Who: Former antitrust attorney in Washington, D.C. who won the AMC One-Hour Pilot Award at AFF for his pilot Ascension; now a story editor on AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead.
How did you break in or get your start in screenwriting?
I got my start thanks to a very patient wife. A fellow attorney, she wanted to make a career change, which took us to Kansas for a few years. Since I couldn’t practice law there, I had the opportunity to write full-time. In Kansas City I lucked into finding a great friend and screenwriting mentor, Mitch Brian, who taught me pretty much everything I know about the craft.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
Ascension, which is set on a Louisiana sugar plantation in the years leading up to the Civil War. The challenge was in synthesizing tons of research, telling a story on a grand scale from many points of view, and avoiding the pitfalls and clichés common to stories that deal with slavery. I tried to make the characters as complex and human as possible, and put them in charge of the story.
What’s been your favorite experience at Austin Film Festival?
Having to give an acceptance speech in front of Jim Sheridan, Ed Zwick and Matthew Weiner.
1. Jono Matt and Glen Powell 2. Ryan Piers Williams 3. Etta Devine and Gabriel Diani 4. Lena Khan 5. Trey Selman 6. Tracy Oliver 7. Justin Lader and Charlie McDowell 8. Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar 9. Damir Konjicija and Dario Konjicija 10. Juanjo Moscardó Rius 11. Ben Snyder and Ari Issler 12. Kyle Bugg 13. Jimmy Mosqueda 14. Michael Noonan 15. Geeta Malik 16. Josh Barkey 17. Nicholas Verso 18. Minhal Baig 19. Henry Jones 20. Kevin Arbouet 21. Megan Park 22. Wes Brown 23. Louisiana Kreutz 24. Kate Nowlin 25. Elizabeth Guest
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Conspicuous by their absence are such stellar screenplay writers as Buck Henry ("The Graduate"), Robert Downey, Sr. ("Putney Swope"), Penny Lane (Nuts")and Ben and Dan Barnz.
Congratulations to all these writers! Knowing Ben Synder, who has worked with me on a scripts, I want to particularly congratulate him and Ari Lssler for achieving this endeavor in the 'Storyworld' of Cinema!
Spiderwood Productions / Tommy G Warren, Writer, Producer.
Very inspiring stuff. Loved to learn how these guys and gals got their big breaks, especially those who had little to no contact in LA. Sort of inspiring, and it kind of makes you forget, if only for a moment, that many screenwriters work less than minimum wage. There's hope!