Behind the scenes - Page 4
Putting it on Paper
I worked with several of my writing mentors and friends to develop the story. The team was Brant Smith, my business partner and co-producer, Tom Mullowney and Aron Coleite, two experienced writers who put me through the wringer on a daily basis, and Clay Butler, an all around Renaissance man with a great sense of story. After working on the characters and structure for months, we began drafting the treatment.
We submitted to the Sundance Institute two years in a row and, despite making the 1st cut, were rejected both times. Quite frankly, the script wasn't strong enough. I knew what the film would look like, but wasn't adept enough at putting it on paper. (Maybe film school would have been a good idea after all, eh?) Yet, still, we all knew we had something powerful and original here. So people were generally pretty forgiving about my shortcomings as a screenwriter.
The daily work on the script continued. New draft deadlines were set for the 1st of the month. Feedback from the team was due by the 15th. Brant and I had phone meetings weekly and e-mail chats daily. And so it went for two years.
Putting it on Paper
I worked with several of my writing mentors and friends to develop the story. The team was Brant Smith, my business partner and co-producer, Tom Mullowney and Aron Coleite, two experienced writers who put me through the wringer on a daily basis, and Clay Butler, an all around Renaissance man with a great sense of story. After working on the characters and structure for months, we began drafting the treatment.
We submitted to the Sundance Institute two years in a row and, despite making the 1st cut, were rejected both times. Quite frankly, the script wasn't strong enough. I knew what the film would look like, but wasn't adept enough at putting it on paper. (Maybe film school would have been a good idea after all, eh?) Yet, still, we all knew we had something powerful and original here. So people were generally pretty forgiving about my shortcomings as a screenwriter.
The daily work on the script continued. New draft deadlines were set for the 1st of the month. Feedback from the team was due by the 15th. Brant and I had phone meetings weekly and e-mail chats daily. And so it went for two years.