Cherie Lee spoke with this year’s winner Genevieve Clay about her film ‘Be My Brother’.

Where did the story idea come from?

It was the main actor. When I first met him, he recited Shakespeare. It was his goal to be an actor. I met him doing a documentary that was following a whole group of people with Down syndrome that were trying to achieve their goals and he was one of those people.

Did the concept develop as you were writing?

I kind of had it straight out from the start. I knew what the ending would be and I knew that through him winning a stranger over it would impact on a relative, so all I really had to do was work on the dialogue, making that as natural as possible.

How many drafts did you go through?

About ten.

Did you plan the whole thing around the twist?

I got the idea for that particular twist when I was on a train myself and I saw this young man who had an intellectual disability putting silver stars on this woman, just a random stranger. It was so beautiful, he was making her laugh and she was enjoying herself.

I thought to myself ‘what if one of those people on the train that feel offended and maybe awkward by his behaviour was actually related to him and through seeing this young woman embrace him gets changed by that?’ So I thought that it would be really interesting to explore.

I think for a twist, you can’t just base a whole film on a twist, it’s got to say something. It can’t be as shallow as just a surprise or a joke because then it becomes like a gag film. It’s got to have some meaning.

What is your driving force for telling stories?

I love creating. It’s fascinating to go into a cinema and turn around and look at everybody absorbing a story. The media is so much a part of us, much more than what we think. I just want to put out good ‘food’ because we consume it, we take in visions and we take in what we hear and we consume films, we consume media.

There’s a lot of ‘junk food’ out there and I want to tell stories that will feed us well: that make you feel good, make you think and challenge you. Even if I make a film that isn’t quite happy I want somebody to walk away and be impacted on a certain level.

Are you a writer or a director?

I’d always say I’d do both. I love writing scripts and I love writing a script knowing what it’s going to look like as I’m writing it, seeing it in my mind and then seeing it from that writing process through to the finish is a very addictive. It’s very satisfying when you see people enjoying it and it impacting them so I’ll always be a writer/director.

How do you get over writer’s block?

I just write. Even if it’s bad, I’ll just force my way through it. I watch films. I watch things to inspire me. It’s like you run out of oil or something. You’ve got to feed your creativity. So I’d say to writers, go and hire out your favourite films, see something that’s going to inspire you to do it. I find that I get most inspired and motivated after I’ve seen something I go, ‘Oh that’s awesome’ and then just sit down and write.

Have you pitched to any production companies?

Yes I have I have a project in the works at the moment and I’m just getting through the rounds, which is very exciting.

Is there any specific advice you give to screenwriters?

I think everyone can write because we all speak, we all have a story that’s worth telling. It’s just about honing those skills. Watch films and pick apart the dialogue. Why is that dialogue working?  If you want to be a screenwriter then begin by figuring out your own story think about what your experiences have been and what do you want to say? I think the best scripts say something.

And some advice for filmmakers in general?

I’d say you definitely just want to keep working at things. If you really want to make films, you’re going to get criticised sometimes and some of your work isn’t going be great and you’ve got to be prepared for that. You’ve just got to push through anyway and say, ‘that film doesn’t define my talent’. Experiment with what you’re doing, don’t be boxed up.

Get people to watch your work and make criticisms. You’re not going to make something great on your first go and even your first draft is not going to be that great. You can’t think that you’re some freak genius even though you might be, you still need people to mentor you and talk to you and say ‘this is working and this isn’t’ and don’t be offended just take it on board.

I have some great mentors for ‘Francis and Annie’ my latest script. I had to keep going back and back and back. And lastly, just suck it up. It’s cutthroat and disappointment is the biggest killer of dreams and the only person that’s going to stop you from getting where you want to go is yourself. If you can just suck it up and keep going no matter what the disappointment is, you’ll get somewhere.

Genevieve Clay is a Sydney based writer/director who currently works at the Australian Broadcastng Commission. She has made over 18 short films including a documentary that will be released at the Sydney Opera House in October. She is the youngest director to ever win Tropfest.

Cherie Lee

I studied acting for three years and hold a graduate diploma in writing from Sydney’s UTS. My interest in film and writing was solidified through interning at The Story Department and gave me the opportunity to fine tune my skills. I’ve been involved with several film projects, the most recent of which was shortlisted for Tropfest.

With the knowledge gained from university and my experience at The Story Department, I’m now specialising in professional feedback on short films and documentaries.

I wanted to figure out who they were, not why they were there. Everyone was there to network.

These guys were Michael and Gabriel, winners of TropFest Junior, the kids section of the largest short film festival in the world.

The big thing is not their first prize. Here’s why I believe they’ve already won:

1. They have plenty of time to fail, learn and win (and no mortgage to pay).
2. They are co-writing (to write faster and better)
3. They are networking (to know more people to sell to)

These teenage filmmakers have what many don’t have: time AND a strategy.

If you don’t have the years to fail and learn, are you really doing everything to counteract this?

Oh and you no longer have an excuse for not being able to work the crowd.

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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Australia is a hands-on type of nation. When I arrived in 2001, it didn’t take me long to get my first short film off the ground. So many wonderful people, eager to get their hands dirty and help me out. After all, filmmaking doesn’t have to be the cumbersome, expensive art it used to be. In a way it is still cumbersome but the essentials to capture and reproduce images have become so cheap they are now within reach of anyone with a job or a credit card.

The largest short film festival in the world started in Sydney. Meanwhile Tropfest has spilled out to all major Australian cities and even the rest of the world . The fact it started here in Australia is no coincidence. When an Australian wants to do something, he doesn’t first sit down to ponder about how it is usually done and then wait for an opportunity to arise so the job gets a bit easier. The Australian goes for it. ASAP.

You can hear me coming: despite all the good intentions there is a downside to this “let’s just do it” attitude. In the case of filmmaking, I cannot shed the impression the Australian believes there are shortcuts. What is the easiest way to get your idea on the screen? You hire or buy a video camera, get some mates to stand in front of it and “just do it”. We are all made to believe this is how it works. Practical guides to the use of digital equipment make it seem like child’s play.

It is an illusion that has cost us dearly in recent years. I have seen a fair few movies lately that were all made with lots of enthusiasm but not a lot of thought gone into the screenplay. What is it with movies that people just cannot stop believing the illusion? At this point I must add that what sets my friend with the HD camera apart from the crowd, is this: he had first invested a significant amount of money in learning the craft of screenwriting.

FINAL GOODBYE FINAL DRAFT?

Only yesterday I received an email from which I quote:

“I have about 3 ideas for scripts, they would be produced entirely by my friends and I. I need to put the first drafts down I am trying to round up a script writing program to make it easier.”

There is the other myth: Final Draft will help you write your script. (On a separate note: soon that myth may be forever buried, when Celtx takes over. They have just released version 0.995 and it is starting to look better than anything on the market. Interesting detail: Celtx is free. At least no money will be wasted on the illusion that software could spit out a story.)

In his book STORY, Robert McKee makes the point:

“If your dream were to compose music, would you say to yourself: “I’ve heard a lot of symphonies… I can also play the piano… I think I’ll knock one out this weekend? No. But that’s exactly how many screenwriters begin: “I’ve seen a lot of flicks, some good and some bad… I got A’s in English… vacation time ‘s coming…”

The essence of story is not rocket science. I keep repeating: it is a learnable skill. But a skill that must be learned nonetheless. What you cannot learn is the inspiration, the need to tell a specific story. Yet so many people with the desire to tell that story believe they can get away without properly mastering the craft. They want to build the house without a notion of engineering. They want to compose a symphony without knowing a C from a Cis. They want to serve a bouillabaisse but can’t even cook a ratatouille.

If you were hoping there might be a new generation waiting to jump in and rejuvenate this general malaise, the following might put a stop to your optimism. At a networking event earlier this year, I spoke with a university student who had taken a screenwriting class the previous year. Asked about the one thing she took away from that class, she answered:

“I guess, that you can break the rules and still get away with it.”

THE OMNIPOTENT FUNDING AGENCIES

Having recently caught up on some Australian films of the past few years (see my previous post) and listening to feedback from others on more recent films (Clubland, West, Suburban Mayhem etc.) it seems these pictures are unable to connect with a mainstream audience. Or any audience, for that matter. It’s no longer an issue of getting the audience into the theater, if those who saw the films are not entertained. There are strong indications the problems don’t lie in the execution but in the bare essentials of story. Yep, they are breaking the rules.

But where did things start to go wrong? I believe the lack of understanding of the principles of story has become endemic for our entire industry. Not only do writers lack the skills: producers and funding decision makers fail to see the flaws in screenplays. As long as the ‘elements’ are in place, the film will get made. The ‘elements’ being: cast, technically experienced crew, government funding etc.

On the government’s role: while preparing development notes for a government funding application, a particular paragraph in the guidelines struck me.

“What is the point of view (POV) of the script? That is, where is the audience positioned in relation to the script? Are they close to one central character? Is it an omnipotent POV?”

An “omnipotent POV”?? Somebody has lost the plot here. Point of view is crucially important in a story. The terminology should be second nature to anyone even remotely involved in screenwriting, let alone the funding of it. If even the funding agencies cannot get their act together, why would anyone expect the writers would? Interesting to note that the same funding agency has been reported to have feature drama screenplays assessed by documentary film makers. Go figure.

Recently a young filmmaker submitted a rough cut on DVD with an application for post-production funding. The application was rejected. The assessor didn’t like the film? Correction: the assessor didn’t like the screenplay. The rejection was justified in a multi-page assessment of the screenplay. The assessor did reference the DVD but the brunt of his tirade was directed at the script.

Why am I concerned… Very concerned…

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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