David! Congrats on coming out of the gate with such a big success! I'm a huge fan of spy thrillers and couldn't wait to see Safe House (I swear Ryan wasn't the only reason I went to see it) and I'm quite the rookie in the screenwriting world so here's my question: How well versed were you with the spy world and jargon before writing this script (and in prep for your others) and what sort of research did you do, if any? Other than the '70s thrillers, what are/were your biggest motivations/inspirations for writing these kinds of scripts? Are/Were you nervous to nail that world in modern day? Thanks to you both for this interview!

I've been trying to figure out the issue of balance. I'm wondering how a working screenwriter balances his time between watching and writing. When I'm not busy it's fine, but when I get busy with my day job and there's not much time to fit both watching tv and movies and writing. Here's my fear though, that if I'm not always watching something and instead writing, that I will loose my edge? Is this an "unfounded fear??

Hey Despina, Thanks so much! Definitely nervous to nail that world in modern day. Have that fear with most scripts. As far as 70s thrillers, it was the paranoia classics: Condor, Parallax, President's Men, Marathon Man and Conversation. Plus I grew up on James Bond films, so I had always been in love with that world. Re: research -- I would read as many spy thrillers and articles as I could and that provided me with a good working vocabulary to legitimize the story and action with.

Hey Zack, I hear you and it definitely sounds like an unfounded fear (though I don't know what you're kind of TV you're watching). You just gotta find the schedule that works for you. I know when I was working full time I definitely needed to just watch TV and not do any writing of my own. The trick for me was just finding the time somehow and luckily I'm a night writer so I could find that extra gear around 1 or 2 in the morning to get some writing done.

[...] Interview: David Guggenheim (2010, 2012 Black List) – Part 2 (gointothestory.blcklst.com) [...]

[...] Interview: David Guggenheim (2010, 2012 Black List) – Part 2 (gointothestory.blcklst.com) [...]