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At February's monthly meeting of the Scriptwriters Network, we had the pleasure of bringing back screenwriter and lecturer, David S. Freeman. Mr. Freeman has devoted himself to "reverse engineering the creative process" of writing, and the culmination of those years of research is presented in his popular workshop, "Beyond Structure" ($50 off seminar fee for Scriptwriters Network members, for information call (310) 394-6556 or on the web at www.beyondstructure.com). The concrete techniques he teaches enable the screenwriter to inject depth and imagination into his or her script. In Mr. Freeman's multimedia presentation of some of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful movies of the past two decades, he empowered us to use the same techniques professional writers employ in their arsenal of screenwriting craft.
An Analysis of As Good As It Gets Just how good is As Good As It Gets in terms of characterization, dialogue or scene structure? If you've seen the movie or read the script, you know that it is an incredible example of the craft of screenwriting. Of course, it helps that writers Mark Andrus and James L. Brooks are masters of their craft. But Mr. Freeman showed the audience specific techniques these acclaimed screenwriters used in writing this phenomenal screenplay and showed us how these elements can be applied to our own work. One of the hallmarks of As Good As It Gets is the memorable characters Andrus and Brooks created. Who can forget Melvin, the irascible obsessive-compulsive romance writer, so brilliantly realized in Jack Nicholson's performance? Mr. Freeman introduced the audience to his technique of the "character diamond," a method of creating deep and complex characters. He gave us the character traits of the three main players and showed us in a scene by scene analysis how Andrus and Brooks gradually revealed these facets of their characters either through action or dialogue. One of the most interesting techniques Mr. Freeman discussed was the "rooting interest" technique. Main character Melvin manages to insult and offend everyone he comes into contact with. Yet, the audience likes this man. How did Andrus and brooks create audience likeability of a character who on the surface is completely repulsive? Mr. Freeman showed us that by making Melvin literary and artistic as well as capable of suffering emotionally, Andrus and Brooks created a powerful rooting interest in Melvin's character. Dialogue in As Good As It Gets is tight and polished. Not only does it sound natural, it advances the storyline or reveals character. In his seminar, "Beyond Structure," Mr. Freeman discusses forty dialogue devices that will make dialogue pop out. He showed the audience that Andrus and Brooks used three of these techniques in the first four pages of the script: the "starts again" (where a character interrupts himself), the "answering a question with a question" and the "other people's view" (where we learn about the character through the statements or opinions of others). Another powerful technique Mr. Freeman shared with the audience is the art of a "slam." A slam is a technique that forces the characters to confront their fears or limitations, their blocks or their wounds. Essentially, the writer slams a scene into the character's arc. Slams can be positive or negative, happy or unhappy. This technique was used throughout As Good As It Gets for all three characters. The key to effective slams is that each slam is different. Would you like to learn more about these techniques and many others that professional writers use in their scripts? Mr. Freeman's next "Beyond Structure" seminar will take place on March 13-14. For more information, call the number at the start of this article or visit his Web site. Mr. Freeman is also available for script consultations. Nina De Castro is a professional misanthrope. The pay is terrible, but she has found personal satisfaction and fulfillment in her career choice.
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