On today’s episode of Creative Space, we have the pleasure of speaking with screenwriter Brian Clark. He has quite the inspiring creative journey so far, getting his start as a publicist in New York City for films like Rachel Getting Married, Coco Before Chanel, and the Runaways. He then moved to Paris where he worked as a film correspondent for websites like Movieline. Today he resides in LA where he co-founded the film series Projections and is busy as a screenwriter. His latest film, Vesper, which he co-wrote with Bruno Samper and Kristina Buozyte, was just released on September 30 through IFC films.
We talk about his career beginnings and the importance of building healthy collaborative relationships, as well as debunk a myth or two about what it really takes to get a script made.
For more on Vesper, visit: vespermovie.com.
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SHOW NOTES:
00:00—Introduction
01:44—What drew Brian to screenwriting
03:26—The allure of movies he wasn’t allowed to see
04:28—Play is the best case scenario of what creativity can be
05:06—Why horror films inspired him in his early days
08:30—Working as a film publicist in NYC
11:08—Why writing movie reviews was second nature
13:26—Following his future wife to Paris
15:45—How life in Paris shaped his perspective
17:30—Learning contentment
18:30—Brian’s definition of creativity
20:30—Why it’s now in the “bin of meaningless words”
22:42—The discipline of creativity
23:00—What is it actually like being a screenwriter?
25:10—The myth of spec scripts
26:00—Tips for getting a movie made now
27:20—Choosing which idea to pursue
30:20—Why ideas are overrated
31:40—Working with his collaborators on Vesper
35:14—How he met Bruno and Kristina
36:46—What inspired Vesper
42:00—Writing the script for Vesper
43:30—Collaboration without ego
45:00—Dialogue tips
46:00—Knowing what will work on screen
46:44—What Brian wishes he knew 10 years ago
48:15—What’s next