A friend of mine is tight with the writer/director Barry Levinson. If you don’t know who Barry is, you probably know his work – Rain Man, Diner and a million other great films. Anyway, my friend told me that he once asked Barry how he wrote such great copy. Barry said, simply, “I listen.” After thinking about that for a while, I’ve totally bought into this school of thought.
What comes out of people’s mouths is often more interesting, funnier, and way more natural than what comes out of our fingers as we tap away at our scripts. So now I listen a little harder to what people say and how they say it.
One thing that really happened I will definitely use in a script someday:
A 400 lb man is sitting in his vintage convertible – we’ve rented the car for a film shoot. He has permanently removed the vehicle’s backseat to allow for a little extra “leg” room. Making small talk before the camera rolls, I say:
John: So… Richie what do you do for a living?
Richie (he smiles, leans back and replies):
What’dya mean what do I do… I’m doin’ it!
If you’re looking for inspiration just carry a pad and pen or a tape recorder with you everywhere you go. Eventually you’ll hear something worth pilfering. I may blog back in here with more samples as they happen.
Here’s another trick to try. If you’re not sure about a piece of dialogue, read it into your voicemail and then call in and listen. This often makes it easier to pick out copy that doesn’t ring true.
So what’s a writer’s best tool? Well, if you’re writing dialog, the answer is simple – your ears. Here’s a great quote from Barry Levinson’s Diner.
“You know what word I’m not comfortable with? Nuance. It’s not a real word.
Like “gesture.” Gesture’s a real word. With gesture you know where you stand.
But nuance? I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.”
You can’t make that kind of stuff up. Check out more movie trivia and great dialogue here.
