Writers Guild West Awards: Honoring the Unseen Masterminds

Every day in Hollywood, in offices and apartments and sometimes Beverly Hills mansions, a writer sits down and lovingly crafts scenes, creating a blueprint for directors and actors to work from. They are not celebrities or household names and faces. They are simply storytellers.

These writers create blockbuster entertainment like this year’s laugh out film The Hangover, or the gripping edge of your seat drama The Hurt Locker. Without writers, even the visually masterful world of Avatar wouldn’t exist.

This year Poptimal was front and center at the Writers Guild West Awards where we hit the red carpet to talk with the writers of your favorite films and TV shows of 2009.

First time honoree and co-writer of this year’s romantic dramedy, (500) Days of Summer, Scott Neustadter said a lot of his film was personal and was happening even as it was being written.  He said when he wrote it, he began showing it around Hollywood and industry people were receptive, but a lot of people weren’t sure it was a movie audiences would want to see because it wasn’t a classic romantic comedy. He said many actors who expressed interest were only willing to do it if he changed the ending and made it a boy gets girl kind of film. Luckily, when Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel came onboard as cast, they were all equally as passionate about telling his story. As a writer, he said he was really lucky working with first time director Marc Webb because they had a year before production began and were able to really discuss the script and collaborate. Often times in film, a screenwriter finishes the script and then it’s in the directors hands with no writer involvement, but Scott said that he was there throughout the shoot and was really lucky to see the film come to life.  He’ll be bringing his talents to the small screen next with an NBC pilot called Friends with Benefits.

We did our best to bring you the inside scoop on this seasons upcoming episodes of the hit FOX drama House from writer/executive producer David Shore, a nominee for best episode. We really wanted to know if there was any juicy stuff to come between House and Cuddy (played by actors Hugh Laurie and Lisa Edelstein).  Shore was cagey, saying they’d eventually give us something with those two, but for now he was keeping quiet. Lucky for us fans, David said that we can expect House to be on the air for awhile. “As long as I keep finding it interesting and Hugh keeps finding it interesting, we’ll keep going.”

We asked him what writers aspiring to be like him should do.

“It’s the same stupid advice.  Keep writing and writing and writing. Don’t fall in love with your stuff. And keep working on it. Keep rewriting. Rewriting is everything,” said Shore.

The funny dudes who brought us The Hangover echoed Shore’s sentiment. “We’re not any smarter than anyone else. It’s about sitting down and doing it. Grinding it out, over and over again,” they told Poptimal.

While many actors decided to skip the red carpet and head straight to the awards, we saw Jason Segel, the star of How I Met Your Mother and I Love you Man; Judd Apatow (writer/director of The Forty Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up) and his lovely wife, actress Leslie Mann. Mila Kunis also walked the red carpet and we caught a glimpse of the talented actor Morgan Freeman who played Nelson Mandela in Invictus, and was there to support Anthony Peckham, the screenwriter of this powerful film.

Luckily actor John Corbett,  best known for his role on Sex and the City as Aidan, Carrie’s boyfriend was able to stop by and visit with us . Corbett now stars on the hit Showtime drama The United States of Tara written by Academy Award winner Diablo Cody and starring Academy Award nominee Toni Collette.   Corbett said that at first he was intimidated by working with such a talented writer.

“Diablo is scary because she won the Oscar and you’re afraid to make suggestions and you are afraid you might offend her, but after awhile she’s totally accessible and open to suggestions,” he said.

Poptimal was also able to speak with Mark Boal right before he took home the WGA award for best original screenplay for his taut and intense portrayal of an elite Army bomb squad in Iraq. We asked him what inspired him to write this movie when the media has shied away from covering the ongoing Iraqi war.

“It’s just a story worth telling. It was a long process, but it was worth it. It was quite an experience. So many pieces to put together. Reminds people that troops are out there,” Boal said.

We have exclusive video as well with Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman nominated for an Academy Award for best director for her direction of The Hurt Locker and we got insight on writing and the process of creating Grey Gardens from writer and director Michael Suscy who was nominated this evening for best long form original.

Check out our videos and all the photos from this incredible evening celebrating the talented individuals who continue to entertain and inspire the readers of Poptimal.