Interview With Eric
Heisserer
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer
You know you're good when agents are faxing entire copies of your script
to their clients. That's what happened to Eric Heisserer before his
script, THE MANIFESTANT, sold to Artisan Entertainment. Eric is an active
member of the online screenwriting community and shares his story here.
Why screenwriting?
Because it's cool. And I'm masochistic.
The long answer is... Most of my stories are cinematic. If I envision them in my
head as movies, I know the only way to do them justice is to write them as screenplays. Sometimes I think up an idea, and by its
nature I know it's not a screenplay. "This is a short story," or "this is a novel."
But yeah, about 90 percent of what I write is for the screen.
Your script, THE MANIFESTANT, just sold to Artisan Entertainment. What
is the script about, and how did they come to read it?
It's not easy to summarize, but I'll try.
THE MANIFESTANT is about a man who is struck by lightning and loses his memory, but he gains this
remarkable "gift" -- he can communicate with things that are electrically powered. He gets drawn into this whole
subculture of other gifted people when he seems to recognize someone from his past. A
girl who can manifest things from thin air.
Artisan was really late in the game, in terms of being a contender. For a long while, it was Jersey Films versus
Good Machine. Then Universal -- Jersey's studio -- stepped in and pulled the rug out from under Good
Machine with some sort of first-look legal squabble. So over the next two or three weeks, it was just my
manager pushing for a better deal with Universal, until two indie producers who had been trying to
set the script up elsewhere hit the jackpot. And the jackpot's name was Ronny Yu.
Ronny was in Australia when his agent read the script, but the agent loved it
so much he FAXED the entire thing to Ronny. That night the director read it.
Now, we weren't holding much hope in him because Ronny has passed on everything from his agent for the
last two years. So imagine our surprise when he called the next morning and said, "It would be an honor to
direct this film."
That really got Artisan's attention. And I was very eager to work with Ronny Yu
after seeing his film THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR, so we went with their offer.
What's the first thing you did after hearing the words, "We want to buy
your script"?
I asked, "How much?" [laughs] Actually, by that time, it was a case of the boy
who cried "wolf" -- I'd been told people were eager to buy it for so long, it didn't
phase me until I got the contract.
But okay, so I danced in my kitchen for a good ten minutes.
You mention that this script received "heavy tracking."
Can you tell us what that means and what effect it's having on your work now?
Oh wow. The d-folks really have a well established network. A week after the script went wide, we got
calls from people we'd never have thought would be interested in the project. Basically, if you can get a
couple of readers to love your script, you have a great chance of pushing the script upstairs in a
number of companies.
When something is tracked as a "cool script" everyone wants to read it, because
you don't want to be some producer and have your boss storm in yelling, "Why didn't we get this? This is PERFECT for us!!!"
But if you let a script go out that isn't completely ready for the market, be prepared
to get trashed on the tracking boards. It's a double-edged sword.
How did you choose your manager?
He chose me. [laughs] Really, after being in the screenwriting community online for
about four years, I've found a few private circles where I can share my work with
friends. One friend just happened to be a manager. When Brian read MANIFESTANT
he called me up and said, "I can sell this. Give me a chance." And that was an easy
decision. He's a remarkable man with great marketing skills, and he doesn't get
paid until I do.
You workshopped THE MANIFESTANT at the American Zoetrope website. Did
this have any impact on the script?
None at all. I received five very good reviews, but the AZ staff passed on the script.
Still, it was an interesting experiment.
Your scripts have also won and placed in several screenwriting
competitions. Has that helped your career?
Yeah. Oh yeah, sure. Contests are a great way for you to see where you rank in
the marketplace. You have no idea what's out there as a new writer. So, when I
sent out my very first script back in 1997, it was sobering to find where I stood.
But I'd say critique groups are more helpful than contests. Instant feedback.
Where did you learn the craft of screenwriting? (School? Books?
Private study?)
Self study. A bookshelf of how-to manuals, a stack of award-winning produced scripts, and a lot of really bad drafts.
How has the Internet affected your career?
I found my manager over the Internet. He's been repping me for more than half a
year, and I've never met the man in person.
Now that the script is sold, can you tell us more about
the process from sale to production?
A long and arduous one. Check back with me in a month when I have something more to share. [laughs]
You say "In my mind, the best scripts read like haiku adapted to the
industry-standard formats." Can you give any tips about how to keep dialogue
and descriptions down to the bare essentials?
Think like a poet.
Give yourself only 100-200 words per page.
Remember to write only what can be filmed.
What's one thing you wish you'd learned earlier about this business?
It takes a long, long time to get anywhere. Overnight successes started ten years ago.
Any further tips for new screenwriters?
The one thing I'm amazed to find are new writers who won't accept notes on their work. You know, "Thanks,
but I like my story as it is." Boy, are they in for some serious hurt. Have the humility to know when you're not
telling your story in a way that others can follow it.
Visit Eric's site here: http://www.heisserer.com
