Film Courage: Why is it hard for writers to talk about theme?
Jeffrey Alan Schechter, Author/Screenwriter/Founder of Writers Room Pro: It’s hard for everybody to talk about theme, nobody understands theme. I mean that’s a horrible thing to say that nobody understands theme as if I understand. Theme is so complex and ethereal. It’s the proverbial trying to nail Jello to a wall trying to understand theme. It’s like you can get all intellectual about it and I already regret saying nobody understands things because I’m sure there are people out there who teach in college level courses and deal heavily with theme and they can talk very intelligently about theme. I don’t care because I don’t know that this super intellectual understanding of theme helps you write one damn word. Again, I want people to have careers. I want people to put money in their pockets and food on their table and you get all highfalutin and ethereal talking about themes and how they interrelate and it’s like okay Well you talk about that for a while but why don’t you write something. For me I just try to figure out okay I’m not that smart, I just want to figure out what’s the simplest understanding of theme possible that will help me write a story? That’s kind of where I stumbled across this idea of defining theme. Very simply as heroes ask questions and villains make…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
After moving to Los Angeles, Jeffrey Alan Schechter quickly established himself as a versatile writer, able to work in all genres from action films to family comedies, from pre-school to adult drama, from live action to animation. His writing has earned him a Gemini Award as well as nominations for two Emmy awards, a Writers Guild of America award, a Writer’s Guild of Canada award, and a BAFTA award. Over the years Jeff has worked with dozens of studios and networks including Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, ABC, NBC, The Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, The Hallmark Channel, the BBC, VH1 Films, RHI, and The Walt Disney Company. Jeff is the author of a book on story structure titled My Story Can Beat Up Your Story! and is a noted speaker and lecturer on screenwriting. Jeff is the founder/creator of WritersRoom Pro software, a digital writers’ room for secure, remote creativity and collaboration.
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