Watch TV PILOT Reading of REDEEMING GRACE:
CAST LIST:
NARRATOR – Val Cole
STEVEN – Mark Sparks
WOLF/PADDY – Rob Salerno
YOUNG – John Marcucci
ALEXIS – Jillian Cameron
FLINT/FAUSTIN – Peter Bent
CAROLINE – Erynn Brook
SHEPPERD – Sean Ballantyne
MARTY – Graciela Martinez
JULIE – Leah Doz
Get to know winning writer WL Gorman:
1. What is your TV PILOT about?
It is about a fractured and unstable near-future Canada where danger is ever-present and anarchy is just a breath away. In the centre of this cauldron is an ex-military gun-for-hire who seeks redemption from both his country and his father. With the odds stacked against him, will he be able to achieve it?
2. Why should this script be made into a TV show?
It has action because the principal character leads a group of “mercenaries” against several diverse groups of criminals and terrorists who actually exist in today’s world. It is character-driven with a focus on the current and past lives of characters from different countries and diverse backgrounds. It focuses on political issues that are both real and potentially real. It is about redemption.
3. How long have you been writing stories?
I have been writing stories since I was a kid in grade school and this continued through university. But a challenging and demanding career in the military left little time for writing stories – but many notes were written and saved. From these notes and other ideas, I have been seriously writing stories for about ten years.
4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?
Dr. Strangelove and both Godfather films.
5. What artists would you love to work with?
Paul Gross, David Storey, Sarah Plley, Ellen Burstyn, Quentin Tarrantino, Kurt Sutter, Shonda Rimes, Clint Eastwood, Norman Jewison, Rob Reiner, William Goldman, Kathy Bates,
6. How many stories/screenplays have you written?
Three novels in draft; two film screenplays; three TV pilots; a number of short stories and a semi-autobiographical novella about working on a railroad gang in the middle of the British Columbia Rockies during my university years.
7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years?
I would like to be writing stories, collaborating with others and making a living at it. My first choice would be on a television series, but I would also like the opportunity to have a feature film done from one of my scripts.
8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing?
I can write at any time of the day, but my best times seem to be early morning and in the evening. Once I have an idea, I brainstorm it with a whole lot of notes that I then transfer to “stickies” that get posted on a board and begin to get shaped into acts and scenes. When I actually start to write, the board changes as more ideas surface. And, to be honest, I enjoy doing revisions – it keeps me invested in the story. The hard part is knowing when the script is done.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Rock and Roll music (I play drums and am teaching myself bass guitar); reading – anything and everything; classic films and television; tying flies; Chinese brush painting; family; and my wife and dog.
10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Festival?
I wanted to gain some exposure for my writing in Canada because I would really like to work here at home and hopefully contribute to the national scene. I don’t have any contacts in the industry, and so I turned to WILDsound as a potential source of getting some notice.
11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
To be honest, I’ve never subscribed to the idea that you should never give up on your dream no matter what. In many cases, this type of thinking is unrealistic. I would love to be a singer and a musician in a band; but I simply cannot sing well and therefore I don’t spend time musing over what could be. However, if you believe that you have skill and talent, if you have taken some courses and workshops where professionals have told you that you have good story-telling chops, and if you are willing to put in the time and effort and then accept rejection when it comes long, then keep on scribbling until someone gives you the break you’re looking for. And let it be fun – it HAS to be fun!
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Deadline: SUBMIT TV PILOT/SPEC Script – Get FULL FEEDBACK. Get script performed by professional actors
http://www.wildsound.ca/tvscreenplaycontest.html
Watch WINNING TV PILOT Screenplay Readings
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/tv_pilot_readings.html
Watch WINNING TV SPEC Screenplay Readings
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/tv_spec_readings.html
READ 100s of testimonials for past submitters –
http://www.wildsound.ca/wildsound_festival_review.html
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