RUSSELL PUNTENNY
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Russell Puntenny

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Indianapolis, IN
 
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?
Scandals among society’s elites are being exposed to a degree the world has never experienced. Cosby. Weinstein. Epstein. P Diddy. The list seems to grow every day, each revelation more despicable than the last. And yet, the wealth gap continues to widen, the 1% retain their power,  and many of those responsible somehow evade justice. Progress is absolutely worth celebrating, but does it have to be this slow?
It’s this strange contradiction — that we’re living in a time in history where we have the ability to expose criminal activity among the world’s most powerful people but still lack the tools to truly hold them accountable — that was the inspiration for Impervious. Were it to be produced, my goal would be audiences relate to the rage the protagonists experience, the feeling of utter hopelessness the victims of these crimes must have felt, and the bravery it took for each of them to speak up, but also leave the film with a glimmer of hope for the characters and society itself.
I always pictured this story as a screenplay because the antagonist is larger-than-life with an extravagant lifestyle that translates better to film than a novel.

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?
This project took a little over one year to finish, and went through several edits. My writing process does not include a formal outline, but I do expend a lot of mental energy planning a story before I commit to writing it. I want to know going into the process that I have: 1) an intriguing opening scene to hook readers; 2) a protagonist and antagonist I can visualize as real, three-dimensional people; 3) a signature, memorable scene that will surprise readers, and; 4) a general idea for a satisfying ending. If I can check all those boxes, I know it’s worth my time, and if the premise is strong enough, I trust the rest will fall into place along the way.  
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?​
I approach screenwriting more from the lens of a viewer than a writer. As someone who simply enjoys quality content, I’m concerned about the future of the industry, which seems headed toward a creative dystopia where the only way a movie gets produced is if it recycles some pre-existing IP for which AI is able to calculate a mathematically-predictable box office return. If I can do anything personally to prevent that future from happening and help prove the long-term viability of unique, originally storytelling, I’ll consider my writing career a success. I’m like The Terminator, in that way.     
 
Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice?
I chose to submit only the first ten pages because I’m a firm believer if your reader isn’t on board by that point, the rest of your script doesn’t matter. Structuring a contest around the first ten pages is a great way to gauge how much work your script needs, and I now feel confident I’m on the right track.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why?
Call me cliche but it’s The Godfather and here’s why: no matter how many times I watch it, it always leaves me with something new to think about. The plot, the characters, the production, the direction, the acting, the symbolism…every aspect of The Godfather is thought-provoking in seemingly endless ways that no other film or TV show can match.  
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
It’s a visual medium and my advice is to embrace that. What’s the signature scene/image viewers will remember? If your story doesn’t have one, it’ll have a tough time standing out.   
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
My comedy pilot The D-List! A dozen washed up celebrities risk their lives for another shot at fame on a competition reality show only one of them will survive. It’s Squid Games meets Survivor with just a hint of classic spy thriller thrown in for good measure. Check it out!

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