. It’s not really fair but my brain definitely screens that thought before letting it fly. Maybe that’s just me.

I was really struggling to get into this rom-com, it’s hard to feel like you’re doing something original with the genre because, well, you’re not. Ultimately if you decide to write one you’re better off just focusing on making it good. But how do you do that? Comedy is such a personal thing and as soon as I try to make people laugh it instantly stops being funny.

This is sort of what this post is about in a way, finding ways to inspire yourself.

I used to be embarrassed to admit my love of 80’s synth pop to people because, well it’s such a mocked type of music. The fact that it’s really not cool though is kind of perfect for my purposes. Not in a parody way, just that cool isn’t good for comedy. My comedy heroes are Will Ferrell, Ricky Gervais, Trey Parker and Sascha Baron Cohen, and I guess the thing that I want to steal from them is that there’s absolutely no pretense of cool in anything that they do. And it’s because cool isn’t funny, it’s cool. That seems so obvious, but I find it really hard to turn that part of my brain that screens this stuff off and just let it come out.

So right now I’m writing the romantic comedy that I want to see. It’s big, it’s ridiculous, it’s not cool but it has a lot of heart and isn’t ironic, just like 80’s synth pop.

– Ben Cox

After gaining his B.A in English Literature at Loughborough University, Ben Cox spent 4 years as a musician, playing bass in the band Kyte, touring internationally and releasing a top 5 selling album in Japan.
He left the group to pursue a career as a director and writer. Since graduating from the International Film School Sydney in 2012, he has written and directed three music videos.

Photo Credits: Ben Cox

[Video]: Spielberg on Lincoln

Jamie Wynen — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:29:25 +0000

The world’s most commercially successful film director talks about what inspired him about the man and the history behind Lincoln.

If/when you have seen the movie, tell us in the comments what you think of it.

If you liked this, check out more videos about screenwriting or filmmaking. And if you know of a great video on Screenwriting, let us know in the comments. Thanks!