SUZANNE LUTAS
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I live in Tahiti, French Polynesia. 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? I’ve been obsessed with doppelgängers since my sister once met my double and thought she was me. More importantly, I devised The Dead Ringer because there are few compelling Asian Female Leads on screen, especially in action-oriented roles. It is a Spy/Action thriller that I wrote after extensive research into the British Security Service (MI5), as well as into the Triads and the culture of crime in London’s Chinatown. My passion for writing scripts spawned at ten from a desire to meet my favorite actor. But first, I had to learn English, grow up, then fly from France to Hollywood! The mere memory of this goal put a smile on my face when I earned a BA and a master's degree in English Literature before teaching English and Art. Writing screenplays today is an open letter to this childhood crush which eventually became a passion for this form of expression as the very language of cinema. 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? The Dead Ringer is the first script I ever wrote in Dan Calvisi’s Master Class. It took me a couple of months to complete the first draft. But I kept doing rewrites whenever I received coverage from any contest whose evaluation I thought would improve my writing style. As for my writing process, I usually know how my story ends, but I must outline it. This process is time-consuming and challenging to implement. But once the bone structure is strong, it paves the way to quick, smooth, and seamless writing. Curiously, it also leaves a way for the characters to stand up for themselves and lead me down an unexpected path. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? My ultimate ambition as a writer is to have my voice heard and brought to the Silver Screen. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? I submitted the first ten pages of The Dead Ringer to The Wiki Screenplay Contest. I made this choice, aware that a reader might be reading my script among tens of others in one day. So, I needed to set up my protagonist and their world and establish the tone and genre, all while keeping the pace up and enticing the reader to know more. It was challenging but rewarding. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? I can't limit myself to one all-time favorite movie or television show. There are so many cinema masterpieces. It is true I am obsessed with films directed by Stanley Kubrick, Ridley Scott, or Wong Kar Wai. But I also indulge in the fresh visions Korean directors translate today. In that case, Parasite and Squid Game are becoming my all-time favorites for their invaluable lessons on screenwriting influenced by the great masters. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Read bad and good scripts to understand what not to do and retain the quality. Be part of a writer's group where they can give and receive notes. Resort to legit Script Consultants and submit to Contests, like Wiki Screenplay, Nicholl, Screencraft, Page awards, or Austin that will help them get noticed and move forward. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I have a Sci-Fi/Fantasy feature, Destiny's Vessel. Think « Dune » meets « Le Cirque du Soleil. » The script was the 2015 Winner in the Eyestorm Productions/ScriptXpert Script Search Competition, in the Sci-Fi category, but its Production Viability acted as a break. Hence, I decided to do a Lookbook with “Get it Made X” as a pitching tool. Because a Visual is worth a thousand words. I'll let the pictures do the talking and hope the script finds a home. |
