The League Interviews - Jennifer Arzt, Script Frenzy

April is Script Frenzy month, and to help kick it off and spread the word, The League recently had the chance to ask Program Director Jennifer Arzt about the month long challenge. For any of our readers who are new to Script Frenzy, the Frenzy is a writing challenge issued to any and all writers who wish to participate. Entrants are asked to try to meet a goal of writing 100 pages of original scripted material in 30 days - screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, and graphic novels are all welcome. There is no fee to enter Script Frenzy, nor is there any penalty for not hitting the 100 page mark. The goal is to motivate people to write, and here at The League, we think that's just the bee's knees. 

Hi Jennifer, thanks so much for taking a moment to speak with The Screenwriters League about Script Frenzy. What a great program! Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for this event - whose idea was it and how did it first come about?

Thank you for having me!

In 1999, Chris Baty started National Novel Writing Month, which has since grown into the largest writing competition in the world. Chris founded the nonprofit Office of Letters and Light in 2006 to run National Novel Writing Month and launch new events. In 2007, the curtains rose on the very first Script Frenzy.

I'm very excited for our fourth year! We already have thousands more writers signed up this year than in 2009, and the registrations are still going strong.

This is a really unique program compared to all other competitions and contests. Script Frenzy is so much more about a writer's challenge with him or her self than with other entrants. How has the response been from writers so far (both this year compared to others and in general)? Do you find that the program has helped a lot of writers get words on the page?

It is unique especially when compared to a competition or contest because there are no prizes per se. It is a challenge. The competition is between the deadline and the writer.

As far as I know, most participants' response to this is very positive. I think folks like having the deadline to keep them motivated. It also works as a great excuse to skip out on other events, cleaning, and errand running.

I've seen it really inspire first-time scriptwriters to fall in love with the form. And, I've seen it rekindle a love of writing in Hollywood professionals who had become burned out by working on scripts for other people.

Thousands of writers win the challenge every year. Even those who don't win report writing more during Script Frenzy than they otherwise would have.

So, 100 pages in a month. What a great challenge. How did you settle on that, and do you find that most participants accomplish that goal (or at least something close to it)?

100 pages is the average length of the typical feature screenplay.

In Script Frenzy's first year, the goal was 20,000 words. The idea was pulled from our sister event, National Novel Writing Month. It was quickly apparent that counting words just didn't fit the screenplay format, so we changed the measurement to pages.

Each year about ten percent of participants cross the 100-page mark and thousands come close.

We have a total-page counter on the website (it appears on April 1). It is really exciting to see that number start exploding upward. This year, there are already more folks signed up to take part a few days before April 1 than at the end of last year's event! I'm excited to see how many total pages are written this April!

How does Script Frenzy track writers' progress throughout that month? Do you ever get to see the finished products that people submit?

Every person who signs up gets a profile page. Each day writers track their progress and can keep track of how consistent their writing has been by checking their chart.

They can also check the status of their writing buddies. It is amazing how motivating it can be to see a buddy jump ahead of you.

I get addicted to the page-count bar on my profile. I keep the website up when I'm writing just to see how far I've both come and have to go.

We never read what gets submitted for verification at the end. Participants upload a PDF, a supercomputer robot counts the pages, verifies the total pages, then deletes them. Because there are no “best scripts” singled out, we don't need to do anything other than count. With two exceptions...

There is a place in every profile for a script excerpt, but this is completely optional.

Also, at the Headquarters wrap party, we string up clothes lines and folks pin up a few pages that they want to share. The grand finale of the party involves a few members from the very funny improv group Killing My Lobster performing a page or two (with no rehearsals!). It is side-splittingly funny and not to be missed! This year our wrap party will be in San Francisco on May 8.

Is there anything else you want people who are considering participating to know?

You have nothing to lose. Honestly. Script Frenzy is free and is designed to get you writing. That's it.

Script Frenzy starts on April 1 and ends on April 30.

It is one month out of the year that you get to devote to your writing. I look forward to it every year, panic when it is just around the corner because I'm not ready, and then dive in anyway on April 1.

There's really no downside to a challenge like this. And the great thing is that Script Frenzy is run by people who are all also writers, correct? Have you learned anything about your own writing and cinematic pursuits from running Script Frenzy?

You're right! There is no downside.

I am a filmmaker and a writer. I fell into writing by accident when I was trying to make movies. I found that it is hard to direct something that isn't there, so I started writing. It is mostly free and doesn't require a crew, a distributor, or an audience–yet.

Even though I was fully committed to writing, I was still having a hard time getting to the end of the first draft. I would find a plot hole in the middle of Act 2 and go back to fix it. When I returned to the middle of Act 2, I would see that a character would have been better set up a different way. So, I'd head back and rewrite. I just could not arrive at the end. But when I finished my very first full-length, beautifully flawed script with Script Frenzy, I learned that all first drafts are meant to be first drafts. They are meant to get done, be read by friends for feedback, and rewritten. I knew that “writing is rewriting” but it took me actually getting there to really understand it.

So as you know, The League is dedicated to helping other aspiring writers launch their careers by sharing our experiences while trying to start our own. Is there anything else you want to say about Script Frenzy or writing in general, that our readers might like to know? Any advice?

(I'm also still trying to get something huge, wonderful, and career-launching off the ground, so take my advice with a grain of salt.)

In a nutshell, my advice is: Write until it's done, then celebrate what you've done before starting the next thing.

Once you've started a story, spend time with it every day. Every. Single. Day. Don't let it slip out of your hands, or out of your subconscious. Creativity works in funny ways. I'm not doctor, but I can tell you that your subconscious works to puzzle out what it's currently involved with. So, let it work for you. I can always tell how good of a job I'm doing by how many awesome ideas pop into my head while I'm in the shower. If I've been away from the story for a few days, those moments just don't happen.

In an industry where so much is dependent on things that have nothing to do with the quality of your script (who you know, did a similar story just get picked up, did the economic climate hit the next ice age), take time to celebrate getting a script done–no matter what happens to it next. Finishing a screenplay is a huge accomplishment. A lot of people set out to do it and never cross FADE OUT. Just getting to the end of your story is worthy of champagne, confetti, and a high-fives.

Thanks Jennifer. This is a tremendous program. Kudos to you and everyone on the Script Frenzy team from everyone here at The League!

To join Script Frenzy or for more information, go to www.scriptfrenzy.org. Happy writing!

The League Interviews - Filmmaker Christopher Golon

The League recently had the opportunity to watch independent filmmaker Christopher Golon's feature film, KNOCK 'EM DEAD, KID. Knock 'Em Dead, Kid follows Bret, a young man hoping to make it as a filmmaker through the summer leading up to his departure for college. With his friends in tow, Bret faces hurdles from all directions - a new girl who disrupts his long-term relationship with his girlfriend, a friend's arrest for drug dealing, and assault charges - as he struggles to shed the skin of his small home town and make something of himself.

Shot on a shoestring budget, KNOCK 'EM DEAD, KID is a lesson in independent filmmaking. The League had a chance to ask writer/director Christopher Golon a bit about his film and his background.  

First, Chris, we wanted to thank you for taking some time to talk with The Screenwriters League about your feature film, Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid. To kick things off, why don't you tell us a bit about your background as a filmmaker - where you went to school, what got you interested in making movies, and where it all began for you.

It all began when I was a kid, I was 7 and my family and I had basic cable - one weekend we got a free weekend of ‘The Movie Channel.’ After that weekend, we got ‘The Movie Channel’ and my brother and I would spend hours watching whatever was on. We were both hooked, hooked on that channel. We watched everything we were allowed to (R rated movies were off limits) and sometimes we would sneak the R rated stuff. This really helped to get me into loving movies. But I thought that was that - I wanted to be a pro baseball player, who doesn’t, right?

I never really looked into making movies, not until about 8 months after graduating from high school. I had read about film schools so I looked into what schools were the best, but first I decided to enroll in a university closer to me, to knock out the general education credits, and then transfer. Thus began the long, strange road, which continues to this day.

So, my plan was to end up at USC. Being young and naive, my plan was good in theory but then I learned that I really couldn't afford, even with loans, to attend USC. The killer for me was that I was accepted to USC, not the film program, but the university itself and I just couldn't afford it.

After that, I needed a new plan of attack. I had done a lot of reading about filmmaking and trying to break in to Hollywood so I decided to try and write my way in, as everything I read mentioned that it was an easier route. So, I got my pen and my notebook and the writing began. Looking back now, my first few scripts are awful, just awful. But at the time, I though they were great, oscar worthy, like Ralphie in ‘A Christmas Story.’ But in retrospect, I didn’t understand how to write dialogue.

So, with more time came a better understanding, and in 2001, I finally had a screenplay good enough that it was optioned by a Producer in LA. This experience was a huge, huge learning experience. I learned how the whole Hollywood system really worked. And how scripts can be taken away from the writer, mismanaged, and how writing isn’t very fun. Over time, the deal fell through, and after that, I realized that I needed to try and make my own films. This was I was in control - but if only I could find a producer...so I continued on with my writing and between the years 2002-2004, I had the privilege of dealing with managers and entertainment attorneys and I generated some minor interest in one of my scripts but nothing ever came of it. Besides the scripts I had for sale, I had my pet project ‘Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid’ that I wanted to make but I never showed this to anyone, not even as a spec, I was too protective of it.

So where did the idea for Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid come from? Was this a long time in the making? Talk a bit about your writing process and how long it took you to achieve the final draft of the script. How do you get in-the-zone when you write?

The original idea for ‘Knock’ came from a mix of real life and reel life. I took elements of my life, my friends lives, and mixed it with cinema - the only problem was - I added scenes with guns and knives, scenes that couldn’t have been more false. I mean, I dealt with violence growing up, I went to a tough middle school, very tough, but I somehow avoided most of the trouble directly. So, I had this script which was about 110 pages and it felt more reel than real.

I read an article in which a filmmaker, I don’t remember his name, stated that younger filmmakers/writers should write what they know - not ‘hip-hop gangster scripts’ dealing with guns and situations they know nothing about. That started the wheels turning and I decided to overhaul the script.

The script was tweaked, rewritten, and changed A LOT over 12+ years. It had numerous titles, pretentious ones like ‘Once Upon a Summer in Connecticut,’ I guess that was my attempt at a Sergio Leone homage, and finally the story started to become more concrete.

Originally I sketched out the story, sat down, and wrote free hand on a notebook. But as time went on, it was time for the changes, so I used my PC and made the story more grounded in reality - no guns - and it took shape. The script that is closer to the finished film came from 2001 - and it dealt with me trying to prove a point to myself. My mystery script had been optioned and the producer was telling me things that didn’t make sense - and then getting mad at me after his suggestions were being rebuffed by someone else - and I sat down one Friday night and by Sunday night - less than 48 hours later - ‘KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, KID’ was born. Like I said, it was a mix of previous ideas and stories from the previous drafts, but this was me writing what I liked and how I liked.

From 2001-2007 I tweaked the script, slaved over some lines, I mean, there were some lines I couldn’t let go and had to have, no matter what, but I would say the movie itself was born in 2001.

Ok, now you have your script, you’ve been working on Knock ‘Em Dead for a while… where do you go from there? What were the next steps you took in getting to the production stage? I guess the first thing to answer here is, was this your first feature? If not, what did you learn from doing that, which helped you go forward with this one?

Good question, where do you go? I had attended the New York Film Academy in LA during the fall of 2007. This helped show me that I didn’t need a huge budget to pull off my idea - just ingenuity. I had made an experimental feature (that was a project that had been off and on for years and then put together and to say more would give away more of the ‘secret’ of that film, entitled ‘Visions of Violence’ and there’s more info for that on imdb.com) prior to film school and then made numerous shorts and a good thesis film at NYFA. All of this combined set me up to make ‘Knock.’

So, I sat down and had a look at the script, which was 212 pages, that’s way over 3 and 1/2 hours, and scale it down. I got it down to 165 and then 140 and then 80. The main location that I knew I could never secure, especially with NO budget, was an ice cream parlor where the leads worked. So, that was gone right away. I removed any expensive sets, consolidated some characters since the original script had 35+ speaking parts down to 20, and made the locations more ‘on the cheap.’ Next was where to shoot - in Connecticut? - where I’m from, or back in LA? I figured LA, since I like it, the talent pool is huge, and I had good luck at NYFA there.

Knowing the script was ready and tailored to a much lower budget, pretty much a zero-budget, and having the ‘where’ of where filming would take place - all I needed was a DP and my actors. And back to LA I went...

I had placed ads on craigslist and LA Casting seeking talent and a DP (Director of Photography aka cinematographer) and when I got there - the next day I had meetings/interviews/auditions all set up. I auditioned actors for 2 weeks and the DP I found the first day. All of the budget went to the DP and the tape needed as I shot on Digital Video with a Panasonic DVX.

Did you know your cast and crew? If not, where did you find them? How instrumental were they in developing the material, if at all? How collaborative was the process – and how long did you shoot for?

I cast one minor character with an actor I went to NYFA with (Nathan Yoder) - he would’ve had a bigger role but this was only due to age not ability. Everyone else came from craigslist and LA Casting as I needed people who looked 18-20.

Pretty much, the script was the blueprint and everyone stuck to it. There was improv, usually at the end of scenes or in scenes that were originally short but expanded. This helped enhance the scenes and the improv plus the script worked.

The shoot was to last 2 weeks but instead it lasted 3. Things come up, unforeseen circumstances occur, and nothing goes as planned - such is the life of an independent filmmaker - I’m sure anyone who’s made a film can relate to that statement.

Like many young filmmakers, you and certain Leaguers have or are working on producing their own material. I think that one of the biggest obstacles people in this boat face is funding. How did you go about raising funds for the film? What budget were you working with and did you have a lot of in-kind donations?

I didn’t raise funds - it was limited money that I had or was ‘donated’ by family. The total budget was $3000 and that included the DP, the tape, and where I was staying in LA.

You play a lot with flashbacks and jump cuts and other techniques that continually tie the past into the present in the film, while including concrete chapter headings detailing what day it is. Can you talk a bit about your decision to cut the film this way, weaving everything together while definitively illuminating the timeline?

Stating what day it is within the story was always a part of the script. That goes back to 2001, not sooner than that, but to that point. As for the jump cuts, I usually try to employ them into my editing to help the story move along. It makes it more cinematic.

The flashbacks - that’s a different story - that was a happy accident. What happened was this: I edited a rough cut of the film and realized that some scenes were to pedestrian and close to being boring. So, I started inserting other scenes, bits of scenes, and unused footage into those scenes which needed that something extra and that’s how the flashbacks became used. The flashbacks greatly enhanced the scene in which Bret comes clean to Veronica about cheating on her - without those scenes interspersed, the scene wouldn’t feel right.

I feel that by using those scenes in other scenes, it helps to show a character’s memory or the film’s memory, know what I mean? It keeps things fresh instead of stagnant. 

What was the worst thing about shooting? The best? Is there anything you learned from this production that you’d like to do differently in the future? Anything you wish you had done that you didn’t?

The worst thing about shooting without a budget is twofold - time and money. If you had money then you’d have more time. If you had more time then people would be able to get deeper into their characters. That’s tough to do when you have to shoot around work schedules, etc. everyone did the best they could but more time would have made it a much easier shoot and a much more polished shoot.

The best part of shooting is...that’s a tricky question. I would have to say that working in a collaborative medium, like filmmaking, is the best part - you get to try different things (when time permits) and everyone brings energy to the set.

Every film is a learning experience just like every life experience is something to learn from. Every personality is different and making a film is like trying to run a circus - different tents, lots of hats, the clown car, etc. in other words - a lot to manage.

I do wish I took the time to manage some scenes better. But time restrictions really put a damper on that.

Can you talk a bit about you the writer versus you the director? Did anything change from page to screen for you? Were there other people whose feedback you relied heavily upon?

The writer creates a vision and the director has to execute that vision. Obviously what you’ve dreamed up is from the mind of the writer and what you’re left with on film (or digital video) is the life of the director. Some things can translate from your mind to reality - others, not so much. But this could be due to time or money.

“The script is what you’ve dreamed up. The film is what you are left with.” George Lucas was quoted as saying this and I agree with this 100% percent.

A lot changed from the page to the screen. Sometimes it was a simple nuance, other times it was a line of dialogue that said by one’s self while writing sounds good, but when the camera’s rolling, didn’t sound quite right. The scenes and the story itself didn’t change or deviate all that much from the original shooting script. No one really gave that much input as far as changing the script, the script was really what I used for making my film be my film.

Is there anything you would like to say to all of our readers who are thinking of shooting their own feature films? Any advice or cautionary tales? What about choosing and using or licensing music?

Making a film is a huge commitment. If you aren’t passionate about it, then you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s time consuming and it really needs all of your mind in order to succeed. Try and make a film with something to say - don’t just make a stupid horror film or flavor of the month just because. Let’s say you want to make a horror film, make one, but make it unique, make it yours. Be different. People can say what they want about my films but in most cases they cannot be compared to whats come before.

Casting is the most important thing - build relationships and trust with your cast. This is most important. Listen to everyone and always be open to trying a scene a new way.

And if you make the film - finish it. See it through to the end. Even if it looks bad, finish it. You can always save a project in the editing room and even if you can’t - at least you’ll have a finished film. If I can finish my films then you can make yours.

As for music, I put an ad on craigslist stating that I was looking for music from anyone that wasn’t on a label. I ended up using music from people that I met online. They gave me their consent after I sent them the trailer and I gave them full credit for their contributions to the film. In the end, the soundtrack works and helps the film move along.
 

So what's next, both for Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid and for you?

‘Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid’ isn’t dead yet. The film is for sale on amazon VOD for rent or purchase and I am still actively seeking distribution for it. The fact that it ended up winning Honorable Mention and an official selection at this year’s Twin Rivers Media Fest was a testament to the film itself. I am still trying to find an audience for it and I am hopeful it will find a home somewhere. Without gratuitous nudity and violence, it has had some difficulty finding a home.

As for me, I shot a new feature this past September on HD. Once again, I went to LA, shot a film, this time in 2 weeks, and this time I made something distributors want. The two leads are female, they wear very little, and the story is more based on sex. There is a unique story, one that is very different, but this time I have a story about two LA girls instead of three Connecticut guys. Fingers crossed, this one too, will find an audience. I am just starting to edit this new film so watch for it in 2010!

The League Interviews - Filmmaker David Spaltro

The League recently had the pleasure of speaking with independent filmmaker David Spaltro, who recently completed his first feature film, ...Around. ...Around, a "love-letter to the City of New York" follows Doyle Simms from his turbulent New Jersey home to homelessness in Manhattan as he attends film school. Though living in Penn Station and attending school by day, Doyle develops an odd sense of both home and family with the colorful people he meets over his college career, including Saul, a homeless man who shows Doyle the ropes, and the beautiful, aspiring actress Allyson. ...Around is a commendable first effort by writer-director Spaltro, who shared some of his experiences and thoughts on making the film with the League.

David, thanks for taking some time to talk with The Screenwriters League about your feature film, ...Around. To kick things off, why don't you tell us a bit about your background as a filmmaker - where you went to school, what got you interested in making movies, basically where it all began for you.

I moved to NYC to attend the School of Visual Arts film program in the summer of 2001. I think I'd always been interested in storytelling and after gravitating away from fine arts and graphic novels I'd taken up both theater arts and a communications program at my high-school. I sort of got the best of both worlds education, and then coming to SVA and seeing how much of a collaborative effort Cinema was, how much was involved and the scope of what you could achieve with it, as well as being exposed to all kind of films I'd never seen before I think I really fell in love with the idea of film being a medium I wanted to communicate in.


OK. So, ...Around. This is based on your own personal experiences, right? What inspired you to write the script, and when did you decide to actually go the next step and make it into a feature length film? Was it a difficult decision or something you knew had to be done?

I actually fought against it in a weird way. After I graduated with some other personal stuff I was really burned out and left the country to go backpacking and working through Europe and then, after a few months back working odd jobs, I took a job teaching English in Korea. It was there, locked in my room during a monsoon season that I was able to write "...Around". I had been telling all these "NY Stories" while abroad, but I never thought I had an interesting concept for a film or that anyone else would deem worthy of viewing. It took Ulli Gruber, a good friend and former classmate of mine, over a cup of coffee to convince me to try and take my own personal experiences and work them into a script. Once I started it just poured out.


What is your writing process like? How long did it take for this to become a full-blown screenplay? Do you use a particular writing software? Is there music you listen to while writing? Any writing quirks you think helped you to complete the script?

I don't have a process so much as I just sit down and write. I usually have a concept and general idea of the story, but I don't block out character arcs or acts or write random scenes down. I usually just keep writing until it's all out, which usually conceives a far too long first draft. But, seeing as all first drafts need to be reworked immensely, I find to save the editing for after you've banged it out to be most helpful. If you're editing as you write down your first words, things change too much or it takes far longer. The first draft should be feeling, but that's not everyone's method. Though I use Final Draft to write the script and edit, as it's much cleaner and helpful for rewriting and formatting, I used to love writing a first draft by hand on legal ledger pads. Kind of archaic, but there was something about just letting the wrist move and energy go. I do listen to music, all the time, especially when I'm writing. Sometimes depending on the scene or the kind of project, it will dictate the playlist. When I was writing "...Around" I think I played a lot of The National, Broken Social Scene, and Rolling Stones.


As you know, The League's mission is to detail the work of aspiring filmmakers from the ground up, so can you talk a bit about how you went about developing this film from the get-go? What did you do first to get the ball rolling?

Once I had a draft of the script I started showing it around to friends, classmates, and actors I knew. It was originally going to be just something I'd do, almost like a workshop, very low budget and just running around with my friends. But people really enjoyed the script, even when they had notes to give to tighten and make it flow better. They saw a bigger promise and I thought I should go around and try and get it financed and make it the way it should be made.


Can you tell our readers how you went about raising funds for the film? What sort of budget were you working with on this film and how in the world did you manage it? Was there anything unexpected that you wish you'd seen coming in terms of budgeting?

I'd never raised money for a film before and while there are a bunch of established ways, like anything, there is no one way to do it. I knew that the easiest way to get money was to have a name actor attached to the script because a production company would see, at least commercially, a viable way to get their investment back. So I started cold writing agents and mangers through a free two-week IMDBPro trial. I got a lot of great response from both companies and actors reps about the script, but the companies wanted the name attached in a document before any money was promised and the reps wanted money in escrow before they committed. It was a catch 22 I tried to finagle around but the upcoming writer's strike and possible (still to this day) SAG strike made reps very nervous and everyone got booked fast. It was then I realized I'd have to finance it myself so I broke out the 40 credit cards. The hardest part is when you get into post and maybe need some more sound work, or in our case after our original sound guy did a shoddy job, a whole new mix that you find you’re out of funds. That's one thing to raise more, but if you're juggling numerous credit card bills it can be an almost impossible nightmare.


There are a lot of characters in this film, many of which have speaking rolls. What was the casting process like? The same with locations; you shot in a lot (and we mean A LOT) of places. How did you go about securing the ability to film in all of them, or did you? Is there anything about having so many actors and locations you'd like to share?

Definitely broke a cardinal rule of low budget filmmaking by writing in so many scenes and so many locations. The easiest thing to do is Reservoir Dogs and set it all in a warehouse or Clerks and put it all in a convenience store. But I was also trying to make a calling card for myself so I didn't want to do a conventional one location thing. I knew the story had scope and it's NYC so you need to show it, that's one of the main characters also. Luckily Lee Gillentine, our producer, hired a bunch of great art department and crew that built locations in the same places overnight and also got many sites permitted or worked out deals to shoot in several locations all over NY. I think we were averaging three locations a day, which to do one location move a day on a big budget shoot is a lot. I think it kept us on our toes, and there was sort of a do or die kinetic energy that we carried in. I definitely wouldn't recommend it unless you've got the incredible support I did.


Alright, so with all that out of the way, you went into shooting. How many days did you shoot and what was the process like? Who helped you plan everything and set the schedules? What was the worst thing about shooting? The best?

We had 21 shooting days out of 26 production days from September 2nd-28th 2007. Lee Gillentine was our line producer who did the budget and the hired and the crew and wrote a tentative schedule, but we'd been working with a few people that screwed up some permits and the shoot plan had to be revamped so our AD Grant Simone took over while Lee and a few PAs went about making sure the permits went through and other office tasks. Grant really came in and helped save the day a lot on set, kept everyone moving and kept thinking outside the box to achieve the day we needed to achieve. I think the salt of any great director is having a solid AD, especially on a hectic low-budget shoot like ours. I think running out of time to get everything we would have liked to get may have been the harder part of the shoot, but the best feeling in the world was being on that set with all those great people in front of the camera and behind it. I don't think I've ever felt more at home then on that set. I miss them all dearly.


You directed and wrote ...Around, so can you talk a bit about you the writer versus you the director? Did anything change from page to screen for you? Were there other people whose feedback you relied heavily upon?

Sometimes, especially when it's personal, I believe you can be too close to the material. I think as director and writer, though, I had control of the vision I wanted. I could do a rewrite on set or if something fell-through alter it as needed. I was also constantly polishing up the script as I was rehearsing with Rob Evans and Molly Ryman so I'd be able to alter and add the character a bit towards what they did improv in rehearsals or to their own characteristics. I also had a lot of great notes from different individuals I respected and had worked for that helped me shape and shave the script into the tighter shooting version we worked with.


Is there anything you would like to say to all of our readers who are thinking of shooting their own feature films? Any advice or cautionary tales?

I think if it's something you want to do and you love it there is no cautionary tale I could tell you that would stop you from doing it. At the end of the day, if you're passionate about your story and wanted to tell it you'll do it on a cell phone camera, which I would have if it came down to it. Just be honest with yourself and if you take the plunge then enjoy it and tell the story you want to tell. Don't sidestep that. Surround yourself with good people; it'll make the experience and end product all the better.


So what's next, both for ...Around and for you?

"...Around is currently on the festival circuit and working with Cinetic Rights Management a division of Cinetic Media on forms of digital distribution. We're also working on a tie-in soundtrack and have been approached by some distribution houses on a small theatrical run. I'm finishing up a script, "Things I Don't Understand", that I'd like to make my next directorial feature and bring in Molly Ryman, Marcel Torres, and Ali Tobia. I'm also working on a few scripts to put on the market for selling and am in talks about working on a pilot for an "...Around" television show that's gotten some interest. It would give a little more insight in Doyle's four years in NYC and several other characters.

Look for updates on both David and ...Around at www.aroundthefilm.com.