How was the writing process with Sam Shepard?
Writing with Sam is a very special procedure. Sam doesnt think in terms of plot, at least not at the outset. He is strictly concerned with character. It took us a while to come up with Howard. And when we saw Howard in front of us, Sam started to write the first scenes. And then our procedure would be: I would have to read the pages, we would go through them and discuss them, make adjustments, and only then we could think about the next scene. Not the rest of the story, oh no!, only what would happen next. And then Sam would have to write that, I would have to read it, and then we would move on to the next scene afterwards. The script writing process took place in total continuity! Scene after scene, without ever breaking out and thinking ahead. That is an extraordinary process, and quite demanding for the director. You really learn to be patient, I tell you! But you also learn to rely on your characters, and on nothing else. This way you can be sure your story is entirely character-dr
