For most of the year, the posts on this blog have been from guests.
And where I signed for them myself, they were mostly more academic, analytical pieces.
Unlike other bloggers, I rarely use a personal voice.
Insecurity is a big hurdle, I must admit. My fellow bloggers are just amazing in their use of of language. They’re articulate and witty, casual but sharp. I am not a native English speaker and until fifteen years ago, it wasn’t even my second language.
I know, I know… Excuses.
Four years ago I forced myself into the discipline of writing more or less regularly about screenwriting. From now on, I’ll publish something more personal every now and then.
Okay, now I’ve broken the ice, I don’t know where to start.
one. hundred. drafts.
I have nearly one hundred articles in draft stage behind the scenes of this blog. That may sound like a lot, it is only as much as fellow blogger Scott Myers publishes in two weeks. Some of these drafts are just rough ideas I would like to think about, research, test and publish. Others are waiting for a final polish or a good reason to publish them – some day.
Let me tell you what I do for a living, just in case you haven’t already checked out the far corners of this web site. I mainly consult to screenwriters and producers and I also teach on the craft of storytelling and screenwriting. And no, I have not sold a single script myself. Neither have the people who will assess your screenplay and pass on it. But like them, I have been on the business side of our industry, so that’s where I get some of my experience from.
structure is everything
My forte is structure. You cannot build an interesting character without a structured journey of actions and events, so I’ll be your guy to help you with that.
I’m familiar with pretty much every story structure model in the industry but rather than subscribing to any in particular, I prefer to borrow the strengths rather than the weaknesses and apply what is most suitable for each screenplay.
One exception: I’m convinced that successful movies always have the key stages of the Hero’s Journey. I’m not saying you need to master the 500+ steps but a mythical layer is at the basis of every successful story. That’s why I disagree with Screen Australia’s Martha Coleman when she defines drama as “stories about things that happen to us”. I’d rather see stories about things we hope or fear could happen to us.
we’re in the same boat
Much like writing, this is a tough job, trust me. Every day I deal with people with more power and less education than myself. Sounds familiar? Well, we better get used to it. Yet this job is still the most rewarding I can think of right now. Working with filmmakers to get the best out of their work and help them connect with as broad an audience as possible is a unique challenge.
So here’s one caveat: I no longer subscribe to small arthouse thinking. If you really have something to say, you want to share this with as many as possible, right? Too many filmmakers who believe they’re telling ‘a story that must be told’ are preaching to the converted, often at the expense of the tax payer. Speaking of ethics… Plus, the days of successful true blood art films have gone.
talk to you every day
Gotta go back to reading your script. If/when I’m inspired to share any thoughts on that, you may find it here. And unlike The Unknown Screenwriter (Buddy, what have you done? And where have you gone?), my tweets are not all lazy automated searches. Every week I handpick from 1,000+ articles and headlines and link to what I found the most interesting.
Every now and then, I also throw in a personal comment as I tend to find it easier to get more personal in 140 characters. Don’t ask… :) I might even respond to your questions there.
Meanwhile, feel free to encourage me to write more often by posting a comment below.
Cheers,
– Karel Segers
Karel Segers is a producer and script consultant who started in movies as a rights buyer for Europe’s largest pay TV group Canal+. Back then it was handy to speak 5 languages. Less so today in Australia.
Karel teaches, consults and lectures on screenwriting and the principles of storytelling to his 6-year old son Baxter and anyone who listens.
He is also the boss of this blog.
Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.
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