Interview (Part 5): Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin
My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin wrote the original screenplay “Cruel Summer” which landed on the 2021 Black List. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Erica and Leigh about their creative background, their script, the craft of screenwriting, and what making the annual Black List has meant to them.
Today in Part 5 of a 6-part series to run each day through Sunday, Leigh and Erica discuss their writing process and what it was like to learn their script Cruel Summer had made the 2021 Black List.
Scott: So what was your writing process like? Did you outline the story before typing Fade In?
Erica: Oh, man.. My memory might be really off with this, but we did a lot of outlining before we we even got into the script. Then when we were in the script we would re-outline and get back into writing. We work together in WriterDuet so we can be in the script at the same time.
If we were struggling finding our way within a scene, we would step out of it and re-outline little chunks of the script, so that we were maintaining where we were and the perspective of where we were in the script at that moment. We did try to whiteboard at some point and failed. [laughs]
Scott: WriterDuet. You were actually writing it together? You’re bicoastal. Are you live and then reworking stuff, or is it, Leigh’s going to write a scene and Erica is going to rewrite it. How does that work?
Leigh: I wish we had an easy answer for that because we do switch it up. Sometimes we’ll take different sections and come together and then make them line up. Then sometimes we’ll be in there together at the same time dictating a scene and writing it together on the fly. It depends on the scene. The funnier ones are more fun to write together.
Scott: Let’s talk about that, the morning of December 13th, 2021. Were you all paying attention to this at all or on Twitter and YouTube as the annual Black List rolls out?
Leigh: I was not paying attention to it. Actually, that morning, Erica had called me a few times, and I didn’t answer because I was sleeping. The night before, I had cut my finger really bad on a mandoline and had to go to urgent care so had been up all night getting my finger mended.
I got home really late, went to sleep, and then was ignoring my phone. [laughs]
Scott: I think that’s the most dramatic response to the Black List revelation thing I’ve ever heard, though I’m curious. I play guitar. How do you hurt your finger on a mandolin?
Leigh: No, the slicer mandoline, not the instrument.
Scott: How about you, Erica? You were paying attention to it?
Erica: I was paying attention. I was very excited. I celebrated alone for a few minutes… until Leigh finally answered the phone. Then literally, the next day, I tested positive for COVID. It was a very exciting eight hours, then immediately COVID, and move on. That’s life.
[laughter]
Scott: I hope you have a recording of that conversation where you just tested positive for COVID, and Leigh’s got this finger wrapped up and you’re both like, “We made the Black List.” It’s the juxtaposition of all that. What did it mean to you? Has making the Black List been helpful for you?
Leigh: Yeah, it is a crazy thing to think about. It’s something you’re aware of as a writer, but it feels unreachable. It’s just like this elusive thing that’s out there that you hear about. It does feel a little surreal to be grouped in with some of those people, and some of those scripts.
Erica: It’s really exciting. It is very surreal. Everything in this world we’re living in today feels surreal, especially something like this, where it’s something I follow for the last five, six years. As I said, I have your Go Into The Story in my email account. It’s just been thrilling to work on something, just us, and then talk about it with people.
Hopefully, have it be something where either the script gets made or leads to other writing opportunities, would be hugely exciting.
Leigh: We have another script that we’re working on now. It seems like things that we learned the first time around not trying to write what we think people want to see, but just the stuff that makes us laugh will be the best material.
Scott: You have any thoughts on that, Erica? Burgeoning writing team here?
Erica: Who doesn’t want to hang out with their camp friend all the time?
Tomorrow in Part 6, Erica and Leigh share some tips about the craft of screenwriting.
For Part 1 of the interview, go here.
Part 2, here.
Part 3, here.
Part 4, here.
Twitter: @leighcesiro, @eribmatlin.
For my interviews with dozens of other Black List writers, go here.