Interview (Video): Jordan Peele

The writer-director of Get Out shares 10 screenwriting tips

The outfit Outstanding Screenplays put together this terrific compendium of film clips from several interviews with Jordan Peele about his movie Get Out for which he won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

The 10 tips:

1:20 — TIP 01 — In some way your work has to be autobiographical. Be vulnerable with your own emotions, dig deep, explore your fears and put your specific truth out there. People are drawn to truth like magnets.

3:58 — TIP 02 — Write your own TRUTH that you haven’t seen represented in a movie before.

5:24 — TIP 03 — Like in jujitsu — if you can predict what and where an audience is going to go, or what they think you’re going to do, you can use that momentum against them.

7:20 — TIP 04 — The best advice for writer’s block: Follow the fun. If you aren’t having fun, you are doing it wrong. Allow writing to be your hobby.

9:57 — TIP 05 — When producers interfere with your work don’t “pop-off”. Every critique has something of value. Listen patiently and then think of creative ways to solve the issue.

12:21 — TIP 06 — A good story can be transformative and do the most for social change. So use your intelligence and make audiences think when crafting your stories.

13:40 — TIP 07 — Writing a screenplay is a combination of gut inspiration and a strategy to focus on things that work which don’t require a huge budget.

15:20 — TIP 08 — When writing comedy or horror know that both present the truth. With both forms technique is tension building and release.

15:51 — TIP 09 — Use writing projects to dig you out of your own fear and darkness. And use that fear to learn how scare the audience with your work.

17:21 — TIP 10 — Take big risks and put your love into it. It can take a long time, but in the end it does pay off.

For more Outstanding Screenplays videos, go here.

For 100s more interviews with screenwriters, filmmakers, storytellers, and industry insiders, go here.