When the screenwriter of such classic movies as The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (not forgetting Marathan Man and The Princess Bride) declares that, for all his experience and talent, ‘nobody knows anything’* when it comes to making hit films andTV shows and any other artistic endeavour you’d care to mention, then we need to listen. William Goldman wasn’t saying that anyone could make a blockbuster, but that there was no science you could apply to guarantee a successful communication.
You had to be able to trust your instincts rather than focus groups, and work hard to putting quality up on the screen rather than what you think people want.
Nobody really knows what audiences want: if they did all films or TV programmes would be brilliant hits. They aren’t. Most aren’t any good at all. So, how do you ensure that you have the best chance of getting your message across so that the audience listens, remembers and appreciates what you had to say?
In my view it’s all about integrity.
It’s about being straight-forward about what you want to say, and thinking about the audience first, rather than your own narrow agenda. If you make the film or video – or any kind of communication, be it live or recorded – so that it works as an entity; so that it’s an honest piece of work – then people will respond.They always do.
That’s how I like to work.
You had to be able to trust your instincts rather than focus groups, and work hard to putting quality up on the screen rather than what you think people want.
Nobody really knows what audiences want: if they did all films or TV programmes would be brilliant hits. They aren’t. Most aren’t any good at all. So, how do you ensure that you have the best chance of getting your message across so that the audience listens, remembers and appreciates what you had to say?
In my view it’s all about integrity.
It’s about being straight-forward about what you want to say, and thinking about the audience first, rather than your own narrow agenda. If you make the film or video – or any kind of communication, be it live or recorded – so that it works as an entity; so that it’s an honest piece of work – then people will respond.They always do.
That’s how I like to work.
*William Goldman: Adventures in the Screen Trade
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