Wes’s Excellent Interview with Fast Co.


As you may expect, around these parts we read a lot of interviews with Wes Anderson. (A lot of interviews.) But very few are worth posting here– the ground is covered, the same questions are asked, and there’s nothing really to report. However, Fast Co. Create’s recent interview with Wes was interesting because we finally got something new– an inside peek into his writing and directing process.

When asked about his writing process:

“[In writing the script], I want to make more than something you visualize, I want to make something you can sit there and read; you can experience the story.”
[…]
“I like to have a record of something I wrote out there,” says Anderson. Which is why he publishes his scripts. “I’m sure a lot of the people who buy it never read it because you read a few pages and say, ‘Yes, yes, oh yes, I remember all this stuff,’ and then you can kind of move on. But I just like to at least be able to say, ‘Well, it was published and it existed.'” So the Moonrise Kingdom script was recently put out as an e-book by Faber & Faber, […] And he’s not exactly celebrating the e-book’s brisk sales. “I asked the guys at Faber, ‘How many have we sold?’ and they said, ‘We’ve already sold 100.'” Anderson pauses. “Oh, so, 100. In three months. Wow, that’s great. We’re doing great.”

Note to Rushmore Academicians: This is a call to action. Let’s help make Wes a little happier and all buy the ebook. For everyone we know.


The rest of the interview covers his decision to film in Rhode Island, set structure, storyboarding scenes, lessons learned from previous films, the challenges of working with young actors, and his musical selections. Again, it’s well worth a read.

And finally, some great news about Movie #8: they hope to start shooting by the end of the year. Read the full article at Fast Co. Create.

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