M. Night Shyamalan on how to write a screenplay | Film4 Interview Special Archives

[@honestcomments8053]

The man is brilliant and humble. I wish Hollywood would give him the credit he deserves for writing original stories and directing and producing them. He either made actors into stars or raised their profiles. And most importantly he is very patient and creates excellent acting from child actors. Most director don't want to work with child actors because they are difficult to deal with and very hard to direct. But not for this professional and genius man!

[@darnwacky]

I’m disappointed in the negative comments. his bad films don’t discredit the merit and genius of his good ones! isn’t there more to learn from an imperfect writer than one who hasn’t made mistakes?

[@joewhitehead3]

Very true!

[@barodrinksbeer7484]

Yeah but hes a good director, he just takes on movies that arent his style. Its like if Wes Anderson didnt make Wes Anderson movies.

[@johnjoestar2465]

Look i dont care about his good or bad films, im just mad about how he just disrespected avatar the last airbender!!! Making the worst movie out of the best cartoon!!

[@joewhitehead3]

Mnm Lol I think either his style didn’t work for the material or Avatar wasn’t meant to be live action

[@johnjoestar2465]

@@joewhitehead3 like so much was wrong Bending, casting, lore was little different, and pronunciations, and pacing i guess, cause he is cramming 20+ episodes in one movie uhh! Look how they massacred my boy!

[@gianthills]

He is proof that you only need one or two solid scripts for a career.

[@rabian68]

He is proof you need to be consistent and dont worry what critics or other people think of you.

[@gianthills]

@@rabian68 what makes you think he didn't care about opinions?

[@Ampampas]

​@@rabian68tbh he is a mid. director he never change. He thought that every of he's movies should have a big twist when in reality he needed to try new things themes and genres

[@sheilakochheiser4374]

I've heard many comments about his films. From good to bad. I have liked all that I've seen for different reasons, but his direction of each, his use of color and camera angle reminds me of old directors, like...argh can't think of his name... rosebud is all that comes to mind, all about shadows and color. Shyamalan has a brilliant mind, and I respect that

[@benrosn8154]

I legit love M night Shyamalan and his way of storytelling anyone who talks on him honestly, they probably have crappy taste and they’re probably really annoying people I mean honestly I’m not Shyamalan films. I have some thing going for them and they’re usually at least pretty interesting and have good performances and then like there’s so many trash movies with Jason Statham, who I like as an actor but let’s be honest all his movies are trash, pretty much, I like I’m not traveling, because he’s actually filmmaker, and he put meaning and storytelling into his movie and that’s something that a lot of movies don’t actually know how to do

[@scootersheep2151]

He's an artists. Artists have great works, shitty works, and times where they plateau. It just happens that his medium of artwork is extremely public and open to criticism. He'll get there again some day (:

[@themoreyouknowfools4974]

Hopefully old would be good.

[@jc6594]

Happy 50th Birthday M. Night Shyamalan

[@carmencelesteu]

Thank you M Night, the absolute GOAT

[@sherlythomas5632]

Excellent advise....thank you.

[@backfaced]

This guy doesn't not look 49!!!

[@ziadbenamor257]

What is a Gold angle ?

[@mikewright3029]

great insights. thank you.

[@howardkoore8863]

Thank you.................

[@christopherscotellaro]

The only way to write for film/cinema, is to sculpt every day and week. The Muse is brutal indeed but end of the day folks, if it ain't on the page it'll never be up on the screen. As Hitchcock said long ago when asked what was the most important part of a movie, he said or perhaps he didn't but the answer is right whomever said it - "the script. The script...and the SCRIPT!" Period.

[@टैं]

I never encountered M. Night Shyamalan fans until I clicked on this video 🤣 here we are

[@टैं]

I’m good

[@sagivijayaramaraju1153]

He has his own set of followers. That's literally why he was still relevant even after making 2 back to back disasters. You know nuthing Zach Johnson.

[@टैं]

I know nuthing, correct.

[@wayneswinson2949]

"not always click over to the pot of gold angle."subtle but no so subtle jab at big money hollywood.

[@darkrider189]

Ewww.

[@briandaleske5139]

I HAVE A SUGGESTION IDEA FOR (M. NIGHT SHAYAMALAN) IT’S SHOW SERIES IDEA TO THINK ABOUT: Now my idea is for a show series that picks up where the third movie called (GLASS) had ended off at; So I imagine that after the two guys showing off their unbelievable abilities in the video on the internet, a few months later four separate individuals had each discovered that they have unbelievable abilities as well, and then four years later many more individuals had slowly developed powerful amazing abilities too. Now the three individuals that are responsible for releasing the video on the Wi.Fi. for everyone to see it they decided to think of a way create a secret club, and that secret club would be responsible for trying to help out people who might be just the the ones they knew had such unbelievable abilities, and to add I can imagine that the old woman dies of old age, and yet I imagine that the young man, and teenager girl are left in charge of the secret club. In addition I imagine that the young man decided to move the secret club to a different place, and I imagine he realizes that he must remain in hiding at the secret club place, and I imagine that the late teen girl is still going to school in order to keep up appearances so that no one will realize that she is part of the secret club. I also imagine that one of the four individuals could be the youngest son of a Baron who instant proud of his siblings, and who instant proud of his father, and so I imagine that he decided after he had graduated from college to go out on his own to start his own business, and I can imagine him being very smart so smart in fact that I imagine he graduated from his high school early, and then later he graduated from college earlier, and to add I imagine he was able to start his own business when he was 16years old. To add I imagine at age:18 he was capable of earning allot of money in his business, and at this same time that is when something odd had happened to him he had discovered that he has a unexplainable powerful ability that he doesn’t understand, and then while looking of the Internet he comes across a repeat of the video showing a fight between to unbelievable powerfully strong men, and I imagine after that was shown an extra video was shown for about 60minutes that had a secret message to addressed to anyone who might have unbelievable abilities. Plus to add I imagine that while these events are going on, the secret society of the CLOVERS group are disappointed in the events that had happened, and that someone had released the secret footage of the events that had happened on the internet for everyone to see, and to add they just discovered that someone had made a message to add to be seen after the video on the internet is shown for some unknown reason. “Now I must mention if & only if you genuinely like my idea, please think about making it, and if maybe someday it might get made than please think about giving me some credit on what I had thought up, and to add if the show series might become a success than may I please have a small percentage of the money made from the show series.”

[@JohnnyDeppSmashedOnCocaine]

This isn’t his KZbin channel

[@chunkk5426]

Jesus Cristo write a book

[@jessebbedwell]

Why do I listen to this writer director when I do not like his movies? Because he has written and directed 21 movies and I have not.

[@matt-30-]

Step 1. Avoid advice on writing from M. Night Shyamalan.

[@BovineDesigns]

So basically, do the exact opposite of what he does and you'll have a masterpiece

[@joewhitehead3]

Sixth Sense. Unbreakable. Signs. Split. They were all masterpieces

[@clasher6396]

@@joewhitehead3 yes,they were all great

[@BovineDesigns]

@@joewhitehead3 The Village. The Last Airbender. Lady in The Water. The Happening. After Earth. Do you want me to go on?

[@joewhitehead3]

@@BovineDesigns How can you go on if that’s pretty much it?

[@BovineDesigns]

@@joewhitehead3 you're right, you gave a good example too. Signs. Glass. Devil. The Visit. Also Split was written back when he wrote his better movies so it wasn't the comeback everyone said it was.

[@chicodimico3053]

I like spicy chicken sandwiches .. Katrina Pierson

[@chicodimico3053]

Jenna Bush was here

[@Mani-kx5xs]

I think I'm good chief The last airbender wasn't looking so hot in the slightest.

[@KB-pl2gj]

Advice from a one hit wonder who won’t go away.

[@MaxHanover]

Two to be fair

[@joewhitehead3]

He’s had more than one decent films

[@rithicadevireddy]

The sixth sense, Unbreakable, Split Whaat? All his movies aren't great but these three were fantastic.

[@joewhitehead3]

Rithica Devireddy There was also Signs, The Visit, Glass

[@jakaalatas8938]

@@joewhitehead3 tbh glass is shit show

[@luceatlux7087]

i wish i could get a suggestion out to Shyamalanadingdong regarding a possible continuance to the unbreakable films (always been my favs): those who should believe in themselves most, sometimes tend to FUNCTIONALLY believe in themselves the least... these are the people with the most nuanced sensibilities and highest degree of understanding regarding empathy and compassion. the focus might turn to the unlikely heroes and abilities... those that go extremely unnoticed or undervalued: affecting things on a large level through quantum reality upwards. while individuals who may have these abilities APPEARING to be homeless/exceptionally weak or meek/etc. this kind of screenplay would also allegorically serve to highlight compassion and the understanding of the concept of leaving room for unlikely possibilities without being an outright gross sjw type movie.

[@blunew467]

Why would I take writing advice from him, I know he’s an Academy Award nominated writer but that was like 20 years ago, and had mainly written lots of crap since then. I heard Split was good, But I heard it was good because of James McAvoy, not him 😎

[@maximillian8607]

Has everything you've made been entirely acclaimed? Are directors not allowed to make mistakes and grow? He's giving valuable advice here, I don't see you behind a camera with several features on your belt.

[@blunew467]

@@maximillian8607 “mistakes” look dude That Last Airbender movie wasn’t a mistake it was a straight up felony

[@maximillian8607]

@@blunew467 Oh no a director made one bad movie. Maybe you should stop seething and instead enjoy the cartoon. The man was testing his limits on a blockbuster format and it obviously didn't work out. But that was over ten years ago. He has made great films before and after. Put away childish things

[@blunew467]

@@maximillian8607 One bad movie? so The Happening, Lady in the Water and After Earth aren’t considered bad anymore? Alright I know most Directors that are prolific have a miss, Like Spielberg had The Lost World Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull but Spielberg never made anything as bad as Last Airbender or After Earth and Spielberg does have enough good movies to outweigh The Lost World and Indy 4 , Shyamalan doesn’t have enough good to outweigh the bad. Mr Shyamalan had 4 straight up Abominations in a row, Not one, not two but FOUR, he’s made great movies? Like what? The 6th Sense and Unbreakable and Split maybe? Wow some 3 good movies (2 of which were over 20 years ago) and 4 awful ones, that’s really gonna outweigh the bad and let’s not forget to mention the ones considered just mediocre like The Village, Signs, and Glass and The Visit, so 4 mediocre, 4 awful, and 3 good, 7 non good movies vs 3 good movies. That is not good at all.

[@joewhitehead3]

@@blunew467 Geez. Why you gotta be so critical? Signs. The Visit. Split. Glass were all good. Not as great as Sixth Sense or Unbreakable, but they’re definitely not terrible

[@a.t.9654]

Wouldn't trust this guy to spend 15 dollars on cany at the movies

[@archwankanobi5627]

I heard he has a ghost writer

[@joewhitehead3]

From where?

[@gabrielbrown4764]

@@joewhitehead3 The spirit world.

[@joewhitehead3]

@@gabrielbrown4764 I was asking them where they heard about this ghost writer

[@QUAD00DLE]

Nutcase eh