DAVID SAINTSearch WILDsound  11 Questions with DAVID SAINT. A WILDsound WINTER 2009 TV Screenplay Finalist 1. What is your screenplay about? It's written for the AMC original series MAD MEN, created by Matthew Weiner, which centers on a New York advertising agency in the 1960s called Sterling Cooper, and the attendant social, political, professional, and sexual mores of that time. The era when doctors promoted cigarettes as healthy, men drank whiskey like water, and viewed women strictly through a salacious lens. This Emmy-winning show's thematic palette is quite deep, but I would say it focusses on the American identity, the pursuit of the American dream, how advertising reflects the wishes and fears of people. At it's heart, it's about today. People struggling in their jobs and their families, trying to get some kind of meaning out of it, and, maybe, a little happiness, too. My script is "about" trespassing. It focusses on Don Draper, the series lead and creative director at the agency; an up-and-coming accounts executive named Pete Campbell; and an obviously gay man whom no one knows is gay named Salvatore Romano, head of the art department. In the script, Don is afraid he will be caught by his wife, Betty, for having an affair, and struggles to cover-up evidence that indicates it, while Pete is trying to expose Don's lies about Don's identity, so Pete can move up the corporate hierarchy, and Sal develops an intimate relationship with a man, which threatens to reveal his secret to everyone in the office. 2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay? I love the series. It's such a great show. And I wanted to see what it would be like to write a spec script for TV. So I gave it a shot. 3. How long have you been writing screenplays? Two years. 4. What is your favorite TV show of all-time? The one I followed the most devoutly was X-FILES. But I don't have a favorite. 5. What artist in the industry would you love to work with? Tony Gilroy. 6. Who was your hero growing up? My parents. 7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years? Living in New York and writing full-time; ideally, for stage and screen. 8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? Absolutely. I do my brand of sumo, and I do my best, but I would say I focus on story first. That is where ninety percent of my effort goes. The bones and structure of good storytelling. I start by writing the complete story in a paragraph. Then I pitch it to people, see how they react. If you can't move someone in a two-minute conversational story, you ain't gonna move them in a long screenplay. This is a way for me to ensure that I'm hitting the beats, and that the story is something people care about. I'm a morning person. I usually work four to eight hours a day, depending on what's going on. And I'm a physical person, so it's a lot pacing, writing in large letters, etc. And always learning. Screening films in the genre I'm writing, learning what they do, cliches to avoid, how to take the genre forward. I'm in film school right now at Florida State, so I have the time to do this. 9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? As a kid I was outside all the time, and that has carried over into my adult life. Bike riding, lifting weights, diving. I have a huge soft-spot for fine clothes, and follow American designers like Nice Collective and Band of Outsiders. I love interior design. And I love music. Eventually I'd like to make music. My fiancée is from Cali, Colombia, which is the world capital of salsa dancing. I'm doing my best to keep up with her. 10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Script Contest? A writer friend of mine recommended I submit. 11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers? Learn to tell a story. Early in my career a teacher hit me with something obvious and overlooked. He said, "It's so backwards to me that most writers are afraid to tell a story to someone face-to-face, or are afraid to talk about their ideas to people. You must move the audience. And people are the audience." So learn how to move the audience. Learn how to tell a story. Practice it in conversation. To family, people you know --- but especially --- people you don't know. Not only will your social life improve --- which is important for writers, since it's such a solitary craft --- but your storytelling will improve. You'll be shocked at how easy and fun writing is when you do this. How simple the beats are. Start with your favorite films. Then move on to your films. Enjoy it.
David Saint
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