Interview with Joshua Corin.

I JUST found this interview I did almost two years ago. It was inspiring to read it again (Joshua Corin is a pretty nifty and inspiring guy) and I thought I’d reblog for all my writer friends. Some great writing advice and encouragement here. 

caratalksmovies:

I’m in the middle of a summer Composition course. Because of the nature of one of the assigments I had the opportunity to interview Joshua Corin. Joshua is a novelist and a screenwriter, he gave me some really great insight into the business and the writing process.

Joshua Corin is an American author and screenwriter. He is known for writing the novel Nuclear Winter Wonderland and a screenplay for the novel which will soon be turned into a major motion picture. He is also the author of the screenplay for Windfall, the first place winner in the Open Door Contest.

- (Wikipedia)

His tips and his energy were really inspiring, I’m always excited to listen to people talk about what they are passionate about. Especially when it happens to coincide with my passions. The interview is transcribed below:

CZ:      Thank you for meeting with me. I’m writing a paper about careers in film production, specifically- screenwriting, producing, and directing.

JC:       Fantastic.

CZ:      Right now I’m studying Business, but after I finish my Associate’s I want to pick up film production, writing, or business for film, something along the lines of that.  My research paper is much geared towards trying to unite everything, business, screenwriting, producing, directing.

JC:       Wonderful.

CZ:      Screenwriting is definitely not your typical 9 to 5 job. When in the thick of writing your screenplays how many hours would you say you work a week, or even a day?

JC:       No matter what writing project I’m working on I always write at least 3 hours a day. I’ve been doing a lot of novel writing lately and that amounts to about 1,000 words a day.

CZ:      Wow.

JC:       I know some friends who do 3,000 words a day. And they have kids, they run errands- but each person has their own pace. When I do screenwriting the trick I use is I make sure that I always finish the sequence, a series of scenes, and I always make sure to start the next sequence. That’s a trick that Earnest Hemmingway suggested in giving tips to writers in the 1940s. He would always suggest the way that he would write: Begin the next scene at the end of the day, so that way when he went back to the typewriter he wouldn’t be starting with a blank page.

CZ:      Right, the hardest part is starting.

JC:       Exactly! And it’s really, I think it’s really great advice. As far as screenwriting goes, how much, however the sequence is, long or short- it all needs to hold together.

CZ:      What has your background been? Did you go to film school, or major in English, or are you completely self taught?

JC:        I majored in English. I got a master’s in English and a master’s in Theater. I did playwriting in grad school. When I first went to New York City, I went to New York City as a playwright, and it’s very hard to make a living as a playwright ANYWHERE, so I got a job on Broadway in management. 

That being said, when you said you were doing business,  I think that’s fantastic. Knowing the business side, especially when you are talking about filmmaking. All the studios are owned by mega corporations now, and even some of the smaller production companies that have first look deals are owned by companies now. Knowing the business side of it is invaluable. Learning the business side of theater convinced me not to do theater (laughs), but it did convince me to do some screenwriting.

I wrote about 5 scripts; with the fifth one I won the contest that got me my manager. Then I started having local readings, because you never know when you have a script that’s good until you hear it.

I started to go out to LA for meetings and I’d tour the studios and everything. That’s the best thing- when they invite you into meetings- make sure you go there a couple hours early, just walk around. They give you a pass because you have to be on the studio lot. So, I arrive for an 11am meeting at eight. That way I’d have 3 hours to walk around and be like ‘Oh wow that’s where they filmed Star Trek!”

CZ:      I’d never thought of that. I’m a huge movie geek so for me that’s amazing.

JC:      Yeah, well on the Paramount lot they have all the Oscar’s- all the Best Picture winners that Paramount has won. It’s all there, like Forrest Gump, and its like (mimes stealing the Oscar) “Wow, this glass doesn’t look too thick.” But it’s really neat and some of the lots have New York sets, it’s, it’s incredible.

They were shooting X-Men 3, at the Paramount lot once when I was there. That’s not a Paramount movie but they were using the lot, because that’s where they have the set, and there were massive explosions! And it was one of those “Huh, I guess I’m in Hollywood” moments. 

CZ:      When did you move out to LA?

JC:       Oh, I didn’t move out there, I went to take meetings a couple of times a year.

CZ:      Did you study in New York?

JC:       Yeah I studied in Binghamton. Then I moved to New York City, I was in New York for four years. I’d been going back and forth to LA. I like LA…to visit. Unfortunately for screenwriting you pretty much have to live, especially in the beginning of your career, in LA.

CZ:      Based on my research, most of the heavy-hitters in Hollywood insist that when it comes to film production -experience is far more impressive than a degree.

JC:       Absolutely

CZ:      However, film schools provide their students with good training as well as with valuable contacts. Would you see getting scholastic training as beneficial? Or are personal attributes, such as ambition, organization, and networking skills more important?

JC:       Networking is by far, the second most important thing.

CZ:      What’s the first?

JC:       Talent.

But networking is going to open the door that talent won’t sometimes.  Networking is so key in film. It’s all about meetings. You’ll have meet and greets to set up the meeting. It’s really just a strange place.

I would say that the experience that comes from being on a set in invaluable. Film school will open doors though; I have some friends who became assistants out of film school because of contacts. That’s important too, as an assistant you’re in the background of film, and with film school they speak the film language already, and they don’t have to learn it on the fly. So especially with directing, and some of the more technical sides of film I would say film school definitely.

For writers? I don’t know. I know a lot of people go from UCLA or USC and do really well because those programs are really well connected to the industry. But aside from those programs, maybe AFI…

CZ:      NYU?

JC:       NYU, absolutely. But NYU is good for connecting to New York screenwriting and production. New York film is very different from LA film. Which is not a good or a bad, It’s just very different. Other states, like Georgia are offering tax incentives, so there’s a lot of growth and expansion in the industry.

CZ:      Has networking helped play a role in your personal success as a screenwriter?

JC:       Well, it got me my manager. And my manager got me my agent that got me my book published. So having my manager be in LA while I was in Atlanta was absolutely essential. If you’re not living in LA make sure that your manager is fantastic and living in LA.

CZ:      As a writer I know that I often experience writers block and lack of creativity. What are the most frustrating parts of your job? What are the most satisfying parts?

JC:       Writer’s block is frustrating, but Publix brownies seem to help. I’m a sucker for chocolates and sweets, it gets the blood flowing. And exercise is good; it’s good to balance out the Publix brownies.

CZ:      You should try making your own brownies and putting coffee grinds in it. That helps.

JC:       Really?

CZ:      Oh yeah, caffeine boost and it tastes amazing. 

JC:       Huh. That sounds pretty good actually. That’s all I’m going to be thinking about now.

CZ:      See, that could be a satisfying part of your job as well! The brownies.

JC:       Well yeah, I mean sometimes when it’s difficult to write you give yourself rewards. “If I finish this, I’ll go to the bookstore, and I’ll buy myself a book as a treat.” You know, you got to give yourself a carrot sometimes.

As far as writers block goes, it happens not when you don’t know what to write but when what you’ve just written isn’t working and you’re not aware of it yet. The problem is always in what you’ve already written. So that’s the most frustrating thing, trying to find that out.

Screenwriting can be tedious, so much as, there’s a lot of revising.  But that’s part of the job and sometimes you can find some really great stuff in revision.

CZ:      And the most satisfying parts?

JC:       I’ve made a lot of good friends. Friends who are very creative, to be surrounded by creative people, for me at least, I feed off that. Also it’s all just really great! People are fun. The best part is absolutely the people.

Some writers just live in their log cabins or whatever; I don’t know how they are able to manage. Just to be with creative people, who are working their craft, taking it seriously, but not taking themselves too seriously. And to be supportive too, we’re all supportive of each other.

 I’m actually going to Thriller Fest next week, which is like a festival for Thriller writers, and it’s like I’m going to go see friends rather than I’m going to go do a panel. Absolutely that’s the best thing.

CZ:      What’s the best piece of advice you can give someone like me, who is trying to get into film production? In to screenwriting?

JC:       Don’t give up.

Honestly, you’re going to get more rejections than not- you have to have a thick skin. The hardest thing is to not take rejections personally, because, yes, your script is kind of like an extension of yourself-

CZ:      It’s very personal.

JC:       Exactly, it is.   It’s so difficult not to take it personally. But you can’t, because sometimes it’s just the person who read the script it just doesn’t resonate with them.

CZ:      Can I ask a personal question?

JC:       Sure.

CZ:      When did you know you wanted to be a writer, and what was the reaction from your family when you told them you wanted to write for a living? Was it supportive, or was it like “Well… maybe you should be an accountant”?

JC:       I was six years old, my father sold typewriters, back when typewriters were used. So we had a typewriter, my handwriting is atrocious, so at six years old I would be hunched over the typewriter. And I wrote my first story that I can remember in second grade. And it just…there was enthusiasm for that. It was something I knew I was good at. Because I was very shy- am very shy-, but through writing you’re able to express yourself and express all these ideas, and also hopefully entertain people.

My family has been very supportive, for the most part. My father still to this day asks me if I’ve looked at law school lately. He was at my first book launch in 2008 and he’s a very supportive guy, but then a little later he was like ‘So, um LSAT deadlines are coming up…”

I mean, I want to say it’s a running joke if it were funny, but uh, it’s not so funny. But, it’s because he cares.

CZ:      Exactly.

JC:       And the people who love us they want what’s best for us.  Is your family supportive?

CZ:      Yeah, sure. But it’s very much the “that’s really great, but go get your MBA” type of thing.

JC:       Well, I mean it’s very good to be practical.

CZ:      Of course. The more I’ve been studying business the more that I think “Yes, this makes sense, this is smart. It’s something I can apply to everything.” But when I’m stuck in the middle of an Accounting lecture, I rather be writing a story.

JC:       Yeah, accounting isn’t exactly a very visual thing. Just realize that people who love you aren’t trying to be negative or trying to bring you down, they are just looking out for you.

 

 

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   I did almost two years ago. It was inspiring to read it again (Joshua Corin...I thought...

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