JAMES M. FREMAN
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
San Jose, California Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? In my writings, I call attention to the voices of people who are typically overlooked and underrepresented. All of my screenplays draw on my decades of research in India, Southeast Asia, and the USA, and my years as head of two nonprofit organizations assisting children in refugee camps and in Vietnam. “The Hearing,” a work of fiction, was inspired by my decades of volunteer work with these children. I have also written this script as a short story, but the script appears to carry more of a punch. How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN? The idea of the story has been with me for years. It’s been at least ten years that I have worked and reworked this story—first as a feature, and in the past two years as a short that stands by itself. The short is basically Act 3: Resolution of the story. For shorts, I start with a single, powerful incident, then develop it using the simple structure of a beginning, middle and end. For “The Hearing,” I added an edgy second surprise ending. The development of a clear, powerful logline is crucial. For features, I try to follow a fairly standard beat sheet, then add scenes with conflict, add descriptions, add dialogue. Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? In my writings, I call attention to the voices of people who are typically overlooked and underrepresented. All of my screenplays draw on my decades of research in India, Southeast Asia, and the USA, and my years as head of two nonprofit organizations assisting children in refugee camps and in Vietnam. “The Hearing,” a work of fiction, was inspired by my decades of volunteer work with these children. I have also written this script as a short story, but the script appears to carry more of a punch. How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN? The idea of the story has been with me for years. It’s been at least ten years that I have worked and reworked this story—first as a feature, and in the past two years as a short that stands by itself. The short is basically Act 3: Resolution of the story. For shorts, I start with a single, powerful incident, then develop it using the simple structure of a beginning, middle and end. For “The Hearing,” I added an edgy second surprise ending. The development of a clear, powerful logline is crucial. For features, I try to follow a fairly standard beat sheet, then add scenes with conflict, add descriptions, add dialogue. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? I am an 87-year-old retired professor of anthropology, so I am not looking for career development. I’d like to sell “The Hearing” or its full feature to a filmmaker/producer/director, who appreciates the urgency of this story. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? My entry was a resubmitted complete short script. I had previously submitted complete short and feature scripts on the same story. Given the analyst’s comments, I concluded that the easiest one to improve to meet the next submission deadline was the short. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? Many years ago, I was profoundly affected by the Jules Dassin film, “He Who Must Die,” and the novel from which it was drawn, “The Greek Passion” by Nikos Kazantzakis. I was fascinated with the idea of telling a story about a contemporary event which mirrored a wider mythic tale. I do this in the feature, from which the short is taken. I draw loosely on Nguyen Du’s narrative poem, “The Tale of Kieu,” as the mythic tale played out in the refugee saga. Many refugees said to me that they likened their travails to that of Nguyen Du’s heroine, and they consider her sufferings to represent those of the Vietnamese people. In the end, I veer away from the mythic tale. The short contains that departure. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Listen to your critics. If you receive a number of similar evaluations from several different readers, pay attention. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? Feature Film: “The Lost Gospel.” An archaeological thriller set in India Feature Film: “The Untouchable Student.” A social drama/crime story in India in the 1950s. Feature Film: “Unaccompanied Minor.” The long version of “The Hearing.” |
