Austin Film Festival

It has been too long since his last appearance and we are thrilled that Randall Wallace will be back at the Conference this year! A champion of storytelling based on the classic values of love, courage, and honor, Wallace wrote the Academy Award winner BRAVEHEART and the blockbuster PEARL HARBOR. He also wrote, directed, and produced the critically acclaimed WE WERE SOLDIERS and THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. For his work on BRAVEHEART, he received the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Wallace is also the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels and the lyricist of the acclaimed hymn Mansions of the Lord, performed as the closing music for President Ronald Reagan’s national funeral. And, in 1999, Wallace founded Wheelhouse Entertainment. The guy works non-stop.

His most recent project was directing SECRETARIAT, the life story of Penny Chenery, owner of the racehorse Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown in 1973. The film stars Diane Lane, John Malkovich and Scott Glen (who will always be URBAN COWBOY's Wes to me) and will be in theaters October 8th, so be sure to check it out!

Check out our interview with Wallace below. Buy your Badge to the Conference now and ask him your own questions in October!


AFF: What recent movies have you liked?
RW: I haven't had time to see many movies while I've been directing Secretariat, but I think that John Lee Hancock did a superb job in designing The Blind Side. The hardest I've laughed at any movie in a long time was at The Hangover. I saw Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World just the other day and thought it was fantastically creative.

AFF: How do you approach adapting a novel like Atlas Shrugged into a screenplay?
RW: It's a challenge. But I don't shrink from a challenge—and neither do the characters of Atlas Shrugged. The studio wasn't sure whether it was going to be two movies or three or maybe even a mini-series. When I signed on to write the screenplay, they already had a script of 169 pages, and it only dealt with the first half of the story! I told them "I don't want to see it or anything else anyone else has written. And it's either one movie or it's nothing." The essence of any great story is lost if it's not focused, and what was required here was my saying, "this is the narrative spine of this story."

AFF: What attracts you to tell specific stories?
RW: People ask me how I choose the stories I want to tell. The answer is simple: I look for something that will cause my heart to pound and my soul to soar. My latest movie, SECRETARIAT, which comes out October 8, has those qualities. And that makes me rejoice.

AFF: Would you please describe your writing schedule?
RW: For years I got up every weekday morning to write at the same time, usually at about 5:30am, sometimes earlier if I couldn't sleep. Now I sleep as long as I can — for 8 hours minimum — before I get up, but I still follow the same routine every morning. I get up, get dressed, and sit down at the computer. I always have a set goal for page count (no more than 5 a day for a screenplay, usually 3 or 4 if I'm not facing a deadline) that I have to hit in order to stop, and I never go over. If I feel like there's more to write once I get my 4 pages, I jot notes to myself on where I'm thinking the story might go, questions I have, etc. For me, after 4 pages I hit the point of diminishing returns, even if I'm full of thoughts. Once I'm done with my pages, then I eat breakfast and start the rest of my day. Early mornings work well for me because it's pretty much the time of day when no one is calling on the phone and there's nowhere else to be. Especially when I'm directing, the only time to write is before the day starts, because once things get rolling, it's non-stop all day long.

And questions from two registrants:

When you got your big break as a writer was it because of your agent or, did do all the foot work of marketing your writing yourself?

RW: Agents are an anomaly in this business in that the people who don't have them need them the most. I did a lot of foot work marketing myself early on — sending my manuscripts out to various publishers and facing the wall of rejection until one finally bit — and at the time I did not have an agent. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend that to someone today. At least in the film business, these days people are so afraid of getting sued that they usually won't read anything sent to them directly unless it's sent via an agency. My company is even more strict — we do not take any submissions, whether represented or not — because we develop everything in-house. My first really big break in writing for TV was because a mutual friend set me up with a meeting.

I am a college student studying the art of film through broadcasting. I have dreams of becoming a film producer/director. The directing and acting in Braveheart was amazing and very inspiring. I look forward to the release of Secretariat. I dream of becoming a film director/producer like yourself.

I do have a few questions for you from a student's standpoint. Where did you go to school? What did you major in? I went to Duke University, and majored in religion, with a minor in Russian How did you get connected into the community of filmmaking?

RW: I'd written several screenplays before I got paying work writing for TV, working for Stephen J. Cannell productions, but in all honesty, it took a long time before I felt connected to the community. I'd written and sold several screenplays before one of them was green-lit, shot, and released. Through all of that, I got to know a lot of the people in the community, and it was one of those people I met early on who ended up giving me a chance to direct.

Check out the full list of panelists here. See you in October!

Several weeks ago, my friend Gary Bond with the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau called and asked if we were still looking for panelists.

"Well, we're pretty set, but who did you have in mind?" "Oh, my buddy Jorge Zamacona. He lives in New York, but he loves Austin." Are you kidding me? Jorge Zamacona? Creator of “Wanted” and staff writer on “Homicide: Life on the Street”? Did Gary know that we had just announced as our Outstanding TV Writer Award recipient David Simon who, in addition to creating "The Wire" and "Treme", had also brought "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets" to the screen from the book, which he also wrote?

Yes, please. We would very much like to have Jorge Zamacona join us as a panelist.

A little bit more about Jorge: After graduating from California State University-Northridge Magna Cum Laude in 1983 with a degree in TV/Film Writing and Production, Jorge was hired by Mary Tyler Moore (MTM) Enterprises and began his writing career on the NBC series "St. Elsewhere." Since then Jorge has built his career and become a successful Showrunner/Executive Producer of many respected and well known television series. Please check out all his impressive and lengthy credits here. Jorge is creator/writer of “Wanted” and “10-8: Officers on Duty”, was a staff writer on “Homicide: Life on the Street” (22 episodes!), consulting producer/writer on ABC’s “The Unusuals”, and is currently a Consulting Producer on the NBC-UNIVERSAL Television produced series "Outlaw" airing this fall on NBC.

He generously agreed to answer a few questions for us below. We know you'll have many more, so be sure and check out his panels this October 21-24!

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AFF: You did a lot of work on "Homicide: Life on the Street" – the series based on David Simon’s non-fiction novel Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. How important was the source material to your contribution to the series?

JZ: The source material was critical to understanding the rhythm, texture, language and attitudes of not only the homicide detectives we were fictionalizing, but also the city of Baltimore itself. David's book set the entire template of how to tell the stories. In fact I was in Baltimore for part of the shooting of the pilot and did some "cocktail" research with one of the detectives in the book. The book was our treasure map for the series.


AFF: How much research did you need to conduct in order to stay true to the reality of life on the streets in terms police procedures and mandates?

JZ: As I said, I/we/ the other writers spent some time in the company of Baltimore Homicide Detectives. They would keep us from writing "TV" versions of detectives. Authenticity was very important to us. We also had an active Baltimore Detective working as a tech advisor on series. He would read our drafts and then give us notes on procedure and language, etc.


AFF: You’ve written for many crime-based television shows. What attracts you to that particular genre?

JZ: I love the visceral nature of crime storytelling. I love the moral and legal ambiguities of the decisions that police, attorneys and judges have to make in order to achieve some measure of justice. But I like writing other genres as well and am developing action-comedy and character-based non-procedurals as well.


AFF: What initially attracted you to television writing? How did you break in?

JZ: My mother was a Madison, Wisconsin Public Librarian. So, from a very early age she was drowning me in books. I loved reading and then began writing - stories, songs, bad plays and short films - in my teens. I worked on a movie of the week that MTM came to Madison to shoot during my freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. The producers told me that if I wanted to pursue this career, I should write and I should move. I moved to Los Angeles to finish film school and then interned at MTM my senior year. I was hired as production assistant on "St. Elsewhere" and there I met Tom Fontana and Bruce Paltrow...and started my career in earnest.


AFF: How and when does one get to make the jump to being a showrunner?

JZ: Experience. I was lucky enough to be tutored by Tom Fontana who was himself tutored by Bruce Paltrow. I did my time as a story editor, a producer and as an Co-Executive Producer (on "Millenium")... when I left "Millennium" I sold my own show ideas, shot them, got them picked-up for series and summarily "show ran" them. It takes some time and experience to effectively run a show. The job involves hiring the staff, the directors, casting, scripts, editing, budgeting, dealing with the studio and network, etc. Some writers who sell an idea and have it advance to series will get the title of Executive Producer but they will lack the showrunning experience. In those cases seasoned Executive Producers will be hired to partner that person in order to get the show up and running.


AFF: What are you working on now?

JZ: I am currently a Consulting Producer on "Outlaw." Consulting means I am part-time (sort of) in order that I may continue to develop my own projects. A latitude that I would not be afforded if I were full-time. The show will air this fall on Friday nights at 10:00 pm on NBC (the old "Homicide" time slot) and stars Jimmy Smits as a former Supreme Court Justice who retires the bench in order to become a defense attorney.


AFF: Anyone in particular you're looking forward to meeting or seeing at the Austin Film Festival this October?

JZ: It will be great to see David ... and any and all bartenders.

A few weeks ago, Melody Lopez, Group Lead for Austin Cats!, contacted us with an idea. Were we interested in partnering this year? They would sponsor the attendance of one Will Akers at our Conference and we would offer a discount to not just Austin Cats! members, but all Save the Cat! subscribers. To take advantage of the discount, please contact maya@austinfilmfestival.com or matt@austinfilmfestival.com.

The Austin Cats! is a supportive community of writers who follow the story structure principles of the late Blake Snyder, author of the Save the Cat! series of screenwriting books. Informal monthly meetings encourage the educational development of storytellers of all levels. The Austin Cats! is a chapter within Cat! Nation, aka blakesnyder.com

For those few folks unfamiliar with Will Akers, he's the author of the bestselling book Your Screenplay Sucks!, 100 Ways To Make It Great, is a Lifetime Member of the WGA and has had three feature films produced from his screenplays. Will has written for studios, independent producers, and television networks. He currently teaches screenwriting at Vanderbilt University, does story consulting, and gives writing workshops and seminars around the world.

Blake Snyder had recommended Will Akers' book to Melody during a coaching session and it had a tremendous impact on Melody and her writing. She believes believe in her heart that Blake must be proud that his "Austin Cats!" are contributing to the writing community and keeping his positive, supportive and generous spirit alive!

Blake is quoted inside the cover of the book: "William M. Akers is a renaissance man of film who is at once a big studio screenwriter, independent writer/director, and caring, insightful teacher. He also knows every trick in the book when it comes to fixing a script. And this is that book! A must for any writer facing the 'dark night of the script.'"

Melody Lopez recently chatted with Mr. Akers and the text of their conversation is below. We are delighted to be working with both Austin Cats! and Save the Cat! and look forward to hosting Will in October.

We hope you'll join us, as well!

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Austin Cats!: In your book you share that you sold your first screenplay. How did you manage to achieve this?

Akers: It’s exactly what they tell you-- “it’s who you know.” Well, in my case it was two different “who you knows.” I arrived at film school already wanting to make a movie out of a book that had been read to me as a child. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, about two young girls whose evil governess drowns their parents so she can inherit their fortune. I did the research and found who controlled the rights. Alan Pakula. As it turned out, a guy I went to college with, his attorney also represented Pakula. They worked a deal for me to option the book from Pakula. It took me nine months to write the script. Then, I gave it to lots and lots of people. A woman I’d attended graduate school with, gave it to a friend, who knew a friend, who knew another friend who wanted to direct it. That person found the producer in England who made the film but, in the end, with a different director. Who knows what would have happened were it not for my two friends. Most likely, I wouldn’t own this house...

Austin Cats!: Of the 100 tips you offer in your book, which do you think is the most important and why?

Akers: The last chapter. It’s more philosophical than the rest of the book. It says, “If you’re not happy when you are a failure, you’re not going to be happy when you’re a success.” It’s best, when you’re writing not to spend all your time thinking about selling. You have to enjoy the process. If you don’t enjoy the process, and then it doesn’t sell, what have you got? I wrote a children’s adventure novel that may never sell. If it doesn’t, too bad. But, at least I enjoyed writing it.

Austin Cats!: You share more advice and have direct communication with readers of your blog: www.yourscreenplaysucks.wordpress.com What has surprised you the most by the comments people make?

Akers: How many good writers there are and who have something wonderful to add. I’ve been writing for 20 years and, perhaps foolishly, think good writing is important. It’s great to know there are others who to take it as seriously as I do. The main purpose of the blog is to help people improve their writing and help them not make the mistakes I’ve made. I point out the quicksand so other people can steer clear.

Austin Cats!: What lessons have you taken from your produced features that helped in the writing of 105° AND RISING, your screenplay about the fall of Saigon?

Akers: I wrote it long, long ago, while THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE was being shot. At that point, I didn’t know anything about making features. The Saigon script was good, but lay fallow for 15 years. It almost got made once, then went back on the shelf. Finally, Jon Amiel found it and wanted to direct it. For the producers and the studio, Jon and I did eleven drafts over two years during pre-production. And the screenplay only got better.

I know you got the information about 105° AND RISING from my book. Unfortunately, that screenplay is now mostly on life support. Has been for a while. It went into a coma because five other movies came out with political themes and didn’t do well. The studio lost its nerve. It’s too bad because it’s a killer story with amazing characters.

Austin Cats!: You co-wrote the screenplay, ERNEST RIDES AGAIN. What were the challenges and benefits of writing for an established franchise?

Akers: Four movies with Ernest had already been made. It was easy to look at them and write for “that guy.” He was existing character, who spoke in a certain way. All we had to do was create a new story. What was great about Ernest is that any kind of dialogue you wanted to write, Jim Varney could say, beautifully. My co-writer was the director. [John R. Cherry III] It was a lot of fun! While we were writing it, we knew the movie was going to get made. I’d come up with an idea and the team had so much experience, they knew if it was good for the story. Nothing went into the script that wasn’t gonna work.

Austin Cats!: This is your first time to the Austin Film Festival. What are you looking forward to? Are there any panelists you’re looking forward to seeing or meeting?

Akers: I’m happy to be coming. The Festival has got a stellar reputation. I just hope I’m not on a panel at the same time as John Lee Hancock’s panel. Anything he says is worth hearing. I want to hear Derek Haas, Craig Mazin, and Michael Brandt. They’re terrific. Of Course, I'm just like everyone else who'll be there. I'll hope to meet producers and executives too. Plus, I’ve never been to Austin. I like to eat, so I won’t be content until I find some top-drawer Texas barbecue!

For the full list of panelists and to buy your Badge now, click here!

Michael Arndt, screenwriter of the awesome summer hit Toy Story 3 (and Little Miss Sunshine)! Mary Coleman, Senior Development Executive for Pixar Animation Studios! Emily Zulauf, Creative Development Associate for Pixar Animation Studios! All gathered together under the roof of the 2010 AFF and Conference, October 21-24!

We've got some terrific panels in the works, including one on Pixar's Story Development Process and another on Writing for Animation. Where do the ideas for animated features come from? How do animation studios find writers? How do they work with them?

To hold us over until October, we've got a few more viewings of Toy Story 3 and the below interview with Emily Zulauf.


AFF: How did you get involved in development at Pixar? What's been your career path?
EZ: It's been a little random! I was in LA right after college, but northern California always felt more like home. I worked for an agency in LA, small production companies in Chicago and San Francisco and finally got in at Pixar as a temp.

AFF: What is your day-to-day work like at Pixar?
EZ: I do a bunch of reading for writer/director matches and research for our in-development projects. Our department handles a lot of stuff, including short films, so there is always something going on.

AFF: What projects are you currently working on?
EZ: I can't talk about any of them! I'd like to keep my job!

AFF: Will there ever be a Monsters, Inc. 2?
EZ: There will be! And they have a great team working on that. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

AFF: Photographs online make Pixar Studios in Emeryville, CA look like some magical office dream. Does that place really exist?
EZ: Yes. I have a chocolate river in my office. It makes it very hard to concentrate.

AFF: Advice for up-and-coming screenwriters?
EZ: We give a LOT of feedback at Pixar, which is hard for some writers. For a work environment like ours, I'd say learn to love that process - if you can embrace it, it will only make your writing better.

AFF: Does Pixar develop all of their story ideas and scripts in-house, or do they ever accept submissions from agents? If yes to the latter, have there been any films produced thus far that came from 'outside' Pixar?
EZ: Everything here is director driven, including the ideas. So, nope, we don't take ideas from outside. That said, we do hire writers from the outside and once they are on board, they are instrumental in helping the director achieve his or her vision.

We are thrilled that Larry Doyle will be joining us as a panelist for the 2010 AFF Conference.

Larry's first novel, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” won the 2008 Thurber Award for Humor Writing. He wrote the screenplay for the subsequent film, released in 2009. His new novel, “Go, Mutants!” will be released in June 2010; he is adapting that book for Imagine Entertainment and Universal.

Doyle was a writer and producer of “The Simpsons” for four years, and is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. He also wrote the films “Duplex,” and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.” More, mostly reliable information is available at larrydoyle.com.

We recently sat him down at his computer and had him answer a few questions for us.

AFF: Was I love You Beth Cooper based on personal experience? It was set at your alma mater, Buffalo Grove High School. Were the settings, such as Old Tobacco Road, real spots where you spent time?

LD: The book, per se, didn't happen, but I would have liked it to. I set it at my high school mostly so I wouldn't have to come up with a terrible name for a high school (e.g. Spiro T. Agnew H.S., Fawning Meadows High) and that tied me into using the local geography. The Buffalo Grove in the book is a mix of the town I grew up in (Tobacco Road), and the town it became (the strip malls are current), and some satirical invention (the McMansion subdivision.) The Buffalo Grove in the movie is Buffalo Glenn, and it's Vancouver.
By the way, if you go here, you can find an annotation I had to do for Fox legal, describing everything in the first draft of the movie that was real, invented, or some combination.

AFF: You’ve written for television, magazines, movies, and novels. How does the focus of your writing change between mediums?

LD: It's all writing for me. The important things are the same. Story and Character. (Even in journalism). The differences:

People in TV and movies don't like prose. Unless you're Tarantino, you keep your writing out of the stage directions.

In TV and Movies, somebody else is the Artist. You have to create your stuff within theirs.

Writing novels is the most fun, but living in a house with heat and electricity is more fun.

AFF: It seems most of your television credits are for animated shows. Is there something that attracts you to that style of show?

LD: I love cartoons, but that wasn't what drew me to "The Simpsons." I wanted to write for them because it was the best comedy writing being done anywhere.

AFF: You wrote the screenplay for 2003’s “Looney Toons: Back in Action.” Is it easier to write for original characters, like Brendan Frasier’s character, or pre-established characters, such as Bugs Bunny?

LD: If it's a great character, like Daffy Duck or Homer Simpson, it's much easier because all the hard work has been done. It always sounds new-age creepy to say this, but the characters really do seem to speak to you. When I was on the Simpsons, after awhile I could pitch lines as a character and it would feel as if I was hearing the line for the first time as I said it. This can also happen with original characters, but it takes much longer for their personalities to sink into your subconscious. And of course, I haven't created a character as great as Daffy Duck or Homer Simpson.

AFF: What was your first big break?

LD: My girlfriend broke up with me, and I went crazy. I subsequently wrote a piece about it, and it became my first New Yorker casual. This lead to many great things, in a very roundabout way. I wrote at length about that here and here.

AFF: This will be your first time at the Austin Film Festival. What are you most looking forward to? Any panelists you're looking forward to seeing or meeting?

LD: There will be several great writers there I know -- Derek Haas, Jeff Lowell, Craig Mazin, John Turman -- and a couple who I've only met online -- John August and John Lee Hancock -- who will be great to hang out with. I'd also love to meet Mary Coleman, because I goddam love everything Pixar does.


Want to know who else is coming in for the 2010 AFF Conference? The panelist list is up here and new names are being added every week, so be sure to check back with us regularly.

Another installment of AFF's Writers on Screenwriting from one of our favorite women, writers, and people to get drunk with: Anne Rapp. After reading the below, please do click on her name to read her full bio - it's impressive. Anne will be joining us for the 2010 Conference this October.

Anne Rapp’s 10 Rules of Writing

1. Read a lot. I won’t bug you with my list of classics and must‐reads, but I can
suggest a few reading formulas: For every issue of People Magazine you read cover to cover make sure you read five good short stories. For every Chelsea Handler book you listen to on your iPhone while power walking, read another one of Chelsea’s books on paper. (Come on, give Chelsea her “author moment.” She deserves it!) Other good reading ratios would be: One self‐help book equals Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.” One golf instruction handbook equals V.S. Naipaul’s “Half a Life.” And one cookbook equals George Singleton’s “The Half Mammals of Dixie.” Okay, so I lied about giving you must‐reads. But I promise if you read these books and a lot more (don’t leave out Bukowski poetry!), you’ll be a better writer.

2. Hook up with (as in marry, date, or room with) someone who gives you a lot of solo time. By solo time I don’t mean you are at your desk while he or she is across the room asleep on the couch. I mean that person is not on the premises. Nor are that person’s children or relatives. (Pets are okay unless it’s a talking bird.) Writing requires a lot of staring into space, watching coffee drip into the pot and scratching your ass. A big part of writing is just being in your skin and in your head. Some of the best writing you will ever do will be when your paws aren’t even on the keyboard. And you don’t need witnesses. Personally I have perfected rule #2. I hooked up with someone who lives four hours away. I’m not suggesting that method for everybody. You can always dig yourself a cave out back for some privacy. But please, forget Starbucks! That’s not writing, that’s showing off.

3. Try your best to not hook up with another writer. You know those fantasies you have about falling in love with an awesome scribe, and life is perfect because you totally understand each other? And you spend glorious, enchanted evenings on the couch together, toes entwined, each with a laptop on your legs creating separate but equal masterpieces? Total horse crap. A wet dream. Ever see a two‐headed calf? We’ve all seen one stuffed. But you’ve never seen a two‐headed cow, have you? That’s because a two‐headed anything doesn’t last that long. So if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of coexisting with another writer, at least try to avoid
competitive sports like ping pong or croquet. That’s when things usually spontaneously combust.

4. Ask yourself if you like being alone. If the answer is no you will have a hard time being a writer. If the answer is yes you will probably kick butt at it. If the answer is sometimes you are like most of the rest of us. You will sometimes write like the wind and sometimes be a total slacker. But that’s normal, so relax. Everybody can’t be Larry McMurtry.

5. Don’t spend a lot of effort writing the first sentence. It probably won’t be the
first sentence anyway, it will merely start you on the path to the first sentence. Unless, of course, you are Carrie Fisher and can write the perfect first sentence, like “I lost my virginity three times.” That’s in Charles Dickens’ league. But you aren’t Carrie Fisher or Charles Dickens (yet) so be realistic. Just get past the first sentence and then start cranking.

6. Don’t be an arrogant jerk if you get famous. There’s nothing more off‐putting
than a snotty, pretentious, swaggering tweed‐weasel. As a rule the finest people on the planet are school janitors and Motel 6 maids. St. Peter will not have read your work. Blurbs mean nothing to him and the words “resonant,” “pathos” and “wickedly (anything)” are not in his vocabulary.

7. Keep your house clean and your desk fairly straight. And make the bed. It gives you something to do with your other hand while your dominant one is scratching your ass. You will work better with order around you. I’m not a feng shui nut, but there’s something to be said for waking up in the morning and opening your eyes and resting them on an environment that’s clean and orderly and peaceful instead of piles of crap and chaos everywhere. At least you begin the day with some clarity.

8. Don’t read too many books about writing. But I can recommend a couple, like Ray Bradbury’s. If nothing else, read it for one sentence: “Every day a writer wakes up and gets out of bed and steps on a land mine and blows himself into a thousand pieces, then he spends the rest of the day putting himself back together again.” I don’t know about you but my middle name is Jigsaw. Another good one is Steven King’s. He offers two excellent tips: Read a lot (same as my #1), and put your desk in the corner facing the wall. He’s right. Forget the house overlooking the sea or the idyllic cabin in the woods. You’ll write better in a coat closet. It’s not what’s out the window, it’s what’s behind your corneas. I once had the amazing good fortune to sit in Faulkner’s actual kitchen for a couple of hours and write at the table where he used to write. (A friend and curator of the joint sneaked me in.) You know what I did for those precious two hours? I spent the whole time writing all my friends and telling them I was sitting in Faulkner’s kitchen! Then I went home to my desk in the corner and wrote my own version of "War and Peace."

9. Stop pretending you have read "War and Peace."

10. Don’t sweat rejections. Every writer gets them. Book writers get tons of them in the mailbox or by email. Movie writers get them in the form of people never calling back, or just having an assistant call you with a cold‐hearted Pasadena. I have a great cure for hurt feelings caused by rejections: Go out and buy a nice card and send it to someone you love, and tell that person in your most brilliant words how much they mean to you. I promise it won’t be rejected.

We know how valuable it can be to hear other writers discuss the craft. It can inspire renewed commitment to one's work, give ideas for different ways to approach a story and remind us that we are not alone with our frustrations - and joys - in the writing process. To become a better resource for up-and-coming writers, we've asked AFF speakers - past and upcoming - to share their thoughts, practices and lessons with us.

Craig Mazin is the co-writer of the hit comedies Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4. Currently, he is writing The Hangover 2 with director Todd Phillips, as well as an action-comedy for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a science-fiction comedy for Paramount Pictures, and a family adventure for 20th Century Fox.

Craig served on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, West from 2004 to 2006. He also runs The Artful Writer — a website for professional and aspiring screenwriters.

Writers on Screenwriting: Craig Mazin


Here's my One Simple Rule Of Screenwriting

1. Relax.

That doesn't mean sleep. It means relax. If you write one good page today, that's fine. Relax. If you write nothing today, then in all likelihood you'll have a ten-page-day a week from now, so relax. Can't figure the scene out? Relax. Scripts not selling? No one's reading your stuff? Or everyone's read it, and it's crap?

Relax, because grinding and despairing will never get the job done. They just make it harder. If you're meant to be a screenwriter, you'll be one. If not, you won't. Make sure you can pay your bills and support your family. The rest will happen as it will.

Take a breath. It's not the be-all, end-all. It can even be fun!

Just follow the rule.

Writers on Screenwriting is just a taste of the AFF Conference experience - we hope you'll join the conversations with Craig and others this October 21-24!

After a long hiatus during which he was busy directing the upcoming and highly anticipated Secretariat (written by another AFF alum, Mike Rich), writer/director and AFF board member Randall Wallace will be joining us for the 2010 Conference!

Randy is unique among Hollywood filmmakers; his movies have been both critical award winners and tremendous commercial successes. Combined, his four films have grossed nearly $1 billion dollars at the theatrical box office, garnering numerous accolades including the prestigious Best Picture Oscar®.

Wallace wrote the Academy Award® winner Braveheart and the blockbuster Pearl Harbor. He also wrote, directed, and produced the critically acclaimed We Were Soldiers and The Man in the Iron Mask. Wallace is also the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels and the lyricist of the acclaimed hymn Mansions of the Lord, performed as the closing music for President Ronald Reagan’s national funeral.

Have questions for Randy? Send them to maya@austinfilmfestival.com and we'll post his answers on our blog!

The current list of 2010 panelists is up! Check it out here. New names are being added every week, so be sure to check in with us regularly.

We are delighted that Peter Hedges will be returning to Austin and joining us for the 2010 Conference, October 21-24! An AFF favorite, Peter wrote both the novel and screenplay adaptation for the highly acclaimed What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, as well as the adapted Oscar-nominated screenplay About A Boy, and wrote and directed Dan in Real Life and Pieces of April.

Peter has a new novel out this spring, The Heights, available from amazon.com and in book stores. If you're in Austin, be sure to attend his reading at Book People on Wednesday, March 24th!

Check out this interview with him from the Brooklyn Eagle.

Have questions for Peter? Send them to maya@austinfilmfestival.com and we'll post his answers on our blog.

The current list of 2010 panelists is up! Check it out here. New names are being added every week, so be sure to check in with us regularly.

Hello friends -

I hope 2010 finds you well. Things are already getting geared up around here and everyone is looking forward to the 17th Annual AFF in October.

I am writing to let you know that this will be my last week working with the Austin Film Festival. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working here and that is in no small part due to all of the people I have been able to work with. I can say without hesitation that this job would not be possible without all of your help and support and I thank you all for that.

The good news is that we didn't have to look very far for my replacement. Matt Dy, AFF's Office Manager for the last 2 years, will be taking my place. Matt is incredibly capable and very familiar with the competition and how it runs. He is also a writer himself which makes him well suited for the position. We have had plenty of time to make the hand-off and I know it will be a smooth transition.

Matt's email address is Matt@austinfilmfestival.com. Please feel free to welcome him to the position and introduce yourself.

Thanks again for all of your support. My forwarding address is mcphail.alex@gmail.com. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

I hope to see you all again at the Festival in October.

Take care,
Alex McPhail

Roberto Orci has recently confirmed to participate in the upcoming AFF!

With Alex Kurtzman, Orci penned Star Trek which grossed over $350 million worldwide and garnered fantastic reviews upon its release. The duo are currently working on a sequel. 2009 also saw the release of Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen, written by Kurtzman & Orci along with pal Ehren Kruger. It has since become one of the highest grossing films of all time, besting the 2007 original which Kurtzman & Orci also penned. Besides mastering film, Kurtzman & Orci have conquered the small screen as well, most recently with their hit Fox series Fringe (co-created with J.J. Abrams). Kurtzman & Orci have also written the 2006 hit Mission: Impossible III with Abrams, and the 2005 actioners The Island and The Legend of Zorro. They were also writers and executive producers on the ABC cult-fave TV show Alias.

He'll appear on the following panel, which is a guaranteed home run.

Saturday, 10/24
Write What You Know: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
A new series of master classes on writing for specific genres.

And the other part of the Kurtzman/Orci team? Steven Puri, Executive VP of Kurtzman/Orci and AFF veteran. Aadip Desai, President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild recently caught up with Steven for the following interview. Both will be speakers at the 2009 AFF Conference.


Interview with Steven Puri and Aadip Desai:

Aadip Desai: What projects are you most excited about at Alex Kurtzman/Robert Orci?
Steven Puri: I think we have a fun slate – Cowboys & Aliens, Atlantis Rising, etc. We have big tentpole movies and smaller genre movies, and even some comedies.

AD: As a former visual effects guy, how does that influence what you do as Executive Vice-President at Kurtzman/Orci?
SP: It gives me a reference point to make these big movies. Helps me navigate the budgeting and scheduling.

AD: How did you get involved with Kurtzman/Orci?
SP: I was talking to an agent from CAA who introduced us.

AD: What do you guys look for over at Kurtzman/Orci?
SP: A lot of it is based on source material or existing intellectual property, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t do an original.

AD: How many times have you been to the Austin Film Festival (AFF)?
SP: I’ve been 3 times.

AD: Why should one go to the AFF?
SP: Unlike Sundance, Toronto, and Venice, which are very high pressure, like waiting in line for a club in New York, it’s a more casual environment and focuses more on screenwriters and on the work. You get to interact with people whose work you respect.

AD: What do you think it offers that other festivals and conferences don’t?
SP: Last year, I moderated a panel with Shane Black, Tim Kring, and Terry Rossio, who are all happy to talk to you about what you’re doing…John August was there, too. It’s really different than the 300-400 formal Sundance environments. You might as well be listening to a podcast.

AD: Where does all the action happen?
SP: Be out. A lot of the fun is hanging out in the Driskill lobby. You get to meet a lot of filmmakers in a casual environment. A lot of it is in between the seminars and screenings.

AD: Which events do you consider "must attend"?
SP: Just go with the flow. When you’re there, hang out with people you want to hang out with. Be there and be in the mix. It’s the Austin thing. You’ll end up being where you want to be.

AD: What should one bring to the conference (business cards, leave-behinds, etc.)?
SP: Bring all the usual stuff, but with Austin, bring the mentality of “go with the flow.” See what the day brings you. You’ll end up having interactions that you could not have planned for. You’ll inevitably end up sitting next to someone you want to talk to.

AD: Any "don'ts" for attending the conference?
SP: Don’t go home without having some good BBQ!

AD: What are some notable films, which you saw first at AFF?
SP: Too many to remember—Slumdog Millionaire. I missed it at Toronto but caught it in Austin. I was blown away.

AD: What is the reputation of the AFF screenplay competition within the business?
SP: The most direct route: Win one of the competitions like Austin. It gets you representation and that representation gets you into a production company. You must be represented, because we can’t take unsolicited submissions. Managers and agents scour the screenplay competitions for talent.

AD: What advice do you have for writers in developing and growing their careers?
SP: To write. You have to get the screenplays of the greats, study them thoroughly. It’s not about the schmooze game; it doesn’t pan out. You so rarely in my business read anything good. It’s that sort of experience--having something great. It doesn’t matter if they’re the most interesting person at the dinner party or not.

AD: What are some of the most common mistakes you see in screenplays?
SP: They fail on the conceptual level. They should have taken more time to think about what they’re writing. You can never recover from a poorly conceived idea. No matter how cool the dialogue or set pieces, it’s apparent when someone didn’t spend another bit of time banging on the idea. Conceptually is the right character in the right situation, with the right antagonism?

AD: Is it important that writers move to LA?
SP: Not until they have reached a certain level: two screenplays under belt, getting representation. #1 thing is to hone your craft. It’s not about being in LA to mingle or schmooze. Until then, no, you can write from a cave in Montana.

The following interview with writer Jessica Bendinger was conducted by Aadip Desai, President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild. Both will be speakers at the 2009 AFF Conference.

Aadip Desai (AD): What projects are you most excited about right now?
Jessica Bendinger (JB): My novel, The Seven Rays and my next movie. I call my stuff “commas” (not dramedies), it’s a coming of age story in whatever my genre is about the creative process at a music conservatory.

AD: How many times have you been to AFF? When was your first time?
JB: I think I’ve been four times, but maybe three. First time was 2001, the following year after Bring It On came out.

AD: Why should one go to the AFF? What do you think it offers that other festivals and conferences don’t?
JB: Why not go? I’ve never been to a festival where there is such pure undiluted access.

AD: Where does all the action happen?
JB: Everywhere, all at once. Sometimes the panels are really good, right after panel. Driskill Bar, obviously. What’s great about it is that anything can happen anywhere at any time.

AD: Which events do you consider "must attend"?
JB: If you see someone on a panel you like, you have to go to that panel. You need to connect the dots between your enthusiasm and your favorite writer.

AD: What should one bring to the conference (business cards, leave-behinds, etc.)?
JB: Business cards.

AD: Any "don'ts" for attending the conference?
JB: Don’t stalk. It’s cool to hang around, but don’t get stalky.

AD: What do you consider stalky?
JB: If someone is giving you a weird look, and it’s the fourth time…you might be stalking.

AD: What one piece of advice would you have for anyone attending for the first time?
JB: Open with generosity, rather than selfishness. You may be excited about your piece of work, just know that honey will get you more than vinegar. If you’re excited about your project, it can feel like vinegar, if it’s not in context.

Compliments are a nice social lubricant. If you don’t know someone, it helps you set the stage. You have to establish the connection point. Without that connection point you have no conduit. Try to find that genuine connection point.

AD: Have you met any personal heroes at AFF?
JB: Lawrence Kasdan, Ed Solomon, Michael Ian Black.

AD: What’s your favorite AFF story?
JB: I think the whole experience is such a good time, it’s hard to nail it down to one anecdote. It’s really just this great long weekend. But, here’s one. One of the winners of the AFF TV writing competition approached me. Her name is Martina Broner. After Austin, she just kept checking in with me in a polite, genuine way. She would send me links to things she thought would interest me. She gently persisted with me in a way that was great. I ended hiring her to work on my book, The Seven Rays. She ended up getting a job with me while I was editing. There’s a thanks to her. So that was a genuine connection that grew into a meaningful relationship.

AD: How can someone make the best of their AFF experience?
JB: Hydrate. Drink lots of water, take naps when you can. Don’t have an expectation. Expectation courts disappointment, but willingness and curiosity create a much better experience. Just be willing and curious and watch what happens.

AD: What do you think about the screenplay competition?
JB: Because it’s a writer’s festival, it’s a wonderful venue for writers.

AD: What is the reputation of the AFF screenplay competition within the business?
JB: For me, when I’m recommending competitions, AFF is the gold standard for me. I know it, I believe in it.
If you go, you’ll have a personal experience.

AD: How do you think writers should best represent themselves?
JB: I’m a big believer in authenticity. Be yourself. There’s only one of you, so it’s a waste of time trying to be someone else. If you can't be yourself, fake it until you make it…show genuine curiosity in other people. Become a great listener. If you are bad at listening, practice feigning interest. Nothing replaces genuine concern for people.

AD: What are some of the most common mistakes you see in screenplays?
JB: Top Three: 1. Jamming exposition into dialogue in a clunky way. 2. Overwritten action description. 3. Telling instead of showing. Remember, a screenplay is a piece of work and also a recipe for a movie. All the ingredients you want may not on the day of the shoot be there. If you can remember that a script is more like an inspirational cookbook, not a bible. You’re the authority of the movie, but you’re trying to inspire people to make your movie. To the extent that you can use your gifts to inspire your reader, that is the best use of your writing ability. To be super attached and precious and rigid, is gonna be a tough road. Screenplays are a jumping off point for a movie. Some stuff doesn’t work. It works in the theoretical, and you get into the actual and it just doesn’t land, you better be nimble enough to accommodate that reality. Be nimble.

AD: Is it important that writers move to LA?
JB: I don’t have any answers. Here’s why. Your journey as a human being is as important as your journey as a writer. If it will help put a fire under your ass, that’s legit. If it’s something that will drain, hurt, stress you out, weaken, then compromise your writing, be aware. Know your limitations as a person. All artists need different care and feeding. Every writer has a different carrot and a different stick that motivates them. It’s your job to know or figure it out in this self-employed, autonomous career. “Know thyself.”

AD: What should you have in the can before you start looking for representation?
JB: Everybody says good script. The real issue is, have you had credible evaluation? Credible experienced, OBJECTIVE, evaluation of your writing. The people who love you will tell you it’s good. What we really need is the truth or some proximity of the truth. I still pay people to read my material. Paying for their objectivity. A free good read is hard to come by…see Josh Olsen’s rant [check out deadline.com]. You’re putting your self-esteem in someone else’s hands. I don’t want the responsibility. You could do a lot worse than Script Shark.

AD: What’s your advice for writers on how to get through the tough times (rejection, poverty, depression, writer’s block, rejection, rejection)?
JB: There’s that saying. You’re never as good as your great press and you’re never as bad as your worst press. I think that’s true. Know thyself. If you’re a hypersensitive bunny, there are probably a lot of gifts in your writing, but you’re going to have to cultivate some resilience. The best advice, live a balanced life. Do not place your entire self-esteem on the stick of how you’re evaluated as a writer. Get self-esteem from legitimate quarters, whether that’s service, volunteering, friends, family, a sport or hobby you’re good at, a place you find meaning in your life. That’s the best way to get through the tough times. At the end of the day, it’s just piece of writing. Puts it in its proper scale. Lack of scale is a killer for everybody. It’s about connecting, not about distancing myself behind a Hollywood throne.

Jessica Bendinger's Panel Schedule at the 2009 AFF Conference:
10/24 Young Filmmakers Program Panel, Texas State Capitol Building (10:45am-12:00pm)

10/24 Roundtable: Writers, Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room (3:45pm-5:00pm)

10/25 Hair of the Dog Brunch - Jessica's co-hosting with Terry Rossio!, Ranch 616 (10:00am-11:15am)

10/25 Adaptation, Stephen F. Austin Hotel, Ballroom (11:30am-12:45pm)

Aadip Desai's Moderating Schedule at the 2009 AFF Conference:

10/22 Breaking Into the Business (1:00pm-2:15pm)

10/23 What Gets Producers Excited (10:45am-12:00pm)

10/24 Breaking Into the Business (1:45pm-3:00pm)

Check out the full 2009 AFF Conference schedule here.

NEW FILM EXPLORES THE ROAD TO HAPPINESS

July 30th Austin Premiere and DVD Release

The pursuit of happiness. The men who wrote the Declaration of Independence famously put that idea on paper and called it one of our “inalienable” rights.
And do we ever pursue it. In fact, Americans spend great amounts of our time, money and energy chasing it. The biggest problem is, for many people, we’re not even sure what it is we’re chasing.

That’s the enigma that led documentary filmmaker Andrew Shapter to his latest film, HAPPINESS IS, a cinematic road trip that premiered at the Austin Film Festival last fall, explores the myths and the truths of the “pursuit of happiness” in America.
HAPINESS IS begins a nationwide screening tour in Austin on July 30th at the Alamo Draft House Cinema, 1120 South Lamar at 9:30pm. Tickets can be reserved through the HAPPINESS IS website: www.happinessisthemovie.com.

Coinciding with the screening is the release of the film on DVD, including a release party at Waterloo Records, 600 North Lamar from 5:00pm – 7:00pm, also on July 30th.
Shapter, director of the critically acclaimed documentary Before the Music Dies, spent two years crisscrossing the country talking to a diverse and fascinating range of people. Average working men and women, authors and happiness “experts,” celebrities like John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson, even the Dalai Lama talked with Shapter about what they believe it means to be happy.

“Happiness doesn’t discriminate; it finds – and eludes – people regardless of background, position or accomplishment,” said Shapter. “So we had to talk to a true cross section of people to help us get a clearer picture of what happiness really means.”

If you are looking for pat answers, you won’t find them in HAPPINESS IS. Instead, the film offers thoughtful insight and explores common ground that will help guide viewers on their own personal journeys towards the elusive but obtainable goal of leading a truly happy life.

The Alamo Drafthouse screening benefits Mobile Loaves and Fishes, an Austin-based organization that figures prominently in the film.
For venue info go to: www.alamodrafthouse.com.

I have become OBSESSED with Marcia Nasatir, one of our recently confirmed panelists. Marcia was a pioneering woman production executive and producer of such films as "The Big Chill" and "Hamburger Hill." Marcia and Lorenzo Semple make up Reel Geezers and their reviews are sharp, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable. Check out this great article about them from the LA Times.

Some of our favorite reviews from Reel Geezers:

Slumdog Millionaire
Superbad
Juno
Michael Clayton

AFF proudly congratulates its past and present panelists on their Emmy nominations. The 61st Annual Emmy Awards will be held on Sept. 12

The nominations in top categories follow (see the full list here):

Outstanding comedy series
"Entourage" - DOUG ELLIN
"Family Guy"
"Flight of the Conchords"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"The Office" - GREG DANIELS & PAUL FEIG
"30 Rock"
"Weeds"

Outstanding drama series
"Big Love"
"Breaking Bad"
"Damages"
"Dexter" - MELISSA ROSENBERG
"House"
"Lost" - DAMON LINDELOF
"Mad Men" - MATTHEW WEINER

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ron Howard will be presented with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award at the 16th Annual Austin Film Festival & Conference, October 22-29, 2009. Ron Howard will be presented with the Award during the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, October 24th, at the Austin Club. In addition, Howard will be a featured speaker during the Festival’s four-day Conference, October 22-25, 2009.

Check out this article from the Hollywood Reporter. Remember, only Producer, Conference and Weekend Badge holders can purchase Awards Luncheon tickets. Buy your Badge here.

Just some more of the press this announcement has garnered:

Austin American-Statesman
Austin 360
The Austin Chronicle
Contactmusic.com
News 8 Austin
NewsOK.com

Mo Perkins received her Masters degree at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. While at UCLA she was the recipient of numerous awards including the Dorothy Arzner Award, The Wasserman Award and the Motion Picture Association of America Award.  Her master’s thesis film, "Piss Hat" was selected for the UCLA Director’s Spotlight Award and was a National Finalist for the Student Academy Awards in 2005. 

 

In addition to directing several award winning short films, she has written many feature scripts.  Her writer/ directorial debut feature "A Quiet Little Marriage" premiered this year on the festival circuit and won the Audience Award at Austin Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award for best narrative feature at Slamdance.

AFF: Tell me about your film that won the Narrative Feature Audience Award in 2008.  My film is called "A Quiet Little Marriage".  

Mo: It's my first feature.  The story unfolds around a married couple, who are in love, but find themselves struggling over weather or not to begin a family.  They can't communicate about it and wind up sabotaging each other secretly rather than confronting one another.

 

AFF: You co-wrote “A Quiet Little Marriage” with a Cy Carter and Mary Elizabeth Ellis. What was that process like? 

Mo: The three of us had worked together before on short films and we are all good friends.  We came together and with the idea of making something where the actors would have a creative ownership of their characters and hopefully that collaboration from the beginning would lead to very grounded realistic performances.  Mary Elizabeth and Cy didn't actually write, but we co-conceived for sure.  After nailing out collectively some of the themes and ideas for the story in brainstorming sessions, I went off and wrote on my own and then brought scenes to the two of them every week.  We would rehearse those scenes and then I would go back and rewrite based on those rehearsals.  For me it was a wonderful way to write, a real luxury.  Every rehearsal was a discovery for all of us and the story just kept getting stronger.  Given the chance, I would work that way again in a heartbeat.

 

AFF: I heard that the entire movie was shot in 15 days. Why such a short time and how did you and the crew overcome that challenge?

Mo: We pretty much did as many days as we could afford.  It was a dead run.  But we overcame that by being really prepared.  It really helped that Cy and Mary Elizabeth had such a strong connection to their characters, we could trust each other, move quickly and still get good performances.  

 

AFF: What do you think separated this film out from other films about newlyweds?  

Mo: When we were coming up with ideas for what kind of story we wanted to tell, Cy and Mary Elizabeth and I all felt like marriage was somewhat untold.  It felt like films usually ended with a marriage.  We were all newly married and wanted to talk about the work of recommitting to partnership daily, living and sharing with someone on that intimate level.  I don't know if that intention made our film stand out or not, but it was a goal.

Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Cy Carter in "A Quiet Little Marriage" 

AFF: Did you face any challenges as far as transitioning from short films to feature films? 

Mo: In some ways I think feature film was easier for me that shorts.  I'm such a sucker for character and to tell a good short you have to get in and get out, features give you the luxury of a slower build and more time for discovery.  

 

AFF: Any favorite moments from your time at the Austin Film Festival?

Mo: Seeing other people's films was really fun.  I loved meeting all the other filmmakers and writers, just hanging out at the Driskill and talking to everyone who drifted in was a treat.  

 

AFF: What are you working on now?  

Mo: I'm working on a few projects with a bunch of the same folks who where a part of A Quiet Little Marriage, including one that my husband will direct and we hope to shoot up in Canada later this year.  I've got a new script of my own cooking and a baby on the way any day now. 

Its not too late to enter your film!

Very late deadline: July 15th

Just one more you reason you should be at the Austin Film Festival & Conference in October...

Writer/actor/director Mike White is more than just the sum of his credits but here they are anyway: "Chuck and Buck," "The Good Girl," "Year of the Dog," as well as "School of Rock," "Orange County," "Nacho Libre," "Freaks and Geeks," "Pasadena" and some other junk he won’t get into. He has won prizes for writing, acting and for loving animals. He wrote a hard-nosed Op-Ed piece for the New York Times once and was almost cast in an acclaimed Broadway play - but at the last minute, they decided to go another way. Most recently, he produced and acted in Sundance sensation Jared Hess’s new comedy, "Gentlemen Broncos", scheduled for release this Fall.

AFF: You've acted, written and produced. Do you have a favorite role in overall production?

WHITE: I’ve also directed! Haha. It’s all fun in different ways. I like to be able to mix it up and not feel like I’m doing the same thing over and over. But writing is probably the most satisfying. If the material is mine, I feel more connected to the experience.

AFF: For people new to the industry, what do you think are the best stepping stones to a career in screenwriting? What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

WHITE: My advice to aspiring writers is to write as much as you can. If you can keep from taking a day job, great. The more time you can give to writing, the better. Write that great first script you’ve been thinking about for years, then move on and write the next one. Then the next one. You can only develop a style and point of view by pushing the boulder up the hill, time and again.

AFF: Is there someone in the film industry with whom you would like to work? Why them?

WHITE: There are people I admire and would love to talk to – if not, work with. I admire comedy filmmakers like James L. Brooks and Woody Allen. I would love to talk to them about their processes etc. I would also love to talk to Jane Fonda – she was a producer for a few years who managed to do what many have tried but failed at – produce socially conscious, artistically successful and profitable movies. The China Syndrome, Coming Home, Nine to Five – all different genres and different topics, all interesting movies. As a producer, I respect that.

AFF: What are you looking forward to most about AFF?

WHITE: It’s fun to meet other writers since you often feel isolated, working on your own stuff. It’s always interesting to meet other people you admire and do what you do.

AFF: Why do you feel that festivals and conferences like this are important to both established industry professionals and newcomers?

WHITE: It’s great to create a community of individuals passionate about the same things. Newcomers can get inspired and emboldened that they can succeed in a tricky profession. And the old-timers like me (haha!) can get reinvigorated by interacting with their peers. It’s always a good thing.

AFF: With experience in both television and film, do you have a preference? Which, if either, do you find better suited to your skills?

WHITE: I prefer my lifestyle when writing in film. My days are more flexible and not as much pressure. But you really get an adrenaline rush writing for TV – the pace is faster, more immediate gratification. I think TV suits my skills better in that I like writing more character comedies and less the high-concept stuff the film market seems to prefer.

AFF: Can you tell us about "Them," which is curently in development?

WHITE: This is a Jon Ronson book I adapted with Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead”). It’s a lot of fun and very bizarre. Universal owns it and we’re just hoping when Edgar finishes his latest movie, we can get them to make it. It’s a conspiracy theory comedy – if shape-shifting lizards ruled the world.

Have your own questions for Mike? Join him at the 2009 AFF Conference. Badges on sale now!

AFF: Tell me about your film that screened at the 2005 festival and won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature.

Bill: "Runaway" is a psychological thriller starring Aaron Stanford as Michael Adler, a young man on the run with his eight year-old brother, Dylan (Zach Savage), whom Michael is trying to keep safe from what we come to believe is some pretty unsavory stuff at the hands of their father (Michael Gaston) and mother (Melissa Leo). 

Michael takes up refuge in a small town and hides Dylan in a flea-bag motel room as he works at a local convenience store.  There, he meets Carly (Robin Tunney), an acid-tongued high school dropout who’s trying to dig her way out of the hole that is her life.

As the two grow closer, it becomes increasingly difficult for Michael to hide his secret past.  And eventually, past and present crash together with—how shall I say..?  Devastating results.

The movie also features Peter Gerety and Terry Kinney, to round out an amazing cast.  It was directed by award-winning indie filmmaker Tim McCann and produced by Al Klingenstein and David Viola.

It was the first feature script I’d written.

I had taken a stab at TV writing in the mid-90s and almost got a show launched on one of the cable networks, but the deal fell through and I was broke.  I had a family to support, so I took a job in Corporate America and moved up the ladder very quickly.  I liked what I did, and I certainly liked the money.  And for the first five or six years I was in my corporate job, I figured that I would just continue to do that for the rest of my life.

But my friends wouldn’t let me forget.  They’d keep asking me, “When are you gonna face the facts?  You’re not a corporate guy…you’re a film guy!  Why aren’t you doing that?”  Eventually, I listened, and I decided that maybe I’d shoot a micro-budget feature on mini-DV and see if I could get it into a festival or two.  And so I wrote "Runaway".

Along the way, I had started to meet some folks in the film industry, and a few of them were nice enough to read the script.  The feedback I got was very positive.  The only warnings I got were, “You’ve really got something here.  Don’t shoot it yourself.  You’ll ruin it.”

At the same time, I had entered a draft (of which I was none too fond) of the script the Nicholl Fellowship competition.  Turns out that it made it to the semi-finals and placed in the top 1% out of something like 6,000 scripts.  After that, I started getting a few calls and emails from production companies interested in the script.  One of those companies was Filbert Steps Productions (which had won the Sundance Audience Award and Austin Film Festival Audience Award in 2000 for "Two Family House") out of New York.  As soon as I took a look at the Filbert Steps website, I knew I wanted to work with them.

After a little finagling (and a little white lie), I got them to read the script (they wanted me to just send a logline).  They all loved it, I guess, and a week later I was on the phone with Al (who headed up Filbert Steps) talking about optioning the script.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Melissa Leo in "Runaway"

AFF: Were there any major challenges in making this film? 

Bill: I certainly don’t want to characterize the process of getting from script, to option, to production as easy.  There were plenty of bumps along they way…

Like what I have affectionately come to call “the revolving wheel of Carlys”, where over the course of preproduction we had, at one time or the other, Anna Paquin, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Bethany Joi Lenz, Natasha Leone, and Rachel Lee Cook (just to name a few) interested or attached to the project.  A month of so before our scheduled start of production, in fact, the production company struck a deal with Rachel, and we announced her as Carly.

A week before start of production, she apparently had some concerns and dropped out of the movie.  Thank God for Bob Gosse (who co-founded the ‘90s indie powerhouse, The Shooting Gallery), who raised Robin Tunney and got her to read the script overnight.  She called the next morning, saying she was in.  We had to push production back a week, but we still had a movie!

But for all purposes, the production, itself, came together relatively smoothly.  We got all these amazing people—at the top of their game in their respective fields—on board to work on the movie.  Personally, I felt really good—like I’d done my job well—because most everyone, at some point during production, came up to me and said something like, “I had my choice of several projects to work on, but I am working on this movie because your script moved me.”  That was quite the thing for a first-time screenwriter to hear.  Very cool.  And very humbling.

The biggest problem with this movie has been getting it released.  The story of how this movie will eventually see the light of day could be a chapter straight out of Peter Biskind’s book, “Down and Dirty Pictures.”

"Runaway" was on all of the big “movies to watch” lists leading up to its premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival, and it played to sell-out crowds and got great reviews.  At the premiere party, I remember the producer walking up to me, putting his arm around me, and asking, “How does it feel to have your first movie picked up by Warner Brothers?”

It felt pretty good.

But then something happened.  I won’t go into it all here, but suffice to say that a month after I left Tribeca we still didn’t have a deal.  Even worse, somehow, something slipped through the cracks, and eventually the interest faded.  When Warner’s interest went away, so did everyone else’s.

It was an interesting and painful thing to witness—how this movie that had everything going for it, and that everyone was certain would play well in art houses and cineplexes alike, was suddenly DOA.  Even getting accepted into (and playing to more packed houses and great reviews at) the Toronto Film Festival couldn't save it.  Even winning AFF.

The movie languished for about a year-and-a-half as the producers went on to make another movie.  Then, I met this exec named Brent Emery at—of all places—the Austin Film Festival.  He watched "Runaway", loved it, and put the company that held the rights (the producers shut down Filbert Steps at the end of 2007) in touch with Starz Home Entertainment.  They wanted to release it, but suddenly there were rights issues (foreign rights had been contracted out, and the movie was already released in certain territories).  Nearly a year went by, and eventually Starz fell off the map, too.

Finally!  At the beginning of this year, a great distributor saw the movie and liked it.  I am also guessing they liked the idea that Robin Tunney is co-starring in one of the highest-rated series on network TV, and that Melissa Leo got nominated for an Oscar this past year.  Regardless, I am happy to say that a deal is currently being finalized, and it looks like "Runaway" will finally hit the streets sometime later this year.

Aaron Standord and Robin Tunney in "Runaway"

AFF: You have attended the festival several times since "Runaway" won. Do you have any favorite memories of your time at the festival?

Bill: Man…so many cool things have happened at the past four AFFs I’ve attended, it’s hard to choose.  I’ve really enjoyed judging the pitch competition, being a panelist, and, of course…the Driskill Bar.

But the highlight of the festival for me would have to be the day I won…and nearly didn’t make it to the awards luncheon.

After the Friday night screening of "Shop Girl" at the Paramount Theatre, I somehow ended up chatting over beers for hours with director Anand Tucker and stars Jason Schwartzman and Claire Danes.  I kept pinching myself.  I mean, whoulda thunk?  As I recall, I finally landed in bed around 2 AM.

I woke up feeling slightly hungover.  I also woke up feeling completely LATE!  I was scheduled to be on a panel at 10:15, and a quick peek at my cell phone informed me that said panel would start in exactly 25 minutes.  I didn't shower.  I barely splashed water on my face.  I think I brushed my teeth.  I threw on jeans and a T-shirt, and tossed a sport coat on for good measure.  I wanted to at least look, you know, somewhat “professional”.

Right as the panel was beginning, Kelly Williams, the film program director walks in and taps me on the shoulder.

"Hey, Bill.  You're going to the awards luncheon today, right?"

Now...when a film festival director asks you a question like that, how are you supposed to answer?  "Absolutely!"  ...Right?

Not me.

"No...I'm heading out for a run and a shower after this panel."

Kelly got this look on his face.

"You sure?  It would be great to have you there in support of your movie."

"One of our producers, David Viola, is the guy with the actual 'film credentials',” I told him.  “I'm here on a panelist's badge.  I don't think I can get in.  Maybe David should go."

I grabbed my cell phone.  "You want me to call him?"

"No, no, no," Kelly insisted.  "David can do what he wants.  We'd love to have the writers from all the competition movies at the luncheon.  I’ll get you in.  Just show up."

All right, I thought.  I sighed.  The shower would have to wait.

After the panel, I got my run...sprinting across downtown to get to the Austin Club in time for the luncheon, that is.

I get to the door, and a very nice person working security informs me that my name is not on the list.  I try on a "Kelly Williams told me..."  No go.  After five minutes or so of trying to wrangle my way into the place, I turn and start heading down the steps.  It’s not gonna work.  Just then…

"Bill True..?  RUNAWAY..?"

Next thing I know, a very official-looking person holding a clipboard is grabbing my arm.  She's literally dragging me back up the steps and into the main ballroom.

A minute later, I find myself seated at this table right in front of the stage.  Across from me is the cast and crew from one of the other movies in competition.  These are the folks that were going to win, I thought, because they were sitting at the table closest to the stage.  I was very happy for them.

And then a strange thought occurred to me.  I was also sitting at the table closest to the stage.  And Kelly Williams had been acting very strangely when I said that I wasn't planning to...  Could it be?

Naaaaaaaaaah!

I put the thought out of my mind completely.  I sat back and enjoyed the free meal.  I had a glass of wine.  I chatted.  I got to listen to Harold Ramis talk about how some of my favorite movies of all time came to be.  I got to see Karl Williams win his legendary screenplay hat trick (I am convinced the guy can't write a bad script!).

And then someone got up on the stage.  And then they were talking about the "Narrative Feature Award."  And I was taking a swig of pinot.  And then, all of a sudden, I heard the title of my movie.

And then I heard nothing.  Because no one was talking.  It was like a bomb went off.

I scan the room, waiting for someone to rise.  Everyone else is scanning the room, too.  It felt like hours were passing.  Dawn was breaking quite slowly in the molasses of my conscious mind. 

I eventually turn to the guy sitting next to me and chuckle: "I think we won."

He grabs the wine glass out of my hand and starts slapping me on the back.  "Dude!  YOU WON!"

Oh, my god!!!  He was right!

I spring to my feet.  Now I feel like a real fool because everyone was staring at me.  But I dare not move, lest I be wrong.  I wait for some other screenwriter to head toward the stage to accept an award.  'Cause I don't win stuff like this, I reminded myself.

There are no takers, and the people at my(?) table, like, pushing me toward the stage.  I still don't know what I am doing, but I decide it's safe to mount the stairs.  And then people are shaking my hand.  And then they put this thing in my hands that weighs about 15 pounds.  And then I'm in front of the microphone.

And as I scan the expectant faces of Hollywood's best and brightest, about to open my mouth and wing my first-ever acceptance speech, a profound thought occurs to me: I really wish I had taken that shower this morning.

Jurist Michael Barlow, Bill True holding the award for Best Narrative Feature, and jurist Alex Smith after the awards luncheon

AFF: You work as a consultant and business director as well. How have these experiences helped you in film? Are they related in certain ways?

Bill: That’s a good question.  More accurately, I’ve done a lot of business consulting in the past, and before I quit my “day job” I held a senior director-level position in a pretty large health care company.  Today, I am writing and producing full time, and I have also somewhat fallen into this really cool life where people are also asking me to speak professionally.

But to answer your question…they are absolutely related.

Back in the mid-90s I tried and failed at launching a career in writing and producing in TV.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with failure—it’s life’s great teacher of lessons.  But…

A little background…My partner at the time and I were trying to launch a kind of “Entertainment Tonight” for science fiction.  We’d somehow convinced the publisher of the biggest sci-fi fanzine, “Starlog”, to give us exclusive rights to use the logo and logline for TV, and we’d gotten commitments from James Doohan and George Takei (Scotty and Sulu from the original STAR TREK, respectively) that one or the other would be the host of the series.  As if that wasn’t enough, we had one of the big video game companies committed to putting up $40,000 toward a pilot.  And E! network was interested.

Yet, somehow it fell apart.  It’s not that we were stupid people; it’s that we were inexperienced business people.  We didn’t know how to leverage what we had—and we had a lot!  In the end, we were broke and lost, and the whole thing just kind of fell apart.

I treasure my time in Corporate America because it was my MBA.  I learned how to be a businessperson there, and I got hands-on, sink-or-swim experience managing projects with budgets in the tens of millions of dollars and affecting millions of people around the world.  I learned how to apply the same creativity and resourcefulness that I brought to artistic endeavors to commercial ones.

That was, I believe, the critical difference as I ventured back into the entertainment industry.  Because now I knew why they called it show business.  Even better, I knew how to operate in the business side, so when problems presented themselves I was more equipped to handle them and turn them into opportunities.

AFF: Your new film “Incarnation” is set to shoot this summer. Any specific plans for the film?

Bill: Well, I wish we were set to shoot this summer.  As you know, the movie biz is like the weather in my home state of Minnesota—wait an hour and everything’s gonna change.

We’re still hopeful, however, that we will be in a position to shoot sometime late ’09 or early ’10.

We’ve had a commitment to fund half the film from a great production company in LA headed up by a longstanding manager/producer who’s been a terrific cheerleader and supporter of mine for years—even flew out to New York to see the premiere of my first movie.  He’s an amazing and passionate Renaissance man that is plain brilliant at everything he pursues.

We had another investor group involved to provide the other half of the financing, and, thanks to our great casting director, Eve Battaglia, we were getting the script to topnotch actors.  About the time we put an offer letter out to our male lead, the investor group opportunity dried up.  Actually, "Incarnation" was to be part of a larger film slate, and the whole thing sort of fell apart in early spring.

We decided, though, that this was a great time to take one more look at the script and see what we could do to make it even better and an even more attractive proposition for new potential investors.  In the end, we moved on from our original choice for the male lead, so we also wanted to take a moment to check the tone of the script against our current understanding of the tone and vision for the movie.

We’re about ready to take it out again and see what happens.  Luckily, we have two other production companies that are at least interested in the project, like the script, and are equally intrigued to see what we come up with next in terms of the script and cast attachment.  Hopefully, that leads to more tangible involvement (read: money) to complete our financing package, and we’ll be announcing a production start date!

AFF: What are you working on now?

Bill: I’m currently finishing the next draft of "Incarnation", as I mentioned above.

I am also working on another spec script called "Lightseekers", which is about a guy who’s trying to keep his garage band alive long enough enjoy fame and fortune.  Problem is, the world has been overrun with flesh-eating monsters.  Kind of like (though I hate it when other people do this, so forgive me) "I Am Legend" meets "The Commitments".  But with strong accents on the satirical syllables.  It’s my comment on all things American Idol and Swine Flu.  I’ve pitched it to a few producer friends of mine in Hollywood, and they all seem to think it’s got legs.  One producer with one of the major studios keeps asking me when it’s gonna be done, so I guess I better finish it.

Otherwise, I was sought out by a guy who is tied to a pretty solid investment group to develop a procedural drama for TV based on the private investigator who took down, among others, the company that put out the Dalkon Shield years ago.  He’s quite the character, which is wonderful, as my initial thought was that I wanted to work on a procedural drama like I wanted a hole in me head.  These folks seem really committed to making it work dramatically, though, and they’re not only being very cooperative, but they’re allowing me a lot of creative leeway.  I am having a ton of fun working with this guy, and there are already two TV production companies chomping at the bit to get a look at the series bible.  We’ll see what happens.

I am also developing a feature based on one of my favorite science fiction books ever.  I had been working with a development executive at one of the larger management/production companies on the project, but in a  Hollywood moment, he left the company and the project lost its traction.  Now I am back hitting the pavement.  I can’t say any more on that right now, but I think it would make a movie that’s cool and funny and meaningful all at the same time.

Finally, I’ve had a number of people ask me if I was interested in producing someone else’s work other than my own.  I guess with all the development work I’ve done over the past few years, I am sort of getting a name out there.  Of course, I don’t know whether that’s exactly a good thing or not…  Okay…kidding aside…at first I shied away from the idea.  I’ve since had a shift in my thinking, and I am also in the process of scouting for a project to shepherd though as a producer.  So we’ll see what happens.   There have been a couple of near misses—properties that caught my attention—but nothing that’s really grabbed me yet.

For more on Bill, please visit www.billtrue.net.

Its not too late to enter your film!

Very late deadline: July 15th

Just one more you reason you should be at the Austin Film Festival & Conference in October...

Born on a mattress in his mom's living room, Doug Lenox spent the bulk 
of his youth watching movies and suffering through the yearly failures 
of his beloved sports teams. He found little else that held his interest 
until he discovered juvenile delinquency. However, an incarceration for 
armed robbery at age sixteen quickly ended Doug's burgeoning romance 
with crime. He finished high school and moved on to college, where he 
discovered a love for history, writing, literature, film, and whisky. He 
earned his B.A. in American Studies from UC-Berkeley. 

After graduation, Doug worked as a video store clerk by day, a barista 
by night, and a UPS package loader by overnight. Something about the 
seventy hour work week inspired him to quit his jobs, move to New 
Orleans, and go to film school. At the University of New Orleans, Doug 
wrote, directed, and shot his first film, "Give the Anarchist a 
Cigarette", which screened at the Coney Island Film Festival and the Big 
Muddy Film Festival. He had just begun his second year at the University 
of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. 

Amidst the chaotic aftermath of the storm, Doug was temporarily admitted 
to the graduate film program at NYU. While coping with displacement, he 
wrote the film, "Quincy & Althea". Filled with both joy and sorrow, he 
returned to his former New Orleans home to direct his satirical tale of 
Hurricane Katrina, marriage and survival. 

"Quincy & Althea" has screened at over 40 festivals in 7 countries, 
including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Palm Springs Festival of 
Short Films, and the Woodstock Film Festival. The film won the Student 
Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival, Best Student 
Narrative at the Fargo Film Festival, Best Short Film at the Memphis 
International Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Nevada City 
Film Festival. 

As a result of his work, Doug was formally admitted as a rare transfer 
student to NYU's graduate film program. Currently, he is in 
pre-production for his thesis film, "Local Tourists". 

He resides in Sunnyside, Queens, but he and his girlfriend talk a lot 
about moving to Los Angeles. 

AFF caught up with Doug and discussed his love/hate relationship with New Orleans and the amusing stories behind his short "Quincy and Althea". 

AFF:  Tell me about your film that screened at the festival. 

Doug: “Quincy and Althea” is the story of two 60 year-old, bickering, married 
Hurricane Katrina evacuees, who have just returned to their flood 
ravaged New Orleans home. Despite the seemingly overwhelming task of 
reconstruction that lies ahead for the couple, the last thing on either 
of their minds is rebuilding. All Quincy and Althea want is a divorce. 

The idea came out of my personal experience of getting “Katrina-ed” with 
my then-girlfriend. I heard all of these valiant and romantic tales of 
couples persevering amidst the chaos caused by the flood. For example, a 
friend of mine proposed to his girlfriend while they were evacuated. She 
said yes! My girlfriend and I, on other hand, argued the entire time. 
We fought about when to evacuate, what route to take, which of our 
belongings to pack into the car, and what to do once it became clear we 
weren’t returning to New Orleans. 

Despite all the conflict, we preserved, and as odd as it sounds, I know 
we couldn’t have done so without each other. Together we survived all 
the stress, uncertainty, and sadness, and were able to move forward with 
our lives. The whole ordeal solidified my belief in one of the central 
paradoxes of the human experience: We are all essentially incompatible 
with each other, and yet we desperately need one another in order to 
survive. Personally, I find this dilemma far more humorous than tragic. 

"Watchmen" co-writer David Hayter is one of the biggest names in sci-fi and the film industry and we are honored that he’ll be joining us as a panelist at the Screenwriters Conference this October. David took time out from preparing to make his directorial debut on his thriller script “Wolves,” to answer a few of our questions.


AFF: You have received much acclaim for your screenplay adaptation of "Watchmen," especially for its accuracy being translated from a comic. When adapting any piece of work to screen, how important is it to be accurate to the original body of work? How much creative lenience should writers allow themselves?
HAYTER: Each adaptation is different. With WATCHMEN, I felt that Alan Moore's story, characters and dialogue were all exceptional, and should not be altered to any great extent. My philosophy is; When it's great, don't f#*k with it. I like to keep whatever elements really move me from the original material, and translate them into the screenplay. However, that does not mean that a writer should necessarily go for a word for word adaptation. Many times, the dialogue does not translate well from the page to being spoken out loud, or the pacing does not fit into movie a tight movie structure. (The debate over WM focuses on those very elements, btw.) There are adaptations I've done where I have just taken the basic concept and essence of the original work, and written the rest as I feel will best work on screen.

Adapting a novel as perfect as WATCHMEN is an extremely rare opportunity. In short, writers should use their best instincts when determining what to keep and what to change.

AFF: What was the impetus for co-founding Dark Hero Studios (with producer Benedict Carver and production efforts specializing in horror, comic book and video games), as opposed to continuing on independently?
HAYTER: Actually, Dark Hero Studios was created to give my work a shot at independence. I traditionally work on very big, expensive movies, produced exclusively by the major studios, and while this can be extremely rewarding, it can be difficult to maintain control of the material. Benedict Carver and I formed Dark Hero Studios out of a desire to bring top-level storytelling to more modestly budgeted movies. This was to give us a little more control of the material, and offer an opportunity for ownership. It can create more restrictions, to work at a lower budget, but you can also be forced into more creative, filmic solutions. And in the end, it just seemed like an exciting way to make movies.

AFF: What challenges do writers face when working with animated projects?
HAYTER: Well, occasionally some talking animal will drop an anvil on your head.

I have done a little outline work for Dreamworks Animation, but it was really only at the planning phase, so I haven't really experienced the whole process. I know that an animated film can take as long as four years, so there is a long commitment there. But, you also get to see the project all the way through. So that's a plus.

Also, many times you can just draw a door on the wall, and walk right through it.

AFF: You've done quite a bit of voice acting and understand the importance voice plays in animated features. When you are writing, do you ever imagine specific artists for certain roles? Do you try out voices to see what works best for the character?
HAYTER: I occasionally try to picture an actor playing a role. But I will more often try to create the role out of character traits -- "She's angry at her father, she's neurotically clean, she's had a lifelong desire to pick strawberries...", for example -- And then see how that character's voice evolves. It's always more fun when you get a great actor, someone you never thought of, and they bring their sensibilities to an original character. That way, the audience doesn't always get what they're expecting.

But, voice-work experience is also very worthwhile, in that it teaches you about the value of inflection, clarity, and decision-making in creating scenes. It gives you an interesting perspective.


AFF: For people new to the industry, what do you think are the best stepping stones to a career in screenwriting? What advice do you give to aspiring writers?
HAYTER: I tell them, and this is true, to enter their work into Film Festival screenplay contests. It is the best advice I know. You will have a great deal of difficulty getting your script read, much less appreciated, in Hollywood. It can be done, but without prior credits, you are fighting a severe uphill battle. It costs little to enter a number of world-wide script competitions, and if you win a prize or two along the way, that is something you can use to help get you noticed.

Plus, professional Hollywood types might read your work, and feel compelled to take advantage of your talent and low, low writing quotes.

AFF: Who have you not yet worked with that you'd like to?
HAYTER: I have met, but not yet worked with, Guillermo Del Toro, who is my favorite modern director. I also really admire J.J. Abrams, and James Cameron is my personal idol. Oh, also, Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam, Stanley Kubrick and Robert Shaw. (I realize that a few of these may be long-shots.)

Have your own questions for David? Buy your Badge now and ask him at the 2009 Austin Film Festival & Conference, October 22-29.

Gary: We just finished post on a feature called "Calvin Marshall" starring
Alex Frost, Michelle Lombardo and Steve Zahn. It's a bittersweet
comedy about Calvin's life long dream to play college baseball. It
has a similar tone/style as "Wow and Flutter" and also has a great
soundtrack. It's ultimately a story about overcoming disappointment.
We're excited to screen at festivals this fall and spearhead a
theatrical release in early 2010. Our website www.calvinmarshall.com will
be up and running this summer.

Before a career in filmmaking Alex Orr was a ticket scalper and professional magician. He studied creative writing and theatre at Georgia State University. While attending GSU he met his fellow filmmakers and joined the film collective Fake Wood Wallpaper.

Alex Orr made his feature film debut at the 2007 festival with the dark comedy Blood Car. AFF talked with Alex about the journey of Blood Car and what he's up to now.

AFF: Tell me about your film that was screened at the festival.

Alex: "Blood Car" is a socially irresponsible B movie about gas prices hitting $30 a gallon and no one driving anymore. A teacher/spare-time inventor makes a car that runs on blood by accident. Bad jokes and grade school satire follow.

AFF: What was your motivation for submitting your film to the festival?

Alex: It's a known fact that Austin Film Festival is a great place to get your movie shown. It's a college town (good for my movie) and the concentration on screenwriting was something new to me. Submitting was a no-brainer, getting in was thrilling.

AFF: Do have a favorite memory of your time at the festival?

Alex: Oh yes. Jason Reitman announced during a small writer's Q&A with him and Diablo Cody that Kimya Dawson (a lot of her music is in "Juno") would be playing a gig in a little venue in town and that everyone should come out. I'm a Moldy Peaches fan so I went to the show, which was great. But my favorite memory was watching the crowd light up when her husband opened up for her. He was Swedish and played the guitar and drums with his feet and had an awesome John Lennon style rock voice. There were a bunch of filmmakers that came to the show and it was just a really fun night. I remember watching him set up and thinking, "where's the rest of the band?" it was awesome.

AFF: "Blood Car" was a unique mix of comedy and horror. Do you have a favorite genre?

Alex: Not really. I like whatever works. I can't say that I'm not into, or not a fan of a certain type of movie, because there is always at least one to prove me wrong. I'm not a "horror guy" by any means. I watch everything I can get my hands on in the hopes that it will get me excited and make me run out of the theatre screaming, "Buy your tickets! This movie is amazing!"

AFF: Was there a particular movie(s) that inspired you to make "Blood Car"?

Alex: I saw a lot of bad movies on the video store shelf and just spent weeks watching them all. And eventually wanted to be in the company of those bad movies on the video store shelf. I never thought I would play film festivals at all. I just wanted to walk into the video store and know that the first movie made it to an audience. I thought that would be pretty awesome for a first feature.

AFF: What's happened to the film since it played at the Austin Film Festival?

Alex: It made the video store shelf! We did a hybrid distribution to get the film out in the US. TLA Realing put it out in the US and Canada. And we sold the movie to Germany (Blut Auto! makes me laugh), Korea, Russia and are working on some more foreign territories. Chris Hyams and the awesome team at BSide.com put together a super cool store on my website so people can see the movie for just a couple bucks, or they can buy T shirts and posters.

We also played a bunch more festivals around the world (which is still crazy to me) and even did a really tiny theatrical run that I booked from my apartment and grossed about $850 (Yes, i know. We did almost beat out Transformers).

AFF: What are you currently working on?

Alex: I'm trying to put together the next silly movie. So I'm writing, in between working on other's people's TV shows and movies in Los Angeles. There was some time travel at one point, giant pelicans, a white supremacist with a black hand, telekinesis, feral orphans, a machine that cloned Keith Davids for a foosball tournament....you know, just business as usual.

More on "Blood Car"

Download "Blood Car" or shop "Blood Car" Merchandise

It's not to late to enter your film!

Late post-mark deadline: July 3rd

Very late deadline: July 15th

Just one more you reason you should be at the Austin Film Festival & Conference in October...

Angelo Mei grew up in Los Angeles, where he developed a passion for music, surfing and film. He received his Bachelor of Science with honors at the Art Institute of LA, studying all aspects of filmmaking but focusing primarily on directing. It is there he met mentor and soon to be colleague Maggie Carey, editor and co-writer of Chasing the Dream(Quiksilver/Metalstorm ent). It was under Maggie’s tutelage that Angelo directed the documentary short, "Film This!", a voyeuristic look into the life of a psychopathic surfer. "Film This!" was an official selection at the 2006 Austin Film Festival. Angelo’s short film "Howie", is a multi award winning dark comedy about a man in his late 20’s moving back in with his sexually active mother. Angelo’s commercial works include "Learn to Surf with Andy Irons" (Billabong/Transworld) and "Chasing The Dream" (Quiksilver/Metalstorm ent). "Learn to Surf", directed and co-written by Angelo, can be found in retail stores worldwide. "Chasing the Dream", narrated by Gary Busey, produced, directed and co-written by Angelo, an award winning feature length documentary about what it takes to become a professional surfer, was released on DVD in 2007 and can be found in retail stores worldwide. Angelo lives in Los Angeles where he is developing several projects, pursuing his passion for documentary and narrative filmmaking, while producing content for several clients on different formats.

AFF caught up with Angelo about the adventures and challenges of filming surf stories and more.

AFF: Tell me about your films that screened at the festival.

Once you sell your script, you won’t have time to strategize and think about how to best position yourself. You’ll be bombarded with input from various sources and may not know who to listen to. If you are successful, how do you manage all the different directions you’ll be pulled in?

Jay A. Fernandez, senior film reporter for The Hollywood Reporter, will be joining us as a panelist at the 2009 Conference, enlightening starting writers about publicity, self-promotion, what to expect in terms of treatment from studios, publicists, the trades, etc., and how to keep on top of these things should they succeed in a way that makes this stuff necessary.

Fernandez is usually the one to ask the questions, but AFF recently got him to answer a few of our own:


AFF: In your opinion, what are the most important aspects about marketing yourself as a writer?
FERNANDEZ: Well, write a killer, inventive, emotional piece of material first. After that, it’s self-promotion. Especially when you are starting out, it’s rare that you’ll land with any kind of management or agency rep who will work pro-actively on your behalf. And even if you do sell a script or get a credit on something, the studio or production entity will almost certainly leave you out of any press matters. This is a tricky balance in order not to piss off your studio employers, but you have to be forthright about selling yourself as a working writer. This is not some craven ego behavior. You have to think of it as a tool for getting you more work, and that’s the ultimate goal, right? You want to work. And while your work can and should speak for itself, it can only help to broaden your relationships on your own and especially seek out relationships with reporters. Because they’re (we’re) the ones who will put your story in front of producers, agents, managers, executives and stalkers. And if your reps aren’t doing it, you should be asking them to or be prepared to do it yourself. One aspect of this is having a good digital photo of yourself ready beforehand. That way, the moment anything happens for you, you can have your face in the story. This will help with recognition when you go in on meetings or attend events. And always have a handful of ideas at the ready at any one time, in case someone invites you to pitch one after they’ve flat-out rejected the other masterpiece you wrote.

AFF: What do you feel is the importance of AFF as a vehicle for developing screenwriting careers?
FERNANDEZ: AFF as I experience it is the only place with both the legitimacy and access that all striving screenwriters crave. There’s nothing more valuable to a serious student of film and screenwriting than face time with someone who has already found a way to work in the business. Books and random seminars are fine, but these working writers are the only true experts on the business because they’ve actually found a way to get paid to tell stories on film and TV. And after they speak to you for a few minutes out on Sixth Street, they’re heading back to their hotel to work on a script. Other than WGA events in L.A., which are sometimes closed to non-members, there is no other place to get that access, in panel format or one-on-one.


AFF: Who would be on your dream panel?
FERNANDEZ: Ben Hecht, Howard Hawks, Raymond Chandler, Henry Miller, Sophocles, Stephen King, Virginia Woolf, Robert Towne, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Paul Thomas Anderson and, uh, Megan Fox.

Actually, some of my favorites are frequent AFF guests already, Scott Frank, Brian Helgeland, Chris McQuarrie, Shane Black, Paul Thomas Anderson, Peter Morgan, Joel and Ethan Coen, Stephen Knight, Chris & Jonah Nolan, Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor

AFF: Favorite part and/or memory of Austin Film Festival?
FERNANDEZ: Spending a few hours at the Driskill Hotel bar drinking with Chris McQuarrie, hearing insane off-the-record stories about the vagaries of the business and behind-the-scenes machinations on a bunch of high-profile studio tent poles. It was exciting as a film fan and illuminating as a reporter and someone who has aspired to a job that apparently gets no less soul-crushing even when you win an Oscar®.

AFF: Having written for a variety of publications about the industry and screenwriters specifically, have you ever felt compelled to write your own full-length screenplay?
FERNANDEZ: I’ve co-written three full-length screenplays with a good friend of mine, and while we enjoyed the process we had a long way to go to achieve effective professional execution of our ideas. That was ten-plus years ago. I’ve sketched out a dozen feature-length and TV-pilot ideas since then, but never written them. I still plan to.

AFF: You have been the co-writer on some un-produced scripts - any developments on those?
FERNANDEZ: In the mid-’90s, when my writing partner and I were actively writing and sending out queries, we got several bites from agents and producers on a serial killer script called “Endgame.” We spoke with several and made an oral agreement with an agency in NYC to shop that one script around. Several high-profile producers eventually read it, but it did not produce any work for us. We moved on with our day jobs and split up geographically, so eventually we severed the relationship with the agent and effectively stopped writing together (though not discussing ideas).

Have your own questions for Jay? Ask him at the 2009 AFF Conference, October 22-25.