On today’s episode of Creative Space, we have the pleasure of speaking with screenwriter Brian Clark. He has quite the inspiring creative journey so far, getting his start as a publicist in New York City for films like Rachel Getting Married, Coco Before Chanel, and the Runaways. He then moved to Paris where he worked as a film correspondent for websites like Movieline. Today he resides in LA where he co-founded the film series Projections and is busy as a screenwriter. His latest film, Vesper, which he co-wrote with Bruno Samper and Kristina Buozyte, was just released on September 30 through IFC films.

We talk about his career beginnings and the importance of building healthy collaborative relationships, as well as debunk a myth or two about what it really takes to get a script made.

For more on Vesper, visit: vespermovie.com.

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SHOW NOTES:

00:00—Introduction

01:44—What drew Brian to screenwriting

03:26—The allure of movies he wasn’t allowed to see

04:28—Play is the best case scenario of what creativity can be

05:06—Why horror films inspired him in his early days

08:30—Working as a film publicist in NYC

11:08—Why writing movie reviews was second nature

13:26—Following his future wife to Paris

15:45—How life in Paris shaped his perspective

17:30—Learning contentment

18:30—Brian’s definition of creativity

20:30—Why it’s now in the “bin of meaningless words”

22:42—The discipline of creativity

23:00—What is it actually like being a screenwriter?

25:10—The myth of spec scripts

26:00—Tips for getting a movie made now

27:20—Choosing which idea to pursue

30:20—Why ideas are overrated

31:40—Working with his collaborators on “Vesper”

35:14—How he met Bruno and Kristina

36:46—What inspired “Vesper”

42:00—Writing the script for “Vesper”

43:30—Collaboration without ego

45:00—Dialogue tips

46:00—Knowing what will work on screen

46:44—What Brian wishes he knew 10 years ago

48:15—What’s next