Harsh Advice For Anyone Who Wants To Be A Writer - Guido Segal
Вставка
- Опубліковано 30 лис 2021
- Guido Segal was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his MFA in Screenwriting at UCLA, he was a journalist and a film critic, selected as a Juror at la Semaine de la Critique, during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Segal has worked as a documentary filmmaker for History and Discovery Channel covering political topics (Asylum Seekers; Sicarios). He also has vast experience as an assistant director and screenwriter for films and TV. Segal co-wrote the Argentinian films Leones (2012) and Kékzsakállú (2016). He was also staffed as a TV writer in three shows: Un Año Para Recordar (2011-2012); La Asombrosa Excursión de Zamba (2014-2016); and Siesta Z (2016). The last two animated shows were nominated for International Emmy Awards in the Kids category. Segal has lived in Argentina, Spain and Finland, and taught Screenwriting and Film Analysis in Universidad del Cine (Buenos Aires), Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona), TAMK University (Tampere, Finland) and UCLA.
MORE VIDEOS WITH GUIDO SEGAL
bit.ly/38yQgK8
CONNECT WITH GUIDO SEGAL
www.guidosegal.com
www.imdb.com/name/nm4392299
/ guido.segal
(Affiliates)
►WE USE THIS CAMERA (B&H) - buff.ly/3rWqrra
►WE USE THIS EDITING PROGRAM (ADOBE) - goo.gl/56LnpM
►WE USE THIS SOUND RECORDER (AMAZON) - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
►WRITERS, TRY FINAL DRAFT FREE FOR 30-DAYS! (FINAL DRAFT) -
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
/ @filmcourage
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
www.FilmCourage.com
#!/FilmCourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE UA-cam CHANNEL
bit.ly/18DPN37
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
/ filmcourage-com
Stuff we use:
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/2t1n2hx
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
COMPUTER - Our favorite computer, we each have one and have used various models since 2010 - amzn.to/2t1M67Z
EDITING - We upgraded our editing suite this year and we’re glad we did! This has improved our workflow and the quality of our work. Having new software also helps when we have a problem, it’s easy to search and find a solution - goo.gl/56LnpM
*These are affiliate links, by using them you can help support this channel.
#writing #screenwriting #film
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
Amen. The tortoise only beats the hare when the hare’s asleep ;)
What happens when it works hard? 👀
Hard work creates the dross like Batman, superman, ironman or whatever Crap Hollywood is selling that particular week. What we're all looking for and desperate to see is inspiration.
i saw that quote on Naruto, a show where only the chosen ones could accomplish stuff, while the hard workers faded into irrelevancy
@@GinHindew110 Naruto still worked hard to get there
He is absolutely correct! Writing is a personal thing that’s why when writers ✋🏽receive negative criticism it’s quite painful. It’s as if the individual is being rejected, not the story.
It's the same way with visual art.
Yess someone gets it yesss
The ego takes criticism personally. It has nothing to do with being a writer. No one likes rejection of any kind.
This man is on point with everything he's saying! You have to have a need to write and be in love with it. Should feel like you can't live without it.
God, writing IS emotionally exhausting.
“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.”
the writing part is easy, the telling is what's hard, we can all type words on a page, it's putting those words together into a story thats compelling.
Facts. I always say writing is easy, being compelling is hard.
Great motivational video. You exhaust your writing muscles to strengthen them. It's the only way to keep improving your skills.
I feel like he was reading the Morning Pages I was writing during NaNoWriMo. I found every aspect of writing to be more difficult than I expected ... except for the actual writing, which is exactly as difficult as I expected
The greatest compliment a writer can receive from another writer is him saying, "I wish I would have written that!"
I can really relate to him. I got in trouble a lot as a kid. In my teenage years I took to poetry and short stories, and now as an adult, even though I have an immense passion for writing, I do find it draining at times. Sometimes it’s me, and sometimes it’s the topic. As a creative writer and one who is linear-minded, I have struggled to get ideas down if it’s not written in a certain order. That adds to the challenge of being consistent with writing. (This actually turned out to be part of my morning journal, you guys, so thanks for the camaraderie that I always find in the pleasant community and comments on the content of this channel).
Also, it's hard to write full time when you need to work a full time job to pay the bills. Add to that having to take care of a family/kids.
The truth is a lot of people have really bad ideas. lol And they don't want to put in the time it takes a nurture a story. I have a rom com that has taken over 10 years to write. From the first draft when I knew nothing about screenwriting to rewrites, help with co-writers, professional feedback until now. The essence of the story is the same but the end product has changed dramatically. I love my script and feel confident people will love it too. But seriously its been a long ass journey to get here! LOL
10 years ? Can a script take that long?
I love your channel. You and your guests are everything to me. You are my source of knowledge, courage, inspiration and, why not, sometimes even therapy. Your work means a lot to me. Thank you.
Just stumbled on this channel and can't stop watching, great job👏👏
Great to see you finding value here!
Wow. I hear myself in words...since I was a kid. My husband doesn't understand the gift nor the need.
How bad do you want to be an artist, writer, filmmaker, author?
I just finished my NaNoWriMo book Monday. ... I've taken two days off playing video games. ... I want to start writing something again. Trying to force myself to take a break, but somedays I just dream about something new. Like today at the gym. New idea. Or maybe I'll start editing something old.
Shouldn't this be the "pinned comment"? This is a stand-out clip among the many for this channel. Very sincere and compelling, with many interesting comments. It will be interesting to see how many views it accumulates over time.
I wanna be a filmmaker like now!
It's the only thing I have always wanted
It's the only thing that makes sense to me.
"a part of you has to hustle...." I felt that.
I didn't think this was harsh at all. Inspiring really.
Its harsh in todays times, you know how sensitive Earth is now lol
As a lawyer, I can tell you that you made the correct choice.
This got me out of bed on a Saturday afternoon
Thank you for sharing your experiences and insight into screenwriting. I live in NYC. I have spent nearly 2 decades seeking representation. When I finally achieved this feat with a firm in L.A., I am now awaiting feedback from a few major TV production companies and a major TV network. This process of persistence takes a lot out of you mentally. lol I love period pieces. I binged watched Mad Men during lock down. Please keep trying. Find ways to defray production costs. Get more involved in the production side of things. Find talent to attach to your work. This worked for me. Always make your themes "topical and current" set in the 1960's. Michael Weiner creator of Mad Men wore several hats to get his project over the finish line. You can too.
Congrats on getting representation! That's awesome! My friend and I are in the beginning stages of sending out our work. Any advice?
@@wadepierson4438 Thank you Wade. Can you find an entertainment law firm? Or, do you have literary agent/management representation? Do you have a pitch deck?
Not the most insightful of comments, but I fucking love the determination and resilience. Good on you!
@@willemmmmm Thank you. 👍
First time seeing this guy. I love him! You should invite him again sometime
This is our first clip with Guido. Much more to come.
@@filmcourage looking forward to that you guys are awesome!
@@tender0828 Cheers!
The older I get the more I see “talent” as merely someone being able to jump the gun before everyone else. But giving them a 5 second lead doesn’t mean they’ll out perform other runners who have been putting in the time, those who have trained, have practiced.
It also doesn’t mean that if you put in a million more hours of practice that you’ll be “better” than someone with “talent” either.
Writing, like anything we choose to do in this life, is both the hardest but also most rewarding BECAUSE OF that struggle, because you learn about yourself, the good with the bad, and of our humanity and life and everything! It’s brutal. It’s beautiful. It’s messy. It’s poetry. And regardless of fortune or fame, I write because: I have to. Because it’s how my heart can breathe. Because it’s when my mind can come alive. Because I know every person contains a multitude of stories and I can barely contain my own glee when thinking on the hundreds of stories I’ve yet to write. Stories, that once completed, will serve as time capsules, a piece of my soul, my self, hidden within.
One thing I've learned about writing, is that you have to live in literature and narratives. You're either always reading or writing. You can't do one without the other, and I'm always reading fiction books. You can't be a decent writer without developing a sense of what is terrible, mediocre, and great writing. Novels are the framework in which great writers develop their craft. Personally, if you don't read two to three books a week, you won't make it as a writer.
My cousin was Toni Morrison and she didn't read two or three books a week. The first four books she wrote, she had a full time job, and she was the single mother of two children. Those first three books are now considered classics. Her fifth book, Beloved, is a masterpiece. Folks who say there's only one way to accomplish something are blocking their creativity.
@@donnabailey566 Well stated
Huh - Reading 2-3 books weekly sounds like the Rx to make it as a book critic, or maybe lit. professor.
@@mickeyaugrec7560 The more novels you read and study the more techniques you can acquire. You essentially build a mental library of what works and doesn't work literally based on your preferences. It's how I built and continue to perfect my writing style. I'm always reading and improving. The same applies to other fields. The more you engross yourself in your craft, the better you will be.
@@mickeyaugrec7560 I agree with Andrew that one must read a lot, but it doesn't necessarily have to be books all the time. I subscribe to three national newspapers, and I read a lot of magazine articles. Intellectual curiosity is an important factor in becoming a writer. I own more than 3,000 books, so I'm high on literature, as well as nonfiction. I just have an issue with the two or three books a week mandate. Truman Capote read about the Clutter family in the New York Times, which is how he became interested in that story and later wrote In Cold Blood, a classic.
I would like to add that if you did well in your English literature and reading comprehension classes on all levels , you can grasp screenwriting . The only difference is that you're the driver , the author , the captain of the vessel . It's creative writing , but in a brief format . Less is best when it comes to this art .
Bravo! A man, a WRITER who finally tells it like it is. Not some phony who's all rainbows and butterflies and "if you write it they will come" ideology.
talent plus persistence and hard work makes lots of difference
Would love to see his pilot/movie about Tim Leary!
_If u're just keep questioning yourself and keep looking for why why why why... How bout start thinking in how how how how_
You haven't even gotten anywhere... and u already thinking 1000 reasons on why u wanna do it, getting philosiphical, making sure all ur reasons align with the fact ur destined to be a writer, u were born for it, this is ur calling.
No body give a sh*t about your reason. No body even give a sh*t if it's for a good cause, how dramatic it took you to get to that reasoning, or how that idea even came to mind in the first place.
The world only give a sh*t once u made it-it's been proven time and time again.
By that time, u can forge all the sh*t u want; make ur backstory tragic as ur reasons are noble... *_People. Simply. Won't. Bother._*
He has a solid line of works. I would watch other videos.
This is our first clip with Guido. Much more to come Antonio!
It's a harsh truth about any art: you shouldn't do it unless you have to. Unless there's some fundamental itch inside you that can only be fulfilled by some artistic outlet or another, don't. Go live a normal life and do normal people things.
The world has enough bad art and great art comes from those who simply cannot stop themselves from making whatever is their true creation. You don't even need to know what your "true creation" may be when you start learning the technical aspects of your medium, be those scales or shapes, but you _do_ need to _feel_ that it exists inside of you.
On a similar vein, it's also important to know, as an artist, when it is you should stop. When that inspiration doesn't burn through you, don't ruin your great works by being derivative. There is no easier way to outlive your cool than becoming a caricature of yourself.
Disagree completely.
@@chaosismyjam8187 Disagree with your disagreement.
And yet someone like Stephen King would say you shouldn't worry about the audience think - so the worry about 'outliving your cool' is your own concern.
Secondly, there are plenty of artists producing what would be arguably considered mediocre work, who are deeply passionate about what they do, and the idea they aren't is frankly patronising.
Who decides what is mediocre and what is great? It's not the artist's concern whether they are 'great' or not. It's up to the artist to express their perspective as they see it. People like it or don't. Just like there are people in the past who couldn't even get arrested in their lifetime, who are now household names, revered for their insight.
Your comment is really the romanticisation of the artist as 'genius'. It has little to do with the reality. Similarly, a lot of great artists went through creative slumps before making a leap forward, and had they stopped for fear of what the audience wanted or didn't want, the world would have missed out.
90 percent of the planet are completely thick. Let them get on with the normal stuff, and do yo thang anyway.
@@Ruylopez778 Exactly. People can do whatever they want. Art is about the act of creation. The audience is irrelevant.
Seeing Paul Feig’s interviews associated with Ghostbusters: total belief in himself despite that film being total rubbish. Astonishingly annoying in those.
Yeah he is pretty hit or miss it seems. Freaks and Geeks, who know how much he was involved in there. Also, he a couple books that recounted his life, mainly misadventures as an adolescent, which were funny.
Someone should make a movie based on this guy’s life.
Very true. Successful people are persistent. PhDs are not geniuses,...(some are)....they are persistent.
Define success.
@5:24 I think the word he is looking for is maybe technical?
good stuff
We tell stories everyday , we listen to music everyday , and they all have a beginning , middle , and end . Make a short from Michael Jackson's BEAT IT.
I used to be like this. I wrote all the time, I literally could love without. Now is many years I can't write. I even can't read other people works. I try to put small words on paper, I try to oprn the oc but nothing coming out. It's so frustrating but also sad, it's like to lose a old friend I don't want to lose but I don't know hot to keep her.
You are trying too hard.
Maybe you're right!
This guy is super articulate.
Well. Looking at some of the terrible screen writing out there today. They seem to be faking it. The writers of the Wheel of Time script are really poor as just one example. The dialogue is awful.
Wow. I need to go back a couple episodes and explore that some more, especially the scenes that made me think that the dialog felt disjointed. However, I do like the pacing and the plot.
I got through half the first episode and was like why should i care about any of these people? There was no hook or connection. The dialogue was bland and forgettable. First episode of GOT...exact opposite.
BE AMBITIOUS BE BE AMBITIOUS
Am I listening to a business man or a writer?
I have a script that is self written out of love, need, and passion for love, and life, about a 74 year old man, and a 34 year old woman who fall for each other on Instagram. All done except the ending. The end goal is he flies to Florida, picks her up, and goes to live in Puerto Vallarta, where after 12 years she casts his ashes in the sea, after he dies in her arms. Their eleven year old daughter cries as his ashes flow away with the breeze.
I'd watch that. How far have you gotten?
@@Dante_Infernape we are 3 weeks in, and still back and forth. She's in Florida, I'm in Phoenix. Looking for help in planning it for screen.
Maybe you can combine both (finding a coherent way of course)
A classic sugar daddy sugar baby love story
Why such an age gap? Sounds creepy.
This man is the finest dresser in the entire film industry 😍
This is an IMPORTANT video. Listen carefully, it's the truth.
rule one, dress like this dude
The opinions people have… Blah, blah, blah. It’s not only persistence, it’s really who you know, and who you can bullshit really well.
Damn - that's a sharp hat.
Interesting note at the end....is it the Vietnam war, the psychedelics, the 60's? hmm;)
JJ Abrams and Alex Kurtzman are proof you don't have to have talent.
That's why alex kurtzman conceived such a successful concept.
@@te9591 You mean Star trek?? Literally the WORST RATED SHOW on the Streaming Service??
So bad they sold it off to Pluto, where it continues to do ABYSMALLY??
Yeah, try again dude
@Blah Blah i got his name confused with the walking dead creator. Also, I bet you have a strong opinion, but what kind of writing have you accomplished? Many of you movie nerds on here always, always, talk crap and criticize, but I've yet to see where one of you guys deliver on something of your own.
@@te9591 You don't need to be a chef to know if a piece of chicken is undercooked with salmonella.
The word 'talent' is the cause of so much waisted human potential...
If people really wanted to, they would. Lack of talent is a weak excuse for inaction. Lack of genuine desire is what causes wasted potential.
Writing is easy
He reminds me of James McAvoy
"" check themselves
You don’t have to convince somebody, or talk them into being a screenwriter. How ridiculous.
I hate when people say : “ It’s so competitive “… it’s literally false and stupid to say that. You’re always only competing with yourself.
Depends on your goals IMO. If your goal is to write a bestseller (i.e. the financial side of writing is very important to you), then the competitive aspect will likely be a much bigger presence in your writing journey. In that situation, you’ll be vying for the attention of literary agents, publishers, marketing teams, etc. on a level that writers with other goals might not.
@@KevinWidesouls , What she meant is that nobody has your exact DNA, nor were there ever anybody quit like you on ever on this earth: You are an Original. You just have to write from your unique prospective, how you see and hear things. Nobody sees and hears things quite like you. You are one of a kind. YOU HAVE NO COMPETITION BUT YOURSELF!
@@KevinWidesouls If your main goal as a writer is to write a bestseller and make money - then do something else. Writing is an art. There is enough soulless drivel out there already.
✌✌✌✌
This guy looks like Tobey Maguire sort of.
You can be super successfull without talent but won't create something meaningful.
Unless you are thinking about intellectual diversity as well, No! the 1960's hippie movement wasn't accepting of difference. I don't know. Ppl tend to only concern themselves with the outward appearance when speaking on "diversity"..
$2 million an episode in a 10-episode season? In other words, 20 million per season. It isn't that bad. Producers have spent upwards of $200 million on idiotic movies like The GREEN HORNET, TRANSFORMERS, and last but not least, the MOST boring film in the last ten years, DUNE...
I enjoyed dune :) it had great sounds and it enticed me to read the book so i could know wtf was going on
@@You-th3cn Exactly write! I did not understand what the F**CK was going on except that was boring.
Kf the horre dous ness of modern cinema is anything to go bye than id day you can totally fake it....like across the board......you cant however also make something good at the same time
If I thought writing was "exhausting," I would never do it. He should get a job at McDonalds then go back to writing because he'd find that writing is FUN. I used to be a cartoonist, and I would write AND DRAW my own material. When writers would tell me that writing is hard, I would tell them that after they finish their next bit of writing, they should then DRAW IT OUT in comic strip form so that they could learn what hard work is. Of course this was always met with pompous self-aggrandizing by these "exhausted" writers. Do you know how a baseball player will put a weight on his bat to make it harder to swing? That's to trick his mind into thinking the bat is light when he steps up to the plate. If you think doing something fun is EXHAUSTING, then you need to make it harder on yourself briefly to remind yourself how lucky you are to get to be a writer.
Learn to love the work over the rewards. Means/Ends. "If you can't be happy washing dishes, you can't be happy."
In classic descriptions, art is a passion ... "pathos" ... SUFFERING. I might spend 3 hrs crafting 1 email and slave over every word only to be responded w "TLDR". Your art / passion is cartooning. Others here have a passion for wordcraft. Both can be exhausting. After 5 min of drawing, my hand is cramping, and my 9 yr old could do it better.
I don't know about exhausting, but writing is certainly not fun for me. It's very tedious, but ultimately fulfilling. Vince Gilligan summed it up best for me. He said he hates "writing," but loves having written.
@@williambartholmey5946
Remember the song "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger? In it there's the line, "every ounce of energy you try to give away". Obviously as a concert musician he's referring to his music and fans. As a writer, I try to do the same thing but w much less immediate feedback. I pour my heart & spirit into the words which can leave me feeling drained. Rest & a new idea renews my energy to pour it out again. By the spoonful or cupful or jugful, eventually the end is reached.
@@williambartholmey5946 I feel bad for you mate, and I don't mean to be disrespectful either. If you don't enjoy it, don't do it. Seriously, why put yourself through that process if you just wanna feel fulfilled at the end product?
Of course you can tell me to fuck off, but to me, writing for that reason isn't good.
I love writing, the actual process of putting words down on paper. It is hard at times, but it certainly isn't boring or tedious, nor should it be.
First
last
@@silentm999 No. I claim last.....do I get a prize?
Highly opinionated answers. Plenty of people find writing easy. Plenty of people love writing and don’t “need” the fame. Persistence to get onscreen... has nothing to do with your writing talent or desire.
Yeah you gotta want it til you sell out and write crap.
I lived through the 60s. Was that"freedom" that he was talking about have anything to do with riding on the back of a buss, or having dogs turned on you because you wanted the same rights as everyone else? How about the "long, hot summers" where every day was a protest full of turmoil? It's just romanticized, movie BS.
No u can't learn creativity
Sure you can. First, there is nothing a person can't learn. Does it take more practice and application for someone not as creative as another? Sure. But the more you do something, the better you generally get at it.
By creatively I think A Zechariah means inspired ideas that are above the norm. Which i agree, u cannot learn.
@@NonSenseMcGee Artists are born, not made.
come on people, lets stop saying --- thats a good question. Also, lets stop saying quote unquote. Lets break those habits