ML at Int. Screenwriters Festival '08
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Mike Leigh
eamer-v2 — 17 years ago(July 06, 2008 04:24 PM)
I was at the International Screenwriters Festival in Cheltenham, UK and managed to find a bit of time to go to the Mike Leigh talk and am really disappointed to say I was let down big time. You have to keep in mind throughout this that he was at a SCREENWRITERS Festival.
He repeatedly said how he doesn't like to write a full script and leaves parts blank for interpretation and then said how he never shows the Producers or Production Companies the script for the film until the day before the shoot is to begin.
I mean, really, how is that supposed to help any potential budding Screenwriters in progressing? He actually said, if a Company said they'll give me funding for a film but I have to show them the script early on he'd reject it. Really how does that help any of us at all.
Telling us, he doesn't write a full script and then doesn't show it to the Producer when what we all need to do is write a full tight script and show it to countless amounts of Producers.
Thanks Mike, next time you go to speak at a Festival make sure it's a relevant Festival. -
killerparties — 16 years ago(July 27, 2009 09:24 PM)
Well, given that we're now living in an age where DIY filmmaking is more prevalent and feasible, it isn't completely irrelevant, as many young DIY writer/directors could model their method after Leigh's. Joe Swanberg's films have a similar approach, although I believe he's been known to start with even less of a script or "document" than Leigh, and he credits the entire cast as co-writers.
If you're trying to sell a script to production companies, then no, Leigh's method wouldn't work for you. If you're an independent writer/director, however, you can follow his lead.
"God is nowhere, God is now here"Hey Nostradamus
, Douglas Coupland