FCE Interview 23

Fail

Interviewer: This evening on ‘Young and Gifted’ I am joined in the studio by Julia Emerson, the young Scottish writer who’s recently had a screenplay accepted by a major Hollywood studio. Julia, I’m glad you could be with us today. Could I start by asking you to explain exactly why what you’ve done is so unusual?

Julia Emerson: Well, Hollywood films these days don’t start off with a screenplay. The screenplay only gets written after the producers have come up with an idea for a film. Then they contact agents to find at least one major star who will act in it. The next step is to get a team of anything up to twenty writers working on the screenplay. Now, I was inexperienced enough to think that I could simply write a screenplay and send it to a number of studios. Which is what I did. When I didn’t get an answer, I wrote another one. And this time, by some amazing chance. they accepted it!

Interviewer: I think everyone has been stunned by the fact that you’ve been successful with a screenplay at such an early age. But in fact, this isn’t the first piece of writing you’ve had published, is it?

Julia Emerson: No, it isn’t. I won a short story competition in a magazine when I was fifteen, and ever since then I’ve been writing in my spare time. I’ve had a number of articles published in teen magazines. I’ve always been fascinated by television and the cinema, and I even tried to develop an idea for a TV series, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Then I tried putting down an idea for a film, and the writing just flowed. Interviewer: Do you think you’re influenced very strongly by films you’ve seen? Julia Emerson: Yes, but I have to watch out, or I might end up writing a slightly different version of a classic! I suppose everyone who does anything creative has to think about that, though.

Interviewer: Can you tell us something about this screenplay that’s been bought by Planet Studios. What’s it about?

Julia Emerson: It’s about two sisters. who are stranded in the jungles of South America after a plane crash: they’re the only survivors. They have all sorts of adventures as they try to get back to civilisation. It’s an adventure story, but it’s also about the relationship between the two girls. You see, they’ve never been very close – in fact, at the start of the story they really hate each other. Or at least, they think they do.

Interviewer: How much of the story is based on your own experience?

Julia Emerson: Since I don’t have any brothers or sisters, in one way it’s clearly not based on my experience! But on the other hand, I have experienced how the feelings we have for our family can go through different stages and transformations. which is the real theme of the story. Interviewer: And when am I going to be able to see this film in the local cinema?

Julia Emerson: I’ve got no idea! The studio has paid for the right to use the screenplay. and they have that right -it’s called an option – for the next 2 years. They might make the film in that time, or they might buy the option again for another two years. It’s all out of my hands, in fact. So I try not to get too excited about seeing the story on the big screen one day because I have no way of knowing when that might be.

Interviewer: I hope it’s soon, anyway. Julia Emerson, thanks for talking to us.

Julia Emerson:Thank you.

Interviewer: This evening on ‘Young and Gifted’ I am joined in the studio by Julia Emerson, the young Scottish writer who’s recently had a screenplay accepted by a major Hollywood studio. Julia, I’m glad you could be with us today. Could I start by asking you to explain exactly why what you’ve done is so unusual?

Julia Emerson: Well, Hollywood films these days don’t start off with a screenplay. The screenplay only gets written after the producers have come up with an idea for a film. Then they contact agents to find at least one major star who will act in it. The next step is to get a team of anything up to twenty writers working on the screenplay. Now, I was inexperienced enough to think that I could simply write a screenplay and send it to a number of studios. Which is what I did. When I didn’t get an answer, I wrote another one. And this time, by some amazing chance. they accepted it!

Interviewer: I think everyone has been stunned by the fact that you’ve been successful with a screenplay at such an early age. But in fact, this isn’t the first piece of writing you’ve had published, is it?

Julia Emerson: No, it isn’t. I won a short story competition in a magazine when I was fifteen, and ever since then I’ve been writing in my spare time. I’ve had a number of articles published in teen magazines. I’ve always been fascinated by television and the cinema, and I even tried to develop an idea for a TV series, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Then I tried putting down an idea for a film, and the writing just flowed. Interviewer: Do you think you’re influenced very strongly by films you’ve seen? Julia Emerson: Yes, but I have to watch out, or I might end up writing a slightly different version of a classic! I suppose everyone who does anything creative has to think about that, though.

Interviewer: Can you tell us something about this screenplay that’s been bought by Planet Studios. What’s it about?

Julia Emerson: It’s about two sisters. who are stranded in the jungles of South America after a plane crash: they’re the only survivors. They have all sorts of adventures as they try to get back to civilisation. It’s an adventure story, but it’s also about the relationship between the two girls. You see, they’ve never been very close – in fact, at the start of the story they really hate each other. Or at least, they think they do.

Interviewer: How much of the story is based on your own experience?

Julia Emerson: Since I don’t have any brothers or sisters, in one way it’s clearly not based on my experience! But on the other hand, I have experienced how the feelings we have for our family can go through different stages and transformations. which is the real theme of the story. Interviewer: And when am I going to be able to see this film in the local cinema?

Julia Emerson: I’ve got no idea! The studio has paid for the right to use the screenplay. and they have that right -it’s called an option – for the next 2 years. They might make the film in that time, or they might buy the option again for another two years. It’s all out of my hands, in fact. So I try not to get too excited about seeing the story on the big screen one day because I have no way of knowing when that might be.

Interviewer: I hope it’s soon, anyway. Julia Emerson, thanks for talking to us.

Julia Emerson:Thank you.

Interviewer: This evening on ‘Young and Gifted’ I am joined in the studio by Julia Emerson, the young Scottish writer who’s recently had a screenplay accepted by a major Hollywood studio. Julia, I’m glad you could be with us today. Could I start by asking you to explain exactly why what you’ve done is so unusual?

Julia Emerson: Well, Hollywood films these days don’t start off with a screenplay. The screenplay only gets written after the producers have come up with an idea for a film. Then they contact agents to find at least one major star who will act in it. The next step is to get a team of anything up to twenty writers working on the screenplay. Now, I was inexperienced enough to think that I could simply write a screenplay and send it to a number of studios. Which is what I did. When I didn’t get an answer, I wrote another one. And this time, by some amazing chance. they accepted it!

Interviewer: I think everyone has been stunned by the fact that you’ve been successful with a screenplay at such an early age. But in fact, this isn’t the first piece of writing you’ve had published, is it?

Julia Emerson: No, it isn’t. I won a short story competition in a magazine when I was fifteen, and ever since then I’ve been writing in my spare time. I’ve had a number of articles published in teen magazines. I’ve always been fascinated by television and the cinema, and I even tried to develop an idea for a TV series, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Then I tried putting down an idea for a film, and the writing just flowed. Interviewer: Do you think you’re influenced very strongly by films you’ve seen? Julia Emerson: Yes, but I have to watch out, or I might end up writing a slightly different version of a classic! I suppose everyone who does anything creative has to think about that, though.

Interviewer: Can you tell us something about this screenplay that’s been bought by Planet Studios. What’s it about?

Julia Emerson: It’s about two sisters. who are stranded in the jungles of South America after a plane crash: they’re the only survivors. They have all sorts of adventures as they try to get back to civilisation. It’s an adventure story, but it’s also about the relationship between the two girls. You see, they’ve never been very close – in fact, at the start of the story they really hate each other. Or at least, they think they do.

Interviewer: How much of the story is based on your own experience?

Julia Emerson: Since I don’t have any brothers or sisters, in one way it’s clearly not based on my experience! But on the other hand, I have experienced how the feelings we have for our family can go through different stages and transformations. which is the real theme of the story. Interviewer: And when am I going to be able to see this film in the local cinema?

Julia Emerson: I’ve got no idea! The studio has paid for the right to use the screenplay. and they have that right -it’s called an option – for the next 2 years. They might make the film in that time, or they might buy the option again for another two years. It’s all out of my hands, in fact. So I try not to get too excited about seeing the story on the big screen one day because I have no way of knowing when that might be.

Interviewer: I hope it’s soon, anyway. Julia Emerson, thanks for talking to us.

Julia Emerson:Thank you.

Interviewer: This evening on ‘Young and Gifted’ I am joined in the studio by Julia Emerson, the young Scottish writer who’s recently had a screenplay accepted by a major Hollywood studio. Julia, I’m glad you could be with us today. Could I start by asking you to explain exactly why what you’ve done is so unusual?

Julia Emerson: Well, Hollywood films these days don’t start off with a screenplay. The screenplay only gets written after the producers have come up with an idea for a film. Then they contact agents to find at least one major star who will act in it. The next step is to get a team of anything up to twenty writers working on the screenplay. Now, I was inexperienced enough to think that I could simply write a screenplay and send it to a number of studios. Which is what I did. When I didn’t get an answer, I wrote another one. And this time, by some amazing chance. they accepted it!

Interviewer: I think everyone has been stunned by the fact that you’ve been successful with a screenplay at such an early age. But in fact, this isn’t the first piece of writing you’ve had published, is it?

Julia Emerson: No, it isn’t. I won a short story competition in a magazine when I was fifteen, and ever since then I’ve been writing in my spare time. I’ve had a number of articles published in teen magazines. I’ve always been fascinated by television and the cinema, and I even tried to develop an idea for a TV series, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Then I tried putting down an idea for a film, and the writing just flowed. Interviewer: Do you think you’re influenced very strongly by films you’ve seen? Julia Emerson: Yes, but I have to watch out, or I might end up writing a slightly different version of a classic! I suppose everyone who does anything creative has to think about that, though.

Interviewer: Can you tell us something about this screenplay that’s been bought by Planet Studios. What’s it about?

Julia Emerson: It’s about two sisters. who are stranded in the jungles of South America after a plane crash: they’re the only survivors. They have all sorts of adventures as they try to get back to civilisation. It’s an adventure story, but it’s also about the relationship between the two girls. You see, they’ve never been very close – in fact, at the start of the story they really hate each other. Or at least, they think they do.

Interviewer: How much of the story is based on your own experience?

Julia Emerson: Since I don’t have any brothers or sisters, in one way it’s clearly not based on my experience! But on the other hand, I have experienced how the feelings we have for our family can go through different stages and transformations. which is the real theme of the story. Interviewer: And when am I going to be able to see this film in the local cinema?

Julia Emerson: I’ve got no idea! The studio has paid for the right to use the screenplay. and they have that right -it’s called an option – for the next 2 years. They might make the film in that time, or they might buy the option again for another two years. It’s all out of my hands, in fact. So I try not to get too excited about seeing the story on the big screen one day because I have no way of knowing when that might be.

Interviewer: I hope it’s soon, anyway. Julia Emerson, thanks for talking to us.

Julia Emerson:Thank you.