MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Stuart Creque

An interview with screenwriter Stuart Creque regarding the Abbreviated Screenplay Writing Competition.

A: The working title is Death Cab for Cutie, which relates to the story in that a young woman returns by cab from a women's clinic where she's just had an abortion to find her husband packing to leave her. I am sure the title will have to be changed to avoid any question of the intellectual property rights of the alt-rock band of the same the name.

A: I was excited to enter An Abbreviated Screenplay Contest because of the prospect it offered of having my script made into a film. It was the first contest I entered Death Cab for Cutie into, and I haven't heard from the other contests (though they're moot at this point).

A: I found the folks at An Abbreviated Screenplay Contest to be very professional. They met the deadlines they promised in their contest rules. More important to me, of course, is that they fulfilled the promise of the contest by shooting the script in a professional manner. I was even allowed to watch the filming and see firsthand what the making of an indie short is like.

A: I was privileged to have the chance to answer the director's questions about the intent behind some of the lines I wrote. I also got to see the filming, meet the actors, and get insight into both the director's and actors' interpretation of my script. I felt both honored and humbled by the work they put into giving the printed words life.

A: So far, I haven't received any other marketing contacts from this contest win. However, I am hopeful that the resulting film will be seen at various film festivals and that this will help get my name out in the marketplace.

A: I have a writing background in business writing. My first venture outside business writing was writing op-ed articles on political topics, and I've had those published in such outlets as the Wall Street Journal and National Review.

I started screenwriting as a hobby perhaps 10 years ago, learning through writing groups (both online and in person). I had had a number of stories I wanted to tell in screenplay format, and so I did. At present, I've completed six feature-length screenplays and numerous short scripts.

A: I don't live in Los Angeles. I tried living in Costa Mesa (in Orange County) once and I missed the San Francisco Bay Area. Living in the Bay Area means I can fly to L.A. and be in Hollywood faster than I could drive from, say, Irvine to Hollywood.

A: I'm working on several new feature-length screenplays -- making a little progress regularly on each until one catches fire in my imagination and sucks me into finishing it. The ones I'm most excited about are an animated fairy tale in the classic Disney mold, a sci-fi/horror script meant for low-budget production, and an action thriller that pits a ruthless terrorist against aging military retirees (on the notion that old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill).

I also have a couple of book projects percolating in the same fashion.

My experience with An Abbreviated Screenplay Contest has also gotten me excited about the prospect of producing one of my own short scripts. That's another in the long list of things I'm grateful to the contest organizers for.

Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2006