Interview with Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Practical
Pictures
Interview by Joel Haber
Hey Sheila! Thanks so much for meeting me and for
agreeing to do this interview. Should be fun, and hopefully informative for all
those people Googling your name!
I know that aspects of your bio are scattered around online, but why don't we
start with a brief rundown on that info again?
Okay! Here's a short version; longer version exists if you're curious.
I'm currently a partner at Practical Pictures, a feature film and television
production company founded with Craig Perry, an associate from the now-defunct
Zide/Perry Entertainment. While at Zide/Perry I began as a development executive
and ultimately grew to the role of Sr. VP of development and production. I
collaborated successfully on a number of projects including the American Pie
and Final Destination franchises, resulting in over $1 billion in box
office revenue. Additionally, I oversaw development of numerous spec screenplays
for the management division of Z/P, including material that went on to become
award-winners and earn million dollar sales.
Prior to my time at Zide/Perry I worked with Garry Marshall and the Zucker
Brothers, developing movies such as My Best Friend's Wedding and Rat
Race. I began my career in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan where I often
worked as a child actor in national commercials. During high school and college
I performed in New York and at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre.
Along with my producing duties I am also an associate professor at UCLA's film
school, teaching year-round in the MFA Program for Producing. In addition to
appearing on panels and running screenwriting, development, and production
workshops at various film festivals around the country, I happily serve as a
judge for a number of screenplay contests and regularly guest-teach abroad at
Sorbonne University and Tokyo International Film Festival.
I live in Santa Monica with my filmmaker/Chicago native husband, Paul.
So, you formed Practical Pictures with Craig Perry. I
know you guys have the Final Destination movies under your belts. What
other kinds of projects do you guys produce?
We're a year-round production and development company. Currently, we have over
20 feature projects set up at major studios, we are EPs on hour-long TV series
at both AMC and Paramount Television, and recently entered into a first look
deal with award-winning producer Scott Rudin, who has an overall deal at Disney
Studios.
In addition to looking for finished spec scripts, we're also cradle-to-grave
producers, meaning we grow movies hand-in-hand with writers from one sentence
ideas to treatments, then to scripts, then find a home for the script at a
studio or financier, then see it through more development, attach a director and
actors, get the green light, keep the vision of the movie on course by
collaborating on set, participate in editing, and chime in on marketing ideas.
Our taste and projects range from a mid-budget Hitchcockian thriller to an
underdog sports comedy in the vein of Dodgeball, set in the world of
competitive eating. We tend to stick with higher-concept studio movies.
You mentioned the deal with Scott Rudin. Tell me more
about that, and what types of projects you might be doing for that deal.
Scott Rudin's deal is with Disney Studios, which includes Disney proper,
Touchstone, and Miramax. So we're looking for just about anything that feels
like something one of those studios might make. If you look at those companies'
slates, they are very diverse and well-rounded, which makes our job easier.
We've considered everything from art house fare to four-quadrant material.
As a script reader, there are certain mistakes I know I
see consistently in spec scripts. I'd love to hear what problems you encounter
regularly in the scripts you come across.
I'm going to presume the basics-- using good brads, no artwork, proper format
and grammar-- have all been accomplished and go with the actual art of
screenwriting. (By the way, there are a few great books on the market about all
of these: How Not to Write a Screenplay is fantastic!)
The problems I regularly encounter are:
1. There's some interesting/funny/smart/cool stuff in the script but it isn't
a "movie."
I often read scripts that have such promise! They start off well, have some
snappy dialogue or a strong open, but they quickly spiral into a mushy place of
non-movie. What does that mean? It means the writer found a cool world, or a
unique character, or a fresh set up but they didn't take the time to think
through how to build in enough conflict to create a full-blown 90 minute movie.
All stories, comedy or drama, from the Greeks to Melrose Place, have
conflict. Without conflict you have no real story... you just have elements like
witty dialogue or a great world. Those, sadly, do not a movie make. And all our
bosses or studio executives continually ask us, "Forget about the writing,
what's the movie?" and we need to answer in 30 seconds or less. So, take 5 and
ask yourself, without fudging: Can I write a full-on 2-3 sentence logline, with
beginning, middle, and end, with a clear pro- and antagonist, goals and
obstacles, and with a great resolution? And does the logline honestly match my
script? If not, you don't quite have a movie! Keep working.
2. The theme is vague or completely missing.
Sometimes rookies forget that it isn't what the movie is about, it is what it is
ABOUT. Theme can be a slippery thing but hopefully this will help: First off,
all good films have theme, even when they are silly little light-hearted
stories. For any film to work, in addition to the tangible goal of robbing the
bank or getting the girl, it has to be about something!
Ask yourself what theme you want to explore and how you can best demonstrate it
in the story you are telling. Do the main story points best service this theme?
Do the lead characters' choices further comment on the topic? Do the
antagonist's comment equally? Does the resolution take a stand and show the
theme played out in all its glory? Will the audience leave with something earned
from the experience? If so, you've successfully woven theme into your script.
3. The structure is off.
I know there are a hundred screenwriting books out there, and they all have a
different opinion on how movies should be structured. Three acts. Five acts. 15
sequences. 10 sections. It is crazy and confusing and makes my head hurt. I've
found the best and simplest way to learn structure is from the guys who do it
best: film editors.
Editors are the magicians of all-- they know story and structure, moments and
camera! Once you pick an idea you want to write, you must watch at least 10
films in the same film family and write down what happens every 5 minutes.
You'll be amazed how much you learn from breaking down existing films.
And when I say film family, I mean a few different things. If you're doing a
heist film, sure you need to watch heist films. But, if it is also an ensemble
story, you need to watch how those work too-- even if the example isn't about a
"heist"-- because the story structure, not the genre structure, will have the
same elements whether the movie is about an ensemble that's robbing a bank or
robbing a baseball team of victory. Bottom line for me and most people in this
town, if by page 30 your lead character hasn't clearly declared a goal and a
plan to achieve that goal, and if we haven't seen the obstacle-- human or
otherwise-- that is in direct conflict with your lead's plan, then your
structure is off and you're on your way to bigger issues.
4. The writer is confusing good plot with good story telling.
Ever notice how some people can make a trip down the Amazon boring while others
can make buying a pack of gum a fantastic journey? That's story telling. The
reality is, movies often aren't as much about plot as they are about story
telling-- that includes voice and tone as well as how you present and unfold the
plot. A cool plot will definitely open doors, but without good story telling
you'll end up being rewritten!
5. The writer hasn't become an expert in the genre.
This means I'm reading a script that isn't quite fresh enough or inventive
enough, and the problem usually stems from the writer being under-exposed to
successful material in that genre, produced or otherwise. Writers need to read
and watch as many movies as they possibly can and take the time after they're
finished to think about their structure, theme, voice, tone, and storytelling.
Simply watching them isn't enough. Digesting them is the key.
Watch for the continuation of the interview in next week's newsletter,
and learn how to avoid rookie errors!
Joel Haber is a professional screenwriter and screenplay analyst, living
in Los Angeles. He has worked for such companies as New Line Cinema, William
Morris Agency, Walden Media, Tribeca Productions (DeNiro), and many others. Joel
has also written for scr(i)pt magazine and The Writers Store, has served as a
judge in various screenwriting contests, and has taught seminars at
Screenwriting Expo 5 and 6. Drawing on over a decade of film industry experience
and a Master's degree in Media Studies, Joel writes regularly about the craft
and business of screenwriting on his blog (
http://funjoel.blogspot.com).
