Interview (Part 4): Jack Waz

My interview with the 2024 Black List writer for his script Decoys.

Jack Waz wrote the screenplay Decoys which landed on the 2024 Black List. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Jack about his creative background, writing multiple Black List scripts, and his approach to the craft of screenwriting.

Today in Part 4 of a 6-part series to run each day this week, Jack talks about his approach to writing action sequences, his affection for Shane Black’s writing style, and his disdain for the so-called “unfilmable” screenwriting rule.

Scott: Speaking of set pieces, I know a screenwriter who writes action. That is straight full-on action. He has in his home office a whiteboard that’s simply like, what would be a cool set piece? This seems like they’ve all been done. You have some very interesting ones. Is that something you set your mind to like, I got to come up with a unique environment in which to conduct some action here?

Jack: It usually starts off with, what’s a fun place for a sequence or a stock place? It feels right for them to start at the docks. It feels right for there to be a high-end gallery or museum sequence. It feels right for there to be a chase sequence. It feels right for there to be an airborne sequence. It feels cool to have, what’s the biggest I can go for the finale?

Once you figure out the stock of it, here’s A to B to C to D, whatever, then it’s how do you support that? How do you make it different than what you’ve seen before? One of my favorite pieces of this movie is the is the museum sequence. I love in the Mission movies, like, the mask stuff.

That would be really funny, what if he keeps playing in the wrong direction? What if you have a moral obligation to playing the guy, how do you square that away?

Scott: That was very funny. This is what I’m saying, you got this retro feel, but also, it’s very contemporary. There’s a little setup to that scene that you’re talking about where they come in after that opening thing — I guess Sheila is an assistant, and Griff comes in, “Sheila, what’s cooking good looking?” Sheila says, “HR said you guys can’t talk to me like that anymore”

Then they go to this thing where Griff is supposedly going to get these masks, but he knocks out a guy and he’s black. He says, I’m not really comfortable with this whole situation. Jonas says, “We’re running out of time, Griff. You need to get to the security office.” This feels like a hate crime. It’s this whole sort of cultural appropriation. The next guy is Korean.

Jack: Exactly. It’s not a detail you would ever think about in the Mission movies, but it was something where I’m like, oh, yeah, it’ll be really interesting. What’s the moral conundrum of if you feel like, what would you do to save the world? It felt really fun to put Griff in that really squeamish place. Then, of course, it leads to there’s all the buildup of no one’s the same race as him.

Eventually, he finds the guy, and the printer’s out of mask juice. That way he looks like a goblin trying to break into the security room. It’s just, how do you build that joke and then be the final twist at the end of, oh, it didn’t actually matter? He’s saying he’s put it off so long that he only gets a half mask.

Of course, that leads into another sequence I’m really proud of, which is the fight carefully sequence in the in the weapons room. It’s like, yeah…

Scott: Oh, I love it.

Jack: In the “John Wick” movies, he just stumbles into a knife factory, so they’re going to fight with knives now. I was like, it’ll be awesome to have a sequence like that where you can’t touch any of the fun shit on the walls. I grew up adoring Jackie Chan movies, and that is the most Jackie Chan thing I’ve ever written. How do you do the most acrobatic fight and causes the least amount of damage possible?

Scott: I love that scene because you’re exactly right, it subverts expectations. First, you see this thing, you’re like, oh my God, this is going to be great. They’re going to have all these weapons come out and all hell will break loose. No. They’ve got to be super careful. I thought that was great.

How much to think like that was influenced by or helped by your experience doing improv and sketch work?

Jack: Oh, absolutely. The reason I am able to write is because I did improv for so many years. It’s always thinking yes and, or how do I one up the scene? What’s the game to the scene? What’s the twist I can introduce to the scene? The characters, the action, the brainstorming is just it’s improv mind.

I picture a scene. Here are the characters. What are the situations? How do we make this different? Every improv scene, it’s supposed to be the most important moment of these characters’ lives. It’s the exact one we are watching right now. That’s why you’re watching this improv scene. You take that mindset to scene work.

The reason we are watching this movie, the reason we are watching this exact moment right now is because this is a defining moment of these characters’ lives. Everything we are watching is the most important thing that will ever happen to this person.

Scott: Are you a fan of Shane Black?

Jack: I’m a massive fan of Shane Black, yeah.

Scott: There’s a couple of moments there where you’re winking at the reader. Of course, I literally remember when “The Last Boy Scout” came out. Reading that script…

Jack: “Boy Scout” definitely rules.

Scott: The script, literally, he breaks the fourth wall big time there. You got a couple of references there talking about this place where they show up with all these rich people. It says, quote, “It makes Bohemian Grove look like the Santa Barbara Film Festival,” which I thought was great.

Then you also have another one, “Sweeping establishing shots of all the sights and sounds, the even more beautiful, the protection friendly state of Massachusetts has to offer.” You’re looking at the reader.

Jack: That purely came from, I thought it would be really, really funny to do a movie where the entire thing takes place in production friendly locations. It’s not a joke that the audience would get, but it’s absolutely a joke for the producers, for the directors to be like, oh, yeah, we’re shooting this shoot in Atlanta, shoot it in Massachusetts. Shoot it in the woods up in Vancouver like they did for all “X Men” movies.

It’s not something that the viewer will ever see, but the spirit of it permeates the script. The playfulness of the writing just bleeds everywhere even though it’s not a joke the audience will ever necessarily get until the credits when you see that it’s shot in all the places.

Scott: That’s why it drives me crazy these people who come around talking about so-called “unfilmables.” It’s like, you can only write within the act the audience can see and hear. All they need to do is read “Butch Cassidy and the “Sundance Kid,” and that illusion is blown up with page one. William Goldman says you’re not writing a refrigerator manual, it’s meant to be entertaining.

Jack: I’m married to someone who works in entertainment. She’s a producer. She’s worked in development for years, and I everything I write is to make my wife happy, to make her laugh. She is the most important person to me in the world, and her opinion means more to me than anyone else. I have a manager. I have an agent, and my wife is always the first line of defense.

She’s the one who will tell me thumbs up or thumbs down on anything I do. I’ve written entire scripts before, handed them to her, and she said, you know what, this ain’t it, you can do better, and she’s right. I think a lot of my playfulness in that respect goes to I know who my audience is. My audience is my wife, it’s my friends, and other people who I know work in the industry.

I know they’re reading dozens of scripts a week, and I want them to have a good time. I purposely never write anything more than…I think this is 108 pages. I think that’s the longest script I’ve ever put out. I try very hard not to waste anyone’s time. I want them to get in, have a great time, get out with a smile on their face.

Like you’re saying, the structure of it is, it’s important to respect the people who are taking the time to read your creation. I respect them, and I want them to respect my work in the same way.

Tomorrow in Part 5, Jack answers some questions about the craft of screenwriting.

For Part 1, go here.

Part 2, here.

Part 3, here.

Jack is repped by UTA and Fourth Wall.