SCREENSHOT with the wonderful Michail Eggelhoefer 🍋

Austin Film Festival drama feature screenplay winner!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are all well and enjoying the spring weather. This week we have another SCREENSHOT, which is a deep-dive into a writer’s life from our community. I’m so so happy to have the fantastic Michail tell you all about his journey, his processes and successes <3

How did you come to be a Messy?

Initially I first heard about Messy through the BBC opportunities page. However, I was initially a little too nervous to go, until a few people who were at my Uni decided to go and invited me along. So I went, and ended up having a great time. I think creative careers can sometimes be a little hard to talk about with people who aren’t doing the same thing. So it was really nice to be surrounded by people dealing with similar obstacles and problems, and being able to talk shop and chat about story. Now I try to go whenever I’m free.

What was the first project that you were proud of?

I think the first project I was ever proud of was a feature script I wrote called HUNG OVER. I’d written several scripts before this, and while I was proud to finish them, I was never proud of the project itself. You know the Ira Glass quote about the taste-talent gap? They talk about how the thing that gets us started in creative work is having good taste. But for the first few years, you’re not actually very good. You’ve got potential, or the work shows ambition, or it’s trying, but it’s not good yet. Of course it isn’t. You’re a beginner.

The problem is, your taste is still great. That’s what got you into the creative work in the first place. So you become supremely aware that the work isn’t good enough. And that’s brutal. It’s painful. It’s… disappointing seems like too small a word, but disappointing.

And the only solution is to make more. More work that doesn’t live up to your taste. More work that you know isn’t good enough. All so you can slightly narrow that gap. It’s, in my opinion, the hardest part about screenwriting (or any creative endeavour). It’s also where a lot of people give up, because you have to do that for ages. Until eventually, you make something that lives up to your taste.

HUNG OVER was the first script I ever wrote that lived up to my taste. Other scripts had good ideas, or good moments, or potential. But that script was the first I could look at and be proud of what it was, rather than what it could one day be.

It was also a really personal story. One that pulled a lot from my own experiences, and really had something to say. I think the best scripts are, in some capacity, vulnerable. And for me, it was the first script that truly harnessed that vulnerability.

Funnily enough, it was also the first script that really impacted my career. It won the Drama Feature Screenplay Award at Austin Film Festival. It got me signed with my manager. Got me meetings with production companies. But more than that, it was a script that let me know I was on the right path, and a script that let me know I could pursue this with a chance of success.

What is your writing routine?

I tend to work on multiple projects at once, so that if I hit a roadblock with one, or get bored of it, or simply fall out of love with it, I can jump to another one for a bit. I try to make sure they’re different, whether in tone, genre, or medium, just so that it can add some variety. Like, if the script I’m working on is super optimistic and positive, and my depression acts up, then I can switch to a project that has a bleaker tone rather than trying to force myself to write something I’m not vibing with.

But as to the actual process., let’s see… It starts with the ideas. One thing I do a little differently is that I don’t write down the ideas I get. Doesn’t matter if it’s a character, a concept, a plot. I used to list them all out, but generally I found that just led to me starting and stopping multiple projects constantly. Now, I get an idea, and then I wait. Sometimes for a week, sometimes a month. If it continues to crop up, weaselling into my head, and pulling at my attention, then I know it’s worth actually looking into.

From there, I’ll try and get a logline. Personally, I find if I can’t write a logline, I won’t be able to write a script. So I work on the logline until it’s tight. Then, research. Any research that needs to be done, I’ll do. From there, I generally move to outlining. If I’m lucky, I have an ending in mind, which makes the whole process easier for me, since I know what I’m working towards. I’ll open Final Draft, and write out every slug line for the story, with a brief description of the scene. Sometimes that’s just a single action line, sometimes it’s paragraphs, and sometimes I’ll even include dialogue that I like. Once that’s written, I’ll check how many scenes that is to give me a rough idea of if it’s enough. Then I go over the outline a few times, looking for problems or tweaking it to be better. From there, I copy the file, and then start writing out the scenes. I almost always write the scenes in order.

I’m always so impressed by writers who can jump around writing scenes out of order. I wish I could, but it so clearly doesn’t work for me. I’ll write out the script, then read it back, and then rewrite it. After a rewrite (or three) I’ll send it to people I know and trust, and get feedback, and then compile the notes, look for what I think needs to change. If it needs a lot of reworking, I’ll go back to outlining, and if it’s minor changes I’ll just start tweaking the script. Sometimes though, the first draft just tells me that I actually want to write about a completely different story (like when a satirical comedy about racism made me realize I wanted to write a horror about PTSD), in which case I’m going back to the outlines and changing it before writing a new draft.

The actual writing routine itself? Well, I go to a coffee shop, get an iced vanilla latte (cause I’m a basic bitch), down it, and just sit at my laptop and work. Sometimes stuff flows. Other times I end up staring at the screen doing nothing for a couple hours, but that’s part of the process right?

If I’m stuck for more than a couple days, I’ll read some scripts for inspiration, or I’ll read a book, or just write something completely unrelated without a plan just for fun without pressure. That tends to help.

What projects are you working on right now and how do you juggle them all?

Currently, writing wise, I’m working on three feature scripts (one drama, one horror, and one psychological thriller), a one hour pilot (drama), and I’m hoping to start working on a half hour pilot (comedy/dark comedy).

I’m also in post-production on the first proper short I’ve ever directed, which is… a lot. I’m not a natural director, and so I’m learning a lot on the go. I’m hoping it’ll be done relatively soon. I’m quite nervous about it, and I always have a hard time gauging whether my own work is any good. At least with writing, I have more knowledge and experience. Directing? I’m at best an enthusiastic but inexperienced amateur. So while I’m excited, I’m also terrified.

As for juggling them all? I kind of don’t. Invariably one project makes progress, then stops, and another makes progress, then stops, etc etc… The only thing I really do is that I keep a massive spreadsheet that I make at the beginning of each year. Every day I try to fill it, indicating whether I did any work, and if so, what type of work and on what projects. I also track my pages written on it, and a few other things. It helps me get a rough idea of if I’m being productive or going through a slump, and also gives me perspective when I forget how much work I’m doing. Sometimes it’s a kick in the arse when I need one. Plus, I’m not a very organised person, so it helps me to stay on top of that.

Also, life gets in the way. I’m working on being more understanding when that happens, but invariably I still use that to beat myself up a little bit if my output isn’t as high as normal. Then I go out with my fiancée or friends, and they help to ground me. Or I go to a climbing gym and clear my head. Or play boardgames with my family. Something to take a step back, and remember that life getting in the way is a good thing, not an inconvenience.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

Long term? I want to win an Oscar. I always get a bit embarrassed saying that, since it feels arrogant or foolish, but it’s true. I want an Oscar, and I want to be the screenwriter that, whenever he finishes a new script, people want to read it. Directors, studios, actors. I want people to get excited when I make new work. Not to mention I want to make a living doing this. I’ve made a little money here and there, but I want to be able to live a life that’s supported by my career. Shoot for the stars right?

In the short term though, I’d love to sell my feature script, and get my short into a few film festivals. And, frankly, I want to see one of my long form projects on screen. Screenwriting is one of the few art forms where the artist doesn’t have a finished product. I find it quite tough that we rarely get to see our work as a finished product. So I’d definitely love to see one of my features or shows get made.

Also, I want to just keep growing. Occasionally I’ll look back at my old scripts and it’s often… mortifying. Thankfully, the flip side of that is that I’m consistently improving (at least so far). So I’m quite excited to see what stories I could write if I manage to keep getting better!

Thanks Michail!

Love you lots,
The Messy Women x