Interview: Simon Maier, Author of Insights and Lessons from 100 of the Greatest Speeches from Film & Theatre

Got an important speech to make? Or simply enjoy quotes from movies? You need to check out Inspire!: Insights and Lessons from 100 of the Greatest Speeches from Film and Theatre€and our interview with its author! Simon Maier has been working in corporate events and speechmaking training for over 25 years in locations around the world, with clients ranging from leading businessmen to top politicians. Offering those of us who would rather run a mile than deliver a thought provoking and powerful speech, Maier has turned to the world of film and theatre to offer 100 speeches in his new book that deliver just the right dose of power and emotion, plus give us the opportunity to learn what techniques to use. I got to sit down and have a chat with the author about just how we can take inspiration and insight from some of our favourite productions€ WC!: What was your inspiration for writing the book?

SM: It€™s something I€™ve been thinking about for a long time, as I€™ve found many speeches very moving and I started to think why? They€™ve not always been famous speeches, but each have revealed the power of storytelling. These speeches have all lead to a good story being told and help demonstrate how they can be powerful in culture. Speeches demonstrate the power of storytelling upon our emotions as an audience in a comfortable environment. It was this train of thought inspired me toi write the book.

WC!: The book has been aimed at business market, so what gave you the initial idea to use speeches from film and theatre to give inspiration?

SM: I€™ve spent my working life working in big corporate events, as well as writing speeches for businessmen and politicians, plus training people on speechmaking techniques. I€™ve often found that people get stuck in my capacity as an advisor, wanting more power in what they have to say. I€™ve spent a lot of time talking to different people and asking them to say what inspires them, suggesting offering what they find relatable in a film or play as an example. This worked! One great example is a scene towards the end of part three of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, where the hobbits bow to the new king, but the king says that it should be him and his people who bow to them. So they all do. It€™s a really powerful moment within a popular film and it€™s these kind of moments that I get people to think about when they want to inject more power into their speeches. Of course, it wasn€™t my intention for the book to be solely aimed at a business market though.

WC!: There€™s such a wide range of material featured in the book, from great classics such as Casablanca to modern epics like Avatar €“ how did you go about selecting which films/quotes to include?

SM: I was totally selfish and chose films and plays that I liked! It€™s not a very objective book and I didn€™t want to simply choose the top 100 speeches that everybody would know. I deliberately chose some lesser well known moments that have had an impact on me and I like the fact that because people may disagree there€™s the propensity for a bit of controversy! What I€™ve chosen are moments that are so powerful within my memory. For example, there€™s a speech I€™ve included from A Man for All Seasons, which I originally saw when I was 16. The scene is so powerfully acted that it has stuck with me ever since.

WC!: Out of all of the interesting and powerful speeches included in the book, which is your favourite and why?

SM: It€™s very hard to pick one, so I€™ll give you three! The first is from To Kill a Mockingbird when Scout is told to stand by the Reverand as her father, Atticus, walks past having just lost the case defending Tom Robinson. It€™s an extremely moving moment within the film and novel, that still manages to bring me to tears. It€™s power lies in the fact that it summarises what€™s gone before, as well as comenting on the very nature of humanity. Secondly is the moment from Schindler€™s List where Schindler breaks down saying farewell to his close colleague Stern. The moment is extremely moving and exceptionally powerful. The final speech is from Scent of a Woman, where the school€™s headmaster makes a very moving speech about rights and wrongs. For me this is the movie moment!

WC!: Do you have a favourite film and does a speech/quote feature in the book?

SM: I€™m a big fan of Shakespeare and for me, the play and film versions of Henry V are a favourite. The speech included in the book is a very powerful one and a close personal favourite.

WC!: You go into great detail to explain the history around different eras and the effect this had upon film etc €“ do you feel that there is an overlap between the fictional realms of film worlds and that of the real life business one?

SM: When advising people on making speeches I get them to talk about scenarios they are familiar with and the notion of storytelling plays into this. Most people can relate something from real life to a moment within a film. Of course, there are only seven different types of story and all stories relate to one. Real life experiences, when told, also relate to one of these. The business and political worlds are not any different really, as both equate.

WC!: What do you consider makes an excellent speech in a film or play?

SM: I think that this is something very personal, but generally speaking film is an amalgam of acting, the story up to that point, music, camera angles and the speech subject and emotion. Plays are similar. But one thing that ensures a speech is powerful is how well the story has been told so far. On a personal level, if a film leaves you unable to talk about it after a viewing as it€™s hit you hard and you need time to process it, this is generally a sign of a well told story.

WC!: Why do you think we are influenced by film and theatre so much that we regularly quote from our favourite productions?

SM: With film, it€™s an experience out of ourselves and we recognise experiences such as love, hope, fear, good and evil and our relation to these help us escape. Theatre is slightly different, but essentially generates the same notions of escapism and relation. In both mediums it€™s down to brilliant storytelling and our abilities to recognise elements of the story being told and relating this to us.

WC!: Where is the most obscure place that you have heard a film/theatre quote?

SM: There have been two places that come to mind. The first instance was when I was in Hong Kong. I was talking to a local PR guy who proceeded to tell me the story of Clint Eastwood€™s Unforgiven from beginning to end. He had no point, he just liked telling it! The second time, and this might get me in trouble, was on a flight to the US when a very drunken priest quoted the end speech from One Flew Over the Cuckoo€™s Nest! I thought he would relate this to notions of good and evil, but I think it was more a case of he liked the film!

WC!: What would be your top piece of advice for somebody who has to make an important speech?

SM: Aside from knowing your audience, the best advice I can give is think about what you really want to tell your audience that they don€™t already know. When business people are forced to be at an event with speeches you have to keep their interest, so reassure them with something you know and they want to hear. And also remember that 20 minutes will always be more powerful than a boring hour and a half!

Inspire!: Insights and Lessons from 100 of the Greatest Speeches from Film and Theatre is now available from Marshall Cavendish.