RF LANDAU
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 PictureRF LANDAU
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Park City, Utah

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?
The inspiration was from a conversation I had with my cinematographer. He said he had an idea for a first scene in a Sci-Fi film, but not much more than that. He asked me, since I was a writer as well as a Producer/Editor, if I would be interested in writing a screenplay based on nothing more than an idea for a first scene. After researching primitive cultures and religions for four months, I realized that there was indeed a story there. I wrote it as a screenplay because that is where my skill set lies.

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?
I tend to outline the plot points of a screenplay, scene by scene, before writing a first draft. Counting research, treatment, and draft revisions, the process of writing “The Presence” took me six months.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
To sell screenplays of universal meaning and emotional truth.

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 the completed script because I have faith in the value of the story.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
My all-time favorite film is probably “Chariots of Fire” because it combines my best-loved themes of politics, athletics, and spirituality into one compelling story.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Write from your personal experiences, and when you don’t have the experience to tell a particular story, don’t be afraid to take the time necessary to research and study all the necessary related topics.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I am working on a story about a down-and-out young man who figures out a way to make the world fulfill all his wildest desires.