Trevor Hogg chats with Shane Weisfeld about The Karate Kid, perseverance, and developing a cool idea into a movie…
“I was born in 1974 so I was able to be influenced by the birth of the blockbuster, and then the birth of renting movies,” states Shane Weisfeld who watched the classics of the 1970s on VHS tapes. “I first saw The Exorcist [1973] when I was in Grade 10 and that had a strong, lasting impression on me, and to this day remains my favourite film. In my last year of high school I did a project on The Karate Kid [1984], where I first learned about the script-to-screen process and the collaboration involved in making a film. The screenwriter of The Karate Kid [Robert Mark Kamen] went on to write films like Lethal Weapon 3 [1992], The Transporter [2002], Taken [2008] and Colombiana [2011]; he is a great writer, and longevity is a precious thing in this crazy business, as I’m sure he can attest to.” A fascination with the creative and business aspects of writing and film led the native of Toronto to pursue a career as a screenwriter. “I come from the world of hip hop, and that’s where the writing and telling stories started for me. In terms of learning the screenwriting craft, I did the most common, naïve thing in the world: I went to film school. However, I took initiative and self-educated myself while I was still a screenwriting major in university, and especially, after I graduated.” Weisfeld was drawn to a particular genre. “I grew up with crime-thrillers and am still influenced by them. I have two older brothers and watched what they watched. There’s the thriller genre in general, where Hitchcock was my biggest influence, but also those amazing crime-thrillers and film noirs from guys like Fritz Lang, Howard Hawks, John Huston and Billy Wilder. Some of the specific movies I hold in high esteem are The Godfather [1972], Chinatown [1974], Three Days of the Condor [1975], Marathon Man [1976], All the President’s Men [1976], The French Connection [1971], Serpico [1973], Heat [1995], The Usual Suspects [1995] and pretty much anything written by David Mamet [Redbelt], Steven Knight [Eastern Promises] and Paul Laverty [The Wind That Shakes the Barley]. Also, there’s some amazing crime films coming out of Brazil and Argentina these days, and England, Australia and Russia have always produced great crime films.”
A story about a man held captive in a walk-in freezer because the Russian mob believes he has stolen $8 million from them led to a career breakthrough for Shane Weisfeld. “I gained representation for the first time, off the script of Freezer [2014], and that was at the 12-year mark. Then I became a produced writer at the 15-year mark. It’s currently been a 16-year journey for me. With Freezer, I can honestly say it was the first time all the elements were there, in terms of being not just a writing sample showing my voice in this genre, but something attractive to a producer, financier, director and lead actor. It was also the first time I spent the most detail on a script in terms of rewriting and polishing.” Tom Doganoglu (8 Million Dollars) shares a co-writing credit for the screenplay. “We first wrote Freezer in July of 2010 and it was in development for a good two-and-a-half years before it went before the cameras [in January of 2013]; that’s actually pretty fast by industry standards, considering some movies linger in development hell. It evolved a lot over time because during the rewrite process it pretty much became a completely different story. It started out as a straight thriller but when we added the crime element to it; that’s when more story and character development were injected into it.” Weisfeld remarks, “At the time, my manager in L.A. helped with the early development process, because he didn’t want to take it out to the marketplace until he thought it was ready [which is the mark of a good, honest manager].” An agreement was reached with the production company (Envision Media Arts) and Mikael Salomon (Hard Rain) who was hired to direct the project as to what worked and what needed to be fixed. “The vision remained ours, but the collaboration, notes and constructive feedback were always there throughout the whole process.”
A lot of brainstorming and rewriting was required to plant clues without giving away the ending. “One of the most important things as a writer, especially for thrillers, is to make sure the reader and/or audience wants to know what happens next,” notes Shane Weisfeld. “That means starting scenes as late as possible, ending them on a high note, and with little exposition. I can tell you that the first draft contained a fair amount of exposition, and if there’s anything I’ve learned from the amazing David Mamet, it’s that the audience does not want to see information. They want to see drama.” Not a lot of reference material was required when developing the story. “I don’t like to get bogged down in research, but there was certainly some research about the extent of the Russian mafia and the type of stronghold they have in the racket. Also, research into industrial freezers was done in terms of the size, temperature control and contents.” The single setting proposed a complication. “The biggest challenge was having an actual story and mounting conflict in the one, confined location; that meant slowly revealing a connection with all of the characters as the narrative progresses, and withholding information as much as possible. Conflict between them meant that all of the characters had to be after the same thing, in this case a lot of money, and what each is willing to do for it, especially, our freezing protagonist.” A topic of discussion with the producers was when to incorporate subtitles for the audience. “In the script, it specified when they’re actually speaking Russian, but there was no intent to have English subtitles for an audience. However, there’s always the hard decision on revealing what your protagonist knows, and what the audience knows. For practical purposes, we wanted the audience to know what they’re saying when they speak Russian, but the protagonist is unaware what they’re saying, to add to the conflict and disorientation for him. It’s always a tricky thing.”
The screenwriter had an opportunity to be on-set during the principle photography which allowed him to learn about all of “the hoops and fire producers and the director have to jump through to keep a production running smoothly. Also, I have much more respect for actors and crews in terms of the job they do and what they go through on and off set, in this case, freezing their asses off in Edmonton in the middle of winter, coupled with the temperature of the set [an actual freezer].” Principle cast members included Dylan McDermott (Runaway Jury), Peter Facinelli (Twilight) and Yuliya Snigir (A Good Day to Die Hard). “Watching Dylan McDermott was amazing because he brought the character to life off the page and added even more dimension, yet keeping on the fence of ambiguity, which was the whole point. With Peter and Yuliya, their characters were more clear and defined, and they did a great job. It was perfect casting with them and all of the actors. There were some big names that passed on it originally. At one point The Blair Witch [1999] guys were circling it. I’m just glad it all came together with the right people who said ‘yes’ to it.” Weisfeld reveals, “I always looked forward to the first scene when Robert Saunders [Dylan McDermott] winds up in the freezer and his realization of the situation. To be honest, every scene was a pleasant surprise because you watch it being filmed on set, and then it’s edited in a certain way that makes it so interesting.”
“I’m currently writing a dramatic TV pilot, working on another feature and am developing a documentary about the voice-over industry,” states Shane Weisfeld. “The Freezer experience definitely influenced my approach to rewriting, because sometimes a page-one rewrite or full overhaul is needed, despite what you might think. It’s always hard to scrap whole scenes or totally rearrange them, but if it’s for the progression of conflict and the story, then it’s important.” Weisfeld observes, “Before you pursue this business, especially in an above-the-line capacity, you need to ask yourself if you truly want this, because you’ll be put through the ringer; that’s guaranteed. There’s no specific way or timeline on breaking in. As hard as it is to break in, it’s just as hard [or even harder] to actually stay in and maintain a living, and the holy grail of artistry: longevity. I’ve accomplished some major goals that I had been pursuing for years, but I still don’t do this for a living yet. Nobody owes me that. As hard as I worked to get to this point, I know I have to work even harder once I’m making a living, because the stakes will be much higher. However, I’ve had all these years to make mistakes, face rejection and get knocked down, which has prepared me for what’s to come, and will propel me further. The most important thing though is I kept at the craft and pursuit. I’ve never stopped the WHGTA [writing, hustling, grinding and taking action].”
Freezer was released across North America in January 2014 on DVD, VOD and through all digital platforms; it has also been distributed in the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, and Germany. The crime thriller is playing theatrically throughout the Middle East and UAE with the Japanese release set for September 2014.
Many thanks to Shane Weisfeld for taking the time for this interview and make sure to visit his blog.
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.