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James Cameron recently said Christopher’s Nolan screenplay for OPPENHEIMER was “a bit of a moral copout” and “dodged the effects” of Oppenheimer’s choice to help create the atomic bomb.

This made news—–the 2nd highest grossing filmmaker of all-time criticizing the story choices of a wildly successful movie that won Best Picture and made billions.

It was highly unusual to see a public comment by one filmmaker directed at another.

Some might not see it as unfair, simply a remark of constructive feedback between professionals. Others might find it a personal attack on another’s creative expression, and arguably inappropriate.

Where does your writing come from?  Sometimes I forget. Cameron’s criticism reminded me that my work is written by me. It’s my screenplay and I’m writing it.

It’s personal.

In fact, when I forget that everything I create is from what I’ve seen and experienced—what I dream of, what I fear—I get bogged down. My script doesn’t move forward.

The Not Upset Writer

I have judged a screenplay competition for nearly 30 years. We have sent out tens of thousands of feedback on scripts directly to writers.

I find it refreshing when a writer takes their feedback professionally. Despite getting detailed criticisms of what’s not working in their script, they are able to receive it in a courteous way. They have trained themselves not to freak out.

But in some ways, it’s kinda weird when people don’t melt down.

Don’t get me wrong! Dealing with writers who are not upset is better than dealing with writers who are.

Yet I have to say that when I do get a cool, collected professional response from a writer we have sent our feedback to, I’m a little suspicious haha.

Like you’re lying.

You expect me to believe you’re not bothered in any way that we do not understand something you’ve wrote?

On the flipside, when people react with accusations of using AI and you didn’t read it and is this person in high school who read it, you must have skimmed this, your readers must be tired, how could they have missed this information, this is a rip-off, my script has placed in 27 contests, an Oscar producer said they liked it, an Oscar producer said they loved it, an Oscar producer wants to make it——-

It’s almost like they’re being honest about what they feel. Like they’re taking it personally. Like we have attacked their souls.

Maybe, you could argue, we have attacked their souls.

Makes me wonder, if my soul doesn’t feel attacked, is my soul in my script?

Your Soulful Script

I have been writing screenplays for 30 years now. And there are times I have forgotten who I am when I am working on something. I can’t see myself in it. I’m thinking about plot and structure and conflict and endings. I’m fixing dialogue and trimming description. I’m trying to be a good writer. I’m trying to make a great movie. I’m working towards winning an award and receiving attention and getting a bigger house for my cats.

And I wonder why the script is stuck.

Perhaps it’s not personal. Maybe it’s not about me. It’s not coming from who I am. How I have been embarrassed. How I have injured others. My mistakes. My hope for a better tomorrow.

Be upset with how things go, or better yet, tell the truth. You’re an imaginative, gifted intelligent person. Stand on the front line of your work. Are you taking your screenplay personally? What’s bothering me? Who am I? Why do I have to tell this story? Have I forgotten?

Audiences love stories when it’s about them. Not only does my screenplay need to be about me, but the creation of the screenplay should also, I hope, be about me.

And it’s okay to be messy, kids. This is where we are.

And my cats don’t want a bigger house.

They want to sit next to me.

Note: This was written by a human named Gordy Hoffman.

 

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