Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Wolfgang Muchow
An interview with screenwriter Wolfgang Muchow regarding the Nevada Film Office Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: The script is called ‘Saturday Night Samurai.‘ The story is about a 50-something Japanese swordsman who teams up with a 16-year-old runaway prostitute in hopes of getting a samurai dinner show on the Las Vegas Strip.
Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?A: Since most of the story takes place in Las Vegas, the Nevada Film Office Screenwriter’s Competition was an easy choice for us. This was the first competition we entered. We actually finished this draft about 20 minutes before the deadline.
Q: Were you satisfied with the administration of the contest? Did they meet their deadlines? Did you receive all the awards that were promised?A: The Nevada Film Office and Danette Tull have been great. They really want to see films get made in Nevada and are have been helping us get Saturday Night Samurai out in the world. I’d highly recommend this contest.
Q: How long did it take you to write the script? Did you write an outline beforehand? How many drafts did you write?A: The original idea for this script was developed in a screenwriting class at NYU. I wrote the first draft over a month or so and then put it away. Then Seth and I decided to revisit. We met for a few days where we worked on the plot structure and characters. We then worked remotely with one person taking a pass and sending to the other.
Q: What kind of software did you use to write the script, if any? What other kinds of writing software do you use?A: We used Final Draft to write the script.
Q: Do you write every day? How many hours per day?A: When I write a script, I like to completely immerse myself in the world until the script is written. So I’ll write in intense spurts where I sort of leave the world for a week or two and write 15-20 pages a day. That said, it’s not always possible for me to physically write everyday but I am always working on a script in some shape.
Q: Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with that?A: If I ever get stuck or ‘writer’s block’ I usually need to walk away for a bit and change up my life routine. This doesn’t usually happen to me when I’m actually writing the script but can happen in the story planning stages. If it does happen, I try to mix up my life a bit and ingest other art in an effort to see things in a new light when I come back to the project. I'll also watch some good movies that can potential inspire me. And if all else fails, research can also help me get out of a tough spot.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I’ve written half a dozen scripts and am in the process of cleaning them up and getting them out into the world. I'm also writing some TV pilots and spec scripts.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: I currently live in Las Vegas but commute to LA for meetings. As for moving there, that’s definitely something I’m looking at.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: Right now, we're concentrating on getting 'Saturday Night Samurai' out into the world. We're reaching out to actors, submitting to other contests, looking for the right producer. We would love to make the film in 2012.
Posted Friday, March 9, 2012
