GARY DEMOSS
The Interview
How did you discover The Wiki Screenplay Contest and how did you decide to enter this
contest among all the others? I regularly request feedback from industry analysts when I enter film festivals and screenplay contests. Last year I elected to request a one-on-one conversation with Robert McCullough. This decision was by far the best career choice I have made in the last decade. Mr. McCollough spent time going over every line in great detail, including valuable suggestions to improve my script. As a result, instead of placing contests as a semi-finalist, I have begun to win. There are thousands of film festivals and screenplay contests worldwide that make various claims of success. However, many contests focus on a select group or targeted genre. Hence, these festivals exclude fresh voices with scripts offering a more universal message and marketable screenplay. Wiki Screenplay Contest, Los Angeles International Screenplay Contest, and the Santa Barbara Screenplay Contest are run by experienced industry professionals with hundreds of credits to their names. Entering the Wiki Screenplay contest was an easy decision. Where do you live (City, State, or Country)? I live on Turkey Point Island on the Chesapeake Bay, just south of Annapolis, Maryland in the small town of Edgewater. Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? What inspires your overall journey into screenwriting? For years, I sat next to my friend Steve Eller, in ice rinks up and down the east coast. Our son’s played on the Navy Hockey team. That is where Steve told me about his father. His name was Fred “Fritz” Eller. Fred was the Commander of a notorious POW camp during WWII. I was inspired by Fred’s unwavering determination and ultimate success. Despite his eighth-grade education he rose in rank and was responsible for delivering justice to the worst war criminals the world has ever known. An incredible story of faith over despair, determination over failure. He wrestled with the world’s desire for revenge at a time when the Holocaust had just been discovered. I chose to write this screenplay because Fred Eller’s story will resonate with audiences globally and be more powerful on the big screen. Fred’s humanity in the face of hate and antisemitism is a lesson for us all. Especially today. Like many of the stories I have chosen to write, I have a connection to the story. Having the ability to reach an audience worldwide inspires my own personal journey in screenwriting. How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes? My screenplays are inspired by true stories or actual events. As Robert Mckee lectures, “tell the story you know.” The screenplays I have written, I have extracted from my life and experiences. As a filmmaker for over three decades, I have been fortunate to travel the globe. My exposure to the world has given me a rare glimpse of civilizations through a lens and the ability to tell the stories of the human spirit, overcoming obstacles and achieving excellence. These are the themes that I feature in my scripts. I select stories that warrant a critical eye, exploring the human element that drives people to make their choices in life. I look for individuals that have experienced extreme situations requiring difficult choices in the face of insurmountable odds. My characters persevere despite the obstacles and rise to the occasion, giving others the inspiration to follow. What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive? My wife and I have a log home on top of a mountain in Western Maryland. This is my refuge, where I can open the windows, listen to the wind whip through the oaks and evergreens and create from my mind’s eye the stories that develop into my screenplays. I balance my writing with work tending a manicured garden or with a walk through the woods. As a collegiate athlete I learned that discipline and routine eliminate any delay. I use these same strategies during my writing to keep the ball rolling. How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN? The script that I submitted took about a year to complete. I had several months of conversations with Fred Eller’s son Steve, and documents and pictures inside the POW camp in Hersfeld, Germany. I drafted an outline of the story in Final Draft and then structured the story into a three-act screenplay. Once I had a draft worth sharing, I reached out to Film Freeway, We Screenplay, Coverfly and Blacklist Analyst’s for professional feedback. Satisfied with the current draft, I began to place in international screenplay contests. Eventually, I began to place as a finalist and then I began to win. |
What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter? When I started writing I used Screenwriter software. A few years ago, I switched to Final Draft. I find the timeline helps me structure my story and format my scripts correctly and in greater detail before I write one line of dialogue. How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests? Which contests have you entered...and how has your work been received overall? Have those contests been helpful to you in your writing? Before I enter any contest, I gather advice from the very best analysts I can find. The coverage is a great gauge to determine whether a particular script is ready for competitions. I ran hurdles in high school and in college. If I didn’t prepare properly, I would place, but I wouldn’t win. Eventually, I developed skills that were instinctive. My speed and form became flawless, and I began to cross the finish line first. Today, I use a similar strategy to assure my screenplay is ready for any competition. Over the years I have learned that “readers” from many contests seldom offer actionable advice. There are a few analysts I have run across who genuinely took an interest in my scripts and my success. One such analyst (who will remain anonymous), stuck with me for months, reviewing each revision with spot-on advice and criticism. This analyst improved my writing and my resolve. I would highly recommend paying for coverage or criticism from contests and festivals where industry analysts review your screenplay in detail, discuss pacing, plot, structure, character arc and the marketability of your scripts. This is where the magic happens, being able to take those suggestions and criticism to create a better script. If you are balancing your “writing time” with a “day job”, how are you managing that? Although I must continue to work in the industry as a Director of Photography and Producer to make ends meet financially, I am eager for the moment when I’ll be able to walk away from the camera and write full-time. Fortunately, I am busy enough with my day job to finance my writing career. Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter? I currently have a diverse library of marketable scripts and teleplays. Over the course of the next five years, my goal is to self-produce a select group of my lower budget scripts independently. During that period in my career, I will have acquired professional representation. Hopefully by that time, I will be collaborating with my agent and/or manager, offering roles to select actors, and producing quality projects together. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? Producing my screenplays and teleplays on the silver screen and television. The film and television industry is constantly evolving. How do you see the role of screenwriters changing, especially with the rise of streaming platforms and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence? Have you used A.I. in your writing; if so, how have you used it? Streaming platforms offer screenwriters more distribution channels than even a decade ago. Given that welcome addition, there will be dozens of new ways to distribute quality programming. Adding AI to the world of screenwriting will replace the human experience, and may eventually eliminate screenwriters all together. I think it would be a huge mistake for the motion picture arena to adopt any use of AI. Just look at how gambling has ruined collegiate and professional sports. Which film or television writers inspire you? Why? JJ Abrams has inspired my writing. I read his Show Bible for LOST. At the time he wrote this document he and his crew had already produced the pilot episode, but you can clearly ascertain, he already had the ending figured out and the character arcs developed to a point he could predict a character’s motivation in any circumstance. As a result, I take the time to develop each character’s journey, their purpose, how they will react with others, what drives them to the decisions they will make. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? Movie: Forest Gump, Dances with Wolves, The Natural Television: Lost, Breaking Bad, Yellowstone What advice do you have for aspiring screenwriters? You only fail if you stop trying. Don’t be discouraged. Get as much feedback/coverage as you can from industry pros. Do the hard work after you receive the comments and incorporate those suggestions into the next draft. When you feel you have a draft ready for prime time, pick festivals and contests that feature diverse voices and genres. Hard work will pay off, big time! Good Luck. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?) I have written an espionage Thriller entitled “Ultimate Control”, inspired by the ill fated Malaysian flight 370. CIA Director Turner must find a way to stop Armageddon or save his only son. A Historical Drama screenplay and teleplay entitled “Black Moon Rising” inspired by the true story of the Osage Indians of Oklahoma at the turn of the 19 th century. And a TV Series pilot entitled “Deep Creek” based on the CIA’s clandestine mind-control experiments during the Cold War. Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.) I can be found via email at [email protected] At my company website: https://paradisefilms.org On Facebook at https://Facebook.com/therealgarydemoss |
