How Did Tarantino Write 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'?

Quentin Tarantino is an amazing writer. He has the uncanny ability to help shape worlds and characters that feel familiar enough to engage us and new enough to keep us interested. Every single one of his movies carries a heavy load with it. It comes from his brain and is an amalgamation of his life experiences and loves. There's a lot we can learn from Tarantino's process here. Sometimes the best ideas are right under our noses. 

Check out this video from Behind the Curtain and let's talk after. 

How Did Tarantino Write Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?

I liked hearing how Tarantino sees his movies connected like boxcars on a train. He's pulling inspiration from where he's been before to also move toward where he is going. For him, this movie is the show-stopping climax of his career. Something that feels both inevitable and explosive. 

Tarantino wrote this movie using his memories and findings from researching the time period. He wanted to have an ode to the actors he grew up loving, and when it came to casting people to embody them, Tarantino knew how to get his stars ready. He wrote thorough backstories for each character that the actors could read so they could embody the roles. 

When it was time to shoot the pages, he was still pretty loose on set, figuring out scenes as they went. Not just with the camera but with the actors, talking about motivations and developing the characters. He tries to keep his sets these ways because he loves making movies. That love translates to the whole set. They literally scream, "We love making movies," on set. Sounds fun! 

What are some of your takeaways from the video? Let me know in the comments. 

Source: Behind the Curtain