Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein And 8 Writing Tips

Sandy shares writing advice from Guillermo del Toro, a talented director, screenwriter, producer, and artist whose incredible work spans horror, fiction, and fairy tales. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1964, del Toro’s passion for film and horror blossomed during his childhood. His unique style beautifully blends genres, often finding grace in the grotesque, and draws inspiration from anime, manga, and Japanese TV. Del Toro has brought to life impressive big-budget movies like Blade II, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water, along with Netflix’s captivating Frankenstein.  

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Hello, my name is Sandy Adamidis, the social media director for the Page International Screenwriting Awards and your host for the Writers Hangout, a podcast that celebrates the many From inspiration to the first draft, revising, getting the project made, and everything in between. We'll talk to the best and the brightest in the entertainment industry, and create a space where you can hang out, learn from the pros, and have fun. Hey, writers and friends. It's Sandy. I'm recording from the writer's Hangout in Studio City under a two day old waxing Crescent Moon. I finished watching Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein this evening, which is streaming on Netflix. And I did enjoy the Moody Gothic style, but I'm not going to give you my review of the movie. There are tons of movie review podcasts out there that can do a much better job than I ever could, but what I would like. To do and I think much more helpful to you is share writing advice from Guillermo del Toro. Now, before I get into those pieces of writing advice Let's review who Guillermo del Toro is. a director of screenwriter, producer artist, and he's known for his work in horror fiction and fairytales. He was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. he is known for blending genres and finding beauty in grotesque stuff, and anime and Japanese TV and all that. Del Toro has directed big budget films like Blade two, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, the Shape of Water, and now Netflix, Frankenstein the list that I'm going to read is from a website called writer write.co dot z coza, and this list was written by Amanda. Number one, don't be afraid to create monsters. This is from a Guardian article where Guillermo said. Who would you rather go out with at night? Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Frankly, I think that everything we try to deny about our bodies and our lives about being fallible and mortal, that we're going to rot, that we are imperfect, that we sin and screw up all these are in the things that actually make. Us human. And that's why I try to make monsters, the heroes in my movies that we sin and screw up. all things that are things that actually make us human. and that's why I try to make the monsters, the heroes in my movies. Stepping back, I must say. And just after watching his Frankenstein this theory is, um, throughout that movie His monsters tend to solicit empathy usually outsiders with imperfections like in the shape of water. And Pam's elaborate. And now in his Frankenstein which he wrote, produced, and directed, The creature in it is unloved and abused by his father, his slash creator. This creature only kills and destroys things because someone hurts him first. Now Victor is the cruel monster, at least in my opinion in this movie, in Mary. Shelly's Frankenstein the character goes on rampages and kills people because he can. So that's a, a difference. And it all just goes to what he says. The he makes his monsters the heroes of his movies. Number two. Cherish your unique voice. You are what you are. Oh, this is from. Let me see. Oh no. Film school.com. You are what you are, and that's what you bring to the movies you make. All we can do as artists is the synthesis of something that has been done before. We're at least 2000 years in two civilization. Every song has been sung. Every story has been told, but Your voice is yet to be heard. In that I package two things that are one and the same, your qualities and your deficits. Okay, that was from no film school.com. I've read that Del Toro has wanted to make Frankenstein for years. He took on a classic, but he gave it his take. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein was to me, more of an experiment gone wrong. and the fallout from. Pride, arrogance, conceit, and, horrible things that happen, Del Toro, to me, was leaning into hurt. People hurt, and that the cycle must be broken. again, the example he's given in the past, he has in his latest movie. Number three, read what you really like, from Outstanding Screenplays. This is Guillermo talking. Don't read or watch purely for research. Look into media that you're really interested in. That way it draws from you something that you've already had creatively. I'd say here, Guillermo is suggesting when you're engaging with media, you what you truly love awakens your existing creative instincts. I'm not sure. Whatever. I think just being out in the world and discovering art and not just reading to read for research, taking the world, and be inspired by simply consuming stuff. Dance, make Legos, Follow your passions and bring it into your writing, and that's what I take from number three. Number four, write instinctively. Again, this is from Guillermo and it is a quote from Go into the Story. another great, resource for writers. Go into the story. I think it's dot com. If you're not operating on an instinctive level, you're not an artist. Reason over emotion is bold. Absolute bull, but he's, you know, does the whole word, we suffocate ourselves in rules. I find fantasy, liberating. Okay, this is said like someone who has earned his reputation and can get away with more than, say, your average working writer. You do have to listen to the producer on your project, but if you're writing on spec, why not do this? reject the rules. Get into your imagination, and artistic expression will come out of you you're liberated nothing holding you back. All right. Okay. Four, create the stories that need you. This is from the Hollywood Reporter. This is what Del Toro said. One of the things that I've always believed is that you should not make the movie you need, but the movies that need you, that wouldn't exist if you didn't make them. That's where your voice really resides. Okay, this one. Yeah, it took me a minute to understand this one and I think he's saying You should not make the movies you need. He is advising against, you know, writing, directing films that only serve a personal purpose earning a film, credit, money or fame again, that's really good advice. book writers, if a studio ever hires you to write a movie and you're not 100%, yay. Passionate about it, write the film anyway. Trust me, most writers get invested in what they write, even if it isn't their original idea. But again, if you have clout, live your passions. that's a tough one for struggling writers, turning down a rewrite of a children's fantasy movie because. You hate the three little pigs. Now the next part is, but the movies that you need that wouldn't exist if, oh, let's start over. You should not make the movies you need, which we just discussed. But the movies that need you, that wouldn't exist if you didn't make that. Got it. Love it. He's advocating, pursuing projects only you can write because of your vision and your unique perspective. Then he goes on to, that's where your voice really resides. Instead of following trends or chasing the latest box office, hit, use your authentic voice and style. Now, how do you do that? How do you, create your voice and your style, and you usually do that while you're writing deeply personal and unique projects. And if you're writing an episode of a TV show, you have to write in the voice of the show runner. That's your job. You don't have this luxury, he is talking about movies And I agree with him here. if you're writing on spec and you don't have somebody over your shoulder giving you notes, just really go for it. Just develop your voice and style by writing personal and unique projects. Okay, number six, create an antagonist who is equal to the protagonist. And this is from the beat. The idea of the movies is that we need to look at the other and not fare the other, and that is embodied by the creature. Oh, I bet you he's talking about the shape of water here. Okay, I'm gonna go back and start over. The idea of the movie is that we need to look at the other and not fear the other, and that is embodied by the creature. But I cannot help but think that if we apply that rule to the creature and the protagonist, you have to apply that rule to the antagonist. So I want to at least give the audience the opportunity to understand what makes him tick, what makes him have his resentment, what makes him feel pressure, and why his goal needs to be achieved in a position to the goals of the protagonist. I think it's pretty straightforward here. Del Toro saying, right antagonist with understanding motivations rather than just being evil for evil's sake. and again, he gave Victor an abusive father and that was not in Mary Shelly's novel, number seven, which when I say this, everybody has the right to do what? Interpretation. I don't mean that as a negative thing. Okay, seven. Love is the most important thing. Love is the most important thing. Aw. This is from outstanding screenplays. If your film features love, interests, who are the same sex, different religion, Age, political persuasion, or even species. Let that be just a fact and rather focus on the true point of the story, their love for each other. I'd say he's advising against hanging a lantern on your couple's differences and focus on their love and the relationship. He's not saying you can't bring up the differences. Just balance them and don't make them the theme of the movie. Now the last one, Eight. if you want to direct, direct and even easier if you want to write. Write. Writing is one of the only things that can be done with very little resources. That's from screenwriting from Iowa. Now, Guillermo is saying out of the two things, directing or writing, writing is more accessible. I mean, that's just fact. Paper pen's all you need. but a laptop is preferable. before we go, there is one thing that bothered me about the movie, at the end of the film, there is a quote by Lord Byron. The heart will break, and yet Brokenly live on. Now. Guillermo del Toro I read wanted this quote because he felt it reflected the creature's bittersweet hope after enduring immense suffering and heartbreak. and of course. there's a connection of Lord Byron and Frankenstein because it is written in history that Lord Byron challenged Mary Shelley and her friends to write ghost stories in 1816, which led to the creation of Frankenstein So by all means, let's not use a Mary Shelly quote at the end of the film. I'm sure she didn't have any. Hey, writers, if you want to hear more about Mary Shelley and the writing of Frankenstein and the Origins, I did an episode about that entitled Monsters slash Frankenstein with P Diddy on the side. It's from October 20th, 2024. So go back and take a listen. That's a wrap for the Writer's Hangout. Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe and thrive till we get to hang out again. Keep writing. The world needs your Stories.