This is a transcript of SYS Podcast Episode 156: Paul Tanter Talks About His New Contained Action Flick, Kill Ratio.
Ashley: Welcome to episode #156 of the “Selling Your Screenplay Podcast.” I’m Ashley Scott Meyers Screenwriter and blogger over at – www.sellingyourscreenplay.com. Today, I’m interviewing screenwriter and director, Paul Tanter. He just did an action film called,
“Kill Ratio.” We walk through his early days as a screenwriter. How he got his first gig, as a screenwriter. And then how he was able to turn that screenwriting career into a career as a writer/Director. So, stay tuned for that.
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A quick few words about what I am working this week? Once again, the main thing I’m working on is the post-production of my crime/action/thriller film, “The Pinch.” So, as I’ve mentioned over the last few weeks on the Podcast. I’ve got my second rough-cut of the film done. I’ve now watched it a bunch of times, and made a list of more revisions. And I’ve gotten a bunch of notes from other people who are involved in the film; the cinematographer, you know, another producer friend, one of the other producers on the film. I just really tried to send the film out, this rough-cut out to some of the people, and the Executive Producer. Who I found through “Kick-Starter.” He gave me a few notes. So, just a lot of notes, I’m just trying to collect them. I’m going to look at the notes and really just try and get some census. It’s really just not unlike getting notes from your screenplay. You try and run and pass it out, and get a consensus from them, a bunch of different people who you trust and you respect their opinion. You get those notes back. And you start to look at what are some of the issues that a lot of the people are having. And then go back in and try and address those issues. So again, this is a pretty solid cut of the film. But, once we go back in there with the editor and just sit with him. We’re going to start to edit and implement those notes. There is also records of additional voice-overs to lay in on this next cut, it’s just scratch-board overs. When I say, you know, record over. It’s basically I wrote the voice over. And then I actually-recorded it with my voice. I will, if it feels like it’s working in this next cut? The I have to bring the actor back in and actually do some voice-over that way. Get the actor to obviously do the voice-over. But just for this next cut. It’s just basically me doing it the voice-over.
Just to get a feel of the pacing, and the timing and see if this voice-over is going to work. There’s a couple of areas that in the story, I think having some voice over will kind of keep the story going. And explain a few things that maybe I didn’t shoot as well as I could have. And so, this voice-over kind hopefully kind of compensate for some of that. Not really ideal. But at this point, you know, we have basically what we have in terms of the footage. And so, now it’s just a matter of making the best film with the footage we have.
I also, this past weekend, I shot a clock, me and producer Adam Strange. We went back to the set. Where we had a clock, and the clock is featured in the film. And we had access to that clock. And so, we basically went back there and just shot a close-up of the clock, it was basically ticking. There is a time cut, a sort of passage of time that we need to put into the film. And so, this was just kind of a quick easy way to do that. I think it will be again, interesting to, it will be very clear. I don’t know if this is the right word? But it will be very clear and concise to just showing this clock passing. And there are going to be like, you know, it’s going to be like, a second of neutral footage in the film. But I think it will kind of break-up. There’s one scene where they’re sitting there for a long time basically waiting for the guy to come home. And I just want to really show the passage of time. There’s some dialog that goes on and I think having this passage of time will make more sense if the audience really understands that there is a lot of time going on. Not just sort of assuming that they get that.
So, this is the first episode of 2017, you know, hopefully everyone has had a good holidays and New Year’s. However, I’m recording this episode on December 19th 2016. Which is before the holidays. So, my plan is to work with the editor, probably two days this week, and then probably two or three or maybe even four days next week, which is after Christmas. I’m leaving for the Christmas holiday with my wife and my kids, this Thursday. So, I’ve got a couple of days this week I’ve got to try and get in with the editor. And then after Christmas, Christmas is Sunday, and then next week, as I said, two, three, maybe four days next week. I will be implementing these notes. Hopefully I can get them implemented in four or five maybe six days. And then have the next cut of the film. This next cut of the film should be very close to locked-picture, at least I’m hoping. You know, at this point, as I said, there’s not, we’ve gone through the film this last cut of the film. When we went through it, we really you know, made our choices, you know, which cut is the best cut, which take is the best take, which angle, is the best angle? And so, we cut it down on that. So, now as you just a matter of really finessing the film. The basic film, I’d say, is pretty much done and there, for better or for worse. And now, it’s just a matter of trying to make it as good as possible. Which as I said, recording this voice over, just getting this insert of the clock. And put those pieces together. There’s a few things where you got to crop here, you know, do a little work on some of the cropping of the shots. And you know maybe there’s a couple of cuts here that aren’t quite flowing right. But again, it’s just really sort of finessing. And as I said, hopefully the next cut will be pretty close to locked-picture. But who knows? There might be some things that maybe this voice-over is not going to work at all? And we will watch that edit, this is just not working. We’re going to have to think of something else. So, we might have to go back in and do another cut after that. We’ll just have to see? But anyway, that’s the plan, and that’s what I’m working on.
So, now let’s get into the main segment. Today I’m interviewing Writer/Director, Paul Tanter. Here is the interview.
Ashley: Welcome Paul to the, “Selling Your Screenplay Podcast.” I really appreciate you coming on the show.
Paul: Oh, thank you very much, glad to do it.
Ashley: Maybe to start out you can tell us a little bit about your background, where’d you
grow-up and how did you get interested in the entertainment business?
Paul: Yeah, sure. A, I grew-up in London England. I had gotten into a film through a friend, actually. I’d always kinda wanted to get into this. And when I was at the university, I would sort of like hang-out with the drama crowd. And write things for plays and I directed a play and stuff. And when at the university I was very fortunately, I was very fortunate to be contacted by a friend who was an actor. He was attached to a film that they were looking for a writer to re-write the script they had. And that actually put me in touch with the producer. And I sort of got through it, and we made contact. It was like a no paying job, but I said, “Yeah, you know, I shall give this a go and see if it’s something I can do. And I did it. And fortunately it was something I was sort of able to do. And I started working with that producer on a few films. And that was my first job. So, my first film job was actually a re-writing job. It was sort of like, you know, learning the ropes as I went. And from there, the rules of what you do when you’re writing, kind of as I went, and feeling my way kinda thing. And so, I wrote a couple of films. And they, I was always very interested in film making process. And so, even on the films I wrote, I would go down on the set, and I would work and help out on the film. And by the time we got a few films in. I was kind of a. you know, a how can I put this? I’d seen like other directors kind of like take the work, and maybe not do exactly what I thought what we should be doing with it. And so, at that point, I sort of bugged the producer and said, “Hey, maybe I could direct the next one? And I was able to sort of edge my way in that way. So, at that point, I made the step from writing to writing and directing. But, yes, I originally go into it just basically to eat. It was kind of through then knowing someone, who needed someone at the right time. So, it was kind of a bit of luck in that regard.
Ashley: Now, had you written some spec. scripts before you got this first writing assignment? Did you share the producer, some stuff?
Paul: I hadn’t no. I had met. And so I was working in very local radio at the time. On doing sort of news pieces. And so I had, I was, had the ability to write. And you know, that sort of good experience, you know, all of my experience of writing was basically news, none-fiction and a lot of stuff from when I was at the university from the degrees I did. And so, I had, I could write. But, there was never any great deal of experience of you know, of scripts, or spec. scripts or anything like that. So, I had never gone down that road, of I’m going to write. You know, I’ve got a story I’m going to write. And I’m going to send it out to producers and that kind of thing. No, I’ve never kind of like, I’ve never experienced that root or anything like that.
Ashley: And let’s talk about the transition to director. I get a lot of writers coming to me, saying, “I want to make sure my script is done properly. I want to be the director.” And I always warn them, that can be an incredible turn-off to a producer. And I’m just curious did, you get some push back when you started, you know, saying. “Maybe I could direct one?” Did they want you to go and direct some shorts? Did you, you know, have to do something to demonstrate you actually knew how to direct? Or, just through your relationships you were able to get that assignment.
Paul: A well, the compromise was there? There was a slight compromise in that by the time that I was coming to the point of saying, “I want to direct that, the third one.” We were already into the third of a series of films. Where each time the budget kind of actually got a bit bigger each time. So, that by the third one, you know, we were looking at the biggest amount of money, and the most names in the movie and that kind of thing. And so, the producer said to me, and probably quite sensibly. Look, I couldn’t let you direct it solo, you know. It’s like one thing, the distributor probably wouldn’t you know, agree to that very much. What I can do, is to pair you up with another director, and you guys can co-direct it then together. And that was kind of the good, happy compromise. So, myself and someone else co-directed it. Someone else would then direct the feature anyway, we co-directed it together. And that was kind of a you know, that was a good compromise into doing it. Rather than have the writer who is totally in-experienced directing. You know, it was kind of way to kinda get into it without having to totally. Kind of like jump into the deep-end of the pool, I suppose? I think rather, I can totally understand the desire from writers to direct their own stuff. Because that’s exactly what I have. And it was exactly the same thought process. I know how it should be done. Somebody else takes it that way, and do it the right way. But, which is, you know, not an unreasonable thought process. But, also, at the same time. You’ll probably, I was young and in-experienced. As you get a bit older and experienced you realize that a lot of the, you know, there will always be compromises to be made. So, you might, you know, as the producer takes on a project. And let’s you direct it. And your thought, well why shouldn’t they, it’s my script. But they are actually they are ones funding out the funds for it. Then they get, then they have the right to say who directs it. And if they do take you on to direct it? They are still always limitations in terms of; budget, time, a million other things. So, you could be you know, taken on as a director of your own feature. Then you got to look at from the perspective of the producer. They say, well, you know, we need to scale some things back here. Or maybe this thing can’t be done. And there will be compromises to do better in that regard. And that instance, sometimes the writer will go, “Okay, no problem, let’s, we can change this. And we can adapt here. And they will go on, and they’ll probably you know, thrive directing. But, sometimes, there can be the tendency to be a little bit stubborn. And want to hold on and feel like the screenplay is precious and can never be changed. And in that instance, maybe shooting yourself in the foot. Because, it’s that stubbornness can be the difference between actually, you know, shooting a movie, or not? And the difference can be if you compromise you might end up being able to shoot the movie. And if you don’t, it’ll be another script that sits there forever, and never gets made, you know? Or it gets given to somebody else to direct. So, that was kind of a lesson there, that you could. You’re always very proud of the script you write. You know, whenever I finish a script, I’m always very proud of it. When I do write, I kind of have in the back of my mind, half an idea, of well, I know what we’ll get. So, for how long we’ll have to shoot things, and that kind of thing. So, I tend to try and write all towards that idea anyway.
And that was something almost, I always tell what they have in their mind, you know. Yes, it’s great to have an imagination. But, if it’s a low-budget film, you can’t, you know, the warehouse can’t always explode. Something, you know, you have to kind of like trying to compromise sometimes? But I think that can be a good difference. And between you know, between the writer who directs a movie, and the one who doesn’t.
Ashley: Yeah, and so, let’s talk about sort of how your career was unfolding? So now, you’ve written three scripts. You’ve now directed, or co-directed one of your scripts. At some point did you get an agent and a manager? Did you start to branch out to work with other producers? Maybe you could just talk about sort of how your career progressed from those first three films?
Paul: Yeah, sure. Okay now, I will say that I can only speak from the experience that I have had so far? I don’t know whether my experience is typical, or you know, or whether it’s the exception from the rule? But, I’ve never had agents, I’ve never had to approach them. But, all I’ve done is network myself. I’ve always tended to live with the same little group of producers and we just end up making our own stuff. And the stuff we make we always have a mind towards making things that are commercial. So, we know what your earns will be for it. And we know that it will sell. And so we, you know, we make the stuff. And that has kind of kept me busy as long as I have been doing it. And in recent years. I’ve reached the point where other producers who, I haven’t worked for. Have kind of like, you know, either they are you know, are acquaintances of acquaintances or maybe they’ve seen something I’ve done. And then they get, they just get in contact directly, It’s not difficult. And I’ve been offered, and I’ve taken other directing work from that. But, you know, really most of the stuff I make are kinda with the same producer. And we make the, you know, the and offer a few movies by producing as well. So, I take a minute to kind of create my own stuff. And we make our own stuff. And then at that point, you’re kind of too busy to do anything else, to be spared to do work for anybody else. But as I say, I’ve been offered other directing work in recent years. So, I suppose I’ve reached the point now where I can, you know, grow out. It’s I’m not just creating my own work. But I’m being offered it by the people as well.
Ashley: Yeah, yeah. So, before we get digging into, “Kill Ratio.” I’m just want to touch on one thing you just said, and expand on it a little bit. You said that you guys are constantly trying to make new stuff that’s commercial and that has a clear audience. Maybe you can talk about this, just for a second because? I feel like especially newer screenwriters they come into it often times with their passion project. And I often see a log-line or something? And I’m like, I don’t think that could ever sell? Go ahead.
Paul: Yeah, yeah. Sorry, sorry, it cut out for a second. But I think I know what the question was, yeah. So yes, there are, you know, there are the struggling writer who has their massive projects who labor for years with it to get it made. And sometimes it will take several years before they make it. And if they do make it? And making a movie is an achievement in and of itself. But, they might get it made. And then there are many movies that are made every year that just sit on a shelf. And they are never seen by anyone. Because no distributor wants them. So, the thing we’re always looking for when we’re there with our projects is. Who is going to buy it in the end? Who is going to, who is our audience? To look at it from the point of view of the distributor.
If you are a film maker and you go to distributor, what is it you want to be selling in six months, or nine months or a year from now? And then they can turn, and it’s the distributor that are the customer, the film maker really. And in that sense, it’s kind of, it’s almost, it’s not the audience. Your audience is the customer and the distributor. And so, you need to know what the distributor is wanting to be selling? And so, if they tell you, and it’s not difficult, it’s not exactly a disaster when they tell you. And then at that point, you then have an idea. Alright, I know what kind of movie I need to be making in order to be making something that will sell. And so then you can tailor it around that. So, in the U.K. I’ve done a sort of fair amount of crime genre, of action, and a lot of who-done-its. Because there’s a market there for them in the U.K. And all these things are always permanent entertainment. So, but it’s like it’s DVD, and it’s online release, like ITunes, and you know, Video-On-Demand. You know these things aren’t made really for theatrical release. And in a lot of instances, because there is never any before. Because distributors wants to do theatrical release because there’s no money there, it’s a massive movie. So, I think in that regard, that’s one piece of advice you often give people would you. Is think about what is commercial? What will sell, and what distributors are looking for. And that’s not to say, you know, that it’s you know, that you can’t write something that isn’t a piece of art. And that is you, and that is something personal to you. But, at the same time, don’t be someone who, you know, who spends three years getting a film off the ground, and then you make it. And then you spend a year trying to get it to a distributor, and no one wants it. And then you put it through a few festivals maybe? And then after 18 months you put it on Vimeo for nothing. You know, because you kinda have nothing else to do with it? That to me is, you’ve gone through all that effort and all that cost especially. Then you want to get it to a wider audience. You want to try to get it into the widest audience as possible. And there’s a reason why film makers generally done self-release faster. Is they don’t have the mechanisms in place to reach the audience. And the people with the mechanisms in place to reach your audience are the distributors, you know. Because that’s what they do. So, yeah, that’s always kind of our ethos. You know, always having the fore-thought in the front of your mind. Who’s the audience, who’s going to be buying it? And you know, and what’s commercial.
Ashley: Now, let’s talk about that for just a second. I know this is kind of getting off the topic of screenwriting. But I think it’s interesting to hear. I myself have been talking to distributors recently. I’m about done with a film and I’ve started kind of engaged a couple of distributors. And that’s one of my big things is? Asking them, what are you selling? And what are you looking for? And I’m finding, it’s not always a super crystal clear answer. A lot of distributors aren’t always that clear, what they are looking for, there is some mystery to it. And if it was not, mysterious than distributors would be producing movies themselves. And so, maybe you can talk about some of those conversations as how you kind of ferret through that landscape. Because it’s not always as simple as asking a distributor and getting a clear answer. Go make movie “X” with “Y.” Sometimes it’s a little more nuance than that.
Paul: A yeah, okay. Yeah, you’re right, okay. So, sometimes they are not quite sure about what they want? But then at the same time. In some instances they would simply say, what we want is a “Who-done-it movie, or a “Siege” movie, something like that. And that can sort of be generalized in and of itself. Even if they are not tempted to tell you what it is they want? It doesn’t take a lot of research to look at what they generally selling. So, you can look at distributors back catalog. And usually what they got coming up.
And you can look at those things you can see that the trends of what kind of genres they tend to go for, for one thing. If there’s any particular kind of stories there are. But at the same time, there’s some amount of common sense things about making something commercial. Which is, you know, things like you generally need to come of names, you know, at least one name in the film. So, a lot of first time film makers will, you know, if they actually get it made. You know, it’s all unknowns. And I’ve realized that there is a chicken and the egg situation to this, I do. You know, if you don’t have and you know, if you’re just starting out. It’s to be able to get a name in the first place to do something. And then sell it for the backing of the name. But, you know, to be honest, that’s part of the challenges of actually doing it all, you know. Like when we started off, you know, in our first couple of films. Obviously, we didn’t have massive stars. But we would get kind of the people who had done day-time soaps, and that kind of thing. And you know, the occasional sports star, as a bit of a noble thing or something like that. And these all things that kind of like you know, I mean, you know, it’s not going to be a well writing. It gets a bit of traction at least in the country of known, the country you’re based in. And then from that you build upon that for the next one. And so, hopefully the next one has you know, a slightly bigger name. You know, and you keep on going like that. So that’s one thing, you know. That’s something that is often sadly overlooked, which you know, it. If a film maker is going to a distributor and then said, “Hey, I’ve got this movie.” A lot of the time, the movie. The first question will be, great, who’s in it? And if you can’t give them a name of either, I’ve heard of, which is the best thing. Or failing that, that they can look it up within two minutes. And they go, “Oh, that’s an impressive scene for the actors.” And then chances are, they’ll go, “Eh, I’m not really sure?” You know, it has to be. And I know it, I understand that people go, well it’s a good film, a good story. Then it will be, you know, it will be seen and bought, and heard, and yeah. And the cream always rises to the top. Unfortunately, there are so many film makers making them, the films. And taking them to distributors, that the distributors stall for choice in that regard. So, they can just go, na, no, not for me. And you know, a lot of the time if you have the film blatant, then they will say. And you say, can I show it to you? And they’ll say, let’s see the new trailer. And that’s the next thing you need to take and figure out? Who, or what am I going to put in the trailer that will appeal to people. Because that’s what’s going to sell to people. And if it’s a genre film, such as “Kill Ratio.” You know, there’s action, then you know, that tells you what needs to be in the trailer, you know. So, you need to make sure it’s full of those kinds of things that you need.
Ashley: Yeah, yeah. So, let’s dig into “Kill Ratio.” Maybe just to start out, you can give us a quick pitch or a log-line. Just kind of tell us what the film’s about?
Paul: Sure. So, it’s set in a fictional Middle East/European country, in modern day times. And there’s a couple of guys, a man and a woman, from a tele-coms company they’re negotiating contracts with the existing government, but in the phone lines and that. One of the people on the team, is this chap, James Henderson. And he’s there as a fixer for the phone company. And he has a past that’s sort of hidden. It’s about, you know, hidden, he could be ex-CIA. Anybody who helps out these companies. Or possibly he could be there for other reasons. You know, to do with his ex-CIA boss. And once they’re there, there’s like an attempted military-coup. Of headed by this dispondent general in the country. Who is trying to over-throw the reining president. By using his, you know, his position in the army. And his henchmen are inside of like the Secret Service there. And then they attempt a coup. And it all kind of centers around this hotel.
Where in the morning they’ll do like, an address to the nation. And so, in bare, in true kind of action and “Die Hard” innate in a filament location here, tradition. James Henderson, played by
Tom Hopper is, there in the play at the time. That’s the kind of take down the bad guy single handed.
Ashley: Perfect. So, how did you get involved with this project? This is not a script that you wrote. But maybe you can kinda just tell us how this project kinda came across your desk?
Paul: Yes, I had something the year before. I had shot a TV show in Canada, called,
“No Easy Days.” Which was kinda like an action. It’s like all action, half politics. So, it’s kinda like “24” meets “House of Cards.” And it’s about like a terrorist invade the White House. And take the president’s daughter hostage. And I shot that and you know, and that was done. And thus today, and a while later so I heard from one of the producers. The producer the one who had sort of been on loosely associated with that. Was doing something with some other people in Dublin, and had recommended me. You know, they had this film coming out. That they, which was at the time it was called, “The Fixer.” And then it became “Kill Ratio.” And they were looking for a director for. And he recommended me to them. So, they got in contact, and initially was, answering a phone call, and we went over the scripts. And it was a fairly sort of simple, quick and easy process really. I tell them, I looked at the script, and I enjoyed it. And I knew we would be able to, you know, sort of finesse it before we started shooting. And I was kind of like. I was kind of excited about the idea of doing you know, an action movie all on the same set in the same location. It seemed like a bit of a challenge. You know, especially when they tell me, you would. That they already had access to the very large, and very recently. Not abandoned, that makes it sound dilapidated. But recently noted, recently used hotel on the outskirts of Dublin. That we would have the total run of. That kinda sounded appealing. Because I had done stuff in places before, where you’re battling the. Well, we have this space, in this area. But, we don’t want to annoy the people here. So, we kinda gonna have to, you know, tip-toe around here. In this instance we had the run of the place. Well, okay, in that case we can have, you know, people running around doing what we want. We can make as much damage as we like, and as much noise as we like. You know, there was an appeal there. And then when they said they had Tom sort of interested, and potentially involved to the shooter. I thought, I was always aware of his work on, “Black Sales” and thought this is someone I really would like to work with. So, it was kind of a no brainer made. So, I said, “Yes.” And very soon, and it was a very fast turn-around for being offered the job. Actually, you know, jumping on a plane from London to Dublin. And then going over there. And then a very sort of quick casting process in which we audition people in and got you know, in which we got a selection of actors, whom you would you would, generally I think would need to audition. But still came up and auditioned for it. And we were actually fantastic. All ending up giving great performances.
Ashley: A-huh. So, it sounds like there are a lot of logistical things that really were, you know, favorable for this. And kinda got you involved. Are there, when scripts come across your desk? This is more of a general question? Are there some common mistakes that you see screenwriters make. And again, this is sort of from the director’s perspective. Are the things you see when you read scripts. And you say, “Eh, this is never going to work.” Maybe you could just talk about those for a second.
Paul: A, so generally, I mean, so when if a screenwriter. How can I say, how can I put this? Screenwriters do sometimes approach me. Let’s be honest, nine times out of ten I’m so. Generally, I’m so busy, doing my own stuff. I don’t tend to, I don’t really read scripts, that often from other people. I’d like, you know, mainly because I don’t know at the time. I also think because of that thing, I don’t want people to like saying, “Well, he did this movie.” He did this movie, and then. A year ago I sent a script and it had something very similar in it. So, I kind of don’t read a lot of things from people. In from script writers in that regard. But, you know, in this instance, I read “Kill Ratio.” It was because it had come from people by someone I had previously worked with. So, there was kind of an in there for. In terms of common mistakes? I think it kinda goes back to the thing we talked about earlier. Of not having an eye on what’s commercial. You know, so, people can have a great story, or something. Before I’ll read something I might kind of ask like, “So, tell me what you know.” Who you pitch your being in this? Or what do you imagine what the trailer will look like? And if you can’t answer, even with an idea of that. Then you probably haven’t thought about how commercial it is. At that point, if that makes sense?
Ashley: Yeah, yeah, sure. Let’s talk a minute about genre requirements. You know, obviously there’s the action, “Kill Ratio” is action movie. And so sort of the standard thing you hear is, you know, an action scene every 10 pages. But, like as an example, in the beginning of this, you, have the scene in the hotel room. You have the half-naked woman. You get a shot of her boobs. I’m just curious, how those things kind of play into. Do you get that stuff coming from the distributor? We want to see an attractive girl’s boobs. Do you get that coming in. Listen we need to beef-up the action. Just genre requirements in general. Be curious to kinda get your take on those. Because I think those will be important for screenwriters to hear.
Paul: Yeah. So, a when you’re shooting this kind of movie and there is like this. At the end of the line between, you know, you’ve got producers. You remember them, there’s essentially you know, the distributor/studio, you know, sending you notes. And having you know, wanting certain things. There are things that they do warn in a genre movie. And as you say, it’s you know, it comes back. Well, we want more action, in this act, and whatever. And there are still on the lines of well, we’d like some boobs. And oh, by the way, we want to see the hero with his shirt off, and that kind of thing. And so, those instances, you know, you have to understand what you’re making it firstly. What you’re making here is assigned to someone else is paying for. So, you kind of like, while you’re working for someone. So, they have, they get firstly, they have the right to ask whatever they want. And if you don’t like it, you can just very politely say to them, “Good job” and somebody else can do it. But as you know, if you or of the kind of mind to say, well, you know, I want to make this. So, then it’s good to just work with them and you can tweak things. And you know, it’s not like, you’re being told you have very little to do. Because you can come back and go, well, you know, I think actually we should do this or, I think we should do this, or this, or this. And there’s a certain dialog. And they respect the fact that you’ve made films like this before, and you know what you’re talking about. And you can end up, you know, reaching the best sort of possible solution. But yes, in these kinds of movies, they will often be those kinds of notes. Well, can we have, you know, a pair of human, like boobs. Or you know, the guy’s abs, that kind of thing. But, in those instances I mean, like for instance, when they wanted like instances of both male and female toplessness. My kind of like, you know, I can understand it, in terms of at first set of things.
But, I was able to before in that case, can we do a bit more between these characters, with what the characters are doing these things. So, actually we ended up adding scenes in which, you know, they’re, they were a few more minutes of moving moments between the two characters with. When they were actually being clothed, it brought a few more sort of dramatic moments to it. But, yeah, in terms of like the action I think you’re right there is that kind of thing that if you’ve gone 10 pages and that, there is no action. Than you need to put something in. Which is why you know, in these movies there’s a very quick star in it. And you know, in less than in between five or ten minutes, you’ve usually gone into that first bit of action. You know, in which you’ll use a smallish fight. In which you start building them. Things. And as ever, with action movies, you’re kinda like building towards your crescendo towards the final act. To where you’re climaxing, hopefully with, instead of a big cacophony of action in the movie.
Ashley: Yeah. Perfect, perfect. So, how can people see, “Kill Ratio?” Do you happen to know the release schedule is going to be?
Paul: A, as far as I’m aware, I was told this just the other day. It’s out on the 9th, I believe, in the U.S. in selected theaters. And I don’t mind, I’m so embarrassed. It’s on VideoOnDemand Platforms. So it should be fairly soon when it will be available? And then after that, I don’t know about the U.K.? I would assume short there afterwards. But, I don’t know, the specific dates. But, the dates for the U.S. is December 9th 2016.
Ashley: Perfect, perfect. And what’s the best way for people to keep up with what you’re doing? If you’re on Twitter, or Facebook, you can give us those handles, a blog, an Email address. Whatever you’re comfortable sharing? I’m sure people would just like to kind get to know you better, and see what you’re up to.
Paul: Oh, yeah. So, I’m on Twitter, it’s just – @PaulTanter, follow me on that, follow me, the random things I do. You know, the random retweets. And the occasional rant about the fact that Donald Trump been elected. I’ve got like a Facebook page, which is, I think the head for it is – Paul Tanter Films. That’s like the page you follow for me. And if you want to see the film, and then it’s – The Conversely Associates. Unfortunately, I don’t have a universal name for all these things. On InstaGram, if you look for my company, which is – Runaway Features. And then that’s where all the pictures went to film tend to go. So, if you mind it to follow me? Feel free to follow me on those pages.
Ashley: Perfect, perfect, I will round all that stuff up and put it in the show notes. Where people can click over to it. A Paul, fascinating interview I really wish you luck with this film. And I really appreciate you coming on and talking with me today.
Paul: Thank you very much Ashley, it’s been a pleasure.
Ashley: I just want to mention two things I am doing at “Selling Your Screenplay” to help screenwriters find producers that are looking for new material.
First I’ve created a monthly newsletter that will be sent directly to producers. Every member of SYS Select can submit one log-line per newsletter, per month. I went and Emailed my large database of Industry contacts and asked them if they would like to receive this newsletter of monthly pitches. So far I have well over 350 producers who have signed-up to receive it. These producers are hungry for new material and are happy to read scripts from new writers. So, if you would like to participate in this pitch newsletter and get your script into the hands of lots of producers. Sign-up at – www.sellingyourscreenplayselect.com, that’s – www.sellingyourscreenplayselect.com.
And secondly I’ve contacted one of the premier paid screenwriting leads sites. So, I can syndicate their leads onto SYS Select members. There are lots of great paid leads coming in each week from our partner. Recently I’ve been getting about ten to twelve high quality paid screenwriting leads per week. These are producers and production companies who are actively looking to buy material. Or are looking to hire a screenwriter for a specific project. If you
sign-up for SYS Select you’ll get these leads Emailed to you directly several times per week. These leads run the gambit from production companies looking for a specific type of spec. script. To producers looking to hire a screenwriter to write up one of their ideas. Producers are looking for shorts, features, TV and web series pilots, it’s a huge aray of different types of projects that these producers are looking for. And these leads are exclusive to our partner and
SYS Select members. To sign-up again, go to – www.sellingyourscreenplayselect.com, again that’s – www.sellingyourscreenplayselect.com
Anyway, that’s the show, thank you for listening.