Assistant Professor Screenwriter/Producer

Keith Gigliokegiglio@syr.edu

AMATEURS CREATE

PROFESSIONALS STEAL

What's the Tone?

Film is the the language

UNIQUELY FAMILIAR

We all have our influences. Early in my career, it was said I was very influenced by Peckinpah; now they tend to say I’m more of a Hawksian, but whatever. Sam was tremendously influenced by Kurosawa, and Kurosawa was tremendously influenced by Ford, Ford was tremendously influenced by DW Griffith, and Griffith was tremendously influenced by the novels of Dickens. Now, I don’t mean to insert myself in this lineage, I just mean everybody’s holding everyone else’s hands and everyone’s sitting on everyone else’s shoulders. —Walter Hill: a life in the fast lane

Shane Black

As the world plunges into chaos, a drunkard loner – who does not want to get involved – is lured back into the fight by the woman from his past.

Name the Movie

• Not just for the idea

The Importance of Influences

Does lack of Influences = Lack of originality?

Speilberg Lucas conference

HOW DO WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS TO STEAL....

…and not get caught

Getting caught = Bad Tarantinto

• Students should study the writer, not just what is written.

• Podcasts. Interviews.

• There is no muse

• Start being a writer

• The Well

DEMYSTIFY THE WRITING

Student must break down FIVE MOVIES that are similar to what they are writing

REVERSE ENGINEER

REQUIRED READING

Modeling

REWRITE OPENING OF FAVORITE MOVIE

MAKE IT THEIR OWN –He did!

P.S. Many parts of this presentation were stolen

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