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Scream Writing Questions with Tony Newton

Writing Advice for Screenwriters from Screenwriters.

August 16, 2018

This week Scriptophobic is joined by Tony Newton, writer of Toxic Shlock (2017) and Home Videos (2017). Tony’s produced, written, and directed short films that have been in a variety of collections such as 60 Seconds to Die (2017), The 12 Slays of Christmas (2016), and A Taste of Phobia (2017). It was great getting to talk to Tony about screenwriting and I hope his enjoyment and love of the process translates as well to you as it did to me; there is a level of fun that Tony discusses here that I worry some writers, especially since the idea that writing is supposed to be a struggle or the least important part of filmmaking is all to prevalent today, have forgotten. Scream Writing should be fun, art, and a blueprint all in one, and I love that Tony gets that!

What first got you interested in screenwriting?

I always loved the medium of film, when I first got into horror films I was hooked literally! I was obsessed with horror films and still love getting scared and shocked during a movie or a trip to the local theatre!

It was writing scripts and horror books from a young age from watching George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978) I knew I wanted to write scripts!

Do you have an example of a lesson you learned from reading a script (rather than watching the movie made from it)?

I think you personally can learn so much reading other peoples work, I think if you are starting out as a scriptwriter you need to read as many screenplays as you can the more you read the better! You will learn the layout, how they hook the audience and how they deliver the goods!

There are so many books on screenwriting but reading other genre scripts similar to the one you will be working on is invaluable. Read, read, and read some more!

I think a great lesson to be learned from reading scripts is: the less description, the better. It’s all about dialogue, the more to the point the better. People don’t like reading through pages full of dialogue and a script full of too much will put off readers from the off.

What’s the strongest piece of advice you have for aspiring screenwriters?

I think rejection is a big part of the film/theatre industry, so the main thing is to never ever give up. Your skills will get better the more you write. Be prepared for rejection, it’s a big part, but also be prepared for success.

Keep writing. Get into a habit, write every day without fail and try to have a routine whether it’s using the same pen, keyboard, having a lucky mascot or favourite drink or film score playing or even the time of day!

Start out writing a short screenplay even if it’s five to ten pages long, re-edit until you are happy with it. I think any project is best left for a good few months so then reading with fresh eyes really helps; also getting friends and family to have a look at your work can help not only with constructive criticism but not being afraid to let others read your work will help in a big way when starting out.

Don’t be afraid to send it out to as many production companies as you can and always adhere to their submission guidelines.

What is your relationship with genre film (love, hate, indifference)? What led to that?

I think when you write any script the genre doesn’t matter. I love comedy and enjoy writing comedy scripts but adore writing horror genre scripts and would write them from the age of 13 years old! So I’m always drawn to the horror genre.

I think you need to focus on one genre, as you can tailor your skills to that particular genre, but once you can write a screenplay you will find yourself leaning into other genres just because you will enjoy trying to write in other genres!

What was something that surprised you in the process of writing your own screenplay?

I think you are always surprised and it’s exciting creating the characters and their world as you go! I think the best surprise is seeing the film, the end result produced and seeing just how similar it was or if they got exactly what you have been writing to translate script to screen.

What’s your favourite thing about screenwriting that doesn’t apply to other kinds of writing?

I think when writing a book or poem or even a blog post you kind of get the feeling that that’s it. It won’t evolve into a different product. When writing a script your end goal is for it to be made into a film, TV episode, or play, so you have to write differently you have to be aware of budgets – you can’t expect to have twenty cars blowing up and a helicopter chase when writing an indie film.

What are some of the films and stories that inspired you?

So much I love Clive Barker and Stephen King and I could read Quentin Tarantino’s screenplays all day long – they are amazing!

I love Schlock films with action, gore and cult grindhouse films. I’m a huge lover of Troma, I love how they make films with passion outside the big studio system!

If you could adapt any story in any medium into a screenplay, what is your dream project?