My typing fingers have danced like caffeinated spiders for the past few months, spinning webs of story-lines and character arcs. If you ever need my fingerprint, it has replaced the letters on my keyboard, detective.
June and July, I returned to Hollins University's MFA in Screenwriting program. Technically, I was not a "registered" student, as I was only working on my thesis, a screenplay entitled Charlatan. Being at Hollins, however, I was able to attend the inspiring lectures and workshops the program offers, while I committed six weeks to developing my script. I had access to like-minded students and instructors who helped to keep me "in the zone." It was no small secret among my peers that, lacking university housing, I lived in my tent and showered at the gym.
The quiet mountain nights, spent gazing up at stars so close you could polish their shine, gave me plenty of head space to develop the story. By the time I finished the summer session, I was well on my way to a complete draft of Charlatan.
Then I fell prey to scriptus interruptus, a common ailment for screenwriters.
In early September, the agent representing my sitcom pilot "Contempt of Court" (written in the television class at Hollins) called me and asked for rewrites specific to a well-known actor who was considering the project. I eagerly worked in his suggestions to accommodate the talent, and we hope to secure a production agreement soon!
Finally, though, it was time to put those last thirty or so pages onto my thesis script! Crack the knuckles. Pour the coffee. Here we go...
Until the phone rings. Brad Yoder, the producer and my co-writer on the film Ocean Drive (www.OceanDriveMovie.com), had just signed an agreement with Fred Roos Productions (the Oscar-winning producer of Godfather Part 2, Apocalypse Now, Lost in Translation and The Bling Ring). A few rewrites had been requested. So, I set my red pen to the script, and slashed my way through the wilds. In a brisk two weeks, I had a cleaner, leaner, meaner draft in the hands of our new producer.
The quiet mountain nights, spent gazing up at stars so close you could polish their shine, gave me plenty of head space to develop the story. By the time I finished the summer session, I was well on my way to a complete draft of Charlatan.
Then I fell prey to scriptus interruptus, a common ailment for screenwriters.
In early September, the agent representing my sitcom pilot "Contempt of Court" (written in the television class at Hollins) called me and asked for rewrites specific to a well-known actor who was considering the project. I eagerly worked in his suggestions to accommodate the talent, and we hope to secure a production agreement soon!
Finally, though, it was time to put those last thirty or so pages onto my thesis script! Crack the knuckles. Pour the coffee. Here we go...
Until the phone rings. Brad Yoder, the producer and my co-writer on the film Ocean Drive (www.OceanDriveMovie.com), had just signed an agreement with Fred Roos Productions (the Oscar-winning producer of Godfather Part 2, Apocalypse Now, Lost in Translation and The Bling Ring). A few rewrites had been requested. So, I set my red pen to the script, and slashed my way through the wilds. In a brisk two weeks, I had a cleaner, leaner, meaner draft in the hands of our new producer.
Be sure to check out the new imdb page at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3494614/
At last, I could turn my attention to...
Nope. Not yet. I was asked to join the crew for the film The Taking. (The subject of my next blog post.) I was honored to work with them from October to December.
Luckily, Christmas break shuts down most of the world! I finally completed a solid, presentable draft of Charlatan on December 30th. I look forward to rewrites with my mentor, Tim Albaugh, in March of 2014, with a graduation (finally!) scheduled for May.
I appreciate the support I have received from Tim and all of the Hollins community. Are you thinking about pursuing a career in screenwriting? Check out Hollins University's MFA in Screenwriting at:
http://www.hollins.edu/grad/film/index.shtml
Featuring instructors from the top year-round programs at schools like UCLA and NYU, summers at Hollins University feature the intimacy of a writer's retreat, yet maintain the intensity of a conservatory program. While earning an MFA degree, students are being prepared to pursue a career in a competitive business.
The program is an extraordinary one, an opportunity to grow as an artist, to find one's voice and to make life-long friendships. I feel more prepared than ever.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3494614/
At last, I could turn my attention to...
Nope. Not yet. I was asked to join the crew for the film The Taking. (The subject of my next blog post.) I was honored to work with them from October to December.
Luckily, Christmas break shuts down most of the world! I finally completed a solid, presentable draft of Charlatan on December 30th. I look forward to rewrites with my mentor, Tim Albaugh, in March of 2014, with a graduation (finally!) scheduled for May.
I appreciate the support I have received from Tim and all of the Hollins community. Are you thinking about pursuing a career in screenwriting? Check out Hollins University's MFA in Screenwriting at:
http://www.hollins.edu/grad/film/index.shtml
Featuring instructors from the top year-round programs at schools like UCLA and NYU, summers at Hollins University feature the intimacy of a writer's retreat, yet maintain the intensity of a conservatory program. While earning an MFA degree, students are being prepared to pursue a career in a competitive business.
The program is an extraordinary one, an opportunity to grow as an artist, to find one's voice and to make life-long friendships. I feel more prepared than ever.
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