The Black List Interview: Ruckus and Lane Skye

For our latest interview, we spoke to Ruckus and Lane Skye whose script RATTLE THE CAGE was recently produced by Image Nation as the Arabic-language film ZINZANA. We talked to them about how the past, present, and future have shaped their journey as writers.

The Past:

What was the first film that had a major impact on your life?

“E.T. It was the first time I remember having any concept of a film having a cultural impact. I think it’s the only film I saw more than once in the theater when I was still a kid. I had one of those rubber E.T. fingers that lit up when you touched something. To this day I think about E.T. anytime I’m walking through a neighborhood during magic hour.” — Ruckus

“Michael Jackson’s Thriller was the first film that had a major impact on my life. It was scary as hell, Vincent Price’s maniacal laugh is enough to give anyone nightmares, but it was impactful because of the behind the scenes videos they used to promote it. Watching the making of Thriller was the first time I thought about the people who weren’t on screen, the first time that I realized there was such a thing as a filmmaker.” — Lane

Was there a single film that made you want to be a screenwriter?

“A Few Good Men was the first film where I took notice of how well structured the storytelling was. How each character was unique and had their own arc. I still watch that film four or five times a year.” — Ruckus

How else did the decision to pursue that career evolve?

“I wanted to be a filmmaker, but didn’t have access to original scripts that I could shoot, so I figured I’d have to write them myself.” — Ruckus

“It was Ruckus who encouraged me to try writing screenplays. I’ve always loved movies and I’ve always loved writing, but it wasn’t until after college that I even dared to think I could do it. Something about it always seemed inaccessible to me.” — Lane

Most writers have to have “day jobs” in order to stay afloat. What was the strangest job you ever had before becoming a writer?

“We once moved to South Florida for a year to sell antique toys on Ebay. It was a strange experience, but we ended up making our first short film while we were there” — Lane

The Present:

How do you find ideas and how do you choose which ones to work on?

“I’m constantly on the look out for inspiration. I try to feed my brain new information and experiences in the hope that something sparks. I usually pitch my ideas to Ruckus and he lets me know which ones are the keepers.” — Lane

Walk us through a normal day of writing for you.

“I usually wake up around 7:00, go for a short run, then shower and think about what I’m going to write. I try to sit at my desk by 9:00. Ruckus and I will spend a few minutes discussing things we are grateful for. It helps put our minds into a more creative space. Then we write for a few hours with short breaks to discuss what we’ve been writing or to ask each other questions. Around 1:00 we break for a short lunch, then pick back up where we left off until we’ve gotten a solid 4 or 5 hours of writing in.” — Lane

Any special habits to keep the muse happy?

“We set lots of timers. It’s like, “For thirteen minutes let’s brainstorm names for this character.” We start the timer and split apart. Then we come back together and discuss what we each came up with. You can work on anything for thirteen minutes. It makes it easy to break down the massive amount of work that goes into a screenplay into little digestible pieces. Those little mini sessions add up pretty quick.” — Ruckus

Which films are keeping you inspired at the moment?

Ex Machina, The Drop, Nightcrawler, Under The Skin

The Future:

If you could make one film, with no restrictions in place, what would that film be?

Rattle The Cage!

What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer?

“I’m also a songwriter and musician, so if I wasn’t making films I’d be concentrating on that a lot more than I am now.” — Ruckus

“I kind of always wanted to be a hobo. Ride the rails, eat beans out of a can, sleep under the stars, and carry all of my belongings in a handkerchief tied to a stick.” — Lane

Dinner with three of your favorite writers and/or filmmakers, dead or alive. Who’s coming to dinner? Who picks up the check?

“Steven Spielberg, Danny Boyle, David Fincher. Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who pays.” — Ruckus

“Krzysztof Kieslowski, Jane Campion, Joel & Ethan Coen (they count as one person). Jane would pick up the check because… feminism.” — Lane

The Black List:

How did you first hear about The Black List?

“We heard about it as it was initially launching. I think on Twitter. We had just finished Rattle The Cage which was the first feature script we’d written that we felt pretty good about. We put it up in the first month that the site launched and within a few weeks we started getting contacted by people who had read it.” — Ruckus

Since using The Black List, how has your career been impacted?

“Our manager found us through the site and that’s had the single biggest impact so far. Living in Georgia we had almost no contacts in L.A., so to have legit west coast representation has made a huge difference for us. She set up the deal with Image Nation to make Zinzana which is our first produced screenplay and she’s helping us get Rattle The Cage made in the U.S. It’s been life changing.” — Ruckus

Any tips for writers interested in the site?

“If you have a script you feel strongly about, but are not getting anywhere on your own put it on the site. Don’t hesitate! It’s such a small investment for the potential returns. We’ve had at least six legitimate offers to option our script directly through the site. And if your script scores low you’ll have some valuable feedback to consider. I really can’t see a downside to it.” — Ruckus