Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS

Amongst today's global filmmaking community, Hollywood has become as synonymous with superficiality as it once was with grace. The burgeoning presence of independent features in mainstream cultures across the globe speaks volumes to this current growing disregard for Hollywood productions. Indeed, Hollywood has even adopted many subversive elements indicative of independent filmmaking to simply remain relevant in film.

Unfortunately however, in spite of what awareness we have of Hollywood's penchant for triteness, it has yet to become an anachronism and its major studios remain the predominant forces to be reckoned with- if not conceded to- amongst filmmakers looking for their break. Certainly, this reality can appear disheartening for many just out of film school searching for some kind of direction to a director's chair. The current perceptions of Hollywood pervading today's filmmakers seem to equate working in Hollywood with compromising one's integrity in one way or another. I had the chance the chance to speak with a former second assistant to producer John Baldecchi, Peter Sununu, who affirmed these suspicions after two years of such work. Yet, in addition to his cautions, he equally advised alternate routes beyond Hollywood for those looking to break into film to avoid such compromises. He also reminded how giving up after disillusionment can only stand as an even greater affront to one's integrity.

Brennan: So I understand you've worked as an intern and second assistant for several prominent producers such as Lawrence Bender, Akiva Goldman, and John Baldecchi. How was this work?

Sununu: I got burnt out, especially from working under John Baldecchi. Many of them just didn't understand filmmaking. They thought being in Hollywood and making movies just looked cool. Obviously, the blockbuster producers I worked for had an idea of what they were doing and were very successful at doing what they did, but that was because they thought about success as getting enough butts in the seats to turn a profit. When they put together movies, they go out and get the latest big name director in the genre and a big star without considering how these people will relate to the story material. They think that a director or actor must be good if they cost a lot. And I've always wanted to translate literary concepts into film. I most enjoy films that revolve around the human condition- that delve deep into topics like desperation and what people do to accomplish goals, no matter what those goals are. I am most drawn to films that show how people manage to find their place in the world and discover what's important to them. These concepts were few and far between, at least in the films made where I was working. And then I was offered another job with a ticket broker that could pay my bills. So that then became my life for a while.

Brennan: Did you gain any lasting lessons about the filmmaking industry from your work?

Sununu: Of course. Being an intern or a P.A. is a great way to get your feet wet but it's not going to take you anywhere. Nobody's going to be like, ‘Hey, he was a really good P.A.! We should get him to direct this!' That's not how it works.

The only way you're going to become a writer or director is by doing it. You need to sit down and write a script if you want to be a writer. You need to grab your buddies and shoot something if you want to direct. You can even write something stupid that's five minutes long and do it over a weekend. Sure, it may come out like shit after you shoot it. But then you'll be able to look at it, understand why it looks like shit, and figure out how not to make it look that way again.

While you're shooting this five-minute short, you could also find new ways to look at your story- maybe even realize that one of the characters has a life of his own that needs to be told. Then, from making this short, you could get an idea for a full-length screenplay. You can then use your short to pitch that script too. That's exactly how Billy Bob Thorton got the money to make Sling Blade. He had script and the short that it came from to show where it was going.

You just can't be lazy. Eventually, if you write or direct enough, you'll make something that's not a piece of shit. I wouldn't take some crappy gig on a movie set just to get on a movie set, unless you've never been on a movie set and you want to see how everything works- or how you can make your own filming better.

Brennan: How have you come back what disillusionment you garnered in Hollywood to revive your dreams on your own?

Sununu: I've been focusing on writing screenplays. I realize that all great movies start with the writing, so I figured it'd be a good place to start again. But I also have realized that I'm not a particularly creative person, nor am I around many, so I've been focusing on adaptations. Adapting a work is almost like having a collaborator.

Brennan: What challenges have you faced while writing these adaptations?

Sununu: Remaining true to the material you are working from. Not necessarily the plot, but what the story is about- what you take away from it. It's difficult to allow your own perspectives on the story to gestate while keeping in my mind that the story should still speak for itself. However, its also even more difficult to remain true to a story you are adapting if you are primarily concerned about remaining true to the plot. There is no other way to adapt a 500-page book into a 120-page screenplay than by sacrificing plot, so you need to separate yourself from it a little. That said, you also can't just come at a big work with big scissors. However, at the end of the day when all is said and done, good art is good art, whether it is true to where it drew inspiration from or not.

Also, like with most things, you need to be sure not to have too many cooks in the kitchen. You need to find a guiding vision in the work and make sure that everyone around is on board. Otherwise, the message will get muddled. Your movie will just be a lot of scattered intents and plot points that won't go together.

Brennan: How do you effectively collaborate so that you cohere various intents for a film without muddling an overall message?

Sununu: It needs to start with the producer or whoever owns the script. They need to be invested in drawing a clear message from the material. If you start from the page, then the people you then call on to help you make the film will be on the same page. They will all be gravitating toward the same basic idea and you won't have as many problems with not seeing eye to eye.

Brennan: What's the next step after you finish a screenplay and think it's ready to be made into a film?

Sununu: I would find an agent. However, I don't think it would be a good use of time to send a screenplay to an agency cold and hope for representation. If you're a writer, you need to seek out other successful writers who know agents that work with your kind of material. If you're completely lost and have never talked to anyone about film, literally hang out by a film school and start asking people if they know anyone who can represent you. Until you put yourself in front of someone, nothing will happen.

Or you could always grow a pair and shoot your movie yourself. It's so easy to do these days if your movie is simple enough. You can shoot a feature length film with your iPhone, three actors, and a tripod. You might need some rudimentary lighting, but you can go buy a flashlight and some filters. Look at Kevin Smith. He shot Clerks for $5,000 and then was able to parlay a bunch of dick and fart jokes into a pretty successful career. You can say he's a hack as a director or all his stuff appeals to the same stupid idiots but whatever. He was going to a convenience store clerk for the rest of his life. He wasn't going anywhere. But then he grew a pair, shot a movie, it was a success, and now he doesn't even have to make movies anymore. You'll get what you put into it is what I'm trying to say.