Screenwriters share trade secrets

Tuesday, May 7, 1996

‘Jumanji’ team brings knowledge to Extension classBy Kathleen
Rhames

Daily Bruin Contributor

Stan Chervin often compares members of the French Underground to
screenwriters.

"They’re never allowed to talk to each other unless they’re
captured by the Nazis!" he laughs. "There is a sense that
screenwriters never get to talk to other screenwriters, so any
opportunity to have that I’m very supportive of."

The former executive at Tri-Star Pictures has found opportunity
moderating a screenwriting class through UCLA’s Extension program.
The class features a conglomeration of shared experiences and
writing style by professional writers who have had recent
blockbuster scripts. This week’s session will spotlight Jim Strain
and Greg Taylor, co-writers of one of the year’s most entertaining
and creative films, "Jumanji." For Strain and Taylor, speaking to
prospective screenwriters puts them at the other end of the
spectrum, allowing them to interact with the audience.

"It’s not as much a mystery to us anymore," Taylor says. "But, I
think people are going to be interested in a lot of the experiences
we went through ­ what we did to get the film made, how we got
the job and our experiences on the film. I know from my perspective
when I was first starting out, I wanted to hear how it was done and
what the process was."

Strain’s feelings are equitable with his partner’s. As an
alumnus of UCLA’s film school, there’s a bit of personal
significance that goes with speaking.

"It’s nice to come back and see the other side," he says. "In
some of the courses I took and things I did, I remember being on
the other side of the classroom with people who had had things
produced. I think any educational institution that’s eager to
supplement the theory with the practical is fun to be a part
of."

As a whole, the class runs three hours and is split into three
segments. The first gives a general overview of the writer’s
career: how they got involved in writing, the first script they
sold and any movies they’ve done. Following this is a more detailed
case study of the writer’s particular film, viewed from both the
business and creative side. And finally, the last segment is
composed of a question and answer session in which the writers can
interact with the audience on a personal level.

For Strain and Taylor, the success of "Jumanji" began in the
early stages of production.

"We meshed pretty well together, which was good," Taylor says.
"Jim and I had been exchanging scripts for years, giving each other
notes. The collaboration grew out of that."

Strain shares Taylor’s view.

"The nice thing about collaborating is that our sensibilities
are very compatible," he says. "We both had, on occasion, different
views of things but it’s good for sending up warning flags if
you’re going in the wrong direction. One thing kicks off another
thing. It’s almost like we vetoed each other on certain occasions
and yet if we found something that we both liked, that seemed to
move us to the next step."

Chervin credits the screenwriters’ talent in bringing the
children’s book, "Jumanji," to life on the silver screen.

"I know they’re both terrific people," he says. "They’re both
terrific writers and very imaginative. They added a lot of
character aspects to the final version of the film."

Chervin, along with both Strain and Taylor, chose to participate
through UCLA based on its excellent reputation in the film and
television field. For Strain, being a graduate of the major
enforces his respect for UCLA.

"One of the luxuries about being in Los Angeles is that the
universities here do have access to people working in the industry
and they all take advantage of that. I think you can get that more
readily here than anyplace else," he says.

Chervin takes Strain’s view a bit further in his acclamation of
UCLA Extension.

"I’ve always felt that their main goal was education," he says.
"I didn’t want to be put in a position where I was exploiting the
would-be writers. There are a lot of scams where people are out
just to make a profit. I wanted to make sure I was dealing with a
non-profit organization."

Chervin’s motivation for teaching the class stems from a desire
to portray the real side to screenwriting. He adamantly supports
hard work and denounces the "overnight success" schemes so often
advertised throughout the media.

Chervin’s beliefs are based on certain criteria that he vows is
the key to successful writing.

"One is you make your own luck. There really isn’t some lucky
break or overnight success," he says. "Almost every writer who
speaks has written for years, tried to keep down one or more jobs
as they wrote and then finally started to crack through. Not only
is no one’s path to success the same but neither is anyone’s way of
working. The techniques, the styles, everybody has a different way
of working and that’s all OK."

CLASS: UCLA Extension screenwriting class featuring Jim Strain
and Greg Taylor of "Jumanji," Wednesday, May 8, 7-10 p.m. Math
Sciences 4000A. $30 at the door, pending available space. For more
info. call (310) 206-1542.