Onfilm magazine: Gavin Strawhan extra

Strawhan again

In the July issue of Onfilm writer and story producer Gavin Strawhan provides his p.o.v on the making of Burying Brian. In this exclusive website extra he talks about Go Girls – the show he’s currently working on – and why he forsook a career as a biologist for that of a screenwriter, as well as proffering his advice to aspiring writers.

How long have you been a script writer?
I started writing for the theatre in Adelaide and had my first play produced about 25 years ago. Then I sold out and went to Neighbours nearly 20 years ago!

How long have you been able to support yourself as a script writer?
25 years.

Which of your script writing credits are you most proud of and why?
Shit, there’s quite a lot really. I’m proud of being involved in setting up Shortland Street’s writing department and the many, many episodes I wrote.
I enjoyed writing the first Lawless telefeature. I really loved creating and writing Being Eve.
There was an episode of Mercy Peak I saw again the other week on TVNZ 6 and liked.
Maddigan’s Quest was a lot of fun too and working with Rachel Lang is always good value.
Writing all six eps of Burying Brian felt big at the time.
A recent episode of Outrageous Fortune was a lot of fun to write.
Shit, I just came back from a cast script read-through tonight of an episode of Go Girls and I thought that was pretty good – though it still needs a bit of a prune.
And Michael Bennett and I have been writing a film – Matariki (formerly Exit 50, formerly Dick) for about six years – that’s up to about draft 20 in real terms – and I just heard today that it might actually, finally, be made! I think that’s a pretty good script and I’m really proud of our perseverance.

Are there any credits that particularly pain you, in terms of how they turned out as opposed to what could have been, and why?
The second and third Lawless telefeatures were rushed and a bit ill-conceived. I should’ve been smarter and taken more care. My first mini-series, The Chosen, was quite a strong idea that wasn’t properly realised. I wanted to do something that suggested that maybe a cult wasn’t a bad alternative to growing up in an oppressive country town – but instead it was kind of turned in a schlock thriller. I think it was a case of the production wanting something different than what the script was giving. Or maybe the script was just crap. I don’t know.

Did you always want to grow up to be a script writer?
No. I went to university to do biology but started going out with an actress and realised that drama was easier – and the parties and the drugs were better.

How did you “learn” script writing?
Because of my involvement with said actress, I started getting involved in political street theatre (pause for laughter) and we played in a band together. Somehow I ended up at the drama centre (of Flinders university) doing an honours degree in theatre direction and performance. As part of that we started developing our own shows and after graduation we toured one that we devised and I co-wrote – and… so on… then working for Neighbour and Shortland Street – fast-turnaround television is a great way to see your mistakes up on screen.

Did you ever read any scriptwriting books for help in terms of formatting/layout etc?
No. I read scripts.

What about script software packages – do you use one?
Final Draft.

What was your first script writing gig?
When I ran away from the Adelaide Socialist Feminist Theatre Collective I ended up in Sydney and wrote to all the production houses offering my services. As luck would have it, Grundy’s were looking for a trainee script editor. They gave me a script to edit, so I took it away and sat with some friends of mine who gave me a crash course in Neighbours 101. I didn’t know how to edit, so I rewrote the script entirely. But fortunately Ray Kolle (the head writer) liked what I’d done. This meant I was offered a trainee script editor position – and scripts to write as well.

What’s your current gig as head writer on SPP’s 13-part Go Girls involve?
I’m executive producing (or show running), which basically means running everything to do with the story and scripts – in consultation with Rachel Lang, the other EP and co-creator, and writer Kate McDermott. I think we pitched the idea about a year ago. We’ve been shooting for four weeks now. And we’ve nearly finished writing it, honest we have guv!
I’m also involved in casting and as a sounding board for producer Chris Bailey on pretty much anything to do with realising the scripts: I meet with the directors to talk through their blocks and draw anything to their attention that I think is important; chat with the cast about their story arcs; watch the rushes; get involved in editing; talk about music – basically stick my nose in where I can.

What kind of feedback – whether it’s from a production company, broadcaster or funder of some sort – do you find useful, and what’s useless?
I’ll pretty much take anything I think will improve the script.
A good rule of thumb – if three people all have a similar issue, they’re probably right.
I like problems to be pointed out in general terms; I’m less receptive to being told exactly what to write. In fact, I’m kind of counter suggestive in that way. Unless of course, it’s a brilliant suggestion, in which case I’m happy to steal it and claim it as my own.
The worst feedback is when the person clearly wants to make the project into something it’s not. Like turning a romantic comedy into a splatter fest vampire thriller. Don’t laugh, it happens…

Got any other projects on the boil/simmer/about to be put on the stove that you’d care to tell us about?
The film I mentioned, Matariki. After 20 drafts the script still makes me laugh and cry.
Rachel and I have just got funding for another series that is terrifyingly huge in concept, but it’s too early to say much more about it.
I’m writing a film for SPP based on PC Laird’s novel (and based on a real event) called The Shadow World. I deeply love the project, even though it will probably end up being in Japanese. That’s probably enough to be going on with…

What’s the best aspect of being a script writer?
Being paid to play in my head.

The worst?
Spending all that time in my head.

Any advice to aspiring script writers?
Write a lot. Don’t sit on one idea and think it’s brilliant. It probably isn’t. Write a lot. Love your characters for all their flaws. Write a lot.

Which script writers do you admire most, and why?
Films? Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine). Scherfig and Jensen (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself). Lukas Moodysson (Together). These films made me laugh and cry and I was jealous and wished I’d written them. I like Krzysztof Piesiewicz’s work a lot even I don’t know how to pronounce his name! Of course, nobody’s heard of him – he co-wrote all of Kieslowski’s films. I’m also a big fan of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett and IAL Diamond.
Television; predictable but I was a Sopranos fan. And I like Scrubs (Bill Lawrence) when it’s on form. Entourage (Doug Ellin) is sharp as hell. David E Kelly can be hit and miss and too quirky in a contrived way – but no one is better at putting American politics into drama scripts.

What are your all-time favourite NZ TV shows and films, in terms of writing, and why?
Too many people to offend if I start down this road…

Anything else you’d like to mention?
Fuck, I hope you give this a good edit.