Paul Thomas Anderson

I have more like facts, like, well, what really happens here?

And some steal from real life, like...

Every story was essentially the same.

It was like if the exaggerated version was the guy who steps off the bus and kind of comes to Hollywood with big dreams and takes his pants off and then the next thing you know he's a big star.

Any classic rise and fall story.

So I'm always just sort of following any steps of reality.

I mean, I don't know, I never... I get so scared of writing to a theme or having anything like that beforehand.

I can remember at a certain point

maybe needing help, like, what is the story?

And luckily enough, coming across Singing in the Rain and being like, oh, right.

It's just the same thing as like silent talkies.

You know, it's this transitional time in whatever industry they're going from shooting on film to shooting on video.

Like use things like this to tell your story and whatever themes will...

will just emerge later.

I find that that's exactly what happens, with the exception that it does happen a little bit earlier.

You know, that once you... I mean, listen, I'm not blind.

You know, as you're writing something,

you're fighting off the idea that the theme is right in front of your face just because you want to try to tell something factually.

And what ends up emerging emerges and you can't fight it.

Hopefully you like it.