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Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter E.B. Rhee
An interview with screenwriter E.B. Rhee regarding the Shoreline Scripts Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: Script Title: THE ORIENTAL
Description: When a frontier town is threatened by a series of escalating crimes, the primary suspect is a mysterious stranger whose actions force the entire town to confront its own prejudices.
A: I happened to read an article about the best screenplay competitions and Shoreline was mentioned as one of them. I saw the caliber of the judges and felt compelled to enter because I wanted to know how my script would fare before a panel of veteran screenwriters, producers and directors who’ve made significant films. With Shoreline, these filmmakers actually read and decide who the winners are. And that’s huge because with a lot of contests, you really don’t know who’s evaluating the scripts. I also entered this script into the Page International Screenwriting Awards and it was a Top 10 Finalist in the Action-Adventure genre.
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: Yes. All deadlines and awards were administered promptly. Also, one of the contest's judges, producer Christopher Figg (WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN), expressed interest in my script and the contest immediately put me in touch with him. Christopher eventually optioned my script.
Q: How long did it take you to write the script? Did you write an outline beforehand? How many drafts did you write?A: It took about 3 months to write the first draft. Then I set it aside for a while so I could come back and look at it with fresh eyes. I then polished and rewrote it over the course of a few additional months. I did not write an outline as I wanted the freedom to let the characters guide the story as I wrote it. I did about 3 drafts.
Q: What kind of software did you use to write the script, if any? What other kinds of writing software do you use?A: I used Final Draft.
Q: Do you write every day? How many hours per day?A: I write in spurts. Not every day. Sometimes I can literally write for 12 hours straight over several days if I'm in a good flow. Other times I'll write for only 3-4 hours depending on how busy I am. It all depends on if there's a deadline or if something really inspires me.
Q: Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with that?A: I think every writer experiences writer's block at some point. If it happens, I usually take a few days off and avoid looking at the script for a while to get some fresh perspective.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I got my master's degree from U.S.C. film school. I've written a number of scripts. Most are for feature films but I've also written some TV pilots.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: I live in L.A.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: After I optioned THE ORIENTAL, the producer had some notes for me, so I've been polishing it up. I also have another action-thriller I'm close to finishing.
Posted Wednesday, December 5, 2012
