JOHN KUCZA
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​Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
      Gold Coast, Australia
 
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 inspiration was a very dark period in my (and others) life that had rarely been
     explored in film before. I chose film to depict the situation because of the abstract visual
     possibilities and its science of getting straight to the point as opposed to writing around
     things in novels and short stories.
 
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?
     Once I committed to it, it took a few months initially but then a couple more years before I
     was really satisfied with it. I always start with FADE IN and go hard, then trim back the fat in
     rewrites until only the tasty morsels remain.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
     My ultimate goal is to sell the four spec screenplays I’ve written then develop a career
     within a major studio writing on assignment then, ultimately, directing.
 
Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
      My entry was a full script. I don’t see the point of submitting a first ten pages if the
     entire script is complete. If it wasn’t complete, I certainly wouldn’t be showing it to
     anybody.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
     ‘Die Hard’ is the one movie I return to at least once a year because of its economic
     writing and escalating stakes. It’s just an al round slick action masterpiece and still hard
     to top. ‘Top Gun Maverick’ has recently been added to my very short ‘Must Revisit
     Often’ list.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
     Hope bigger. The contest is just a stepping stone. Placing finalist can be flattering and
     encouraging but it isn’t the end goal is it?
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
 
I have four spec scripts that demand to be written and which I believe in deeply enough that I won’t stop until they are done. One in particular is a ground breaker on the same level that ‘The Matrix’ was a ground breaker. The other two are genre films (action-horror and crime-thriller) that I intend will meet, if not raise, the bar set by the greats.

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