Austin Film Festival - On Story: Screenwriters and Filmmakers on Their Iconic Films

On Story

Screenwriters and Filmmakers on Their

Iconic Films

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL

EDITED BY

Barbara Morgan and Maya Perez

FOREWORD BY

James Franco

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS

AUSTIN

Copyright 2016 by Austin Film Festival, Inc.

Foreword copyright 2016 by James Franco

Sydney Pollacks contributions copyright 2016 by Sydney Pollack

All rights reserved

First edition, 2016

Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to:

Permissions

University of Texas Press

P.O. Box 7819

Austin, TX 78713-7819

http://utpress.utexas.edu/index.php/rp-form

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Morgan, Barbara, 1962, editor. | Perez, Maya, 1970, editor. | Franco, James, 1978, writer of supplementary textual content. | Austin Film Festival (Austin, Tex.)

Title: On Storyscreenwriters and filmmakers on their iconic films / Austin Film Festival ; edited by Barbara Morgan and Maya Perez ; foreword by James Franco.

Other titles: On Story screenwriters and filmmakers on their iconic films.

Description: First edition. | Austin : University of Texas Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016006706 | ISBN 978-1-4773-1090-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 978-1-4773-1194-3 (library e-book) | ISBN 978-1-4773-1195-0 (nonlibrary e-book)

Subjects: LCSH: ScreenwritersInterviews. | Motion picture authorship. | Motion picture producers and directorsInterviews. | On story: presented by Austin Film Festival (Television program)

Classification: LCC PN1996 .O49 2016 | DDC 808.2/30922dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016006706

doi:10.7560/310908

Dedicated to

Wes Craven, Gary David Goldberg, Harold Ramis, Garry Shandling, and Stewart Stern

Contents

by James Franco

by Maya Perez

, Moderated by Barry Josephson

, Moderated by Barbara Morgan

, Moderated by William Broyles Jr.

, Moderated by Jane Sumner

, Moderated by Judd Apatow

, Moderated by Paul Thomas Anderson

, Moderated by lvaro Rodrguez

, Moderated by lvaro Rodrguez

by Bill Wittliff

Foreword

Tips

JAMES FRANCO

When I played Saul in Pineapple Express I said, fuck it, acting should be fun. No more twisted, self-centered, James Dean demons for me, just go with the flow.

There was one thing that was important: Saul should love Dale. That was the secret that made Saul so much more than just another dealer in another stoner comedy. He really cared about something, and that made the audience care about him. In this case he cared about Seths character, just like I care about Seth.

Then I played Scott Smith, Harvey Milks lover. Im still surprised by the response to that character, people love him. The secret there: minimalism.

The film is called Milk, not Smith, and thats how I played it: as a supporting lover. Thus, as a supporting actor to support Sean Penn, whom I also love so much.

In Howl I played Ginsberg, and I was all alone most of the film. My scenes were speeches given to an unseen interviewer, like Jason does in Shirley Clarkes Portrait of Jason.

All I did was get down Allens cadence by listening to him read Howl, over and over. All the versions he did, over the course of forty years, so many recordings...

He wrote the poem, and then the poem wrote him...

In 127 Hours I knew the key would be show, dont tell, because the character just does. I knew the audience would have a real experience because I wouldnt be telling them how I feel, Id be feeling.

And people passed out. The experience was so real, people couldnt help even their bodies from being affected.

And when the character does talk in that movie, he does it to his little video camera; I look right into the lens, ostensibly talking to my family and friends, but Im looking right at the audience, so its like a Shakespearean aside, without breaking the fourth wall.

And to that little video camera I talk about my feelings in the most intimate way. Its like Im talking to the people in the theater, as if theyre all my friends, and Im telling them everything there is to know about me.

Thats what movies are, the dressings we lay over our most vulnerable selves. Clothing to give artistic shape to the raw muscle and bloody bones of our essential beings.

Whether you are actor, writer, director, producer, cinematographer, costume designer, the movies you make reveal you.

You make the movies, but once theyre done, you realize that the movies turn around and make you.

Acknowledgments

Founded in 1993, Austin Film Festival was the first organization of its kind to focus on the writers creative contribution to film. Since then, the organization has been dedicated to furthering the art and craft of story telling through a number of programs, including the On Story Project, a collection of resources for audiences who love movies and are interested in the creative process. The On Story Project is made up of the Emmy Awardwinning television series Austin Film Festivals On Story; the On Story podcast; a one-hour On Story radio program; the Austin Film Festival archivesvideo and audio recordings of hundreds of panels with screenwriters and filmmakers from over two decadesat the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University; and, of course, the book On StoryScreenwriters and Their Craft, published by University of Texas Press in October 2013.

Where On StoryScreenwriters and Their Craft dispensed inspiration and writer advice, On StoryScreenwriters and Filmmakers on Their Iconic Films takes readers behind the scenes, revealing the creative process behind some of the most iconic movies of our timethe stories behind the stories on the screen. Foremost, we wish to thank the exceptional screenwriters and filmmakers whose conversations make up this book: Paul Thomas Anderson, Judd Apatow, Shane Black, William Broyles Jr., Jonathan Demme, Paul Feig, Terry George, Michael Green, Brian Helgeland, Ron Howard, Callie Khouri, Jenny Lumet, David Magee, Aline Brosh Mc-Kenna, David Milch, John Milius, Ashley Miller, Ron Nyswaner, Nicole Perlman, Frank Pierson, Sydney Pollack, Harold Ramis, Al Reinert, Danny Rubin, Oliver Stone, Robin Swicord, and Ted Tally. These artists generously shared their stories and experiences, and we are indebted to them for enriching our lives with their films. Special thanks to Erica Mann Ramis, Rebecca Pollack, and Rachel Pollack for their permission.

We are so pleased to again be working with the University of Texas Press, and are thankful to David Hamrick, Jim Burr, Nancy Lavender Bryan, Lynne Chapman, Molly Frisinger, and Sarah McGavick for their assistance in putting this book together and getting it out to the world. Thank you to Deena Kalai, Esq., for her friendship and legal guidance with the On Story Project.

Barry Josephson, lvaro Rodrguez, and Jane Sumner, we are so grateful for your continued and unwavering commitment to the Austin Film Festival mission. Thank you to the following individuals for their enthusiastic support and dedicated attention to this book: Miguel Alvarez, Linzy Beltran, Nan Foley, Erin Hallagan, Jo Huang, Jardine Libaire, Brian Ramos, Roy Rutngamlug, and Katy Stewart. Special thanks to Fabienne Harford, Allen Odom, Sonia Onescu, and Trey Selman for their diligence and invaluable help with this book.

Finally, we thank everyone who has helped to make the Austin Film Festival and the On Story Project what they are today: panelists, filmmakers, moderators, volunteers, interns, attendees, transcribers, sponsors, Festival members, board members, Fred Miller, Marsha Milam, our friends and families, and the late Mary Margaret Farabeea dear friend and tireless supporter of the arts. The Austin Film Festival and world film community thrive because of each of you.