Posted by Michael Raben at spider-tj022.proxy.aol.com on December 20, 2000 at 21:26:05:
In Reply to: Questions for Kevin posted by mr. e on December 20, 2000 at 12:32:24:
: How involved do you make yourself in your films? Etc. etc....
Kevin himself admits he's not much of a 'visual' director. Like you point out, his strength is in his words. Thus, he's a stickler for rehearsals and word-for-word performance from the script - no ad-libs. The balance of the production falls to the talented folks he associates with, especially Producer Scott Mosier.
: I believe that you have the ability to write an extraordinary novel. The detail, the complexity, the heaviness. Not all screenwriters have this talent. Would you like to tackle the novel one day?
I don't think he's ever ruled out the possibility, but novelization is a different kind of animal.
: However, if I e-mailed my screenplay to you, would you actually read it?
Nope. First off, he's said he doesn't read scripts (unless they're from good friends or he's working on a paid re-writing gig). Secondly, and more importantly, there's a tremendous legal liability that comes with reading anyone else's material. The quick gist of it is that if Kevin just happens to be working on something (or even has an idea similar to) that appears in your script, you could, IN THEORY, sue him whenever his work was made into a film, novelized, etc. So, no matter how you slice it, the risk is absolute and in the end, not worth it.
Hope this answers your questions.
Always,
Michael Raben