Watch 1st Scene Screenplay Reading – THE TEST by Lorís Simón Salum (plus interview)

Watch THE TEST Screenplay Performance Reading:

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Victoria Murdoch
MELISSA – Reetu Bambrah

Get to know writer Lorís Simón Salum:

1. What is your screenplay about?

I think this screenplay came from a point of frustration after hearing many of my peers in their 20’s and 30’s share their painful stories about dating and relationships. Everyone likes to think they are doing the right thing. We all like to believe we do what is best in difficult situations. This screenplay is about a woman, Melissa, who makes a choice she believes is right for her relationship with Gerard. Even though it is a decision which society has shunned into a negative light, it is one of many examples of how we continue to repeat our ourselves throughout time.

2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It should be made into a movie because I think many people (including myself) connect most to ideas that are transmitted visually. When you watch a movie, for an instant, your brain does not know the difference between what is real and what is an illusion. You feel what the actors feel and you move through their life as if it were your own. That is what I want for my script!

3. This story has a lot going for it in just the first 10 pages. How would you describe this story in one sentence?

The Test is a story about how a woman redefines her personal limits after she fears she is about to lose someone she loves.

4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?

Probably The Matrix trilogy and A Night at the Roxbury.

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

7 months!

6. How many stories have you written?

A lot! Perhaps many of them remain unfinished…

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

It was part of a school assignment. It started out as something silly and then it grew into much more.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The most difficult part of finishing this screenplay was selecting which ending worked best for it. I also had a hard time deciding on whether it should remain silent or not.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Psychology and dogs

10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I thought it was a really refreshing idea to have a festival interpret a piece you have written in their own way. It takes on a new life the moment it leaves your hands. When I heard feedback from WILDsound, I felt excited at first, but most of all curious to see what someone I had never met before thought of what I had made. It’s a very cool experience.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Don’t judge yourself in a way that will keep you from writing more. Everything is a work in progress, it can only get better! Just keep doing it!

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Deadline: FIRST SCENE (first 10pgs) SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL Get it performed at the festival. Full feedback
http://www.wildsound.ca/firstscenescreenplaycontest.html

– Submit the first stages of your film, get it performed at the festival, and get full feedback!

WATCH past 1st Scene Festival readings: