Interview

I knew I wanted to be a screenwriter ....

when I realized the impact a good script can have in the way a story is visualized. I would like to thank Kevin Smith, Edward Burns, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for providing the film industry with solid stories written in a very effective way. I was already writing when Good Will Hunting came out, but it really inspired me to keep writing. However, the list of good screenwriters grows every year. It always amazes me how incredibly powerful the final product can be when words and images connect effectively.

I know I've succeeded....

I can say that total strangers truly enjoy both the reading of my script and the film based on my script. 

My inspiration to write Theory of Absence.....

grew from my endless love for basketball and my realization after I first came to the United States of the continued existence of racial discrimination, which I thought was something of the past. The different shades of unconditional love that exist among some of the characters came from my own experience of receiving and giving such love. 

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FilmMakers Magazine: What inspired you to write?

Ana Manzorro: My inspiration to write comes from many different areas. Music is a good inspirational source. I have written scripts (or parts of them) originated by one song. Also friends and family history or anecdotes can serve as good inspirational stories.

FilmMakers Magazine: Is this your first script and how long did it take you to complete?

Ana Manzorro: The Theory of Absence is not my first script. I started writing one that at one point was not heading the way I wanted and for some reason could not make it work, "rookie writer's block" I guess. I gave up on it and began to write Shortlove. Shortlove was supposed to be a short script, but ended up being a long feature. After I was done with Shortlove, The Theory of Absence came along. The Theory of Absence was written in between school semesters: fall break, Christmas break, spring break, summer break, etc. I cannot exactly say how long it took me to come up with a first rough draft, but many drafts, at least twelve, have followed.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?

Ana Manzorro: I like writing in the mornings better than at any other time of the day, but I can also find the words late at night. I do most of my writing in my room. It has to be a quiet setting. Although music may inspire the stories, it interferes when I am writing. Because of Graduate School it is very hard for me to create time management to write scripts, but at one point, when I was not in Grad school, I was able to routinely set some hours to work on The Theory of Absence.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests are important for aspiring screenwriters and why? 

Ana Manzorro: If anything by searching about screenwriting contests one can learn about format, stories, and what elements are needed to create a solid script. Furthermore, some of the screenplay contests offer script analyses, which are always very productive. Good analyses will provide the writer with the necessary improvements to make the script tighter and better.

FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why? 

Ana Manzorro: I would not recommend only one script, but as many as one can read. A good judgment to go by is to find a specific genre that one is attracted to and then read some of the best scripts in that genre. However, reading only will not improve the writer. Analyzing the script and understanding how it transfers to the screen are also critical aspects of screenwriting. Under my opinion Kevin Smith's scripts are very well written, because almost every scene can stand on its own. It seems as if every scene was a complete circle. Besides, reading Clerks and Chasing Amy is a good time guaranteed. Good Will Hunting is definitely a must have. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were really able to blend writing and images in a very effective manner. Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino is also an interesting read because of its non-linear narrative. There are plenty of good scripts to choose from, but one can also learn from bad scripts, so there isn't really a failing side to this process. 

FilmMakers Magazine: Beside screenwriting what are you passionate about and why?

Ana Manzorro: I tend to put as much passion as I can on everything that I do. From making sure people at home get their information from the newscast that I am directing at five and six in the evening to working out or playing basketball. Passion is essential because it brings the care and the necessary input that one must provide in order to produce their best.

FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter and Why? 

Ana Manzorro: Kevin Smith and Edward Burns are very solid writers. Woody Allen is very funny and Quentin Tarantino is very effective. If Ben Affleck and Matt Damon would write more and achieve to be as effectively as they did on their first time, they would definitely join the list too. 

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the director you would love to work with and why? 

Ana Manzorro: This is a hard question to answer. I guess it would depend on the genre. With a good drama in mind I would probably go to James L. Brooks. He seems to include comedy into very dramatic situations in a very subtle manner. For a romantic comedy I would enjoy working with Mike Newel. He tends to be very effective. For a mystery with dark humor Quentin Tarantino or the Cohen brothers will be my first choice. The way their story is visualized is interesting to me.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the actor you would love to work with and why?

Ana Manzorro: You guys are totally unfair by making me choose one actor, but I guess I will have to pick Sean Penn. He can do anything and it seems with a very little effort. Again, that is just one of too many choices.

FilmMakers Magazine: Any tips and things learned along the way to pass on to others?

Ana Manzorro: Definitely keep on writing, reading and watching films. Study scripts and films and find motivations and reasons for the choice of words, camera angle or type of shot. Understanding and writing films should be the main goals for screenwriters. Another tip that may help is that if you have an idea about a script, write it down before you forget. Make a list with these ideas and then develop them when you have time.

FilmMakers Magazine: What's next for you?

Ana Manzorro: As soon as I am done with my thesis, I need to finish another script I've been working on, Midnite Kiss and then, I need to start the rewriting process of Shortlove. When that is done, I have a list of ideas to develop, so I should stay busy writing. 

FilmMakers Magazine: Where will you be in six years from now? 

Ana Manzorro: Are you kidding me? I'll be lucky to know where I'm going to be thirty minutes from now, but thanks for asking!