You see her being fine in her room by herself, so you know that when she’s around other people, you can trust seeing things through her eyes. I always enjoyed daydreaming – and I think that tendency added a bit more complexity to Emma’s character. I remember spending a lot of time in my room listening to music or playing dress up or on the computer. How important is fantasy in the life of a teen? Is having fantasies an essential part of growing up? Tribeca: There are moments when the characters in the film start to role-play (Emma Roberts in her bedroom Nat Wolff playing the song at the party). After I wrote each story in screenplay format, it was much easier for me to see how I could combine characters and intertwine them into one cohesive story. I wasn’t really daunted by all of the things that could have deterred me as I might have been if I was a little more aware of the process. I was really naïve about the whole process, but that turned out to be to my advantage. I wrote each story in a script format, and then we made a test film of one of the scripts. GC: It did seem daunting at first, but James really helped me step by step. Tribeca: As a first time screenwriter, did the screenwriting process seem daunting? What was the most difficult part of the process? I had to wonder how this 35-year-old man is able to empathize so well? They are just mostly action figures, you know? One of the features of James’s book that really struck me was how capable he was of conveying the young female perspective-so often he was dead on. I don’t think even male characters are complex. Blockbusters tend to have a set character format. I do feel like filmmakers are beginning to focus on making female characters more interesting and complex, especially in the indie film world. How important is it for female stories to be told? Why does it seem they are mostly being told by independent filmmakers at this time? Tribeca: One thing that really struck me about the book was James Franco’s ability to write from the female perspective. One of the features of James’s book that really struck me was how capable he was of conveying the young female perspective-so often he was dead on. Unlike a novel, I had to take bits and pieces from all of Palo Alto: Stories to make it fit for the screen. While those were the three main stories I took from, I did take elements from the other stories. I thought it would be a good way to frame the whole piece with a beginning and end. I also loved the dialogue in the "Jack-O" story. Plus, it was a bit of a longer story so there was more for me to work with. I loved the longing of the two characters they are people who can’t really express their feelings. GC: The “April” story really stood out to me. Tribeca: Obviously, you could have picked a number of characters and stories from James Franco’s book, but you chose to mainly incorporate “Jack-O’,” “Emily” and the three-part story “April” into your film. So that’s the project we decided to pursue together. Shortly after, I read the book and loved it. He mentioned Palo Alto Stories and that sounded like the most interesting project to me. When we met, he proposed a lot of different ideas about how we could collaborate in some form or another. Tribeca: I understand that James Franco sent you a copy of Palo Alto: Stories after being introduced to you at a party by your mother. We talk to Coppola about her screenwriting process, directing actors for the first time, and learning about filmmaking in the edit room. Easily one of the hottest commodities at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, Coppola’s first film is remarkably self-assured, filled with striking imagery, a pitch-perfect soundtrack, and skillful performances from Emma Roberts, Nat Wolff, newcomer Jack Kilmer and even Franco himself. She makes her feature length directorial debut with Palo Alto, which she adapted from James Franco’s acclaimed book of short stories, Palo Alto: Stories. Keep your eye on Gia Coppola, the most recent and youngest Coppola to enter the family business.
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