Latest / Author Hour / Books to the Big Screen: Alec Roth on Adapting an Author’s Story Into Film

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Books to the Big Screen: Alec Roth on Adapting an Author’s Story Into Film · Author Hour

• speaker-0: Alec is adopting the scribe-authored Kaandler Cook's book, From Underdog to Bulldog, into a film. And for authors listening right now, whose books might be becoming a film, or that's just their dream one day, you're the person who actually makes that happen. So we're gonna look a little bit about what this journey looks like from the other side of the table. So let's start just early on. Your journey into the business. Why don't you tell me a little bit about that? speaker-1: Yeah. And thank you so much for having me and so excited to talk about books and talk about movies because two of the most important things in my life. And ⁓ I grew up in Hollywood. ⁓ my family's been in the business for many, many years. My dad has wrote movies like Forrest Gump, Benjamin Button, Dune, Star is Born. I can go on and on and on. But but one of the things that he's ⁓ somewhat known for is adapting books into into onto screen. And so I learned a tremendous amount from him. He's been nominated for many, many Oscars and and really for for adaptation has been his strong suit. And so learning from him was really important. But also just loving loving different forms of of publications and and seeing how they they come on the screen is something that fascinates me, whether that's in film or in television. And you know, I've always looked for for different types of intellectual property, but but specifically books that I really feel like could be special. So I I ended up writing and working for for different filmmakers. And I ended up just Now finishing my I'm actually here in the studio, finishing post production on my feature debut, which is a film called Billy Knight, coming out end of this year, twenty twenty six, starring Al Pacino, Charlie Heaton, and a number of great actors. So that's sort of my foray into the business and and just excited to be talking to you and talking about books and movies. speaker-0: Amazing. So yeah, your dad, Eric Roth, growing up with a parent like that in the business, would you say that made it more attractive as a job to you? Was that something that you kind of always wanted to follow in those footsteps? Or were you against the idea at first? How did you find your way into it? Was it kind of smooth or what was that journey? speaker-1: Yeah, I think you're always really sort of thrust into it. When I was young, I got to be able I was blessed to be able to go on this on the set. And when I was really young, I I was playing with Legos, little little sort of ⁓ I I don't know if it Legos or the Playmobiles, but Michael Mann, who was a a friend of my father's, looked at me and said he was gonna be a director. Now I don't I don't know if that means anything, but there's some sort of cosmic feeling that I've always I've always had from that that that I could go create worlds and And so being able to go to set, being able to to see the the craft of it and putting together a movie was always something that was fascinating to me. So I actually fell in love with set a little bit more than I did and I was again blessed to be able to go on to set, but more than I did really the the film theory or writing screenplays or anything like that. And then it and then when I got to high ⁓ college, I started to watch the great pieces of cinema, Lord you know, Lawrence Arabia, The Red Shoes, two thousand one. I've started to understand why films are so important. And and and I think, you know, it's really down to that script level where you start to understand how they how they come about and how they start to really ⁓ change people. And my dad who who worked in his office, like he worked from home basically before COVID. ⁓ and and I got to learn a lot from him and listen to him and type when he's typing on that typewriter and hear the words coming, you know, he liked to say words out loud to himself. So So to answer your question, I he probably wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer or something else. But unfortunately for him I I ⁓ I got the bug and it's a family business. My sister's a documentarian, my brother's a s a screenwriter. ⁓ wow and I'm a filmmaker. So it's really a a family business. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah, I love that. So for somebody that's looking before we get into the more of the book side of things, the author to movie adaptation side of things, talking about screenwriting or just working in the film business in general, what would you say is the hardest, like the biggest hurdle to entry to to getting into that business? speaker-1: I I think it's I think it's the the idea of the hurdle. And I again I I'm blessed to be able to say that I come from a family that's been in it, but I do think that there's a a a natural progression if you believe in your material, you believe in the work that you've done, especially in this day and age, that there's no one you can't reach out to, there's no one that you can't connect with, there's no one that you know, they do make it a gatekeeper gatekeeping element to it. Don't get me wrong. And I've been able to get into so many different doors and things because of who my father is, but I do believe that there's a there's a hesitancy and a a mystique about that, that that it is some sort of exclusive club and and it it can be. But I think the greatest ideas win out no matter what. You know, the greatest stories, the greatest types of films, they'll be seen. And especially in this day and age, they're gonna be seen. So I think it's more the idea that that it's impossible. But but you know, and who am I to say that because of you know my dad being who he is, but You know, I I do think that that it can hinder people, but I always say, and I just posted on my social media that I love to work with people that that feel like they might not have that entry. And I love to work with people from around the country, around the world. I spoke to a guy from Denmark this morning about his project and you know, so I I really love to look for stories that that aren't sort of Hollywood insular, even though my movie's about Hollywood itself. But I think there's something, you know, my partners that helped me make my movie were There was a gentleman from two gentlemen from Amarilla, Texas, and the people that put the capital in for the movie from parts of Atlanta and and with people from Seattle. So it's not just LA New York that that really, you know, can can make your thing to make something happen. So but but again, and I think it's bel believing in the material and going back to that, in my opinion, great elect intellectual property or stories, they win the day, no matter what. It's just it's just how it works and the world works that that way. And And I do think, however, there's some benefits that you can have of being a quote unquote Nepo baby. But I think ultimately you still have to have the right material material. You still have to have great ideas and the wherewithal and the the work ethic to to make them into something that's really special. speaker-0: Yeah. I mean, proving yourself is proving yourself no matter what that background looks like. So absolutely. I think that doubt piece that you're touching on where one of the biggest hurdles is just believing in your idea, believing in your work. That's a there's a huge bridge between writing a book and making a film or writing a film or whatever you know you're doing in the film industry. That's that's pretty common across the board for both industries, where, you know, you have this thing that's coming directly out of your brain. And at first you're the only person that can believe in it because you're the only person that even knows that it exists. And there's there's a long journey from that idea stage to getting it out there and and making that product and and getting it into people's hands. But it kind of works the exact same way. And that's what's really interesting about making stories is that stories start just as something that has formed in your brain, maybe one day during a shower, maybe over time. But it's just you have to keep pushing for it yourself and advocating for it yourself until it gets into the right hands. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, there's a great and I'm botching the quote. Someone can definitely get the quote better than me, but Kur Kurasara, Kira Kurosar, the great ⁓ Japanese filmmaker, he always said that he never felt like he made anything good. So that's why he kept making stuff so that he could finally feel the satisfaction of feeling like he made something really wonderful. And again, I'm botching the quote. But I love that because it gives you a sense of and I'm not saying to be a you know, sort of down on yourself or to to not believe in it, but I'm saying there's always some sort of motivation that you can get and and push pushing forward. And for me it's been a lot of rejection. It's been a lot of, you know, sort of someone even said this it's not necessarily the rejections. It's sort of the the soft, you know, yes, but never materializes into an actual yes. It's sort of we love this, we love this. And then you don't hear from anybody for another month or year or whatever. Or ever again. So I I think, you know, that's the tough thing with with Hollywood, especially is sort of this this it they I'd rather them say no. You know, but but yeah. Sometimes you don't even get the no. No. You know, so so that's so that's really I I do think there is a really important lesson of believing in in your material, but but also believing that you can do it great the next time or the next time or the next time is that no matter what you do on your current and and living day by day a hundred percent, but and putting everything you're all into that project, but if it's If you know, if it comes out however it comes out and it could be the greatest thing ever, I know great filmmakers who they think certain movies that we think are, you know, masterpieces are of their own who say, No, I could have done better, right? You know, so it it's it's it's how you believe in it and how you believe in the next one, I think especially, you know. speaker-0: Yeah, I love that. And again, there's such a connection between writing a book, making a movie, or whatever creative project it is, that's it is so easy to hear one no or one maybe, but then you know, never materialize. It's like you're talking about, and just immediately think that you're bad at whatever you were trying to do and that you should never pick it back up again. And there's just that's what's so interesting about stories is that they're constantly evolving. And that actually makes me wonder what. draws you into a story. Like what what does a story have that that gets Alec looking at it and being like, this is this is something I'm gonna do something. speaker-1: Yeah, and and I think for me, whether that's a screenplay or a book or or a podcast or a you know, song even, you know, I think sometimes even video games. I ⁓ my dad w at when I was a young age, you know, and he's always talked about this, he loves to look at the beginning, the end, and then the middle if you can find really four great moments. You know, I I do believe in something that hooks you. I do believe in something that that gives you something that you want to turn that page. speaker-0: Absolutely. speaker-1: And for me, I've always been a world builder. So I love big worlds. I love that something that can lead into having a big world. But I also I also think there's authors who are able to, you know, really make you think about something in your lives better than most people. There's an author, ⁓ Dennis Johnson, is someone who my dad has always loved and I've always loved. And I felt that he he was able to really tell us something about our lives that we may not know or or we may overlook. ⁓ it's almost therapeutic. I think his work is incredibly special in terms of being that that sort of therapy, therapy element. And, you know, I've seen it with my dad taking stories that, you know, sometimes they're the smallest ideas. Like Benjamin Button was a short story. It wasn't some larger big piece of material. And he was able to to create a world based off of that. Even this morning I met with two guys who are these young actors who are amazing who came up with this. script idea, but it wasn't even a really idea. It was just this he had told me that he was sitting on a a bench at a farm and and there was a sort of a a ⁓ vision that he had seen. And that became sort of the essence of where I'm trying to think about going with it and and if I if I am end up working with them. But regardless, I think that I idea that it can come from something so small that it doesn't have to be some sort of big of, you know, it could be my dad once said about, you know, the this idea of that A ship in a bottle, right? That that that there's a ship in a bottle that you see kind of floating along the ocean. And you from that just little image, you can create where did that ship come from? Who put the ship in there? You know, like what what was its journey as it went through the ocean to get to that shore, to that sand? You know, he also talks about the idea that a character should have a wallet. Where's what's in that person's wallet, right? And and what's what type of business cards, what type of You know, that every character should have that in your piece. And that's something that I look for as well. Is is do I do I really feel like that character that I'm reading about or connecting to, I can sort of understand something about them that might not even be written on the page, you know, and and and that's where our imaginations can go. And so that's that's type of stuff that I kind of love and look. speaker-0: that. So so thinking about that ship in a bottle metaphor, when you only have that ship in a bottle and you you're looking at one singular piece and then you can go in any direction, you know, you can decide where did it come from, what's going to happen. What does your writing process look like for that? So how do we begin with a concept and turn it into something that can actually, you know, end up as a movie? speaker-1: There's a writer screenwriter, I might have been I I I'm botching up exactly who it was, but he talked about he likes to get everything out and just even if it's bad, even if it's terrible and and but it's it's it's a canvas that you're throwing stuff you're throwing paint against the wall and then kind of figure it out later. I love that. To me, that's how I go about it. I like to get a draft out and just get it out. Whatever it is, I'm I'm listening to music, I'm in a rhythm. I don't care if there's grammar mistakes. don't care if there's spelling mistakes. I don't care if it's even hard to read. I I like to for myself get out that idea, that story. I probably to my own fault, I probably have some some things to, you know, because I'm still a young writer in this world and trying to hone my own craft. I I I need help with the second and third and fourth draft. But I think ultimately for me, the first the f I just like to get it out, get that story out, understand what that story is. And then start to work out things. And then to be honest, I actually with the second draft, I kind of like to rewrite the story itself. My dad likes to start on page one. I'll just kind of almost write a sec a second version of that story. And then because then I have new pages and then I can start to combine and take things out and think what's good, what's not good. So almost every single draft, I'm almost writing it's a new version of the of what that story is. And then I sort of feel like I can bring those things together. For instance, with Billy Knight, I wrote it as, you know, this thing that was really ⁓ a little bit more real. And I'm someone that loves dreams and imagination and big world building stuff. So I needed to bring that version in of it. And I kind of combined those two versions of it. And that's what the the movie ended up becoming. With Candler's piece, the book that that he had written. I looked at the book, I read the book, and I and I sort of felt like There wasn't necessarily, you know, 'cause he was really just tell focusing and telling on his story. And I know we'll get into this probably more, but I wanted to bring a little bit of that tinge of of who I am and the type of stories that I like to tell into that. So I kind of made it a little bit more fairy tale, a little bit more modern fairy tale and and which which almost felt like a almost a different story, but it was obviously the same. So bringing those things in is kind of my process that way. speaker-0: No, that's what makes that that's the difference between making a book and making a movie is it making a book you it's it's pretty solitary and at Scribe, you know, we have all of our editors, we have our scribes that help write the book and develop the book and you have a team around you, but really it's it's a pretty individual project. And then it it becomes so much more when it goes onto the screen because you have a screenwriter that's going to adjust things and and put themselves into the project. You have a director who's going to put themselves into the project and everybody's creativity looks different. So then the project ends up looking so different because of all those pieces of those people that end up working on it, which I think is really, I mean, there's something to be said for both the book process and the movie process, but it's it's such a beautiful way to tell a story is you're getting a hundred different personalities in that one story. And that's what's so incredible about watching a film and recognizing there's so many pieces of people in this. speaker-1: Yeah, no, completely. And and and still, you know, my my ⁓ go back to my dad, but he says, you know, he feels like he's a a a a novelist trapped in a screenwriter's body that way because he you know, and that's where I I'm fascinated by great authors and I'm fascinated by great screenwriters, is because you have to sort of stay within yourself a little bit more. Right. For me as a filmmaker, you know, and putting that hat on as a filmmaker versus me putting it on as a screenwriter. You know, you're you're working with people every day, you're collaborating, you're you're no, it's there's elements of how much money you have to spend. There's so many things that you have to think about that not to say that you don't as a as a author or screenwriter or or someone creating that sort of manuscript, but I do think there's a little bit more of a collaborative sort of element to it. Whereas with with screenwriting and and writing a novel or or or or or something of of this of similar is you you're battling yourself while still Trying to collaborate with yourself while still, or if you're doing it with a partner, you know, it's the same thing. You know, probably not working with a hundred partners on a screenplay. I think that might get a little bit weird. But but yeah, I I think it's that sort of internal thing that is that's why it's so I I am so enamored by great authors and great screenwriters. Like there's something so incredibly and the discipline to be able to do it and then battle with yourself to do it again. And there's a great writer named Will McCormick who just wrote The Invite, which is a beautiful movie if anybody has a gun seen it. ⁓ but I'm so fascinated by his his ⁓ ability to to to battle with with either himself or a partner and still come out of it the other side of having something so remarkably well done and genius and I just I love his writing and think he's one of the best in in the world right now. But anyways, I hope that answers that question because I think that's that's sort of how I think about it. speaker-0: Yeah, absolutely it does. I did I saw the invite, loved it a lot pretty recently. So that's a that's a great reference. But I wanted to know what is something that a lot of people seem to misunderstand about screenwriting? speaker-1: I think it's ⁓ I think the the biggest thing is that y y you know, you're that I think it is that battle that we have. You know, a lot of screenwriters that I feel feel they seem kind of grounded at times, oddly. Whereas I don't think people realize of how, you know, kind of nutty you have to be and and how kind of in yourself you have to be and and really, you know, and I'm sure there's great writers that are are not as egotistical or whatever that might be as as screenwriters as maybe I am or my father is or people in our universe. But I do think there's a there is a constant struggle that you have to fight every single day because you're creating words, we're worlds and words and and people. I mean you're or or you're adapting those those types of people and then creating more on top of it or sh changing it. and so I think it's that that battle that and and writers know what I'm talking about. The every day they sit with it and and they have to think about it and and that's why I like the first draft because you kinda can just get it out. Yeah. And then the battle starts, you know. So you're going to war every day, you know. speaker-0: Yep. It's really you versus a blank page every single day. Even when you finish a page, the next, you know, you finish your page and then you're stuck with a blank page all over again just until you get to the end. So there's a really interesting conversation in the writing world about planning versus pantsing. Have you heard of that conversation? So pl it's a f your most writers either call themselves a planner or pantser. So the planners are the ones that have the outline and then they go through the outline and they fill it in and they keep filling it in until you have the entire story. versus a panther who is, you know, as things unfold, they kind of discover the story as they go about writing it. So do you feel like you're connecting with either of those more than the other, or do you feel like you fall somewhere in the middle? speaker-1: I'm definitely a panther, but I but I think it's but I think I I do like to find things that that become I'm I feel like I'm a very superstitious person. So that that element of of structuring and and feeling is more based on environment. So I I like to find certain rooms or or restaurants or a time of day or a a a place where I feel comfortable that I can go and attack it. My dad has certain, you know, sort of strict things that he follows, which is, you know, like I said, the beginning, the middle, the you know, excuse me, the beginning and end and finding that middle part. He also he starts on page one every day. So he always feels like he's rewriting. He does something where he has a writer's block thing and he he says this in every single podcast. And he does that he changes the weather when he feels like he's has writer's block. So that he it gives him a new sense of of the scene. You know, I don't I don't know if I do that, but but I do think finding a new element to the scene is really, really so I I wouldn't say that I'm definitely not a planner, but I do think I like to plan along the way. Right. That I like to say, okay, now that I know that I have my that character in this place, you know, what is the next piece? So that's sometimes even this one script that I'm writing, which is more of a world bit that that I might actually see if I could get it published is, you know, I'm I'm writing certain pieces of it and then I'll go and I'll world build off of that, you know, and an outline off of that to say, okay, if I'm in this the because it's sort of a magical piece, Harry Potter esque, but yeah, you know, if I'm in this city, in this world and and things are all happening over here, what could that lead to? And you don't necessarily need to throw it into the screenplay or or the book itself, but at least I know it's there. And I mean so it sort of exists so that I can lean on that and I can know that there's a certain elements of that that I can bring into it. That's fun. And I look, and I'm not, you know, who am I to you know, I'm not a wizard. I haven't I haven't even released a movie yet, but I do think that I s I've learned from whether it's my dad or other people, that that that processes is something that they go through and they like to use. But to answer your question, I'm definitely more of a a pantser than a shirt. Yeah. speaker-0: So that environment that you're talking about, I am the same way, a lot of authors, I'm sure, are the same way, or screenwriters or whatever the the craft is, where the environment is a huge deal. So if you could just describe or just make up your most perfect environment to just get the inspiration flowing and write the best work of your life, what does that environment look like? speaker-1: I think it's I think it's connected I I hate to say it, I think it's connected to the piece. I remember I went to the school in University of Miami, so I lived in Florida for a little bit, but I remember I had a apartment and outside of it were these sort of tropical trees, like just trees. You couldn't barely see the street. It was like trees, trees, trees, trees, like palm trees, this, that, and the other. And I I s I was writing a a a sort of futuristic piece set on an island and it was perfect. You know, every day I would wake up and I would look out the window and all of a sudden it was there. But You know, and and then I do think that that, you know, I I wrote Billy Knight, which was which is a sort of piece about Hollywood, I would go to the Sunset Tower and spay spend too much money on lunch and and parking. But I would sit there and it really helped me sort of get back into this sort of old school Hollywood vibe that that the movie sort of ⁓ takes on and and Pacino and the classic sort of essence of being in that world of of cinema and and But but Hollywood specifically. So I think it does I think it does matter where you are. But I think it's also then what mu you know, ⁓ a great filmmaker named Peter Weir, who's somewhat of a mentor. He did movies like Dead Poet Society and and ⁓ Master and Commander and just a brilliant filmmaker. And he he always said that he needs a piece of music to go to every scene. So that when he's when he's directing. I kind of like that for writing as well. I like to listen to certain music that I think really takes me through certain scenes and certain aspects. And I assume, you know, as as an author, people do that as well. Cause I think it's such a good atmosphere to really inspire whether that and sometimes I I think about it in the shower or I think about it, you know, other places, not just when I'm sitting down and writing. So I think music is as key as sort of that that actual environment as well. speaker-0: Yeah, immersion is yeah. No, I I can imagine immersion is huge for creativity just across the board. I mean, the environment that you're in, reflecting the world that you're building, the music that you're playing, having some kind of connection to what you're writing that is huge to actually get you into that world yourself, which is exactly what a lot of screenwriters, a lot of authors need to do is is exist completely in that world themselves so that they can build it for other people. But I'd like to fast forward a little bit. So the script has been written. What are you keeping in mind to make it attractive to producers? Like now that you've finished the project, what's the process like? How are you how are you pitching? What what does that look like for you? speaker-1: Yeah, I I I I think for me the biggest elements is making sure that there's certain characters that you feel are gonna be attracted to certain pieces of talent. You know, in in this day and age, there's a great additive that says the stars make the movies in some respects. And I think until you're at a certain place where you can say, I'm gonna green light whatever movie I wanna make, you know, and there's very few of those people that exist today, whether it's Nolan or Villaneuve or Gretigerwerg or something, but I do think as a as a as a starting out, you know writer, filmmaker, y you you do want to find certain characters that you feel like you can find a piece of talent that that really believes in it. Because they're the ones that are gonna drive the money. They're the ones that are gonna drive people wanting to go make it. And I always find that it's like, you know, finding even if they're the you know, a day a day's worth of work and it's a character that's incredibly small, but is is of interest to somebody to say, Hey, come come jump on this because it's such a fun character to play to play around and have that playground to play in. I think that's really important. I think having I think I think stakes is something that I'm trying to work on. It's something that you really feel like when you read it, it's important, right? It feels important. Not not agenda wise like it's politically important or something like that. Yeah. But I mean it's it's something that feels that there's a gravitas to it where That person puts it down and and makes a call and says, ⁓ my God, I just read something that is so visceral and has a feeling that that you can't shake. You know, and that's hard to do. Don't get me wrong. I think it's I'm trying to do it, and I think a ton of people are trying to do it, is trying to make something feel vital. My dad says the word vital and and w in whatever capacity that it is. I I think one of the great scenes, you know, and I don't, you know, I love the movie, but but La La Land. I remember my dad sort of reading that script. He got to be able to read it really early. He said, It starts with one of the great, you know, dance sequences ever. But he read that in a script. You know, it's not like he had seen the movie. And I remember him telling me that. And I was like, wow, that's so so bold, so different, so that it feels important, right? Whether or not it is or not, but it feels important. So I think finding those things is is and not just shock value, but but something that can really feel important. Is is important is is important. speaker-0: Yeah, I mean adding adding weight to the work, I can imagine is one of the hardest parts because not only are you creating a world, but you have to create a world that matters to people with no connection to that world. And you have to take something that started out as just a white piece of paper and make people care so deeply about it that they're thinking about it over and over again that they want to return to it, whether it's a book or a movie or whatever it is. You have to create something that's so heavy that it sticks with people. And I Can only imagine how difficult that would be when, you know, you're just facing down, like we talked about, that blank page after blank page. But I mean, it's it sounds like you're already doing it. Like it's it sounds like all of the projects that you're working on have that weight to them. But I am curious as well. So obviously with Candler Cook's book, we are doing an adaptation from the book. And then with Billy Knight, it's more of an original work. So In the industry right now, do you think that it's better or just more optimal to pursue original work or to go for that adaptation? What are you seeing? speaker-1: No, I I I really love looking for IP. I think Billy Knight was a special situation just because I created something that but and by the way, Billy Knight is is in times taken from IP. I mean, there's a lot of great there's a lot of great Gadsby in it. There's a lot of all sorts of different books that sort of exist in it, if not other movies, you know. Obviously it's a movie about it's a movie about movies. So there's tons of, you know, the red shoes and And magic bar there's tons of that. But I I actually I think for me as I look forward in into my career, I would love to work on material that has a little bit more, not necessarily established IP, but has something that is kind of based off of stuff is is based on it doesn't have to be a book necessarily, but finding things that that come from articles or or even podcasts or you know, songs, my my my dad and my brother. We're working on a a project with a really, really famous musician and he wrote a an incredible song that they had turned into to a wonderful s my brother wrote an incredible script. But I think with novels, you know, they are, in my opinion, the best the best material to go off of because of the the way that you can find characters and find worlds and find things that speak to you in such a vast way. Right. You know, there's you mu you know there's hundreds of pages of it, right? Versus some of these other things, which are, you know, a song is two minutes worth, you know. So I I do think you get this world that you get to sort of play off of and excited about. So I'm definitely looking for more Burk books to work on and and try to adapt and and find books. And and and I'll go into Candlers, but one of the big things is that I I was such a fanatic of college football. And I'm a ginormous college football fan. I went to the University of Miami I love that world that that that I get to wake up to every Saturday and watch. And so that was the IP was was, ⁓ my God, I get to work on this project that is, you know, my one of the you know, what my favorite thing in the world is books, movies and college football. It's like you can't you can't beat that. So that's that's where I I got gravitated towards Candler's work and obviously Candler's story in itself. speaker-0: Yeah, that's actually that leads you right into my next question, which was just gonna be what was attractive about Kahnler Cook's book specifically? What spoke to you? What did you see on the page that kind of told you that it would work on screen? speaker-1: Yeah, I loved Rudy. I always felt Rudy was a wonderful just quality film that told a simple story. It was never trying to do too much, and it was just so beloved and it's been beloved for many years. And so I found a lot of that in in Candler's story, obviously, and felt like we could put together something that is sort of feels like the modern Rudy. But the elements that I believe that I brought in of college football. Of you know, the idea of game day and the idea of these schools, these big SEC schools, and how passionate people are to that sport is something that I really wanted to bring into it. And and Candler's story in itself is exactly what I love about college football: that you have a guy who his whole life has been dreaming of being a part of that sort of community and and that spirit and Georgia football. I got to go tour. Georgia football's campus. I got to see the the facilities. And, you know, I I'm biased to University of Miami, but I if I was a recruit, I was sort of like, wow, this would be amazing school to go to as well. Because of this, you know, almost Disneyland that they've created for for football. And, you know, I felt like he Candler's story shows exactly, you know, what it means to believe in something and fall in love with it and fight for it and fight for it and fight for it and then gain weight over it on purpose, you know, because he had to gain the weight to make the team, you know. And so whatever it takes. Yeah, exactly. So that's what those are the elements that drew drew me was Candler's passion and and I was thinking real quickly 'cause I I you want to go to the next question, but but I was thinking about this driving in my car the other day that college football to me, I don't think besides maybe the speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: We call it soccer, but football fans, you know, soccer football fans around the world, there's no one as passionate about their teams in America than college football fans. And and it's it becomes a religion. It doesn't just become a sort of, ⁓ I'm rooting for that type of team. It's like they, you know, they they are who they become a form of identity. ⁓ they definitely University of Miami. I'm I did a documentary for them and about a young football player named Cam Ward called Zero Star. Which is out right now. And and but it it was that idea that like you can't beat that. There's something so engraved in our our DNA that we we latch on to that world of of college football. So as Americans. So yeah. So I I that's that's what drew me to this project and to the book as well. speaker-0: Yeah, no, absolutely. You're right. The passion is already there. The fan base is already there. I don't know if I want to out myself as an Ohio State fan right here. I don't know if this is a safe space for that. But in in my household. Yeah, so it's so you're so you're not mad. Yeah. Fair enough. No, that's fair. But yeah, I there's there's already such familiarity. Kind of what you're talking about with existing IP, where there's there is a familiarity there. And when people are already familiar and connected to something, they're drawn into the story. speaker-1: You last year so it speaker-0: with much less legwork. Like you they already have that love for whatever you're telling them. And they're almost more receptive and willing to hear the story because there is that connection that's already been built. And you're able to, with the book, with Kayler's book, and then now with the movie getting made, you're able to build on a really, really strong foundation of everyone knows what it's like to work really hard at most people know what it's like to work really hard at something and give it your all. And Get disappointed and until you get to the point where you break through. And a lot of people are familiar with college football. A lot of people are very familiar with Georgia School. Like a lot of people have, you know, such a strong foundation with this story. So it's it's nice that you're able to build on that and just expand and turn it into a whole nother level of love for something that's already kind of existing in in their minds. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. And I think with this and and Candler, you know, I I'd love to hear ⁓ Candler's thoughts on it as well. But I think for me, one of the things that I wanted to do was sort of bring it, like I said, into that sort of make it more me as well, because it is is something that I I want to do when I when I bring myself onto something is is I love this ⁓ this idea of a little bit more of a fairy tale and even a modern fairy tale is is, you know, where a reader can come out of it, or a the a theater goer and come out of it and go. Did that actually happen? You know, is is there because, you know, there's a great documentary about Bo Jackson called You Don't Know Bo is one of those thirty for thirty documentaries. But the thing that it did, it it made him feel like a magical figure. It made him feel like he wasn't real. And I think Candler's story has elements of that where you you're talking about a guy who came in to to college and and Candler's gonna kill me for botching the exact numbers of how much he weighed when he came in to how much he weighed when he came out. But I believe he was around like 160 or something like that when he came into college, had to go through training, change positions, get rejected, you know, say he can't, you know, get cut, and he he had to eat 10 meals a day, you know, just just this incredible transformation. And I use this motif, if you will, about a a boxer in Greece, an ancient boxer. I'm blanking on his name, but it's in the script. But but he was such a a fascinating figure because he He never really was never really hit, meaning he w his whole atmosphere and his whole mystique was that he would always dodge the bullets. He would always dodge the punches. And that's sort of what I feel like with Candler is that he was always kind of dodging these these even even when he got cut, even when he was, you know, ripped down, he was always, you know, figuring out ways to get back up and and especially with gaining weight and and ⁓ and and doing what he needed to do to to to make the team eventually and it's that Rudy aspect to it, but even more so because of how it like impossible of a feat it is in this day and age, of how athletic these guys are, how insanely talented these guys are. And for him to get to that level and at one of the best schools in the country is just it's remarkable and it's a great story. speaker-0: Yeah, amazing. And so you guys are at what point in the process are you at right now? Is it is it still getting written? Where are we at in the project? speaker-1: No, the the the current draft is is set and one great thing that Peter Weir also told me about screenplays is you're never done writing, even when you get into the even when you get into making it at the end of the day, even when you're in the editing room, which I I am here right now, is is you're still constructing the script in some respects. But the the current iteration that that we are gonna go out to directors and talent with right now is is is set and we're so excited to to have people read it and see what they think about it and hopefully ⁓ be able to to turn it into something in the next hopefully within the within a year and and try and put it together and have college football fans really enjoy it and and we're just excited about it. And Candler's an incredible partner and and my my ⁓ producing partner Josh Clayton has done a great job of introducing me to Candler and we've just hit it off and I think people are gonna really love it. And his book is so amazing and people should go read his book, which is already r already out and sort of see this journey of of and if you love college football it's perfect college football story. So yeah. speaker-0: Okay, amazing. It's it Kainler really is just a role model, both in the book because of the story that we just talked about, but also as an author, I mean, he's doing what so many authors aspire to do and getting his book created into a movie. And that's a huge deal. So for any authors listening that have that dream or just aspiring authors who have that dream, what path would you say they should take to get signed for a movie deal? What does that look like? Where should they be heading? speaker-1: I I personally think it's, you know, with with the the ⁓ modern technology today and and and the whether it's on social media or anything like that, I think there's young, hungry producers like myself, there's young, hungry screenwriters like myself who who are willing to go and and put in the time and probably do it for for you know less than the big screenwriters that are, you know, commissioned by studios and stuff like that. And I love to work with people. I l I wanna see just the I love to read. I love to see the the the types of material that, you know, I I said to my friend the other day who who he works with McMillan Publishing and we're we're publish he's helping publish my mother who has ⁓ my mother has a book coming out near Christmas time called Becoming Clara, which is about the nutcracker and it's a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book. I can't wait for people to read it. But him and I were talking about sort of how do you find the next Game of Thrones? And he says it's out there, you know, you just gotta go find it. And and you may not think that it's in this place, but it might be in this place, you know. And so I I love to c I would want you know, one of the reasons why I was so excited about coming on was the ability to connect with authors, the ability to find authors, meet with them, you know, hear their stories, read their books, and see if there's something that we can do to to to hopefully get it onto the big screen. And and like I said, you know, we have someone I call him Yoda, my dad being there to to sort of, you know, really he's he's He has a a great ability to take material from book to screen and hopefully I have a little bit of that as well. And and ⁓ I know my brother does and I know a lot of other great writers that are screenwriters that have that ability as well. And we'd love to work with you and love to to try and see if we can so it's about reaching out. I think that's what it is. I think it's about reaching out, finding finding, you know, young, hungry producers that wanna go make things and I I definitely am one of them. speaker-0: Yeah. I mean, Inscribe has plenty of books. We got a lot of great books coming out all the time. So no, I love to hear that. I am also curious when it comes to say an author like Candler Cook has has reached that threshold and they're working on a movie. What should they be keeping in mind about creative control, seeing their their work in a different format? I can imagine that gets a little bit, maybe not with Candler, but can get a little bit tense. Is there any advice that you have or just any thoughts you have on on how to deal with that? speaker-1: I think I think really talk to them before committing to something, you know, with that person or if you're working with a pr producer or someone who's gonna be able to to bring that writer on. You know, Candler and I talked about it for a a good while of how I've envisioned it and he was he was really, really excited about that vision. And I think that's really important is that you don't just wanna go down the road with somebody and cause that could that could turn out bad. So really really understand that and also, you know, getting to know them and and understanding who they are as human beings, because you don't want to work with somebody that you don't like and and becomes a difficulty down the road. So, you know, Candler and I get along tremendously. We had, you know, the battles that we had were were purely, you know, almost ⁓ a a little bit more of trying to bring in a little bit more of his his reality, but but at at at the end of the day, I wanted to make sure that he felt he was telling the story he wants to tell. And I was just sort of telling him a little bit more of I think this might make it a little bit more ⁓ appeasing to the Hollywood senses at times. And but but ultimately there was no real there was no real struggle. We we really got along and felt like we were telling the story the right way and and excited to see what talent thinks about it in terms of actors and directors and producers and people that that that end up making these things come a reality. So yeah, I I I the the wisdom I would give would be, you know, really really see you feel like you connect that person, they're gonna do it the right. You know, even my dad. My dad, you know, he has to ⁓ many times sit with the author, but a lot of times that's that sort of process is already done and it you get my dad on. So in this structure for someone like me, I think you really wanna find somebody that you feel like, you know, is gonna do it right and do it justice. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. Just having faith in the collaborator, which for writing a book, making a movie, making a video game, literally whatever medium it is, I think having that faith that everyone is there to tell the story the best it could be told. I mean, we have that conversation with authors at Scribes sometimes because we are so heavily involved in the making of their book, which is what is so beautiful about the business model and and what a lot of authors end up loving. But it does get to that same conversation where we're like, We're on the same team. We want the best book. We are telling you to cut this section or add this or expand on this because we want to make it better. And like that's what we're all here for at the end of the day. And I think having the relationship built on trust, where it's like, why would we be here for trying to make something bad? Like if I was, you know, why would we be wasting our time right now? And I think that's what authors need to hear, where it's even with when they're making their book and they're working with an editor, or they go through and and make it into a movie deal and and, you know, get to that point in their journey. It's about having that faith that their work is good enough that other people can come in and just bolster it and and make it just like even a touch better by adding in their the piece of themselves. speaker-1: Yeah, I think what I'll say to that, and I'm not I'm not trying to disagree with you. I think was what there is a great sort of saying, I think it was William Goldman or Bill Goldman who said, Nobody knows anything. Right. And this bus and especially in this business, I think you're talking about art, you're talking about creativity. And I I completely love what you guys have done at your company. I think it's tremendous. And even as myself, as a writer, I think what I what I like to say to someone that I'm working with is, you know, and I'm not saying, you know, look. There's certain the stuff that my dad and some of these great writers do is probably better. But what I said to Candler, I said, you know, and I've said to other writers that I've adapted their material or rewritten them, it said, Look, I'm I'm not telling you that my version is gonna be better. I'm not telling you that my version is all I know is that it's gonna be different and it's gonna be something the way that I look at it and the way that I think will be attractive to a certain audience or a certain, you know, type of talent, but also the version and the vision that I see of it. And so I think, you know, that's one thing is that if you can get with an author to say, hey, you know, I'm not I'm not trying to diminish your vision. I'm not trying to rework it into to something that is completely away from what you intended. I'm just giving you where my perspective goes, my brain goes, my vision goes on that material. I think that then becomes a collaborative effort where they're go, you know, they understand that that it's it's It's the right and it's it's it's an i it's nothing personal. You know, I think that that is a big thing to get away from because if that seeps into it, then it starts to be where the collaboration I'm working with a woman named Lisa Volpe, who's an amazing Shakespearean actress, and I can see how passionate that she is that she wanted this work that we're putting together to be in a a certain aesthetics, the wrong word, but but but a way that she felt that it should go. And I I could sort of sense that. And to be honest, be when she started writing a lot of the material, I realized that it actually was better because I could sort of take I could sort of look back and sort of go, Okay, where can I be really additive here? Where can I really ship and shape things? And we've been really great collaborating together because I do feel like we we have a s a process that allows for, you know, her to bring in things that she's really passionate about and really and it's and it's her story. And so that's where it's kind of, you know, you want to make sure that that collaborative effort is is not based off of going, you know, we think what this is this is the direction that it should go. It's more this is the direction that I think is more in tune with what I'm doing, you know, and what I think of it as. You know what I mean? speaker-0: It almost feels like it's it's funneling through a different filter every time somebody else joins the project. And everyone comes with a completely different filter of their own. But it also I'm assuming a lot of people have different strengths where it's like somebody's really amazing at world building and they can come out of the project and just build that world just a touch bigger or somebody's really great at the emotional impact of a story and they can come in and just write one scene a little bit differently and make it hit you twice as hard. And I think that's what the nature of collaboration is that's what makes it so beautiful when you get to the final project because it's like you see all these handprints on one thing and it's kind of incredible to to be able to recognize all the touches that have been on one project. But I did want to ask you before we before we close a couple questions just about you. So I'd love to know what are some books, movies, other pieces of media that have inspired you and that you've loved the most throughout your life. I know you mentioned some movies and some some books throughout this which Sounds like you have a lot of passion for ⁓ but w what's the list? speaker-1: I'm a nerd. So, you know, I I was I'm a Lord of the Rings fanatic. I was a Hobbit fanatic. I love Game of Thrones. I've been, you know, going crazy for him to release his next one. or finally release his next one. So I and then I've I fell in love with Harry Potter. I got to meet J.K. Rowling when I was like, gosh, I must have been, I don't know, nine years old when she first released Philosopher's Stone. So I'm excited about the new show coming out. But I got I she signed a book and I think I think it's I I forget why I I don't know if it burned and if my mom's house burned down unfortunately, but I think it was lost in a fire. But anyways, I I so I'm a big nerd that way, but then there's there's a little bit more intelligent authors that I really gravitate towards and I mentioned Dennis Johnson and I love Philip Roth and and a lot of really ⁓ authors that I think like I said speak to something about ourselves that we we may not recognize, but but almost hit you in the face with it. You know, there's a great she's she's not the most well known, but she's a wonderful world. Her name's JL Hyde. She wrote a book called Delta County, which everyone should go read, which I love, which has one of the great twists I've ever read in a in a novel. And so everyone should check out her work. She's she's amazing and I've I've I've we've been trying to put some things together. You know, so so on on on the book front, I really love the world building types of ⁓ books. I I used I I I started to really get into comic books. I love the secret wars and a lot of stuff that that they're doing with Marvel. So yeah, so I I I I think that's that's where I gravitate towards and ⁓ historical pieces I I've always loved. I've always ⁓ you know, like I said, the great Gasby was in book that I always loved. I love Escott's Fitzgerald's work and just in general, Hemingway, a lot of the great Americans. you know, so so but but I'm you know, I'm all over the place and ⁓ and then in movies, you know, sort of the same thing. I love big franchises, big normal building elements. But then I also love the Truffaux and the Fellinis and the Kubrics and people that that sort of speak to something a little bit different. But Spielberg was my hero and has been my hero for a long time and he's done both. You know, he's he's built worlds, but also is sort of, you know, some stuff like, you know, ⁓ Schindler's List and and spoke to something that is a little bit deeper and a little bit can hit you in the face as well. I love my dad's work and I love a lot of the books that he's adapted. You know, Killers of the Flower Moon was an incredible book. You know, he he's he's obviously Forrest Gump was a book. Yeah. You know, so so he's he's done it on multiple different avenues. The Insider, I believe, was a book as well. The Good Shepherd, I believe was ⁓ so so yeah, no, so I love the the stuff he's and I and it's because I got to hear him read it when I was young, you know. Yes. speaker-0: ⁓ wow. speaker-1: him opening this book and there's a great short story called I'm Waiting for You, which my dad wrote a book off of ⁓ wrote a screenplay off of, which is a Korean short story. ⁓ I don't know the author's name, but I'm so sorry to the author. But yeah, so I I there's a lot of sort of all over the place. But I think at the heart I am that little kid who like to play with Legos and play mobiles and build big worlds. So hopefully I can get to do that on a movie scale. One day in my life. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I mean, it sounds like you're on your way too. And ⁓ that's perfect segue as well. So I was just it looks like you're working on all kinds of projects. I mean, you have Billy Knight, you have From Underdog to Bulldog, you have that book idea, you have I mean, you're kind of at the at a good stage for a bunch of different things. Is there anything you'd like to share about the projects that you're working on? And then where can people find you? speaker-1: Yeah. Billy Knight coming out, we believe sometime Christmas area. Trying to to figure out exactly the date, but we'll have a date very soon. You can follow Billy Knight on ⁓ Instagram, it's the Billy Knight movie. On TikTok, Billy Knight Movie and and all those socials are fantastic for the movie. ⁓ for me, I'm I'm Alec Griffinroth on Instagram. I like threads. I really love threads because it seems like a lot of big business community that that and I like to do a lot of networking and communicating over there. So Alec Griffin Roth on Instagram, Alex Griffin Roth on Threads. My projects, Billy Knight coming out. I have I'm working on a a number of other projects that are in the works right now. But I also produced two other movies, a movie called Desert Road, starring Christine Froseth, which premiered at South by Southwest. And we're now just figuring out the distribution of that for 2027. And then another movie called Watchful Eye, which is a wonderful horror movie that we shot last year that we're also looking to release in 2027. That's I'm a producer on those two and then writing and and putting together more projects as a director. So yeah. speaker-0: All right. No, when that when that book turns into something that you're working on, you know exactly where to find Scribe. But other than that, thank you so much for joining me on Author Hour, Alec. It has been so much fun. speaker-1: Thank you so much. And thank you guys so much for what you do and supporting authors and so excited. And if you are an author, please ⁓ reach out. I'd love to read your work. Love to see if we can get it into the the Hollywood sphere and try to get it onto the silver screen. And please don't be afraid to reach out. DM I'm here. ⁓ would love to work with you.