Why first-time screenwriters need to understand all about genre

15 August, 2016 - 06:26

Co-founder of Dark Matter Studios Henk Pretorius talks about why writers should understand genre and audience.

Henk's impressive list of films as a writer-director and/or producer include Blood and Glory (2016), Leading Lady (2014), Fanie Fourie's Lobola (2013), and the Bakgat Trilogy (I 2006, II 2008 & III 2010)

Martin Nel caught up with him in North Hollywood last month.

1. How do your expectations compare before going to Hollywood with now? (A sort of before/after shot)

I think people talk about Hollywood and really mean: Los Angeles, but probably mostly Beverly Hills and they imagine themselves in Rodeo Drive, sitting with a movie star and gazing into the land of opportunity with people captivated by your talent and what you have to offer.

Los Angeles is not like that at all. It might have been, long-long ago, but today it's the home of ten million people, trying to get their projects off the ground or kick start their careers as actors.

Waking up in Hollywood is a noisy pool of desperate voices all screaming to be heard and with only a few that ever get invited to the inner circle of show business And when you do get the invite, you better sing a song worth listening too.

Or you should ask yourself not what Hollywood can do for you, but what you can do for it I think this is the secret of having a career in the town, fruitful contribution to its still magical glimpses of glamor.

And that is what Dark Matter Studios is all about!

2. You have credits as an actor, writer, director and producer, but from what I've read you started more as a writer. Do you think writing better prepared you for your successes?

Firstly, I do not view myself as successful. I think it's creative suicide to not keep growing and the narcissistic lure of feeling successful only leads to the lack of future challenges and more trials and tribulations. You have to stay humble enough to learn and confident enough to put your work out there. It's a fine balance.

In all honesty, my goal to become an international storyteller, which I view as everything that contributes to the emotional journey you provide an audience with when viewing content, is still a few miles from my reach.

I think I am a writer first, because I have been writing since I got taught by my patient grade one teacher and have been decoding meaning by mostly scribbling my thoughts on paper.

I then see myself as a businessman in the arts. I love the idea that whatever I write, direct and produce gets seen. And in all honesty, it's not really about the money that comes from the idea of being bankable, it's the joy I feel when walking in South African streets and hearing a quote of one of my films. Or someone approaching me and thanking me for changing their perception on something that helped them to grow. Or even someone criticizing me and helping me to grow.

If the goal is to grow, the joy is not being successful or reaching a specific milestone, it's finding your contentment in the journey.

And so far, so good

3. I've heard Hollywood gurus advise new writers to start with a comedy. Would you agree with that?

I think it is because the budget of comedic films is generally lower than other film genres. Yet, making an audience laugh is obviously a skill that not every writer that knows the theory of writing , has. I would advice against writing a film just because you want to crack into the film industry, you have to think about the economic aspect of the film, but what is more important is that it is really the best possible work you can offer.

Producing a film is also sometime much cheaper than actually distributing the film. So keep the following in mind: if you end up making a really crafty comedy for five million, and the print and advertising cost can be between 20 million - 30 million USD to distribute the film in North America, why would a studio take a change on a film that costs less than the latest science fiction for 20 million plus? The content's potential returns needs to outweigh the risk of distribution and for Dark Matter Studios, we are currently more interested in working with bigger budget films, in an array of genre, than something as difficult to translate to all culture globally like a comedy.

With that being said, I have also spoke to a couple of Hollywood Gurus, and the only thing they all have in common, is that their advice is all slightly different.

My rule before I write anything is: do I have the means to get the film that I am writing made? And if so, will distributors be interested in spending exuberant money on distributing it?

This study usually takes me anything between two and six months to complete, before I start writing the first page.

4. You were quite successful writing SA's first teen comedy trilogy, what motivated you to go for that audience? Was it because you wanted to hit the four quadrants' as they say?

I was twenty-four years old when I wrote and directed Bakgat 1. At heart, I was still a teenager and it was definitely a phase that I understood well and also really enjoyed. Just like the lead character, I was a geek in school, yet excelled in sports. My dream for being the popular guy actually also realized and once I was more popular, it too felt empty. Wimpie learns that love is more important than achievement, it's a lesson that an A-type personality like myself get taught every time he feels the throws of achieving my goals and setting new ones once the feeling of being victorious wears off Achievements only really have meaning if you can share them with others, which is why my business partner, Llewelynn Greeff, and myself really believe in the philosophy of lifting other creatives up around us.

I also worked with another producer back then, that really made me realiz

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