LETTERS
12 WINTER 2019 MOVIEMAKER.COMREADERS
ARE TALKING
A B OU T...
“CHAPTER ONE: SCREENWRITING,”
FROM MOVIEMAKER’S 2019 COMPLETE GUIDE TO MAKING MOVIES
“Karyn Kusama and Paul Dano have strong ideas on how to treat a screenplay. For both of them,
it’s pliable and collaborative. Kusama views it as a ‘map,’ and the map-makers stay involved
throughout production. In Dano’s case, it’s about the process of letting options be available and
viewing the work from many different angles. He’s ‘stirring’ his own soil, talking to the author,
making his puke draft, and sharing it with a collaborator. Elizabeth Chomko, too, understands
that the process continues: The screenplay, the film, is an ongoing dialogue between its creators.
This attitude allows the screenplay to remain breathing while you’re shooting it. A lot of new
writers make their words precious; because they thought of an idea, they attribute value to
that idea. It’s not wrong, but it’s static and can keep the screenplay from evolving. What if your
second or third idea is strong? What if cutting a line does open the scene? Good screenwriting
is having the attitude that it can change. Screenwriting, for the most part, is cheap compared to
production. So, take advantage of this time for discovery and seeing what the film is, and can be.”
—Case Barden, via email“HEAVY HEART, HEAVY ART,”
BY PANOS COSMATOS
“What a beautifully written
article. As a moviemaker myself,
when I first watched Mandy,
I immediately felt that it had this
young Kubrick-esque trajectory
and feel to it—not style-wise, but
career-wise. Mandy is one of
those films that comes out of
nowhere once every decade and
has a unique voice that creates a
milestone for cinema. I absolutely
cannot wait to see more of what
Cosmatos creates. His father
would be overwhelmingly proud.”
—Mickey Barker,
via MovieMaker.com
“THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED,” BY JIM CUMMINGS
“I had no idea what to expect when I started watching
Thunder Road. But before it was over I was intermittently
pausing it to learn more about where in the hell this gem
came from and why I hadn’t heard anything about it until
now. The movie just ended and left me practically sobbing
here in my bed. With all the garbage being made today for
tens and hundreds of millions of dollars, it’s refreshing and
inspiring that an indie film can come along and be so damn
good! Congratulations to Jim Cummings and the rest of his
wonderful crew on this fantastic film.”
—Christian Hunter, via MovieMaker.com“Wow. This article opened my eyes, encouraged me,
challenged me, and overwhelmed me to the point of feeling
like a deer in headlights. Yet, I know that I can do this!
I’m curious as to how they succeeded in marketing their
film to get it into theaters and iTunes. A follow-up part two
of Jim’s ‘Road Less Traveled’ would be greatly appreciated.
Kudos to Jim’s team, thanks for sharing your journey!”
—Kim Elizabeth, via MovieMaker.com“Found this article to be particularly insightful. Not your
typical ‘follow your vision’ thing.”
—Ted Ryan, via MovieMaker.com“LOOKS THAT KILL,”
BY MICHAEL GINGOLD
“ ‘Passion shared by
a group of experienced
collaborators, and in-
novation with story rather
than leaning on homage,
often yield a better movie
despite budget limitations.’
This is the best issue of
MovieMaker ever.”
—Jerry Sampson,
via Twitter“MOVIEMAKER’S
30 BLOODY BEST GENRE
FESTS IN THE WORLD IN
2019, PRESENTED BY
HORRORHOUND,”
BY MICHAEL GINGOLD
AND MM EDITORS
“You don’t want to miss
out on this!”
—Jon Reiss, via Facebook“No BiFan and Telluride
Horror Show? Or Shriekfest?
Or Monster Fest?”
—Joshua Long, via Twitter“GOING TO EXTREMES,”
BY LUCA GUADAGNINO
“Excellent article.”
—Martin Mercer,
via Facebook“A SALE UNTO ONESELF,”
BY DIANE BELL
“Great article. Every as-
piring filmmaker/producer
should read this first.”
—Dixon Steele,
via MovieMaker.com“A TELLER’S MARKET,”
BY LIZ MANASHIL
“Great article!”
—Meleisha Edwards,
via Facebook
READERS ARE ASKING ABOUT...“Since rights for a documentary are of-
ten not needed from a subject, payment is
often nominal. But, if the person is famous
and their name has real value, anticipate
offering as much as 2 percent of the cash
budget. This sum is akin to the amount
that would be paid for a literary acquisi-
tion, and is fair and healthy without being
a ridiculous overpayment. Offering 2 to 2.
percent of profits received and paid to the
producers is also appropriate and similar
to what a rightsholder to a book on which a
film is made might receive.” —MM Editors“Dear MovieMaker Team,
What is the appropriate range to offer a
documentary subject who is concerned about
being compensated for his or her story? Let’s
say, specifically, that they’re someone famous
and they assume the film will do relatively
well in sales due to their notoriety. They’re
interested in a royalty percentage and haven’t
helped toward the cost of the film at all. Can
you shed some light on this?”
—Tisa Zito, via MovieMaker.com