Big Think Interview With Robert McKee | Big Think

Big Think Interview With Robert McKee
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A conversation with the author and screenwriting guru.
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ROBERT MCKEE:
Robert McKee is a creative writing teacher known particularly for his "Story Seminar," a multi-day screenwriting lecture that he has given at venues all over the world. He is the author of "Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting."
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TRANSCRIPT:
Question: How is screenwriting different from other kinds of fiction writing?
Robert McKee: Well, the three great medias, not only screenplay, but it’s also the theater, play writing, and the prose. I mean, those are the three primary. And they get mixed a lot. TV is a sort of combination of all three really, novel, theater, and film. Graphic novels are another form that combines novels as a basis, as the title suggests, with films, sort of, like cartoons.
And the principal differences between the three of them is the level of conflict that interests the writer of each of them. And so, you have stories-they all tell a story-but stories involve characters in conflict with their social or physical world, in personal relationships with friends, family, lovers, and an inner conflict within their own natures between themselves, their subconscious mind, their body, their emotions, and so forth. The novelist tends to be interested in inner conflicts; characters in conflict with their own contradictory natures, their own contradictory desires, their emotions. Playwrights tend to be more interested in personal relationships, of family, friends, lovers-because the theater is a form for dialogue, primarily. And talk is the way in which people in personal relationships work those relationships out for better or worse, right? And so the power and the beauty of the theater is personal conflicts.
The power and beauty in film is the extra personal conflicts of characters in conflict with their physical world and their social world. And so all three media can tell complex stories because you can work with inner conflict, certainly, in a film, you can work with personal conflict naturally in a film, and in a novel, you can do all three, in a play you can do all three. But the strength of each of them tends to be at one of those three levels. And so, if you’re trying to make a career choice as to what kind of writer should I be, you really need to ask another question; which level of conflict in life really interests me the most? And then you would presumably move into that medium. But I know a lot of writers whose real interest is not at the level of conflict that the medium in which they are writing is strongest in. And so a lot of independent filmmakers, for example, are really interested in inner conflict. And so they should be writing novels and not trying to make films of people staring into space, coming to big decisions in their lives, or whatever, it would bore people.
And so, which level of conflict interests the writer is a critical choice. And a lot of writers don’t understand their own instincts and they get... Stanislavski, the great acting teacher once said: “You have to figure out whether you’re in love with the art in yourself, or yourself in the art.” And too many people go into film, especially, or television because they are in love with the idea of themselves in the art. They want to be in the movies, they want to be in TV, or even in the theater, or whatever. When their natural talents and interests lie elsewhere. So, that’s a critical choice as to which medium you choose because it has to pair up with what really interests you.
Question: What's the biggest mistake that novice screenwriters make?
Robert McKee: The biggest mistake they will try to make-that they will make-is that they will try to adapt to whatever is trendy. And so they’ll look at the hits, they’ll look at last summer successes, or even the independent films, you know. And I’m sure that after a film like “Boys Don’t Cry” got out, Hollywood was inundated with interesting little small stories of small town characters in some kind of brutal sexual relationships, or whatever. On the other hand, “Avatar” of course and films like that spin loose imitators. And...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/big-think...

[@bigthink]

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[@Denosophem]

I hate Microsoft AI. It really is so single minded

[@deanjohncaldicott]

I look down at these comments and you know what I see? Conflict

[@sirbutthurt2937]

+deanjohncaldicott "The Reign of Chaos has come."

[@artistsometimes2729]

yes, but on what level?

[@ThomasJRyan-ct3dv]

Hands down one of the best writer interviews I've seen, McKee rocks.

[@DrCharlesParker]

33:19 "The problem today is confusion" - and stories today help make sense of that chaos. Thanks, Robert, so well embraced.

[@lorenrobinson716]

I like how Robert is bluntly honest. It can be hard to find that kind of honesty in the creative art world and tons of good advice here for us creative writers.

[@OKandNOWwhat]

Certitude is not arrogance, though it is mistaken as such by the ignorant. If you follow this man's advice you will produce more thoughtful stories with greater emotional depth. If that doesn't matter to you then you are in the wrong place.

[@zanshibumi]

I could listen to him for days straight. The density of knowledge expressed is staggering.

[@samhong1224]

"M. Night Shoogaman" LOL

[@michaelmattice4986]

+Sam Hong Reading your comment, I just laughed AGAIN! Thank you:)

[@redbaron8130]

Am referring to M Night as Mr. Sugaman from now on lol

[@pazuzu126]

This guy knows his stuff!

[@rievans57]

How easy it is to throw stones at Robert McKee but I challenge anyone to deny his influence. Don't criticize the recipe, only criticize the dish!

[@michaelmattice4986]

+Richard Evans Was the dish plastic and non recyclable?(I got alotta time on my hands so...:)

[@artistsometimes2729]

he's like Wynton Marsalis, hated in some quarters for being stuffy and old-fashioned, but universally respected by those in the field.

[@rievans57]

@@artistsometimes2729 as I listened to Robert McKee I came to realize that great art is not a matter of talent or genius. It is simply hard work.

[@rsvendsen6810]

I've taken his course twice. He's incredible. I believe October is his last lecture. IF you can go, you should. LA and NY.

[@sunghong524]

The part that I like the most about this, is the part that he talks about how life is. I think he's right. The emphasis on the storytelling is what comes down to it. Maybe not so much on the story, but how you tell one story, very well. I hate sitting in the modern theaters for a 2-3 hour movie. Yet, I like movies that keep me holding my piss for 3 hours to see what happens next. And I think that's what I want to write. A story that turns into a movie that make you piss in your pants at the movie theater. Yet, at the end of it, you go home happy with soiled pants. Also, Pi was just a great story. I think the flow of that movie is confusing as hell, the dialogues are crazy, but I think at the end, I can understand everything at the end. I think it has amazing characters, and it taps into a reflection of how far a group of people in our country will go to gain control or money. Although, it's really a cluster fuck of a story. It's like, Searching for Bobby Fisher, but not as relatable.

[@Kevin-xs8xn]

incredible talk. one of the best i've heard on screenwriting and Hollywood behind the scenes

[@TJamesHandle]

"Those who can't do teach (and talk)." McKee doesn't have a single, produced feature film to his screenwriting credit.

[@rainerbuechse6923]

Great Video, thanks! Cannot wait to experience Mr McKee in the Story Seminar next week in London.

[@markmckay2071]

He is a guru ,straight talk he cuts too the chase remember take what works for you maybe all doesn't apply to you. But hey you only know when you yourself test for your self. He talks more sense and its aided me, don't know about the one's who don't get nuffing from it. He good, I don't care that he hasn't written a script what i do know is things i encounter he knows about and explains and breaks down in a straight easy to understand.

[@rmpeete]

Love the candor, truth and intelligent perspective!

[@mychalsimmons4177]

I really his way of explaining writing and the process. It makes sense

[@ryannixon4138]

29:15 Just a future marker for me. This part is so true and part of what I want to tackle in my writing.

[@jonathanakerele8006]

That's deep what Robert McKee said at 30:51 about the two clashing mentalities in society today of "my brother's keeper" vs. "every man for himself" and I think that reflects some elements within contemporary U.S. culture. The lack of social services for people in some neighborhoods and the nuclear family model I think reflects the individualist thinking so there aren't as many people collectively helping each other out. So you have single parents trying to pull the weight all by themselves which can be challenging if they don't have much money and have a long commute to work.

[@rievans57]

+Jonathan Akerele and of course you can multiply the effect you speak of by ten or even a hundred and have the world that blacks in America deal with. This in and of itself would make a great plot for a film...

[@michaelmattice4986]

+Jonathan Akerele That moment struck me too Jonathan...So much so, that I felt compelled to make a note of it. I could listen to Mr. McKee speak for hours. Best of luck in your writing!:)

[@LJBennie]

Great interview. Thank you!

[@Z-man1]

Thank you for sharing your insight.

[@peterjonstefan2926]

I love this guy and his straight ahead comments on his ideas of what makes his chosen art an art form. He's unlike a critic, most of which are only looking to critique for the purpose of doing so and puffing up their own overvalued opinion of themselves, while providing no real value.

[@mychalsimmons4177]

Ahhhhh I get it now. Why I can’t shake this Filmmaking Quest I am on. I’m in love with the Art in me not myself in the Art. That’s why there’s no rush for me I love expressing my artistic feelings.

[@caballerosalas]

Thanks!

[@bradebronson8835]

What if you're in love with yourself in the art and the art in myself? I also thought (and although I understand his view with cheap surprise) The Usual Suspects was a brilliant movie.

[@faintscrawl]

Interesting observations throughout.

[@PeterSodhi]

True masterclass what a genius. Bow down before him u mortals.

[@WalterLiddy]

I never read his book, and the reason is evident here. Every time I hear him express a thought about screenwriting, I agree with him, but it's also an obvious observation. I've never heard him say anything I didn't already know.

[@jorge9285]

shots fired at M.Night

[@JerryNK]

8:45 "M. Nyght Sugarman".... I died rolling LOL #EpicRoast

[@michaelmattice4986]

+Jerry X This is the 4th comment about 'M. Nyght Sugarman'...And I...LAUGHED EVERY TIME!!!:)

[@JerryNK]

michael mattice it was hilarious

[@michaelmattice4986]

***** Hilarious INDEED!:)

[@philipmann5317]

He sounds very opinionated and very harsh. But to be successful in his trade, you must have strong opinions, right or wrong. You can't go through the trials of writing a play, or a book, a process that will last about a year, and then submit to editors and then agents or producers, without believing very strongly in what you've created.

[@TheDirectorWong]

Harsh is right, imagine having your art teacher judging your art work, then again imagine Leonardo Da Vinci judging your art. I sure be expecting some harsh words from the latter.

[@G1pp4l]

His book is annoying to read because of this. And it's not like he has the achievements tu support that attitude.

[@MrDononino]

@@G1pp4l his teachings has resulted in 100+ Writers Guilds of America nominations, 100+ Directors Guild of America nominations and 60+ Academy Awards and that was in the 2014 Print version of his book. Some would consider that an achievement

[@crashendodt]

A wise man.

[@KKrizanovich]

I love how he pronounces Wadja, just as it's spelled. Bless.

[@rievans57]

are you in love with the art in you or you in the art-

[@artistsometimes2729]

too few consider the former, to our great loss as a society (ironically due to conflict, societal pressure, personal relations, self-confidence etc.) and far too many obsess over the latter. You do not choose to be famous. But you can choose to make great art, if you have the talent, the graft and the heart to do it.

[@rievans57]

@@artistsometimes2729 I believe humans are at their creative best when restrained. When forced to work within a set of boundaries. These boundaries are found in a craft such as screenwriting. You can build a house out of wood, aluminum, plastic. Paint it any color. Furnish it with western, European or contemporary décor but there must be a foundation. A house with a poorly designed or missing foundation will crumble. A movie script is the same way. A clear understanding of the craft of screenwriting begins when the writer answers the question posed at the outset.

[@JaneEva]

Classic, great stuff... although he is very unfair to M. Night Shyamalan. McKee is an atheist. Just because Shyamalan has spiritual things to say (that McKee doesn't relate to) doesn't mean he has nothing to say... or has a "cartoon mind". It just means he has nothing to say that McKee wants to hear.

[@badassblackman]

M. Night Shyamalan movies probably turned him into an atheist. There can be no God in the same universe as The Happening

[@BooksForever]

In all fairness to McKee, from a "spiritual context" Shyamalan has said nothing that needs to be heard at all, by anyone. "Want" has nothing to do with it.

[@MegaRez111]

i agree... you gotta have something to say in your story

[@thebeehiveclustermovie8195]

5:20 Exposition 8:30 Speilberg and Shyamalan

[@giorgigudiashvili4876]

Just because his screenplays never got produced doesn't make him any less of a professional. There is no need to be insecure about that. I mean, when he mentions "their first ten screenplays never get made", that's I believe a big overgeneralization. I watched Paul Haggis interview recently where he mentioned that his first produced sceenplay was his fourth one. I don't believe it necasserily has to take 15 years to get something published or produced (and to create a fine work).

[@youngzombie6342]

I know he doesn't want to be love, but it's so hard not to do so ❤❤

[@eXcommunicate1979]

What was Spielberg (or Lucas) saying with "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"?

[@mussman717word]

20:54 - "If they care about creative control so deeply, they should be writing novels." Oh, that's a good point maybe I'm just doing all the right work in the wrong field. I suddenly feel inspired. Let me go get a pen and see what I can 21:01 - "The vast, vast majority of all novels written never get published." Fuck.

[@ncrb73]

Agreed. Mckee is probably the only instructor I know that separates literacy from storytelling. What he simply calls good writing is effective character and story like you said. It has nothing to do with a degree of literacy, beyond what is needed to be coherent.

[@NelsanoENT]

Inner conflict plot driven films are actually amazingly done. I can understand what he means, but damn, no hesitation.

[@movieboyandco]

I can agree with that.

[@Mamba219]

I think his point is that story can be communicated through images effectively, with no literacy required. Charlie Chaplin movies and Wile E. Coyote cartoons are very good examples of this. But I definitely think that if I were a producer, I'd be very skeptical about producing something if the guy simply couldn't write.

[@ThomasJRyan-ct3dv]

Remember "Wisdom" in the 80s with Emilio and Demi? In the last scene he's still in the bathtub and imagined the entire movie. I think it got criticized for that, people got pissed and it got bad word of mouth. People get pissed when it's done that way, the 6th Sense had positive word of mouth but it wasn't the same thing.

[@vdsw9166]

I seriously doubt back then people understood the plague: there were always questions like: "why me?" or "why did God take my sister?" or "What did I ever do wrong to deserve this?". I would suggest that every time has its own challenges and obstacles. Their form is ever changing with tides of time but I think the principles behind it, in its essence, remain the same: just like every story has already been told but the possibilities of form are probably infinite. Apart from that; very illuminating ideas in this man's head.

[@kylelong6762]

+VDSW You do realize you spend a lot of time making yourself sound pretentious. Drop the allegory. This ain't a story, no sane person talks like that.

[@kylelong6762]

+VDSW You do realize you spend a lot of time making yourself sound pretentious. Drop the allegory. This ain't a story, no sane person talks like that.

[@ncrb73]

I completely agree. McKee is damn sharp.

[@Gungan1566]

8:53 "M. Night Sugarman or whatever his name is, can really light a scene and really shoot..." LOL, Robert McKee with the lowkey sneak dis.

[@tsigilis]

I don't understand what exacty he means whene he says "great craft with nothing to say"?

[@FirstnameLastname-ys1up]

‘There is a rhythm to the structure but no formula’

[@vicvanes]

What does he mean by reverses? (English is not my first language)

[@DamienLeone84]

According to Mckee's book Story, a reversal is basically a sequence that brings the character(s) from a positive to a negative or negative to a positive. So in Speed for instance, the scene where they find out there's a giant gap in the highway ahead of them starts out as a negative but when they successfully jump it, it turns into a positive. Scenes like this is are all throughout Speed. Reversals are basically a necessary tool to keep a story from becoming boring.

[@vicvanes]

Thanks, now I get it :)

[@yosoyalbertico]

Nader and simin a separataion. Good recomention by Robert Mckee. I love his book story!!

[@Robertsmith-un5cu]

Caring or not caring? You got it all figured out lol. Geeze how simplistic.

[@ryannixon4138]

Yeah honestly my literacy needs alot of improvment but my storytelling is pretty good

[@artistsometimes2729]

This man is a genius.

[@andge1001]

39:52 Total Recall? Inception? Mulholland Drive?

[@imyouandurme]

So that's why I love movies with people staring off into space.

[@sicklygreyfoot]

Many of the writers in 'Tales From the Script' would disagree that "90% of the time, the script got better through the process."

[@AlessandroVecchi]

Sniper! Quality time spent watching this video!

[@bravo1224]

I feel like I was just lectured by Ernest Bornine..

[@claumeister1]

Yeah, man! Borgnine forever! McHale's Navy lives!

[@khuenguyen3086]

38:00

[@MegaReaso]

Sorry should of emphasised- GREAT player.

[@rezarajabi6206]

subtitle please

[@MartinKoolhoven]

I didn't like the third act of Adaptation. It was exactly what was said to be a bad Hollywood ending earlier in the movie. I know people get all 'but that was the point' about it, but I'm still stuck with a cliched crappy third act. Wonder if it was any better in the script earlier.

[@SamuelFaict.Filmmaker]

Hey McKee, what about the history of the experimental film?

[@SamuelFaict.Filmmaker]

"08:48 M. Night Shugerman or whatever his name is." Hahahahahahahahaha!

[@gshamshad855]

Genius

[@pensfan718766]

Kevin Spacey was Soze? He ruined it!!! lol

[@ehd543]

What specific point of his you don't agree with?

[@cnferguson5]

So would he not like the film American Beauty? It is mostly about inner conflict, I believe. I'd like to hear his response to that.

[@MrRevoltOfficial]

It certainly is not mostly about inner conflict. There is no indecision in American Beauty. It's a multiplot story and everything Lester wants, Lester goes after. The conflict is his wife and family, not himself or just in his head. Inner conflict takes no action.

[@cnferguson5]

Well my point is that American Beauty is full of voice over and this guy says voice over isn't good and is "lazy." I was writing a script over the summer and for the opening scene I tried to hard not to do it with out a voice over for a while, but then I was able to find a way to write it so it was entertaining enough without a voice over. But I do think some movies NEED a narration. I'd like to see his thoughts on that movie especially since it's a well liked film in general but it has a lot of voice over.

[@chrismhp]

Regarding voice over, It all depends on how you choose to implement it, just like anything else. If it's V.O. that is just the character's internal dialogue of what's happening in the scene, yeah it's lazy. But take for instance Fight Club, where the narration is used to great effect on a few levels. The voice over itself actually elevates the style of the visual storytelling in some sequences. It also is used in order to subtly deceive the audience with an unreliable narrator.

[@djoh1186]

I disagree with McKee when he says that illiteracy in screenplays doesn't matter because it will ultimately be turned into images on the screen anyway. The problem is, though, when a producer reads a screenplay with poor spelling, grammar etc, it takes him away from the story he's supposed to be picturing and reminds him that he's reading words on a page. It;s like if you're watching a movie and you spot the boom mike hanging down above the actor's head. It takes away your suspended reality.

[@charlessmyth]

With China as the major market for Hollywood's blockbuster movies, a major reason for ditching the 2nd act, may be that this is to make it less likely that the Chinese censors will delete material that they consider inappropriate, for political reasons. The biggest problem with modern blockbusters, explained by Independence Day: Resurgence www.vox.com/2016/6/29/12046656/independence-day-resurgence-bad-review-no-second-act-problem

[@WalterLiddy]

It's a greater problem than that. I've seen writing with such poor grammar and punctuation that I literally couldn't understand what was meant. However, if you watch the entirety of what he said on the subject you'll find he wasn't making an unqualified assertion about it. The 'literary sensibility' that he associates with good storytelling is probably crucial.

[@gjskdksv6681]

23:14

[@piotr803]

Confused? I'm my brother's keeper = liberal / progressive (personal and social responsibility) Every man for himself = conservative (self-disciple is rewarded)

[@jamesbonogofski3721]

I don't think anybody should be teaching other people how to write successful screenplays when they haven't ever had a screenplay made into a movie. m night Shyamalan isn't my favorite but the fact that this guy is criticizing his work is a joke when m night can write circles around him.

[@doodelay]

I love this guy lol

[@AyeTVsco]

played by brian cox - great choice

[@James_Bowie]

(It was McKee's requirement for giving permission to use his character.)

[@eXcommunicate1979]

Just saying good writers and directors sometimes don't have much to say.

[@spencerdawson6536]

Spielberg has nothing to say? That’s why you’re living in a leaky, dank, 350sqft basement studio in Van Nuys and Spielberg resides in a 70 Million Dollar Mansion in the Hills.

[@loganslaughter8212]

Unless It's A Different Robert McKee

[@coolvids841]

Did he just say Spielberg has nothing to say?

[@rhashr]

200 episodes of the Sopranos?

[@thelonedissenter]

lol :-)

[@loganslaughter8212]

The Robert McKee From The 2003/2004 ITT Tech Commercial Is Not That Old.

[@juliocesardeleon9283]

A literary savant!

[@Denosophem]

Yea DUH

[@DDavis-mi2cg]

McKee is a true master. Recognize the brilliance in his thinking and teachings -- then you'll learn and make a buck writing.

[@SamuelFaict.Filmmaker]

Good triumphs over evil is a lie. Good needs evil, evil needs good, they balance each other out, this is an ancient truth.

[@MegaReaso]

We listen because he knows. Phil Jackson wasn't a great player but he was great coach.

[@slantone]

no successful screenwriter will EVER be a screenwriting teacher of this kind of detail because no screenwriter would ever want to concede to having to rely on forumula or structure or templates to go to when theyre stuck , or a foundation to begin with. Writers are artists and see themselves as such and need to conjure it from the wellspring of subconscious. So perhaps he hasnt got many credits,but teachers are often not practitioners, just as coaches are sometimes never players.theres a reason.

[@kanojo1969]

You need to learn the difference between criticism and 'calling out'. Spielberg isn't a particularly brilliant writer, his screenplays are devoid of subtlety or subtext. He simply tells the story as it is. That's fine for entertainment, but McKee is exactly right when he says Spielberg has 'nothing to say'. The idea of a 'twist at the end' is entertaining for the audience, but it often reveals that the story lacks something, or it resolve on it's own. It's very definitely a cheap trick.

[@surearrow]

Nice guy, smart and is genuine, but his worldview on liberals and conservatives is a tilted, slanting on liberal favoritism. He said liberals = "I am my brother's keeper" and conservatives = "every man for himself." Not reality in the least! This is the problem of why we have a great divide and it's called misunderstanding of view points. He seems to be propelling it. Study after study proves that conservatives give more to charities than their fellow liberals do. I still like the guy.

[@raulpierri]

M. Night Sugarman?🤣

[@badassblackman]

I like to imagine that M.Night saw this only after he was told that Robert McKee compared him to Spielberg in his big think interview.

[@surearrow]

To toddmg:When one is forced to pay, it is NOT charity! It is TAX! Charity is a self-decision, followed by a self-action with no obligation - it is an option of the heart from the one giving it! Tax, in your case, is a forced taking away of one's own property, while the rich citizens use their high powered accounts to avoid said tax. With charity, I can give my money to whomever I please and the amount I choose! With tax, I have no say at all - none. You're analogy is flawed todmg.

[@mirandac8712]

Makes Simon Cowell look like T. S. Eliot. "Writing is just like figure skating. Control, one thing or another." - McKee

[@mirandac8712]

+miranda c "Nothing to say." This guy on Steven Spielberg, director of Close Encounters, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan.

[@mirandac8712]

+miranda c Listening to this is like being on the worst date in history, in Hoboken.

[@Jasonificatiation]

+miranda yeah but he also made AI, hook, 1941, the lost world, spuds mckenzie, and produced transformers so I can see his point ;)

[@mirandac8712]

***** Still can't believe how bad AI was. And Kubrick had written the unsuccessful scenes! Of course, when one reads Kubrick scripts, one finds there's nothing there. Nothing but dialogue. And he showed up on set with no ideas, just figured it out. That's why his shoots were so long, and that's why he used such a small crew. I kinda liked "Story" and expected more from this video, to be perfectly honest. Writing a film is indeed a different beast next to writing about writing a film.

[@Jasonificatiation]

+miranda c If you watch the documentary about "The Shining," you see the script pages are colored so that everyone can be sure they have the most recent version. So, yes. But, another reason his shoots were so long is because of the 30+ takes. He wouldn't tell actors what to do in any specific way. He'd say "Do it better." Matthew Modine, when shooting "Full Metal Jacket" at one point got frustrated and grumbled 'What does he want?" And Kubrick leaned out from the camera and said "How about better acting?" He had the clout to just shoot til it was how he wanted it. I've read Story countless times. I actually read a little every day lately. But, you also need "Stealing Fire From the Gods" and "The Writers Journey" as bare minimum if you ask me. And maybe stuff (like these videos) to get you actually writing. I agree about writing vs writing-about-writing in most cases but this guy is some sumkinda writing-about-writing genius. ^_^ However, yes, it's one thing to know how to teach writing or even to know how to write, but a huge part of it is "what do you have to say?" and "Is your idea good?" That's the hard part, to me. I hate really "well-written" scenes that are derivative. They are usually overwritten really well-done scenes about something uiltmately mundane or that has been said before. Like when Woody Allen writes a bad idea its still (usually) very "well-written" its just a bad idea. :D

[@Vegardh93]

39:25 Oh yes, it can be done in movies. Christopher Nolan's Inception.

[@badboy14132]

+Vegard Hansen Well, Nolan did the old I'll make the sequel you want, but fund me to make this first. Coppola did the same when the studio wanted The Godfather Part II, he promise he'll make it only if they funded him for The Conversation. Plus, Inception took ten years to pitch and rewrite the script. Maybe he was pointing out that people who aren't in the position of Nolan or Coppola won't be able to do what they did.

[@Vegardh93]

Green Gentleman Oh, what Nolan sequel are you referring to? To me it sounds like Robert truely believes it's too much work to create a whole screenplay like Inception. And it's understandable that he would think that because you would have to write in poetry, not prose. You would always have more ideas than you would be able to put in the screenplay. So you can never really grasp how long it would take you to finish, so most people give up. But most people give up on their screenplays anyways, so I don't really see why it matter. If you are truely pationate, I'm sure you could do it. But holy shit it requires a lot. Christopher Nolan spent 7 years writing the screenplay. I doubt he struggled pitching it to get it financed. Pitching it to actors and such is called directing. ;)

[@badboy14132]

The Batman films. The studio funded him because he agreed to do TDKR if they funded Inception. No doubt it was great, but there has to be an established trust by the studio and writer/director. It doesn't matter how good the story is. It's Christopher Nolan, of course he'll get funding. Maybe there's a better story than inception out there, but due to that writer not being Christopher Nolan, it wouldn't be made. It would probably be made in the 90's back when superhero movies/ IP's aren't all the studios want, but it's the 2000's where if you have a spiderman you can gross billions. Sad to say original ideas ain't worth shit anymore, unless you're a Nolan or a Tarantino

[@mutinyfilms9782]

Everyone makes up reasons why movies don't get made. The reality is most people make total garbage and celebrate their own genius. Most audiences don't know what good is until they see it and the standard is changes. It was even harder in the 90's to get a movie made than it is now. The standards of quality were much higher. Of the thousands of scripts a month that producers get less than 1 is worth making into a movie. Super hero or not. Their just terrible.

[@badboy14132]

It's not made up, it came from interviews of Coppola and Nolan. The truth is a script is never the same when it goes to the process of making it. It actually is easier in the 90's where a movie like The Nice Guys (2016) would've made all the money in the box office. These days it doesn't matter if the script was good or terrible as long as it's intellectual property and familiarity. There are a ton of great scripts out there, to dismiss it all as terrible is wrong, but yes there are a ton of shit too. Charlie Kaufman has difficulties producing his own work, can you believe that? Charlie Kaufman! The golden standard when it comes to screenwriting. Martin Scorsese barely secured the financing for The Irishman. These days no matter who you are, it doesn't matter who you are. Studios stick to IP's because it's a safe way to make money

[@dantean]

A few interesting remarks and then--BAM!--straight to LunaticVille. The Third World suffers now when before they never used to? This boy better put down the bottle--quick! Or when he says: "Who can understand the banking system? Who can understand Love? Who can understand parenting?!" Or "The plague, at least, was clear." Anyone taking this guy seriously should consider mental health counselling. I mean, it's as if they handed him a crack pipe before hand and said "have at it, champ!" When was it the world understood Love, exactly? What day was that? Did I miss it? I've read everything going back to Homer and and I'm looking for when Love was something everyone understood. Holy GOD with this guy!!!

[@rodarantes]

It bothers people when one only speaks the thruth.