Many know Christopher Nolan for his directing skills. He has directed movies such as Interstellar, Inception, and the Dark Knight. While he is a talented director, he also is a talented screenwriter. He has been the screenplay writer for movies such as Memento, Insomnia, Inception, and many others. This will go into the writing process Nolan goes through and the steps he makes when writing a screenplay. In 2010 a writer named Ed Brubaker asked Nolan a few questions about his screenwriting process following a screening of The Dark Knight.
Brubaker had first asked “How far do you outline stuff before you actually start scripting? ” Nolan had replied with, “I don’t really outline. ” When Nolan was asked what he did instead of drawing outlines he replied with, “What I do is draw a lot of diagrams, particularly if there’s sort of a structural complexity. ” Now this method may seem strange and a bit unorganized but it is this type of process that has produced such great films. Nolan goes on to say, “I tend to start with page one and try to just write in a very linear fashion, particularly if the story is not linear.
When I did my first film, Following, I wrote it as a chronological story and then I edited it together to make all the non-linear divides. I found it very difficult, because I then had to do an enormous amount of rewriting to make it flow for the audience. So when I went to do Memento, I determined to tell the story backwards. I thought it was very important to sit down and just write for how the way the audience is going to see it. There’s a better flow to it. ” Nolan is known for his films having extravagant plots and an unconventional structures.
Movies such as Inception, where the plot is based around a dreams and people abusing the technology to get inside people’s dreams. So the plot is jumbled because in Inception, time moves differently in the dream world than when it does in the real world. So when there are characters waking up from an hour within a dream, the next scene is them snapping back into reality at an earlier time because in reality, not that much time has passed. When writing Inception, it had taken Nolan ten years to write it. When asked about the upcoming film Nolan had responded with, “Inception is something I have been working on a long time.
About ten years ago, I settled on the concept of a heist movie centered on the idea of technology that allows people to share their dreams and the abuse of that technology. I thought it would take a couple of months and it took me ten years. ” he laughed. Now one of Nolan’s hardest films to write was Memento. Memento is a psychological thriller film written and directed by Nolan which released in fall of the year 2000. Touched on earlier, I talked about how writing in a non-linear fashion was hard for Nolan. So when writing Memento, he wrote it in a way that he wanted his audience to view it.
Memento has a nonlinear narrative structure that focuses on the main character’s memory and has constant flashbacks. There are two timelines in the movie: one of them is in color and the other in black and white. The colored scenes are ordered in reverse. Chronologically, the black and white scenes are first while the color scenes come next. When writing it, Nolan has it all written out in the way the audience would view the movie so it became easier for him to understand what the viewer might be seeing and the certain direction the film is going into.
On some occasions Chris will work with his brother, Jonah, on writing. Jonah had written the first draft of Batman Begins. Nolan had taken that draft, rewrote it and worked with his brother to finish the script for when Chris was confused with particular scenes. The same was with The Dark Knight. Nolan’s brother had begun writing but was having a difficult time in doing so, so Chris would again come in and help him either by coming step up on his own and presenting it or worked together tossing ideas back and forth.
Nolan had said that the same process was used while writing for The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan gives his younger brother a lot of credit for helping create the Batman universe. A lot of times he would read the script and wonder how it would work, but it had to be done like Jonah had written it in order for it to work. There are a few other tips Nolan has given when it comes to making a good screenplay. Some of these include taking the time to meet new talent at film festivals. When Nolan was at Slamdance Festival for his showing of Following, he had seen Ron Jodkin’s Hi-Line.
He was impressed and told himself he had to meet the guy who shot it. This is when Christopher Nolan had first met up with cinematographer Waller Pfister. Nolan states, “We just clicked the way you sometimes do with people. We know each other better today, but our relationship hasn’t changed. ” So the next time you are impressed by another person’s work, be sure to tell them. It could lead to a partnership. Understanding every job on set is another major must. Another thing Nolan swears by is using film over digital and using real locations.
Nolan likes to use these real places as “credibility”. It gives a sense of authenticity to his films rather than the over usage of CGI. And above all, be a lover of movies. Wired had interviewed him and asked about the elements of Inception, he answered: “I’m a lover of movies, so that’s where my brain went. But I think that’s where a lot of people’s minds would go if they were constructing an arena in which to conduct this heist. I also wanted the dreams in Inception to reflect the infinite potential of the human mind. When it comes to writing, it’s best to know everyone’s job and how you can use that to improve how the film is written.
When writing Inception Nolan states that his first problem writing it was that he started with a heist film structure. He said he had a tough time getting exposition in the beginning of the movie because heist movies are the one genre where exposition in the beginning is a very key part of the entertainment that type of movie brings. He knew that heist films are usually unemotional and superficial, but Nolan wanted to focus this heist movies on dreams.
Realizing which path he had taken required him to focus more on emotional narrative, something that represents the emotional side of someone’s mind. Choosing to go this path he was able to combine the exciting exposition in the beginning of the movie but also have a strong character development that evokes emotions in its audience. When writing Inception, a few things he learned from where movies like The Labyrinth and the Minotaur, and The Inferno. One thing he took from this was a character called Ariadne, who was named after a woman who helped guide Theseus through the labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur.
Ariande also acted as a guide for Cobb in the movie in Inception. Another big thing about Inception is how it somewhat relates to filmmaking. While Nolan states that he did not purposely make a film about filmmaking, his mind did sway toward the process in which it takes for him to make a film and while he didn’t intentionally do this, but the comparison is clearly there, Some comparisons of the characters include Saito as the producer, Cobb as the director, Ariadne a the writer, etc.
Another observation that was pointed out is how the characters can be in Paris in one scene but in Mombasa in the next. This is compared to filmmaking because you cut from one place to another. However Nolan says that while the film does flirt with the relationship between films and dreaming in different ways, he wanted to highlight certain aspects of dreams such as not remembering certain parts of a dream. Nolan’s best advice for screenwriting is to practice and find out what works best for you.
Make sure you get an understanding of the job of everyone that is taking part in help making the film, this allows for better writing by setting up a scene that suits those who work around you but still hold your creative vision. Another important part would be writing in a way that helps you visualize how each scene is set up and in which order. Respect other’s works and don’t be afraid to compliment others on their work which could lead a partnership that could last for a short shoot or even a lifetime.
One of the many key parts to the filmmaking industry is bridging those connections. While you may not work solely with that person, they are a connection to other people in the industry as well. Getting to know new people can help influence and improve your field. Any little tips, tricks, and insight can go a long way in this business. So when you have free time, sit down and practice writing. The more practice you have the more you will understand about what truly makes a great screenplay. It will also help you be able to envision your ideas in a way that works best for you.
