Advice for screenwriters from Akira Kurosawa

I have personally been struggling with burnout. As a filmmaker and screenwriter, I always look to filmmakers and writers before me for advice. Thanks to my Instagram algorithm, it showed me a reel of exactly what I needed to see, when I needed to see it. (scary)

A familiar face. Akira Kurosawa. He speaks, pointing an unlit cigarette at the camera as if he's speaking directly to me. "I think young people today don't know the trick of it." When I hear this, my neurons are activated right away. This prolific, cinematic legend has a trick to share with young writers and filmmakers? I'm locked in. A small portion of a much larger interview gives me exactly what I have needed for some time now. In 1993, Shizuo Sato directed the film Akira Kurosawa: My Life in Cinema. Nagisa Oshima speaks with Akira Kurosawa at length about filmmaking, his life works, and numerous anecdotes relating to his films and his various film activities. In a portion of his interview, he compares screenwriting to mountain climbing. "When you go mountain climbing, the first thing you are told is not to look at the peek but to keep your eyes on the ground as you climb. You just keep climbing patiently one step at a time. If you keep looking at the top, you'll get frustrated. I think writing is similar."

Patience and trusting the process. Something I always try to keep in the front of my mind but, I guess I have been looking at the peek of the mountain and discouraged myself.

Akira shared a lot of great advice throughout the interview, so I highly recomend watching the whole interview. This small portion I chose to touch on was something I really needed to hear, and maybe others needed this as well. Stay patient, trust yourself, trust the process, don't rush, and look to your heros and inspirations for advice. Next thing you know, you'll be sitting on a couch in your seventies wearing a rad shirt, holding a cigarette and talking about all of your amazing contributions to the world of cinema.

Written by

Grady Tester

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv6G0XLdA54