Silvia Manning is an American actress who decided that she was going to write her own sit com, and that she was going to get it on screen – and that NOTHING was going to stop her!
You might remember Silvia from the Walker Texas Ranger tv show, or you might have caught her in the film ‘Screen Door Jesus’; but recently she has shown a whole different set of talents as a writer and producer.
In the last year she has been working hard on her own sit com – and she has the scars to prove it!
Just before the show goes into production Sally Brockway managed to get her on a cross Atlantic phone call to give us this interview. If you’ve got ANY ambition to get your own project going I’d say this one interview is a must, from just soaking up the necessary state of mind and Silvia’s powerful Can-Do attitude, right through to hearing about the intricacies of how the money can ebb and flow in an utterly demoralising way – and how just keeping on keeping on can get you through all that!
Hear all about:
- How Silvia took the first rough sketch of a premise through to a script, through to pitching it to the networks, through the ups and downs of the entire commissioning process right through to the cameras rolling.
- Her instinctive writing process, how she writes by tapping into her inner visualisations and dreams
- How you MUST study your craft and HOOVER up books on screenwriting
- The value of writing for local theatre as a way into the industry
- How just because a film script gets rejected doesn’t mean it’s dead
- The epic story of putting finance together in the first place – and the battle to hold it there for the length of the project
- How you tell if your comedy is funny – or dead in the water
- The unarguable value of playing to your strengths as a writer
This is the second interview in a series of three – and you know I mentioned that crucial theme that emerged in Bryan’s interview? Well, it’s here too, and I happen to think it’s one of the most important aspects of the entire process. See if you notice it.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure – I’ll be talking a lot more about THAT after the next and final interview early next week (which just happens to include fantastic insight about what one of Britain’s most respected production companies is looking for RIGHT NOW…)
Just click on the Play button below to hear the interview:
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How To Write A Screenplay
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I like the interviewer Sally Brockway. She knows when to keep her mouth shut and listen, so we vicariously listen with her – a real journalist! Her questions reveal a populist rather than craft grasp of the business of screenwriting – but mostly the listening bit allows the interviewee to reveal the good stuff anyway.
Excellent!
Silvia Manning sounds familiar, and I could relate to her writing style, how it flows and how it could be done in two weeks. She is just a true writer…true writers don’t need degrees of experience, just give us a Robert Mckee book or David Trottier guide and let us write. Great interview Phil.
Phil, this whole series so far has been absolutely wonderful. I can’t thank you enough. But then I don’t expect any less from you. You are a giver.
This particular interview really opened my eyes and ears alike. I’ve been dabbling with the idea of turning the version of The Lot you read and gave coverage on into a one hour episodic series. But who knows…
One quick question…
Is Sally Brockway single?
Love her voice and accent. Mmm.
Sorry.
Ha haaa – I was wondering the same craktactor – but that’s not for here – what I got from this was the need to educate yourself – you know, Silvia says she writes instinctinvely, but you hear her say that thing about glomming up all the books she could find? It’s like you know, ‘I just sneezed and I was famous?’ yeah right, and the other hours and years you spent learning how to get the thing on paper and what’s good and what’s bad -you’re not going to mention that then? Nice one Silvia, learned a lot. Thanks Phil for putting this up too.
I’ve read this book and found it helpful in keeping me in touch with my instincts and intuition.. not so much formula. A good factor in any formula of writing.