Bert V. Royal on Turning an Idea Into a Movie

Written By Thomas Frank

Before a script, before a plan, before anything gets made—there’s just an idea. In Episode 1 of Working Title, Mark Elias sits down with writer Bert V. Royal (Easy A, Cruel Summer) to break down the messy, unpredictable process of ideation—how ideas form, how to pressure test them, and how to know when it’s time to stop thinking and start writing. They dig into:

  • The difference between a real story and “just a vibe”

  • Why writing fast can lead to better scripts

  • The danger of overthinking (and over-outlining)

  • How to spot a bad idea before wasting months on it

  • Why imagining the trailer might be the best test of all

Plus, Bert shares stories from writing Easy A in five days to revisiting ideas that took years to find their moment.

Thomas Frank

Partner, Chief Creative Officer at Merrick Creative and Merrick Studios. Brand and Marketing Specialist, Designer, Entrepreneur, Podcaster

https://merrickcreative.com
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