This past week, we had the privilege to interview a Hollywood screenwriter, Jaden from Screenwritingforhollywood.com. Jaden has worked for several major film studios in various jobs ranging from screenwriter all the way to director. She not only writes screenplays but also writes entertainment articles for various magazines, newspapers, journals and websites.
With her website, Screenwritingforhollywood.com, Jaden encourages her readers to think through various articles and exercises. One of SizzlingPopcorn.com’s favorite exercise is Jaden’s “Sunday Picture Post”, where she posts a picture and asks her readers to come up with a title for the movie, one word describing the theme, mood, or scene, one sentence to describe the scene, and a pitch to sell the entire movie. She also includes a screenwriting tips to her posts that are quite interesting.
You’re probably wondering how Jaden ever got started in the entertainment business… well… here we go.
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Did you grow up in Hollywood all your life?
No. I grew up in the cattle and wine country north of San Francisco. Northern Californians have a high school-like rivalry with Southern California; I never wanted to move to Hollywood. After scrambling for work on every film and TV show that came through San Francisco, I finally decided to move to Hollywood where the work was plentiful.
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How was your experience growing up?
Unique! I have no complaints; I never went hungry nor was I beaten. It was a bit rocky because my parents are just about the wildest two partying people I ever met. They were together long enough to have me and then parted ways. Divided between the two, I lived mostly in a small town playing in the fields and creeks, while also traveling the world.
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When did you start getting involved in the film industry?
Well… If you want to know the dirty truth, I was a baby in a porn movie, the woman playing my mother gets raped by an ape in the forest. It was the 70s in San Francisco, what can I say?! That was my first role — a real family prize I was. As a small child, I was home alone a lot, so I watched a hefty amount of television and movies. At 13 years old, I took photography and animation, developing my own prints and sketching a cartoon. During college, I did some modeling, acting, commercials, small bits to make extra money while I studied film. It was fun, but there were way too many sleazy men trying to get action, so I really wanted to get to the backside of the camera where no one checks your pulse.
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You have worked with screenplays in various roles: script supervisor, legal assistant, costumer, cinematographer, director, marketer, casting agent and actor. Which role do you like the best and why?
Each job is great, the pay is the main difference. Acting is the highest paid of those listed above — strong union. Casting is amazing because you select someone and pull them out from their daily grind, offering them a lot of money; it feels good to find special talented people and reward them for being different. Legal assisting I like because it is straight forward dependable work that allows my mind to wander, leaving me the creative energy to write when I get home. Making my own movies is cool, but it’s hard work with no financial compensation. Writing and helping people are my favorite things to do and it pays the bills sometimes.
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What is your pet peeve about the film industry?
Watching millions of dollars be thrown away on meaningless scripts is painful.
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As a screenwriter, what do you do when you get writer’s block?
Mostly, I have the opposite problem, the ol’ cracked dam: a constant high pressure flow of ideas that will surely break me one day. Here is what I advise for writer’s block:
- Sleep on it.
- Reverse and go back to where you went off track. Delete scenes that are not working and have driven you to a dead end.
- Go outside and be inspired by real life.
- Read the works of talented successful writers, as well as the bad ones.
- Watch the news.
- Have a conversation with your characters and ask them what they want to do. Stop trying to control them. You will be surprised when they say, “Well, Bob, I thought you would never ask.”
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Through your website, www.screenwritingforhollywood.com, you provide various writing services. What are they?
I specialize in screenplays: coverage, analysis, consultation, and proofreading, but I also offer services for other creative writing styles and official work.
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Are you currently working on a screenplay or movie that you could quickly share about?
I’m always working on a number of projects: screenplays, novels, and articles. Whatever project has the best earning potential shifts into pole position. Right now I am polishing some true non-violent crime stories told in first person narrative. I wrote two other books last summer for which I need to do heavy editing — psychological human relations type stuff. And there is a spiritual adventure I am eager to write; hopefully the world won’t end before I get to it.
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What would be the one piece of advice you would want to give to aspiring actors, filmmakers and screenwriters?
Don’t let the bad guys get ya down; they’re not worth the crud under your toenails. Keep your spirits high — happy glowing people succeed.
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If you really like movies and would like to know how screenplays are written, read some of Jaden’s posts. Give the “Sunday Picture Post” a try! If you’re a screenwriter and are looking for services, check out her “services” section at Screenwritingforhollywood.com.
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Jan @ tMF
SP, this was a great interview with fellow blogger Jaden, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning how she got started in the film industry! I have been a frequent visitor, and enjoy Jaden’s site and especially enjoy her very fun Sunday Picture Posts as well. Jaden gives great advice, encouragement, and insight on her site for new and seasoned writers, and screenwriters. Her future projects sound very interesting as well.
By the way, cool photo of Jaden! …..Sunday Picture Post of Jaden’s photo above, anyone LOL?! :p
Jul 2nd, 2008
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