FilmMakers Magazine:
What inspired you to write?
Ray Fiuza:
I have always loved great films, and have
wanted to be a screenwriter for a long time.
FilmMakers Magazine: What did you do to prepare yourself
to write your script?
Ray Fiuza:
I’ve read well over
twenty books on screenwriting, and have been watching all kinds of
films, good and not-so-good, all my life. So I guess I’ve been
preparing since I was a kid -- at least, on a subconscious level --
just by enjoying the diversity of cinema.
FilmMakers Magazine: Is
this your first script and how long did it take you to write THE LIZARD INN?
Ray Fiuza:
My first script was a short version of a feature-length script I wrote
after The Lizard Inn. That first script was written for a dramatic
scriptwriting college course. The Lizard Inn script took about 3 or 4
months--it was based on a short story I wrote years ago.
FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?
Ray Fiuza:
I don’t have a set routine, but when I’m working on a project I become
very absorbed, maybe a bit obsessed, and I try to set daily writing
goals until the project’s completed.
FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests
are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?
Ray Fiuza:
Yes. I think they allow the aspiring screenwriter to gauge where there
at in terms of talent and craft level. Contests can provide some sort
of validation, and maybe open some doors which otherwise would remain
closed. Having said that, I don’t think writers should get discouraged
if they don’t place in contests --
the competition is enormous in terms of sheer numbers, and I also
think that sometimes it just comes down to a matter of taste.
FilmMakers Magazine:
What
influenced you to enter the
American Gem Short Script Competition?
Ray Fiuza:
I did some research on
the internet and it seemed like a well-run, reputable contest for
shorter work.
FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?
Ray Fiuza:
There are so many
wonderful screenplays out there, but I really love that period between
1967 and 1980 -- a terrific time for great screenwriting: The
Graduate. Bonnie and Clyde, Midnight Cowboy, The
Godfather I and II, Chinatown, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging
Bull -- just to name a few. But there are superb contemporary
scripts as well, so it’s difficult to pick one.
FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter
and Why?
Ray Fiuza:
I really admired the work of the late
Paddy Chayefsky and Waldo Salt. Also, Paul Schrader and Quentin
Tarantino.
FilmMakers Magazine: Name
the director you would love to work with and why?
Ray Fiuza:
For me, there are three great American
filmmakers of the last 50 years or so: Sidney Lumet, Francis Coppola
and Martin Scorsese. They’ve made so many outstanding, interesting
films.
FilmMakers Magazine:
Name the actor you would love to work with and why?
Ray Fiuza:
I’ve always been a great admirer of Al
Pacino and Robert De Niro -- they’ve both done such expansive,
riveting work over the years.
FilmMakers Magazine:
Any tips and things learned along
the way to pass on to others?
