Some decent advice from Mamet

Bravo Mark for posting this. I used to have taped to the typewriter when i was writing for the stage "if 2 characters are in a scene and not in conflict, cut the scene". I think it was a rule from Mamets "Writing in restaurants".
 
My favorite part--

IT IS NOT THE DIRECTORS JOB. HIS OR HER JOB IS TO FILM IT STRAIGHTFORWARDLY AND REMIND THE ACTORS TO TALK FAST.

That made me laugh only because I know first hand that left to their own devices actors will take ten second pauses between every line of dialogue.
 
I have to add that although Mamet's memo is excellent advice almost all the way through, I'm sure getting lectured to like a bunch of idiot schoolchildren probably went over like a lead balloon with the writing staff of The Unit.
 
If someone wanted to know how to write a screenplay, I'd tell them to read this letter and a couple of well-written scripts. That's all you need.

Everything else is just noise.
 
"If someone wanted to know how to write a screenplay, I'd tell them to read this letter and a couple of well-written scripts. That's all you need.

Everything else is just noise."

Agree.
 
I respectfully disagree. I think it takes more training (books, courses, or both) than what Mamet says to master writing a screenplay. Even the great Mamet himself attended two colleges during his early years that honed his skills in the fine arts, writing, theater, acting, directing.

lambert said:
"If someone wanted to know how to write a screenplay, I'd tell them to read this letter and a couple of well-written scripts. That's all you need. Everything else is just noise."

Agree.
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I believe there are some who are gifted natural storytellers and inherently understand story structure-- perhaps as children they read (or were read to) lots of stories. But most wannabe writers (myself included) need to learn at least basic story structure, which you don't get by just reading Mamet's letter and a couple of screenplays. Witness the vast majority of successful films-- 99% share a common highly structured hero's journey format, and that is no accident.

EDIT: The hero's journey structure of course mimics our own life, which is why it works in crafting a story-- we relate to it has humans because it is a story of our life, so perhaps some gifted writers just latch onto that naturally? Just a thought.

Also, the early Hollywood screenwriters used the sequence approach, it was required from what I understand (see Paul Gulino's book on this); the sequence approach evolved as a natural process from the reel based theater films, each sequence being about the length of film that would fit on a reel, a self contained unit of the hero's journey. As such that approach created an almost natural structure to the movies, perhaps helping those writers craft the structure without so much formal training.

Who are some of the masterful screenwriters without formal training that you are thinking of? It might be interesting to look at their background.

subtleinspiration said:
Then how do you explain those masterful screenwriters who excelled in the craft before this kind of training was available?
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Orson Welles, Ernest Lehman, William Goldman come to mind.

Tell me, if you read a screenplay and see how the elements ultimately end up on screen, and then know how to tell a proper story in the first place, what more do you need?
 
"Who are some of the masterful screenwriters without formal training that you are thinking of? It might be interesting to look at their background."
Sam Shepard (Paris Texas).
Way to many budding screenwriters get wrapped up in courses that will supposedly unlock the "secrets" instead of writing and reading and figuring it out . Obviously I don't believe that that reading a few screenplays and following some of Mamets rules will make you a competent screenwriter, but it is not a bad start. Couple that with training as an actor and heavy doses of reading and writing (concentrating on dialogue), and hearing actors read your work out loud and your way ahead of the game. I don't have a problem with Randalls view of studying and training, it has worked for many great screenwriters. But far to often worrying about the heros journey before the writer can write a competent scene is a little bit of putting the cart before the horse.
 
lambert said:
Obviously I don't believe that that reading a few screenplays and following some of Mamets rules will make you a competent screenwriter, but it is not a bad start.
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Yes, I should probably add, "and then keep writing screenplays until you're good at it."
 
I just took a quick peek at Goldman on Wikipedia-- looks like he studied creative writing in college, then wrote novels before taking up screenwriting, and he also had a brother who was a screenwriter. Just an observation that he seems to have done more than read Mamet's letter and a couple of screenplays. :)

subtleinspiration said:
Orson Welles, Ernest Lehman, William Goldman come to mind. Tell me, if you read a screenplay and see how the elements ultimately end up on screen, and then know how to tell a proper story in the first place, what more do you need?
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Randall_Oelerich said:
I just took a quick peek at Goldman on Wikipedia-- looks like he studied creative writing in college, then wrote novels before taking up screenwriting, and he also had a brother who was a screenwriter. Just an observation that he seems to have done more than read Mamet's letter and a couple of screenplays. :)
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He took a creative writing class. Saying that he "studied" creative writing is a bit of a stretch.

And how does writing novels have anything to do with this? Did he also need to purchase materials to teach him how to write those novels?
 
You might be right, that little study is needed to write a winning screenplay. Wishing you the best, win that oscar!

subtleinspiration said:
He took a creative writing class. Saying that he "studied" creative writing is a bit of a stretch. And how does writing novels have anything to do with this? Did he also need to purchase materials to teach him how to write those novels?
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I tend to agree with Randall and writing novels teaches you a lot about story telling, character development, subtext, theme...a lot of the things missing in todays insipid selection of screenplays...the days of writing have been boiled down to a very low respect level because people in the industry do not recognize it as the foundation of a great movie anymore...it's more about who is in it or what special effects they can showcase...the science of the technological side of filmmaking is becoming so sophisticated and advanced and yet people think that the science (or art) of creating amazing screenplays is merely a couple of books and some minor practice...

This is just my opinion...no offense to anyone...I do agree with Randall though...

Best,
Stan The Man
 
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