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Grand Prize Winner, Finalists, and Semi-Finalists
GRAND PRIZE
FRIENDS AND ROMANS by: Gregg Greenberg
TOP 5 FINALISTS
THE VIEWER by: Michelle Davidson
THE BIRD AND THE TWO-TON WEIGHT by: Darcy Fowler
FRIENDS AND ROMANS by: Gregg Greenberg
DRUMADOON by: Marc Zakalik
DARKENU by: Julia Nickerson & Michael Horwitz
TOP 40 SEMI-FINALISTS
 4th SCREENPLAY SHOOTOUT! – GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Interview with Gregg Greenberg
Congratulations on being selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the Screenplay Shootout tell us how you felt when you saw the news.
I was elated when I saw that I won the grand prize. It was also quite a relief. I had been a finalist or runner up in a number of film festivals prior to the Screenplay Shootout and I was starting to think I would never win the big one. It was especially gratifying to win this particular competition because it is highly regarded and some of the past winners have gone on to do great things.
What motivated you to write this particular story?
I wrote, directed and produced a play called Clemenza & Tessio Are Dead, which had a sold out run in last summer’s NYC Fringe Festival. In that particular play, I tell the story of the movie The Godfather from the perspective of the two main characters in the same way that Tom Stoppard tackled Hamlet in Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. During the auditions, I came into contact with a number of Italian-American actors who were extras or had bit parts in some classic mob movies, as well as The Sopranos. I began to wonder what these guys would do now that fewer mafia movies are being made and The Sopranos is off the air. That was the genesis of my screenplay Friends And Romans.
How long have you been a writer? How many scripts have you written?
I have been a financial writer for TheStreet.com for the past 7 years. I write a fun column called “The Five Dumbest Things On Wall Street This Week” which is quite popular. Writing about stocks and bonds can be quite dull and formulaic, but the Five Dumbest column gives me a chance to write comedy on a weekly basis.
Friends And Romans is my first original screenplay effort. The success I had with C&T Are Dead gave me the confidence to try something bigger and Friends And Romans was the result.
Tell us about your writing habits. Any advice or lessons you'd like to share with other aspiring writers?
Writing dialogue has always been the easiest part of the process for me. It comes naturally. I struggle, however, with structure and plot. One trick I found helpful while writing this script was to approach it like a crossword puzzle. If I ever got stuck and was unable to move a character or plot-line forward, I would simply put it down, do something else entirely to clear my head and then pick it up again later. You would be surprised as to how well a walk around the block works to solve a problem.
Otherwise, the normal rules to creative writing apply. Most importantly, get a lot of feedback from people you trust and be prepared to throw out your favorite lines if they don’t fit. And conversely, have the conviction to ignore the best advice of the people you trust the most and if you have a great line that won’t fit in a particular scene, then find another place for it.
What are some of your influences? Favorite films? Writers/Directors?
Obviously I could not have written Friends And Romans without being fluent in the works of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro and especially Joe Pesci. At its heart, Friends And Romans is a buddy comedy similar Joe Pesci’s classics Easy Money and My Cousin Vinny. I think Joe Pesci often gets overlooked considering how brilliant his performances were.
As for my favorite writers, my heroes include P.G. Wodehouse, Mordecai Richler, Dan Jenkins and P.J. O’Rourke. The problem with reading these guys, however, is that they are so brilliant it sometimes makes me want to quit altogether because I could never approach their genius.
What are your immediate and long-term writing goals?
My immediate goal is to see Friends And Romans jump from screenplay to screen. And I am confident the boost and notoriety I get from winning the Screenplay Shootout will bring me closer to that goal.
I just completed a play called Richard Benjamin which I will likely produce in the Fall. It’s a comedy and I have a lot of confidence in it. As for my next screenplay, I am outlining a Wall Street themed idea and should start typing something in the next few months.
Any final thoughts?
I may never give an Oscar speech, so here goes…I need to thank my wife for, well, everything. I could have not completed this project without her. Other friends and family who were helpful in getting this script completed include my parents, Robin and Marty Colodzin, the guys on the Loop (for keeping me sane), Jim Cramer (for keeping me employed) and my good buddy Jason Resnick.
Finally, I need to thank my friend Bobby Moskowitz for editing this script. We had a great writing relationship. I would write a funny line and Bob would try to kill it. Then I would try to kill Bobby. Makes for the perfect mob comedy, doesn’t it?
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 4th SCREENPLAY SHOOTOUT! - Finalist
Interview with Julia Nickerson & Michael Horwitz
Congratulations on being selected as a Finalist in the Screenplay Shootout tell us how you felt when you saw the news.
First off, I had completely forgotten that I entered the shootout screenplay contest, so when I saw the email I was initially confused, curious and then very happy. I immediately let my writing partner know. It's always a great honor to have your work recognized in any fashion, especially in this industry so it was a very satisfying feeling knowing progress had been made.
What motivated you to write this particular story?
This particular story DARKENU comes from a lot of personal experiences and ideas from both myself and my writing partner. We both grew up Jewish and took many trips to Israel - with family, with friends and on organized educational programs. Growing up this way we are very fortunate to see Israel for the place it really is - a vibrant culture, a thriving modern society with amazing technology that constantly is influenced / questioned by the three major world religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) that all hold Israel to be a sacred place. However, most of the world sees Israel as something else, a place of war, terrorism, constant political unrest, religious extremism and so on, and while these issues certainly play a role there (as they do in many societies) we wanted to show the regular, normal every day life of Israel that people don't realize is there.
How long have you been a writer? How many scripts have you written?
Personally I've been writing since film school, so about 10 years. But DARKENU was our first collaboration. We have another script that we recently finished that is probably a polar opposite from this one and looking to shop that around as well.
Tell us about your writing habits. Any advice or lessons you'd like to share with other aspiring writers?
Advice to other writers? Just write what you know, write from your own experiences and life and your stories will feel for more organic and original than anything you try to copy or imitate.
What are some of your influences? Favorite films? Writers/Directors?
For DARKENU the types of movies that we drew influence from were Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" and also Sofia Coppola's "Lost In Translation". Dialogue driven, character focused stories that are relatable, real and yet totally have the ability to take you someplace you've never been.
What are your immediate and long-term writing goals?
Our immediate goals are to shop our scripts around and get some representation with both of them, ideally selling them or getting funded to go into production. Long term is open, I'm sure we'll write something again, but we haven't formally decided what we want to do next.
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4th SCREENPLAY SHOOTOUT! - Finalist
Interview with Darcy Fowler
Congratulations on being selected as a Finalist in the Screenplay Shootout tell us how you felt when you saw the news.
I was so excited and surprised and honored. It’s such a triumph when people understand and believe in the story you’re telling.
What motivated you to write this particular story?
I was a student at Syracuse University when I learned of the story of Pan Am 103. On December 21st, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, including 35 Syracuse students returning home from their semester abroad in London.
I began to venture into the Syracuse archives. I found the journals, letters, and poems of the students that were found scattered over the grounds of Lockerbie. I had just returned from my semester abroad in London, and here I was reading stories of students just like myself who were going through the same things I had gone through, and asking themselves the same questions I had asked myself. They even mentioned the same teachers I knew so well. The similarities were striking and profound.
Like Chelsea does in the script, I looked to their writings throughout the years after I graduated and especially after the death of my mother. Their stories all had a similar theme: the celebration of life, and an unending hunger for experience and knowledge. I found strength in their vibrancy and their passion and so I started writing this story.
How long have you been a writer? How many scripts have you written?
I’ve loved writing all my life, but I’ve been really pursuing it for three years now. This is my first screenplay. I originally wrote the story as a play. A few friends of mine felt the story would work well for film and encouraged me to adapt it. So I did, and I, along with these friends, are now working to produce it as an independent film.
Tell us about your writing habits. Any advice or lessons you'd like to share with other aspiring writers?
My writing habits…dear god… I don’t know. I drink a lot of coffee. I’ve found my coffee shop that I write in. It’s called Voxpop and it’s great. I’m learning to leave my pride at the door. To be open to feedback but not lose sight of the story I’m telling. I’m learning that I can’t always be writing. Friends remind me to have fun.
What are some of your influences? Favorite films? Writers/Directors?
Influences. Aaron Sorkin is a huge writing influence. He came to one of my play readings and afterwards I was lucky enough to meet with him. He told stories of when he had just started out, bartending in NYC. He’d write his work on napkins all day long and come home and type them up. I found that very inspiring.
Jackson Browne. He is one of my favorite writers. Every time I hear “The Pretender” or “For a Dancer” I get something new out of it.
“The Lives of Others” might be my favorite film. I’m also a huge Hitchcock fan. I love “Strangers on a Train.” I also recently re-watched the entire series of “My So Called Life,” and I think the writing and acting on that show are just amazing.
Any final thoughts?
Final thoughts. Patience. Persistence. Confidence. Strength. Always find a way to remind yourself why you love to write.
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4th SCREENPLAY SHOOTOUT! - Finalist
Interview with Marc Zakalik
Congratulations on being selected as a Finalist in the Screenplay Shootout tell us how you felt when you saw the news.
I honestly was floored when I found out that I was chosen as a semi-finalist, let alone a finalist. I never win anything, so this is a big achievement for me!
What motivated you to write this particular story?
Drumadoon was inspired by a trip I took before my junior year of college to the Isle of Arran in Scotland. I really got to know the people and places very well in a short amount of time, and felt immediately that it would make a great setting for a movie. That, coupled with a love for soccer, provided the basis for the story.
How long have you been a writer? How many scripts have you written?
I've been writing for five years now. Initially, writing was a way to avoid doing my chemistry and physics homework my freshman year of college, but it quickly became a bit of an obsession. I've written four full-length screenplays since then.
Tell us about your writing habits. Any advice or lessons you'd like to share with other aspiring writers?
As cliche as it sounds, I find I get my best work done at a coffee shop, preferably one without wifi. At home, there are too many distractions and the act of going somewhere with the sole purpose of writing is particularly helpful. Plus, I really like coffee.
My biggest piece of advice to other writers is to be diligent about your work. Your screenplay is not going to write itself, so set some deadlines and stick to them. In addition, write everyday. Develop a routine. I try and fit two sessions in per day, each two to three hours. And finally, learn to be critical of your work. Nothing is ever perfect. The sooner you identify what's wrong with the story, the sooner you can fix it and make it better.
What are some of your influences? Favorite films? Writers/Directors?
There was something about seeing Charlie Kaufman's pain in Adaptation that made me think, "I want to do that." I'm a big fan of his work and also of Paul Thomas Anderson. And I also love Martin McDonagh's stuff -- both his films and plays. The Pillowman may be my single favorite piece of writing ever.
What are your immediate and long-term writing goals?
This is a tough question. I'm still fairly young, and am nowhere near the point where I'm making money on my work. So I'm writing essentially for myself and because I like doing it, as is the case with many young writers. In the long run, I'd like to get to a point where writing is my job. But right now, it's about finding the balance between doing something to pay the bills while also having enough time to write.
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 4th SCREENPLAY SHOOTOUT! - Finalist
Interview with Michelle Davidson
Congratulations on being selected as a Finalist in the Screenplay Shootout tell us how you felt when you saw the news.
I was shocked! As soon as I found out, I called anyone who would listen to my news, forwarded the e-mail to my family and updated my Facebook status.
What motivated you to write this particular story?
My screenplay is about a local television news anchor becoming the story when a viewer gets too close. I spent more than a decade of my life working long hours at various television stations, so it was easy to create the world and the people in it. Prior to discovering my passion for screenwriting, I was an award-winning investigative reporter and news anchor. I didn't need to do any research to write this screenplay. It was so much fun making up these characters, throwing them into complicated situations and watching them struggle toward their goals. I wasn't afraid to show the ugly, scary and cut-throat sides of the news business. I wanted to create a suspenseful and compelling screenplay that felt authentic.
How long have you been a writer? How many scripts have you written?
I learned about writing visual stories with strong characters in journalism school. Since then, I have written for news, television specials and talk shows. A year ago, I wrote my first line of dialogue for a comedic web series. It was a great way to try out writing narrative. I would write an episode, and a month later we were on set filming. With complete freedom to make up a story and let my imagination run wild, I discovered a new passion for writing, and I won a regional Emmy. It was good to receive such a positive response with my first attempt at writing dialogue and action. It was an easy transition into writing short films. I wrote and produced a short film titled BARREN. The long hours spent with a talented director, actors, director of photography and editor were invaluable for me as a writer. THE VIEWER was originally a short. I showed it to a professional screenwriter, and he said with authority, "this should be a feature." So, I bought a few books on screenwriting and just started writing my first feature length screenplay. While I was rewriting the screenplay, I wrote two other screenplays, a dark comedy and an inspirational coming of age story. It helps me to juggle different stories and genres. I'm sure that is not for everyone, but it works for me.
Tell us about your writing habits. Any advice or lessons you'd like to share with other aspiring writers?
I let an idea bounce around in my head… then I sit down and go at it. I write fast and spend most of my time in rewrites. I'm good on deadline, even if it is self-imposed. I have tried note cards, outlines and other devices, but I have found the most success when I sit down in front of my computer and just put in the time. I think I'm a better writer because of my acting and on-camera experience. I read my scripts out loud, switching into "actor mode" in rewrites. If something is meant for the ear, you need to hear it out loud. And, I have a great mentor and screenwriter's group offering feedback.
What are some of your influences? Favorite films? Writers/Directors?
I have been very fortunate that I have acted in several feature films. I learn so much on set watching incredibly talented directors and actors in action. It's interesting watching an actor bring words on a page to life. You also learn something hearing a line of dialogue fall flat. I have always enjoyed watching films and good television, but lately I spend more time analyzing the structure, dialogue and acting. I can still escape in brilliantly written and directed films like "The Usual Suspects," "When Harry Met Sally" or "Forest Gump." One of my favorite writers is Alan Ball. I'm in awe of a writer that can create the screenplay "American Beauty" and television series "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood."
What are your immediate and long-term writing goals?
I would like to be a writer with a long career in film and television. I enjoy writing screenplays enough to do it for free, but it would be nice to make a living at it.
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TOP 40 SEMI-FINALISTS
A SPLENDID FURY by: Andres Anglade
THE JOURNALS OF J HENRY SLIGHT by: Matthew Brown
THE AMEND by: Carla Cue
THE VIEWER by: Michelle Davidson
AMNESIACS by: Girard Dorney
TERRIFIC SLUMBER by: James Evans
BEYOND HORIZON by: George Ferris
ANONYMOUS by: Jason Ford
AGAIN by: Eugene Fournier
THE BIRD AND THE TWO-TON WEIGHT by: Darcy Fowler
LIFE by: Anthony George
TOTENGOLD by: Rich Gordon
FRIENDS AND ROMANS by: Gregg Greenberg
TOUCHING MY SOUL by: Kathy Guyton
ASCENSION by: Will Honley
CORONADO by: Benjamin Jacobs
REQUITED by: William Johnston
EXPOSURE by: Edward Klau
BIG HIGHWAY by: Lance Lindahl
NO BRAINER by: Deborah McKay
SO SHARP THE CONQUERING by: Cyndi McLean
THE LAST SEMESTER by: Sean Milnamow
GOLDEN SEAS SOCIETY by: Drew Miyaki
THE 49TH DAY by: Craig Peters
SMELL OF YOU by: James Yeater
DRUMADOON by: Marc Zakalik
MIA by: Jim Bernfield
DROP AND ROLL by: Conor Biller
CHARLIE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE by: Stephen Paul Campos
THE FLOWER by: Howie Drummond
L'Orfeo by: Eduardo A. Garcia
The System by: Terry Hickey
DARKENU by: Julia Nickerson & Michael Horwitz
APPROPRIATE MEASURES by: Amy D. Hubbard
REMOTE CONTROL by: Jack Messitt
WINGS OF STONE by: Gary Natoli
PEER LISTENER by: Vincent Nigito
DEADLY PASSAGE by: C.M. Robinson
AFTER THE WALRUS by: George Scholomite
TEA & HEROIN by: Rhonda Smiley
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