GRANT CHAUNCEY
 GRANT CHAUNCEY
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I reside in Santa Ana, California in the United States! I’m originally from the Central Valley, I grew up in the foothills above Fresno, California. It was a great upbringing, but I always felt that my life/career would emerge elsewhere. 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? My screenplay “The Apartment” was initially conceived one late night in February of 2023 alongside my roommate. We were talking horror movies and the Sloth in David Fincher’s Se7en (1995) came up, his rotting near-death body rising up to howl left quite the impression on us. My roommate then described the visual of a corpse not discovered for WEEKS by their roommates. This striking image created a blinding spark of inspiration. I pulled out my notebook and began feverishly structuring a story around this premise. A lot of the groundwork was laid out that night and I must recognize my roommate for this inspiring description that led to me developing an entire world and story around. “The Apartment” was initially planned to be a short film included in a horror film anthology titled “The City” wherein all stories would take place in this nondescript metropolitan that would tackle the systematic horrors of our world today but personified by supernatural entities. However, as I began developing the characters and plot of “The Apartment” it soon became clear that I was writing a feature. 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? Writing “The Apartment” was a lengthy process. From the initial outline to the final draft, it took 2 years to finalize! This script was my College Thesis, the culmination of my 2 ½ year residence at Chapman University. I created character profiles, a beat sheet, outline, treatment and did several creative exercises before even writing a single page. This pre-planning was incredibly helpful; I always knew what I was building to and what scene would come next. February of 2023 is when I began “The Apartment” and in December 2023 I turned in my first draft! After doing so, I took an extended break from the script (far too long) to work on other projects, it wasn’t till the Fall of 2024 that I put all my effort back into this story. I wrote two more drafts over the course of seven months, and I had so many incredible colleagues give notes along the way. I owe a huge thanks to my thesis professors, Nathania Oh and Paul Wolanksy for all their guidance and wisdom! |
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
My current goal is to become a paid writer, that would be pretty cool. But for my ultimate ambition, I hope to create something that I believe to be truly worthwhile. I have the most experience in writing screenplays but there’s plenty of other creative mediums I want to explore. Whether it be a novel, comic book, D&D module or writing for a video game, it could be anything, but I want to make something that personally resonates with me and hopefully others in a profound/fulfilling way. It may not be the most successful work I produce but it would be the most important work for me. Something that makes my dedication to storytelling and the self-inflicted agony of writing (that all writers know) worth it. I’m not sure what that will be or when/if I write it, but I hope it will exist. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? During my final semester at Chapman, “The Apartment” was selected to be read by Oscar-winning screenwriter Billy Ray; he read the first ten pages and really liked them! Therefore, I felt very confident about my first ten pages, so I wanted to get in-depth notes on the entirety of the story. The reviews for The Wiki Screenplay Contest and affordable price made the full script review sound very appealing and they delivered! I received an email not even two weeks after my submission with eight pages of wonderful insights! I poured over the analysis, re-reading it multiple times. It was so exciting and rewarding to have someone I don’t know personally really understand and recognize my efforts! I received some wonderful notes for improvement and a great logline! I loathe loglines, so I really appreciated the skillful one that J.R. Elliott wrote. I absolutely recommend anyone who wants a full analysis of their script to apply for the full script treatment! What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? There’s so many to choose from but an easy pick would be John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). Thankfully now, considered one of the greatest horror films ever made, I can’t help but sing this film’s praises. A perfectly constructed screenplay, executed by Carpenter with such precision. This movie excels in its pacing and delivery of exposition. As we learn about this inconceivable eldritch horror, the story never comes to a halt. The characters are proactive, multi-layered and each actor brings something to the table. And of course, I have to mention Rob Bottin’s special effects, which are forever immortalized and continue to shock audiences today. The Thing (1982) breaks the confines of being a genre film, proving like many great horror films that this genre is to be taken seriously. With The Substance’s (2024) recognition at the Oscars and the rise of “elevated horror”, (a back-handed compliment but a compliment nonetheless) the landscape for horror is changing for the better! |
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What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Commitment to your craft and seeking out criticism to improve your work. The success of “The Apartment” would have come had I not dedicated so much effort and agonized over each and every word. You’ll undoubtedly have oversights and collecting as much criticism and opinions as possible seriously helps in looking outside your tunnel-vision. The notes I received for “The Apartment” helped me cut a lot of unnecessary dialogue, descriptions and elements that distracted from the central story. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? With the early success of “The Apartment” I’ve returned to the other two stories “The Concert” and “The Park” which were originally going to accompany “The Apartment” in the anthology film “The City”. I’m excited to return to The City and further development on these terrifying tales! I’ll surely be submitting them to WIKI! And speaking of horror anthologies, I’m also excited to see Clickbait (2025) an independent anthology horror film I partially wrote for! The short, “Daring Dudes” was written by me and produced by the wonderful guys at Gallows Humor Pictures! Clickbait will be making its festival run this year! Information on it can be found below: https://gallowshumorpictures.com/clickbait.php Also in the festival circuit is VIDA (2024), a short film I wrote and helped produce during my time at Chapman University. I’m extremely proud of this film and honored to have received best “Student Sci-Fi Short Film” at the Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid! More information and the amazing Blu-ray for VIDA can be found here! https://kinorama.pictures/vida-cover I’m excited for the projects to come and eager to find more! You can contact me at: [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/grant_chauncey24/ |
