How Challengers Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes Aces Character, Tension and Stakes
Justin Kuritzkes is the screenwriter for the film, Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O\u2019Connor. The story revolves around tennis pros who are caught in a love triangle. It\u2019s not just about the game of tennis, but about the game of love and power. Let\u2019s dive into Justin\u2019s process of writing such a damn good movie!\n\nIn today\u2019s episode, No Film School\u2019s GG Hawkins speaks with writer Justin Kuritzkes to discuss:\xa0\n\nHow screenplays differ from other written mediums\n\nBuilding up a story that would realistically exist in the real world\n\nThe inspiration behind the story\xa0\n\nHow writing the movie made tennis less enjoyable for him to watch\n\nDeciding on the setting of the story\n\nSurprising moments during the writing process\n\nWriting in cars, hotel rooms, and airplanes when you are pressed for time\n\nThe questions he asked himself before writing the story\xa0\n\nCollaborating with actors and getting their feedback\n\nFeeling like you are watching the movie as you write the script\n\n\n\nMemorable Quotes\n\n\u201cThe thing about screenwriting is that it\u2019s such a rigidly formalistic, medium.\u201d [3:52]\n\n\u201cI started thinking about the movie and I started watching a lot of tennis. Quickly, I became an obsessive tennis fan. I almost didn\u2019t want to write the movie.\u201d\xa0[11:40]\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s like the big bang. Once the character is there, it\u2019s sort of like \u201cNow, there is light!\u2019\u201d [14:23]\n\n\u201cIf you feel like you are watching the movie when you\u2019re writing it, hopefully, other people will feel that way, too.\u201d [24:37]\n\n\n\nMentioned:\nCHALLENGERS\n\n\nFind No Film School everywhere:\nOn the Web\nhttps://nofilmschool.com/\n\nFacebook\xa0\nhttps://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool\n\nTwitter\xa0\nhttps://twitter.com/nofilmschool\n\nYouTube\xa0\nhttps://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool\n\nInstagram\nhttps://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool\n\nSend us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com!\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices