C'mon, I'm a writer — filled with
self-doubt and all kinds of neuroses. I doubt that I'll ever feel like
I've succeeded. Maybe when I reach a comfort level with referring to
myself as a "writer."
My inspiration to write SAFE PASSAGE.......
I was living in Melbourne, Australia at
the time and riding a lot of trams late at night, letting my
imagination wander from time to time. And then I heard about a request
for short scripts for an Australian television show that was meant to
be patterned after The Twilight Zone.
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FilmMakers Magazine:
What inspired you to write?
Michael Raymond: Something hard-wired inside of me. I've been
doing it in one form or another ever since I was 10 years old.
FilmMakers Magazine: How did you prepare yourself to
write your first script?
Michael Raymond:
I read some
screenwriting books and then the biggie – I took the plunge and bought
a cheap computer.
FilmMakers Magazine: Is
this your first script and how long did it take you to write SAFE PASSAGE?
Michael Raymond:
It's not my first. I
don't often write shorts, but this probably took a few months or so.
FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?
Michael Raymond:
I have an early
morning pre-work routine in a local café down the street from my work.
So I write for an hour or so before work while listening to my iPod.
FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests
are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?
Michael Raymond:
For me, they have
been. I don't live in LA and cold calls from afar have very poor
results. But get a great placement in a reputable screenwriting
contest and it's funny how those phone calls end up being incoming
calls rather than outgoing. But I wouldn't enter a contest for the
money. Only the exposure.
FilmMakers Magazine:
What
influenced you to enter the
American Gem Short Script Competition?
Michael Raymond:
I had a notion that
it might generate some exposure if things went well for me.
FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?
Michael Raymond:
I don't read enough
scripts by other people, but at the risk of offering up the old
standard, I guess Chinatown had an early influence on me. I'd like to
read Stranger Than Fiction.
FilmMakers Magazine:
Beside screenwriting what are you
passionate about and why?
Michael Raymond:
Music and travel.
FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter
and Why?
Michael Raymond:
I like a couple of
guys who seem to know how to create "moments" and characters and
situations that don't feel contrived or dumped down. I'm thinking
specifically of David Webb Peoples, Paul Attanasio, Steven Kloves, or
John Sayles. Certainly Charlie Kaufman seems to be in a class all by
himself.
FilmMakers Magazine: Name
the director you would love to work with and why?
Michael Raymond:
Lasse Halstrom or
Peter Weir. I tend to get overly sentimental sometimes and those two
directors seem to find ways to create poignant pieces of filmmaking
without being overly maudlin about it.
FilmMakers Magazine:
Name the actor you would love to work with and why?
Michael Raymond:
Mary Louis Parker because I'm secretly in love with her. Naomi Watts
because I think she's one of the most underrated actors, if that's
possible. Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) because I think she'd be
perfect for Abilene. And Sean Penn because he'd ensure that there
would never be a false moment in anything I've written.
FilmMakers Magazine:
Any tips and things learned along
the way to pass on to others?
