"Watchmen" co-writer David Hayter is one of the biggest names in sci-fi and the film industry and we are honored that he’ll be joining us as a panelist at the Screenwriters Conference this October. David took time out from preparing to make his directorial debut on his thriller script “Wolves,” to answer a few of our questions.


AFF: You have received much acclaim for your screenplay adaptation of "Watchmen," especially for its accuracy being translated from a comic. When adapting any piece of work to screen, how important is it to be accurate to the original body of work? How much creative lenience should writers allow themselves?
HAYTER: Each adaptation is different. With WATCHMEN, I felt that Alan Moore's story, characters and dialogue were all exceptional, and should not be altered to any great extent. My philosophy is; When it's great, don't f#*k with it. I like to keep whatever elements really move me from the original material, and translate them into the screenplay. However, that does not mean that a writer should necessarily go for a word for word adaptation. Many times, the dialogue does not translate well from the page to being spoken out loud, or the pacing does not fit into movie a tight movie structure. (The debate over WM focuses on those very elements, btw.) There are adaptations I've done where I have just taken the basic concept and essence of the original work, and written the rest as I feel will best work on screen.

Adapting a novel as perfect as WATCHMEN is an extremely rare opportunity. In short, writers should use their best instincts when determining what to keep and what to change.

AFF: What was the impetus for co-founding Dark Hero Studios (with producer Benedict Carver and production efforts specializing in horror, comic book and video games), as opposed to continuing on independently?
HAYTER: Actually, Dark Hero Studios was created to give my work a shot at independence. I traditionally work on very big, expensive movies, produced exclusively by the major studios, and while this can be extremely rewarding, it can be difficult to maintain control of the material. Benedict Carver and I formed Dark Hero Studios out of a desire to bring top-level storytelling to more modestly budgeted movies. This was to give us a little more control of the material, and offer an opportunity for ownership. It can create more restrictions, to work at a lower budget, but you can also be forced into more creative, filmic solutions. And in the end, it just seemed like an exciting way to make movies.

AFF: What challenges do writers face when working with animated projects?
HAYTER: Well, occasionally some talking animal will drop an anvil on your head.

I have done a little outline work for Dreamworks Animation, but it was really only at the planning phase, so I haven't really experienced the whole process. I know that an animated film can take as long as four years, so there is a long commitment there. But, you also get to see the project all the way through. So that's a plus.

Also, many times you can just draw a door on the wall, and walk right through it.

AFF: You've done quite a bit of voice acting and understand the importance voice plays in animated features. When you are writing, do you ever imagine specific artists for certain roles? Do you try out voices to see what works best for the character?
HAYTER: I occasionally try to picture an actor playing a role. But I will more often try to create the role out of character traits -- "She's angry at her father, she's neurotically clean, she's had a lifelong desire to pick strawberries...", for example -- And then see how that character's voice evolves. It's always more fun when you get a great actor, someone you never thought of, and they bring their sensibilities to an original character. That way, the audience doesn't always get what they're expecting.

But, voice-work experience is also very worthwhile, in that it teaches you about the value of inflection, clarity, and decision-making in creating scenes. It gives you an interesting perspective.


AFF: For people new to the industry, what do you think are the best stepping stones to a career in screenwriting? What advice do you give to aspiring writers?
HAYTER: I tell them, and this is true, to enter their work into Film Festival screenplay contests. It is the best advice I know. You will have a great deal of difficulty getting your script read, much less appreciated, in Hollywood. It can be done, but without prior credits, you are fighting a severe uphill battle. It costs little to enter a number of world-wide script competitions, and if you win a prize or two along the way, that is something you can use to help get you noticed.

Plus, professional Hollywood types might read your work, and feel compelled to take advantage of your talent and low, low writing quotes.

AFF: Who have you not yet worked with that you'd like to?
HAYTER: I have met, but not yet worked with, Guillermo Del Toro, who is my favorite modern director. I also really admire J.J. Abrams, and James Cameron is my personal idol. Oh, also, Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam, Stanley Kubrick and Robert Shaw. (I realize that a few of these may be long-shots.)

Have your own questions for David? Buy your Badge now and ask him at the 2009 Austin Film Festival & Conference, October 22-29.

Before a career in filmmaking Alex Orr was a ticket scalper and professional magician. He studied creative writing and theatre at Georgia State University. While attending GSU he met his fellow filmmakers and joined the film collective Fake Wood Wallpaper.

Alex Orr made his feature film debut at the 2007 festival with the dark comedy Blood Car. AFF talked with Alex about the journey of Blood Car and what he's up to now.

AFF: Tell me about your film that was screened at the festival.

Alex: "Blood Car" is a socially irresponsible B movie about gas prices hitting $30 a gallon and no one driving anymore. A teacher/spare-time inventor makes a car that runs on blood by accident. Bad jokes and grade school satire follow.

AFF: What was your motivation for submitting your film to the festival?

Alex: It's a known fact that Austin Film Festival is a great place to get your movie shown. It's a college town (good for my movie) and the concentration on screenwriting was something new to me. Submitting was a no-brainer, getting in was thrilling.

AFF: Do have a favorite memory of your time at the festival?

Alex: Oh yes. Jason Reitman announced during a small writer's Q&A with him and Diablo Cody that Kimya Dawson (a lot of her music is in "Juno") would be playing a gig in a little venue in town and that everyone should come out. I'm a Moldy Peaches fan so I went to the show, which was great. But my favorite memory was watching the crowd light up when her husband opened up for her. He was Swedish and played the guitar and drums with his feet and had an awesome John Lennon style rock voice. There were a bunch of filmmakers that came to the show and it was just a really fun night. I remember watching him set up and thinking, "where's the rest of the band?" it was awesome.

AFF: "Blood Car" was a unique mix of comedy and horror. Do you have a favorite genre?

Alex: Not really. I like whatever works. I can't say that I'm not into, or not a fan of a certain type of movie, because there is always at least one to prove me wrong. I'm not a "horror guy" by any means. I watch everything I can get my hands on in the hopes that it will get me excited and make me run out of the theatre screaming, "Buy your tickets! This movie is amazing!"

AFF: Was there a particular movie(s) that inspired you to make "Blood Car"?

Alex: I saw a lot of bad movies on the video store shelf and just spent weeks watching them all. And eventually wanted to be in the company of those bad movies on the video store shelf. I never thought I would play film festivals at all. I just wanted to walk into the video store and know that the first movie made it to an audience. I thought that would be pretty awesome for a first feature.

AFF: What's happened to the film since it played at the Austin Film Festival?

Alex: It made the video store shelf! We did a hybrid distribution to get the film out in the US. TLA Realing put it out in the US and Canada. And we sold the movie to Germany (Blut Auto! makes me laugh), Korea, Russia and are working on some more foreign territories. Chris Hyams and the awesome team at BSide.com put together a super cool store on my website so people can see the movie for just a couple bucks, or they can buy T shirts and posters.

We also played a bunch more festivals around the world (which is still crazy to me) and even did a really tiny theatrical run that I booked from my apartment and grossed about $850 (Yes, i know. We did almost beat out Transformers).

AFF: What are you currently working on?

Alex: I'm trying to put together the next silly movie. So I'm writing, in between working on other's people's TV shows and movies in Los Angeles. There was some time travel at one point, giant pelicans, a white supremacist with a black hand, telekinesis, feral orphans, a machine that cloned Keith Davids for a foosball tournament....you know, just business as usual.

More on "Blood Car"

Download "Blood Car" or shop "Blood Car" Merchandise

It's not to late to enter your film!

Late post-mark deadline: July 3rd

Very late deadline: July 15th

Just one more you reason you should be at the Austin Film Festival & Conference in October...