When I wrote my first non fiction book five plus years ago. Prof Walter was writing his book.
I sent him a copy of my book, he then agreed to this interview.

Slightly  edited
.

NINETEEN QUESTIONS WITH PROF RICHARD WALTER, UCLA Dept Chairman

By Darrell J. Banks

CR 2011 All rights reserved worldwide

1.     What do you remember from your childhood that molded you into a writer and teacher?

My father was a musician and I grew up in a family and community where the arts were very important.

2.     Who do you want to thank for your break in Hollywood?

Irwin R. Blacker, my writing teacher at film school.

 EDIT

4.     What is determinative of creative and great writing within the screenplay?

 Great screenwriting is integrated, that is, every sight and sound (which is all you get to put in a screenplay) palpably, measurably, identifiably moves the story forward and, in doing so, advances the audiences connection with the characters.

5.     Is Hollywood anti American in light of Navy Seals (Charlie Sheen), Platoon (Charlie Sheen), Blood Diamonds (Leonardo Dicaprio) etc... I believe we always waved the flag in most Hollywood films, do you?

  

 Hollywood is hugely pro American. It is the single largest business in the largest state (economic), contributes more than any other industry to the reduction of the budget and trade deficits, and spreads American ideas and the American (way) throughout the world.  What is that dream?  That in America the humblest, poorest soul can succeed if she is willing to get educated and work hard.  This is what Hollywood movies are about.

6.     What did your professors teach you that made you a famous writer/teacher?

To salute the courage that it takes to declare yourself an artist to live the creative life, to swap your day dreams for dollars and to traffic in your own imagination.

7.     What role should television and film (informative, entertaining or commercial) play in educating the public about crucial issues?

It should just try to tell good stories. As soon as it tries to teach lessons, it becomes intellectual and self conscious and heavy handed worst of all, it becomes boring.  No worthy cause was ever helped by a boring movie. Informative, entertaining, and commercial are not mutually exclusive enterprises. In the great dramatic narratives since the early Greeks; the best stories work together and manifest a synthesizing influence on the audience.

8. Do you think your 2007 NPR interview has influenced film makers (Hurt Locker etc) or do you believe they made commercial choices with these films?

I don’t remember that interview. What did I say? I give so many interviews!  That said, there are only two choices. They are good choices and bad choices. The former lead to engagement of an audience; the latter lead to boredom.

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10.     Writers and directors like Steven Spielberg have worked in a variety of story modes (action, drama, comedy) how does a writer avoid being type cast into one line of work (comedy or drama)?

You can’t control what others think of you. Forget about everything but what matters to you, plumb your passion and don’t try to gear yourself for how others may categorize you.

11.  Why does it take time to create a great writer? Is it possible to be great writer with three screenplays produced or unproduced?

Why does it take time to create a great surgeon? There‘s a lot to learn. Three screenplays are too little a count for success. The exceptions are just that exceptions.

12.  How has the role of the entertainment evolved since 2005 to present day ala Net-Flix’s domination of the secondary market?

 It hasn’t evolved. It’s the same as it was thousands of years ago in ancient Greece. It’s all about story.

13.  Do actors and writers have to choose better topics faced with a 56 inch television market available on demand at home?

No.

14.  In a prior interview you stressed “Poetics” by Aristotle as the foundation of film writing. What was “Poetics “impact on your writing?

Read my books. “The Poetics” is the user’s manual for writing dramatic narratives. In my view, its biggest contribution is the notion of beginnings, middles and ends.

15.  What element in film creation makes for a boring film?  Overwriting.  That is, lack of integration; sights and sounds; scenes that do not advance the story.

16.  Do you believe the late Orson Welles intended to create a theme in his movies or was he just following the money path?

 No worthy artist intends to create a theme.  Theme is always surprise to the writer. Following the money path is what the genius greet dramatists and Shakespeare and Aaron Sorkin  have done. The suggestion that there is tension between commerce and art in drama is a myth, a hoax and lie.

17.  Why is character creation before story format not important? (My theory is different)

EDIT

 Characters don’t exist outside of the story. The story is what the characters do and say, right?

20. What would you do if you retired next year?

a. Write a book?

b. Take a world tour?

c. Write a spec script?

d. None of the above?

E. All of the above.