How I accidentally changed the way movies get made | Franklin Leonard

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

This weekend,

這個週末，

tens of millions of people in the United States

數千萬名美國人

以及另外數千萬名世界各地的人，

and tens of millions more around the world,

in Columbus, Georgia, in Cardiff, Wales,

包括在喬治亞的哥倫布市、 威爾斯的加地夫、

in Chongqing, China, in Chennai, India

中國的重慶、 印度的清奈等地的人，

will leave their homes,

都會離開他們的家，

they'll get in their cars or they'll take public transportation

坐上他們的車， 或是搭乘大眾交通工具，

or they will carry themselves by foot,

或是用步行，

and they'll step into a room

他們會進入一間房間，

and sit down next to someone they don't know

坐在他們不認識的人身旁，

or maybe someone they do,

或者是認識的人，

and the lights will go down and they'll watch a movie.

燈光會暗下來， 他們會觀賞一部電影。

They'll watch movies about aliens or robots,

他們會看關於外星人 或機器人的電影，

or robot aliens or regular people.

或機器外星人，或一般人的電影。

But they will all be movies about what it means to be human.

但這些電影都會是關於 身為人類之真締的電影。

Millions will feel awe or fear,

數百萬人會感到敬畏或恐懼，

millions will laugh and millions will cry.

數百萬人會笑，數百萬人會哭。

And then the lights will come back on,

接著，燈光又會亮起，

and they'll reemerge into the world they knew several hours prior.

他們會重新融入他們 幾小時前所知道的世界，

And millions of people will look at the world

數百萬人看這個世界的方式，

a little bit differently than they did when they went in.

會和他們看電影之前 有一點點不同。

Like going to temple or a mosque or a church,

就像是去寺廟、清真寺，或教堂，

or any other religious institution,

或任何其他宗教機構，

movie-going is, in many ways, a sacred ritual.

在許多面向上， 看電影是一種神聖的儀式。

Repeated week after week after week.

每週每週不斷重覆，

I'll be there this weekend,

我這個週末就會去看電影，

just like I was on most weekends between the years of 1996 and 1990,

我從 1990 年到 1996 年間， 幾乎每個週末都去看電影，

at the multiplex, near the shopping mall

去購物中心附近的影城，

about five miles from my childhood home in Columbus, Georgia.

位在喬治亞的哥倫布， 離我兒時的家五英哩。

The funny thing is that somewhere between then and now,

有趣的是，在那時 和現在之間的某個時點，

I accidentally changed part of the conversation

我不小心改變了對話的一部分，

about which of those movies get made.

關於電影要如何被製作出來的對話。

So, the story actually begins in 2005, in an office high above Sunset Boulevard,

所以，故事其實是始於 2005 年，

在日落大道上的高樓辦公室裡，

where I was a junior executive

當時我擔任李奧納多狄卡皮歐的 Appian Way 製片公司的初階主管。

at Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way.

And for those of you who aren't familiar with how the film industry works,

如果你們不熟悉電影業的運作方式，

it basically means that I was one of a few people behind the person

基本上，這就表示，

我和少數幾個人在一個人背後工作，

who produces the movie for the people behind and in front of the camera,

這個人會為攝影機前 及攝影機後的人製作電影，

whose names you will better recognize than mine.

且他的名字比我響亮許多。

Essentially, you're an assistant movie producer who does the unglamorous work

基本上是個電影製片助理， 要做乏味的工作，

that goes into the creative aspect of producing a movie.

和電影製作的創意面向有關。

You make lists of writers and directors and actors

你要為你想要拍的電影， 列出一張清單，

who might be right for movies that you want to will into existence;

上面是可能適合的 編劇、導演、演員；

you meet with many of them and their representatives,

你要去見清單上的 許多人及他們的代表，

hoping to curry favor for some future date.

希望能為了未來的約而討好他們。

And you read, a lot.

你也要讀很多東西。

You read novels that might become movies,

你要讀可能會拍成電影的小說，

you read comic books that might become movies,

你要讀可能會拍成電影的漫畫，

you read articles that might become movies,

你要讀可能會拍成電影的文章，

you read scripts that might become movies.

你要讀可能會拍成電影的劇本。

And you read scripts from writers that might write the adaptations

你也要讀編劇的劇本， 如果他們可能會負責

of the novels, of the comic books, of the articles,

將小說、漫畫、文章改編成電影，

and might rewrite the scripts that you're already working on.

且可能會重寫你正在用的劇本。

All this in the hope of finding the next big thing

做這些，就是希望 能找到下一部大作，

or the next big writer who can deliver something

或是下一個大編劇， 他寫出點什麼來，

that can make you and your company the next big thing.

讓你和你的公司 變成下一個大人物。

So in 2005, I was a development executive at Leonardo's production company.

2005 年，我在李奧納多的 製片公司中擔任開發監製。

I got a phone call from the representative of a screenwriter

我接到一個編劇的代表打來的電話，

that began pretty much the way all of those conversations did:

開場白和大部分 這類對話沒什麼兩樣：

"I've got Leo's next movie."

「我有李奧的下一部電影。」

Now in this movie, that his client had written,

在他的客戶所寫的這部電影中，

Leo would play an oil industry lobbyist

李奧要飾演一名石油業的說客，

whose girlfriend, a local meteorologist, threatens to leave him

他的女友是一位當地的氣象學者，

威脅要離開他，

because his work contributes to global warming.

因為他的工作會造成全球暖化。

And this is a situation that's been brought to a head

這事態接著發展到了頂點，

by the fact that there's a hurricane forming in the Atlantic

因為在大西洋有一個颶風形成，

預計會對緬因到默特爾比奇之間 造成瑪莉亞等級的破壞。

that's threatening to do Maria-like damage from Maine to Myrtle Beach.

李奧對於即將發生的 分手感到很沮喪，

Leo, very sad about this impending break up,

does a little more research about the hurricane

他在對這個颶風做了點研究後發現，

and discovers that in its path across the Atlantic,

它在大西洋的路徑上，

it will pass over a long-dormant, though now active volcano

會經過一座長期休眠 但現在卻是活躍的火山，

that will spew toxic ash into its eye

它會把有毒灰燼噴入颶風眼，

that will presumably be whipped into some sort of chemical weapon

颶風很可能會瞬間變成 一種能夠摧毀世界的化學武器，

that will destroy the world.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

It was at that point that I asked him,

就在這個時點，我問他：

"So are you basically pitching me 'Leo versus the toxic superstorm

「所以，基本上，你對我推銷的是

『李奧 vs. 會毀滅人類的 有毒超級暴風』？」

that will destroy humanity?'"

And he responded by saying,

他的回應是：

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous."

「你這種說法讓它聽起來很可笑。」

And I'm embarrassed to admit that I had the guy send me the script,

我很不好意思承認， 我要那傢伙把劇本寄給我，

我讀了三十頁，然後就很確定 它跟我預期的一樣爛。

and I read 30 pages before I was sure that it was as bad as I thought it was.

Now, "Superstorm" is certainly an extreme example,

《超級暴風》的確是個很極端的例子，

but it's also not an unusual one.

但並不是個不尋常的例子。

And unfortunately, most scripts aren't as easy to dismiss as that one.

不幸的是，大部分的劇本 並沒有像它那麼容易確定不要。

For example, a comedy about a high school senior,

比如，有一部喜劇， 講的是一位高三生

who, when faced with an unplanned pregnancy,

面臨不在計畫中的懷孕，

makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

於是針對她未出世的孩子， 做了一個不尋常的決定。

That's obviously "Juno."

很顯然，那是《鴻孕當頭》。

Two hundred and thirty million at the worldwide box office,

全世界的票房是兩億三千萬美金，

four Oscar nominations, one win.

獲得四項奧斯卡金項獎提名， 一項得獎。

How about a Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums

或是孟買的青少年， 在貧民窟長大，

wants to become a contestant on the Indian version

想要成為參賽者，這部印度版的

of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"?

《百萬智多星》呢？

That's an easy one -- "Slumdog Millionaire."

這題很簡單—— 《貧民百萬富翁》。

Three hundred seventy-seven million worldwide,

全世界票房三億七千七百萬美金，

10 Oscar nominations and eight wins.

十項奧斯卡金項獎提名，八項得獎。

A chimpanzee tells his story

一隻黑猩猩訴說牠和知名流行歌手

of living with the legendary pop star Michael Jackson.

麥可傑克森生活的故事？

Anyone?

有人知道嗎？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's a trick question.

這個問題很刁鑽。

But it is a script called "Bubbles,"

但這部劇本叫做《Bubbles》，

that is going to be directed by Taika Waititi,

會由塔伊加維迪提執導，

the director of "Thor: Ragnarok."

他是《雷神索爾 3： 諸神的黃昏》的導演。

So, a large part of your job as a development executive

所以，身為開發監製， 你的工作有很大一部分

is to separate the "Superstorms" from the "Slumdog Millionaires,"

是要分辨《超級暴風》 和《貧民百萬富翁》，

and slightly more generally, the writers who write "Superstorm"

稍微更普遍的是要分辨 寫《超級暴風》的編劇

from the writers who can write "Slumdog Millionaire."

和寫得出《貧民百萬富翁》的編劇。

And the easiest way to do this, obviously, is to read all of the scripts,

很顯然，要做到這一點， 最簡單的方式就是讀所有的劇本，

but that's, frankly, impossible.

但，坦白說，那是不可能的。

A good rule of thumb is that the Writers Guild of America

有一條很好的經驗法則， 就是美國編劇工會

registers about 50,000 new pieces of material every year,

每年會登記大約五萬件新素材，

and most of them are screenplays.

大部分都是劇本。

Of those, a reasonable estimate is about 5,000 of them

當然，合理的估計是， 這些劇本當中有五千件

make it through various filters, agencies, management companies,

能夠通過各種過濾器、 經紀公司、管理公司、

screenplay compositions and the like,

劇本寫作等等，

and are read by someone at the production company

且有被製片公司或大型電影 製片廠等級公司中的某個人讀過，

or major studio level.

And they're trying to decide whether they can become

且他們試著要判斷 這些劇本是否能成為

one of the 300-and-dropping movies that are released by the major studios

每年大型製片廠或其副牌 所推出的三百部電影之一。

or their sub-brands each year.

I've described it before

我之前這樣描述它：有一點像

as being a little bit like walking into a members-only bookstore

走進一家會員專屬的書店，

where the entire inventory is just organized haphazardly,

裡面所的有藏書都亂擺一通，

and every book has the same, nondescript cover.

每本書的封面都一樣，難以歸類。

Your job is to enter that bookstore

你的工作是要進入那間書店，

and not come back until you've found the best and most profitable books there.

在裡面找到最好、 最能獲利的書之後才回來。

It's anarchic and gleefully opaque.

這真是讓人不知道要如何著手。

And everyone has their method to address these problems.

每個人都有他們自己 處理這類問題的方法。

You know, most rely on the major agencies

你們知道的，大部分會 仰賴大型經紀公司，

and they just assume that if there's great talent in the world,

這些公司就只是假設 如果世界上有才子，

they've already found their way to the agencies,

他們就會自己找上門來，

不管實際上光是一開始 要找上門的過程

regardless of the structural barriers that actually exist

to get into the agencies in the first place.

就會遇到結構性的障礙。

Others also constantly compare notes among themselves

其他人則是彼此之間 會比較他們的筆記，

about what they've read and what's good,

看看對方讀了哪些，哪些比較優，

and they just hope that their cohort group is the best, most wired

他們只能希望自己這群伙伴 是最好的、最孜孜不倦的，

and has the best taste in town.

且有鎮上最好的品味。

And others try to read everything, but that's, again, impossible.

還有些人是什麼都讀，但， 再說一次，這是不可能的。

If you're reading 500 screenplays in a year,

如果你一年能讀五百本劇本，

you are reading a lot.

就算是讀很多的了。

And it's still only a small percentage of what's out there.

那仍然只佔市面上 劇本的一小部分而已。

Fundamentally, it's triage.

基本上，那是分類。

And when you're in triage, you tend to default to conventional wisdom

當你採用分類時， 對於什麼行得通、什麼行不通，

about what works and what doesn't.

你就會傾向將所知的 慣例套用為預設值。

That a comedy about a young woman dealing with reproductive reality

一名年輕女子處理 現實生育問題的喜劇

can't sell.

不會賣座。

That the story of an Indian teenager isn't viable in the domestic marketplace

用印度青少年當主角的故事， 在國內市場是行不通的，

or anywhere else in the world outside of India.

或是在印度以外的地方都行不通。

That the only source of viable movies is a very narrow groups of writers

賣座電影的唯一來源， 就是一小群已經知道

who have already found their way to living and working in Hollywood,

在好萊塢要如何生存和工作的編劇，

who already have the best representation in the business,

在這個行業已經有最好的代表機構，

and are writing a very narrow band of stories.

且寫出的故事很狹隘的編劇。

And I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit, that that's where I found myself in 2005.

我有點不好意思承認， 2005 年的時候我就是這樣的。

Sitting in that office above Sunset Boulevard,

坐在日落大道高樓的辦公室裡，

staring down that metaphorical anonymized bookstore,

向下看著那比喻式的暱名書店，

and having read nothing but bad scripts for months.

數個月來讀到的都是爛劇本。

And I took this to mean one of two things:

我認為，這意味著兩種可能：

可能是 A：我不擅長我的工作，

either A: I was not very good at my job,

which was, ostensibly, finding good scripts,

而這工作顯然就是要找到好劇本，

or B: reading bad scripts was the job.

或是 B：我的工作就是讀爛劇本。

In which case, my mother's weekly phone calls,

不論是哪一種情況， 我媽媽每週打來的電話，

asking me if my law school entrance exam scores were still valid

問我我的法學院入學考試 成績是否仍然有效，

可能是我應該要多留意一下的。

was something I should probably pay more attention to.

我也知道，我將要去度假兩週，

What I also knew

was that I was about to go on vacation for two weeks,

當讀爛劇本就是你工作時，

and as bad as reading bad scripts is when it is your job,

度假反而還更痛苦。

it's even more painful on vacation.

所以我得要做點什麼才行。

So I had to do something.

So late one night at my office, I made a list

有天，我在辦公室到很晚， 我做了張清單，

of everyone that I had had breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks with

列出我曾經一起吃早餐、 午餐、晚餐，或喝飲料，

that had jobs similar to mine, and I sent them an anonymous email.

且工作性質和我很像的人， 接著我發了一封暱名信給他們。

And I made a very simple request.

我在信上的請求很簡單。

Send me a list of up to 10 of your favorite screenplays

請列出你最喜歡的十部劇本， 且要符合三項標準。

that meet three criteria.

One: you love the screenplay,

一：你愛這部劇本；

two: the filmed version of that screenplay will not be in theaters

二：在當年年底之前，

該劇本的電影版不會在劇院上映；

by the end of that calendar year,

and three: you found out about the screenplay this year.

三：你是今年發現那部劇本的。

This was not an appeal for the scripts that would be the next great blockbuster,

這並不是在尋求下一部鉅片的劇本，

not an appeal for the scripts that will win the Academy Award,

不是在尋求能得奧斯卡的劇本，

they didn't need to be scripts that their bosses loved

不用是他們的老闆會喜歡的劇本，

or that their studio wanted to make.

也不用是他們的電影公司 會想要拍的劇本。

It was very simply an opportunity for people to speak their minds

它很單純就是一個機會， 讓大家說出心聲，

about what they loved,

說出他們喜歡什麼，

which, in this world, is increasingly rare.

這樣的機會在這個世界 卻越來越稀有了。

Now, almost all of the 75 people I emailed anonymously responded.

我寄了暱名信給 75 個人， 他們幾乎通通都回覆了。

And then two dozen other people actually emailed to participate

接著，還有二十幾個人寫信到

這個暱名電子郵件地址來參一腳，

to this anonymous email address,

but I confirmed that they did in fact have the jobs they claimed to have.

但我確認了他們所聲稱的 工作並不是真的。

然後我把這些投票 匯整成一張試算表，

And I then compiled the votes into a spreadsheet,

跑出一張數據透視表， 輸出到 PowerPoint 上，

ran a pivot table, output it to PowerPoint,

and the night before I left for vacation,

在我出發去度假的前一天晚上，

I slapped a quasi subversive name on it

我隨意給了它一個看似 很有顛覆性的名字，

and emailed it back from that anonymous email address

就從那個暱名的電子郵件地址，

把它寄回給所有投票者。

to everyone who voted.

The Black List.

那名字是：黑名單。

A tribute to those who lost their careers during the anti-communist hysteria

向那些在四十及五十年代

歇斯底里反共產的期間 失去工作的人致敬，

of the 1940s and 50s,

and a conscious inversion of the notion

也是有意識地刻意倒置

that black somehow had a negative connotation.

黑色的負面意涵。

After arriving in Mexico, I pulled out a chair by the pool,

到了墨西哥之後， 我拉了一張椅子坐在池邊，

started reading these scripts and found, to my shock and joy,

開始閱讀這些劇本， 讓我又驚又喜的是，

that most of them were actually quite good.

我發現這些劇本大多相當不賴。

Mission accomplished.

任務完成。

What I didn't and couldn't have expected

我沒有預期到，也無法預期到

was what happened next.

接下來發生的事。

About a week into my time on vacation,

假期開始了大約一週後，

I stopped by the hotel's business center to check my email.

我順路到飯店的商業中心， 去收一下電子郵件。

This was a pre-iPhone world, after all.

畢竟這是 iPhone 誕生前的世界。

And found that this list that I had created anonymously

我發現，我暱名做的這份清單

had been forwarded back to me several dozen times,

已經被轉傳回來到我個人的

電子郵件地址數十次。

at my personal email address.

Everyone was sharing this list of scripts that everyone had said that they loved,

大家都在分享這份 人人號稱喜愛的劇本清單，

reading them and then loving them themselves.

他們讀了這些劇本之後 也確實很喜歡。

And my first reaction, that I can't actually say here,

我的第一個反應， 我無法在這裡說，

but will describe it as fear,

但就把它描述為恐懼吧，

the idea of surveying people about their scripts

對大家做劇本的意見調查

was certainly not a novel or a genius one.

肯定不是個新點子或天才點子。

Surely, there was some unwritten Hollywood rule of omertà

當然，好萊塢有不成文的緘默法則，

導致以前沒有人在做這件事，

that had guided people away from doing that before

我當時才剛入行， 太天真了不懂這些規則。

that I was simply too naive to understand, it being so early in my career.

I was sure I was going to get fired,

我很確定我會被炒魷魚，

and so I decided that day that A: I would never tell anybody

所以，那天，我決定， A：我永遠不會告訴任何人

that I had done this,

我做過這件事；

and B: I would never do it again.

B：我不會再做這件事。

Then, six months later, something even more bizarre happened.

接著，六個月後， 發生了更怪異的事。

I was in my office, on Sunset,

我在日落大道的辦公室裡，

and got a phone call from another writer's agent.

接到另一位編劇的 經紀人打來的電話。

The call began very similarly to the call about "Superstorm":

電話中的對話，一開始 和《超級風暴》很像：

"I've got Leo's next movie."

「我有李奧的下一部電影。」

Now, that's not the interesting part.

那並不是有趣的部分。

The interesting part was the way the call ended.

有趣的部分是這通電話 結束的方式。

Because this agent then told me, and I quote,

因為這位經紀人接下來 告訴我，我引述他的話：

"Don't tell anybody, but I have it on really good authority

「不要告訴別人， 我有非常可靠的消息，

this is going to be the number one script on next year's Black List."

這將會是明年黑名單上 排名第一的劇本。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yeah.

是啊。

Suffice it to say, I was dumbfounded.

我目瞪口呆，說這樣就夠了。

Here was an agent, using the Black List, this thing that I had made anonymously

這裡有位經紀人， 利用黑名單，我暱名做出來

and decided to never make again,

且決定永遠不再做的黑名單，

to sell his client to me.

來把他的客戶推銷給我。

To suggest that the script had merit,

暗示這部劇本有優點的方式，

based solely on the possibility of being included on a list of beloved screenplays.

竟然只是說它有可能擠上 一份被喜愛的劇本的清單上。

After the call ended, I sat in my office, sort of staring out the window,

那通電話結束之後， 我坐在我的辦公室中，盯著窗外，

alternating between shock and general giddiness.

一下震驚，一下暈眩。

And then I realized that this thing that I had created

接著，我了解到， 我創造的這份清單，

had a lot more value

它的價值遠超過

than just me finding good screenplays to read over the holidays.

讓我找到好劇本可以在假日時閱讀。

And so I did it again the next year --

所以，隔年我又做了一次——

and the "LA Times" had outed me as the person who had created it --

而《洛杉磯時報》揭露出 我就是創造清單的人——

and the year after that,

隔年我又做了，

and the year after that -- I've done it every year since 2005.

還有再隔年—— 從 2005 年起，我每年都會做。

And the results have been fascinating,

而結果非常棒，

because, unapologetic lying aside, this agent was exactly right.

因為，若不考量毫無歉意的說謊， 這位經紀人完全是對的。

This list was evidence, to many people, of a script's value,

對許多人而言，這份清單 就是劇本價值的證據，

and that a great script had greater value

證明一部好的劇本有許多人

that, I think, a lot of people had previously anticipated.

先前所預期的更大價值。

Very quickly, the writers whose scripts were on that list

很快地，清單上那些劇本的編劇

started getting jobs,

開始有工作了，

those scripts started getting made,

那些劇本開始被拍成電影，

and the scripts that got made

且被拍成電影的那些劇本 通常都不符合過去對於

were often the ones that violated the assumptions

about what worked and what didn't.

什麼行得通、什麼行不通的假設。

They were scripts like "Juno" and "Little Miss Sunshine"

這些劇本就像是《鴻孕當頭》、 《小太陽的願望》、

and "The Queen" and "The King's Speech"

《黛妃與女皇》、 《王者之聲：宣戰時刻》，

and "Spotlight."

和《驚爆焦點》。

And yes, "Slumdog Millionaire."

是的，還有《貧民百萬富翁》。

And even an upcoming movie about Michael Jackson's chimpanzee.

甚至還有一部關於 麥可傑克森的黑猩猩的新電影。

Now, I think it's really important that I pause here for a second

我想，我得在這裡暫停， 先澄清一下，

and say that I can't take credit for the success of any of those movies.

那些電影的成功， 我都無法居功，這點很重要。

它們不是我寫的，不是我導的，

I didn't write them, I didn't direct them, I didn't produce them, I didn't gaff them,

不是我製作的，燈光不是我做的，

I didn't make food and craft service --

片場的食物和點心服務 不是我做的——

we all know how important that is.

我們都知道這服務有多重要。

The credit for those movies, the credit for that success,

那些電影的功勞，成功的功勞，

goes to the people who made the films.

應該屬於製作電影的人。

What I did was change the way people looked at them.

我所做的是改變大家看它們的方式。

Accidentally, I asked if the conventional wisdom was correct.

我不小心問了 慣用的常識是否正確。

And certainly, there are movies on that list that would have gotten made

當然，在清單上有些劇本， 即使沒有黑名單也會被拍成電影，

without the Black List,

但也有許多是絕對不可能。

but there are many that definitely would not have.

And at a minimum, we've catalyzed a lot of them into production,

至少，我們促成了 許多劇本被製作成電影，

and I think that's worth noting.

我認為這點是值得注意的。

There have been about 1,000 screenplays on the Black List

從 2005 年黑名單開始之後，

已經有大約一千部劇本上了清單。

since its inception in 2005.

About 325 have been produced.

約有 325 部被製作成電影。

They've been nominated for 300 Academy Awards,

它們被提名了三百項奧斯卡金項獎，

they've won 50.

贏得了五十項。

Four of the last nine Best Pictures have gone to scripts from the Black List,

最近的九部最佳影片當中， 有四部的劇本上了黑名單，

and 10 of the last 20 screenplay Oscars have gone to scripts from the Black List.

最近的二十部最佳劇本當中， 有十部在黑名單上。

All told, they've made about 25 billion dollars

全部加起來，它們在全世界的 票房一共有 250 億美金，

in worldwide box office,

which means that hundreds of millions of people

這就表示有數億人

have seen these films when they leave their homes,

曾經離開他們的家， 去坐在陌生人的旁邊，

and sit next to someone they don't know and the lights go down.

當燈光暗下來之後， 欣賞了這些電影。

And that's to say nothing of post-theatrical environments

更不用說還有劇院下片之後的環境，

like DVD, streaming and, let's be honest, illegal downloads.

比如 DVD、線上電影， 老實說，還有非法下載。

Five years ago today, October 15,

五年前的今天，十月十五日，

my business partner and I doubled down on this notion

我和我的事業夥伴 再加碼在這個想法上：

that screenwriting talent was not where we expected to find it,

有才華的編劇可能不在 我們預期能找到他們的地方，

and we launched a website that would allow anybody on earth

我們推出了一個網站， 讓地球上的任何人，

who had written an English-language screenplay

只要寫了英語的劇本， 就可以上傳，且該劇本會被評估，

to upload their script, have it evaluated,

數以千計的電影界 專業人士都可以取得它。

and make it available to thousands of film-industry professionals.

我很高興能夠說，網站推出五年， 我們已經大致證明了這個論點。

And I'm pleased to say, in the five years since its launch,

we've largely proved that thesis.

全世界數百名編劇找到了代表，

Hundreds of writers from across the world have found representation,

讓他們的作品版權能被賣出。

have had their work optioned or sold.

過去三年間，甚至有 七位編劇的作品被拍成電影，

Seven have even seen their films made in the last three years,

包括《夜鶯》，

including the film "Nightingale,"

這部片子講的是戰爭 退役軍人的心理衰退，

the story of a war veteran's psychological decline,

在全片九十分鐘的時間，

in which David Oyelowo's face is the only one on screen

唯一出現在螢幕上的面孔 就是大衛歐洛沃的面孔。

for the film's 90-minute duration.

It was nominated for a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards.

它獲得一項金球獎提名 和兩項艾美獎提名。

It's also kind of cool that more than a dozen writers

還有一點也挺酷的，有十幾位 在這個網站上被發掘的編劇，

who were discovered on the website

have ended up on this end-of-year annual list,

最後上了今年年底的年度名單，

including two of the last three number one writers.

包括最近三位 第一名編劇當中的兩位。

Simply put, the conventional wisdom about screenwriting merit --

簡言之，一般對於 編劇優點的慣用常識——

where it was and where it could be found,

它在哪裡、在哪裡可以找到它——

was wrong.

是錯的。

And this is notable, because as I mentioned before,

這點值得注意，因為我之前提過，

in the triage of finding movies to make and making them,

如果要用分類找電影來拍， 並把電影拍出來，

there's a lot of relying on conventional wisdom.

有很大一部分要仰賴慣用的常識。

And that conventional wisdom,

而那慣用的常識，

maybe, just maybe,

也許，只是也許，

might be wrong to even greater consequence.

也許是錯的， 會造成更嚴重的後果。

Films about black people don't sell overseas.

關於黑人的電影在海外不好賣。

Female-driven action movies don't work,

女性導向的動作片行不通，

because women will see themselves in men, but men won't see themselves in women.

因為女性可以在男人中 看見她們自己，但反之不然。

That no one wants to see movies about women over 40.

沒有人想要看女性 超過四十歲的電影。

That our onscreen heroes have to conform to a very narrow idea about beauty

螢幕上的英雄必須要符合 一種非常狹隘的美感觀點，

that we consider conventional.

一般大家認定的觀點。

What does that mean when those images are projected 30 feet high

當那些影像被投射到三十英呎 高的銀幕，燈光暗下來之後，

and the lights go down,

for a kid that looks like me in Columbus, Georgia?

對於像我這種喬治亞 哥倫布市的孩子，有什麼意涵？

Or a Muslim girl in Cardiff, Wales?

或是威爾斯卡地夫的穆斯林女孩？

Or a gay kid in Chennai?

或是清奈的同性戀孩子？

What does it mean for how we see ourselves

對於我們如何看待自己、 我們如何看待世界，

and how we see the world and for how the world sees us?

及世界如何看待我們， 有什麼意涵？

We live in very strange times.

我們生在一個非常奇怪的時代。

And I think for the most part, we all live in a state of constant triage.

我想，大多數的情況下， 我們都在做分類。

There's just too much information,

有太多資訊了，

too much stuff to contend with.

有太多東西要處理的。

And so as a rule, we tend to default to conventional wisdom.

所以，我們傾向會將 慣用的常識拿來當作規則。

And I think it's important that we ask ourselves, constantly,

我認為，很重要的是， 我們要常常問自己，

how much of that conventional wisdom is all convention and no wisdom?

那慣用的常識中，

有多少只是慣例而不明智呢？

And at what cost?

代價又是什麼？

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）