The script might read well but you never
really know if it works until the film is made and by then there are
so many variables that the result can only be partially attributed to
the screenplay.
My inspiration to write ODD MAN OUT.......
I started with the idea of the odd man out
stuck in the middle of a nightclub booth between three guys and three
girls who barely acknowledge his existence. I thought this premise had
comic potential. The booth scene contains the climax - his final
humiliation, so I worked back from that, building the main character,
setting up the situation, and adding a concluding scene.
*****************************************************************
FilmMakers Magazine:
What inspired you to write?
Michael Wheeler:
It could be anything, a dream, a daydream,
an image, a conversation, something I read, something I witnessed or
experienced or a combination of these.
FilmMakers Magazine: How did you prepare yourself to
write your first script?
Michael Wheeler:
For this script, I just sat down and wrote
it. To keep it flowing, I generally like to have a combination of
sugar and salt on hand, usually Cherry Nibs and Cheez-its washed down
with orange juice or root beer.
FilmMakers Magazine: Is
this your first script and how long did it take you to write ODD MAN OUT?
Michael Wheeler:
I have written a number of short scripts
and several features. Once I started, it took me about a week to
finish Odd Man Out.
FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?
Michael Wheeler:
With a day job, a night job, and three
kids, I try to write wherever and whenever I can.
FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests
are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?
Michael Wheeler:
You want your scripts to be read, recognized, purchased, and made into
films. Contests are one viable avenue for that.
FilmMakers Magazine:
What
influenced you to enter the
American Gem Short Script Competition?
Michael Wheeler:
The fact that the winning script gets
produced is a nice enticement.
FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?
Michael Wheeler:
Reading the novel Sideways and then the screen adaptation and
then watching the film provides invaluable insight into the process of
turning a very good novel into a very good film.
FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter
and Why?
Michael Wheeler:
John Cassavetes gets more credit for his directing and the apparently
improvisational nature of his films. And his scripts were constantly
revised during the rehearsal process. But if you read his shooting
scripts, you’ll see that they are very detailed and much of what ends
up on the screen starts on the page.
FilmMakers Magazine: Name
the director you would love to work with and why?
Michael Wheeler:
Among contemporary directors, I’d love to
work with Paul Thomas Anderson, Alexander Payne, and Steven Soderbergh.
Their excellent work speaks for itself.
FilmMakers Magazine:
Any tips and things learned along
the way to pass on to others?
