Carl Gottleib was hired as an actor on JAWS before Spielberg plucked him from the cast and asked him to do a rewrite on Peter Benchley’s troubled script. As any writer would, he pounced on the opportunity placed directly in front of him, and accepted the assignment. The resulting script eliminated his on-screen role almost entirely and wound up as the foundation for a timeless classic, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
The troubles encountered making JAWS are legendary, and recounted in vivid detail by screenwriter Carl Gottlieb in his book “The Jaws Log.” Even as most screenwriters see finding a producer as the finish line, getting a deal is just the conclusion of one chapter. As the line between writer and producer continues to blur, it behooves writers to consider the long journey to the screen from FADE IN.
Here are three cautionary tales from the set of JAWS.
“Steven (Spielberg) and I flew to Boston and Martha’s Vineyard, to start shooting a script that had not been through its final rewrite and that was still largely uncast,” he wrote. “As much fun as it was to be working a definite ‘go’ project (I had sold five screenplays already, but none had reached the screen), this was a little too close to ‘go’ for comfort.”
As writers, many of us aspire to a “go” project, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. On-set rewrites and changes may occur, but without a script in excellent shape, the production doesn’t have a clear direction. Not every troubled project results in a stone-cold classic like JAWS. Most wither and die before production even begins. Some make it through production with all the grace and dignity of a pillowcase full of silverware being dumped down the stairs. The specific landmines make themselves known in another excerpt.
“Nobody likes surprises. And surprises were emerging with every revision. ‘No coast guard station, boys, we’ve cut that scene.’ Out the window go weeks of getting permission to shoot, the rental of coast guard uniforms, and all the collateral work of preparing that scene. And, ‘The scene on the beach will be with all the extras.’ Out go the phone calls to eighty-five locals to show up at some corner of the island… a certain desperation began to creep into the production department as they received each set of pages, their bloodshot eyes feverishly dancing down the pages.”
When you write your script with an eye toward production, it’s critical to cut all the fat. Extraneous scenes inflate budgets. Last-minute rewrites strain staff to the point of making additional critical mistakes. If you’re shooting on location, locals become frustrated and reluctant to help. Imagine the scenario outlined above by Gottlieb if JAWS had a budget of $80,000 instead of $8m. The lack of resources would have strained the entire project until it collapsed into the ocean like the Orca.
“[On the second take,] I hear the cameraman go ‘Ooops!’ as a wave almost sweeps him over the side,” he wrote. “The swell crashes over the bow, dropping about a hundred gallons of seawater onto the sound recorder, who takes a wet earphone out of his head and comments, ‘That’s a wrap for sound.’… And that was our first day shooting on the ocean.”
There’s no accounting for luck. As your script becomes a film, there will be elements out of your control. Weather, injuries, mechanical breakdowns, and in the anecdote above, the ocean, can rise up to capsize even the most well-planned production. When they lost the sound for the day on JAWS, they also lost the day. On a tightly-scheduled production, these accidents can mean doom.
The only way to adapt for the randomness of luck is with a great script, executed flawlessly. A problem on day 21 of a production can be solved two years before the production even started with a writer who can see the big picture and write appropriately.
You can hear Carl Gottlieb relate more stories from the set of JAWS during his SCRIPT TO SCREEN LIVE session at this year’s London Screenwriters’ Festival.
Bob Schultz
www.LondonSWF.com
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Screenwriter & Instructor with 20+ Years in Film, TV, & Comics | Expert in Pitching, Adapting, & Script Development | Festival Producer | Engaging Speaker & Mentor | Passionate About Storytelling & Empowering Writers
