Interview: Anime Insights: Advice I got on Screenwriting and Anime, from Correspondence with Thomas Romain....

The story: I ended up corresponding with Thomas Romain (Basquash!, Code Lyoko, Oban Star-Racers) through email, online, from his home in Tokyo, Japan right around the Satellite studio, where he's worked on his most recent projects, Space Dandy and and Nobunaga The Fool, with the likes of Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) and Shoji Kawamori (Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell, Aquarion)

I decided to be generous and share his advice and wisdom he wrote for me, with a large public

Here's what Thomas (the Eurasian co-production anime Master had to say to me about my script he briefly looked at, and he bigger picture of anime employment in general, which I wrote. It's the first script I've ever written for theatrical or television release.

Hi Joseph,

 

I actually am quite busy because I'm flying to Paris with Kawamori. I don't know if you heard about Japan expo but it is the largest anime convention in Europe. I have a lot of things ot prepare before leaving Japan.

 

I got your script.

I opened it but didn't read it yet.

 

Thank you for all your questions too. It could take a while to answer to it properly.

Let's say I consider myself very lucky. Savin had hard times but for me it was very easy. But you know, more than a creator/ writer/ director, I'm a designer. I draw every day and more than writing (which I do not and I'm not interested in so much) I communicate my ideas by drawings. Most of the time I put myself under directors who order me designs. And only on rare occasions I had the opportunity to act more as a creator. Like on Oban or Basquash. But even then it was about creating a visual world. That's why I'm not the best person to give his opinion or advice about writing. Moreover, I'm not fluent in english and I cannot express myself with all the possible nuances.

 

But there is some advice I can give you at this point.

First, before the script, you need a document which explains what your project is. Concept, universe, main characters, target...

Then, if people are interested, you'll send them a script next . You should do that with your project too. Because it takes time to read it and people won't do that at first. You need to appeal them with a light project pitch.

Secondly, just by watching at your doc, I had the feeling that it had too much descriptions. Putting the story in images is the work of the director, not the script writer. So stick to the dialogue, the emotions of the characters and don't write large blocks of description of the action.

Japanese scripts are very lights, no descriptions, almost only dialogues. You're not writing a novel. A script is a guideline for the director.

On the contrary, you need some descriptions for the project pitch. How is the universe, what do the characters look like? etc...

 

And, about working with japanese. There is 3 possibilities. All are very difficult.

 

First option : because famous in your own country. Japanese will then be interested in working with big names....Not easy!

 

Second one, bring money on the table (not necessarely yours of course, but money you got from investors you managed to convince).  

 

Last one : become japanese... in a kind of way. Speaking japanese is the first thing. It is impossible to work with them without that. And that's a way of showing your motivation and gaining their trust.

 

Savin choose the second option (outside producer), I choose the third (inside staff member).

 

I strongly recommand you to make american young writer friends and get experience from them. Go see the studios. Ask them how they work. Integrate the system. If you manage to evolve to a professionnal level, japanese may open their doors to at least some discussion. You need to go step by step, learn the job, get experience. I won't be able to help you a lot at this point

 

Best regards

 

Thomas