LAWRENCE BERGMAN
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 PictureLAWRENCE BERGMAN
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Massachusetts
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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?
It’s partly based on my own unique and slightly crazy family. Also, I feel like comedy is a genre that’s a bit lost. When I think back to the great comedies of Woody Allen, Neil Simon and Mel Brooks, these were movies that made you laugh, while still incorporating good stories and great characters. This script is my tribute to those comedies.

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?
Initially, I had written this as a television pilot, but it just seemed to stall. I couldn’t move the needle and just tabled it for quite a while. One day, I was rereading it, and I said this is a movie, not a tv pilot. Once I came to that conclusion, the words started flowing. My process varies, but typically when I have an idea for a script, I really think it out. I might make some initial notes, but by the time I sit down to start writing, I know the story and the characters very well. Honestly, I find I write better without too much structure. The characters and story
are more honest when I don’t over plan. However, I’m constantly acting out the lines to be sure they feel like authentic.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
To tell compelling stories with great characters. Hopefully, I’m moving the audience in some way, whether through laughter, or
melancholy.

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
David Chase (Sopranos) brilliantly wrote intense drama, sprinkled with hilariously dark comedy. He somehow made you care about reprehensible people. Rod Serling and Tarantino as well.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
It’s not fair to just ask for one. Obviously, “The Sopranos,” “Seinfeld,” and the “The Twilight Zone” for television. Anything Hitchcock for film, Silence of the Lambs, Caddyshack, The Big Sleep, Toy Story, Million Dollar Baby, Kill Bill and Mission Impossible: Fallout.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Just stay at it, don’t give up. Sometimes, it comes together quickly, and sometimes it can take years. If you really believe in the idea, don’t ever give up.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (be sure to include any links you want the world to check out)
I have another screenplay I’ve just finished called “Last Case” it’s a neo-noir tribute to those great detective crime thrillers of the late 40s and early 50s.