SUZANNE BUI LOC LUTAS
 Suzanne Bui Loc Lutas
How did you discover The Wiki Screenplay Contest and how did you decide to enter this
contest among all the others? A friend told me about it. The contest's promise of quick feedback convinced me to enter. 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? What inspires your overall journey into screenwriting? As a film devourer, I started learning screenwriting to tame my imagination and encapsulate my stories, convinced that the Silver Screen was the ideal medium for them. Authors’ and directors’ works, real-life situations and feelings, or music can inspire me. For instance, my sister once mistook a woman for me. This unusual event, combined with the British articles I was reading at the time, resulted in The Dead Ringer, the journey of an illegal immigrant whose uncanny resemblance to the mistress of a ruthless London-based Chinese triad boss makes her the perfect candidate for an MI5 mission: infiltrate the gang and bring them down. How do you decide which stories to tell, and what draws you to these particular themes? My personal experiences significantly influence the stories I choose to tell. The cultural shock I experienced as a child when I moved from Vietnam to France is a recurring theme in my scripts. This sense of being a fish out of water, in search of belonging and identity, is a theme that I often explore in my work, whether it's in the context of Sci-Fi, Action, or Supernatural Thrillers. These personal experiences shape my writing and make it relatable to a broad audience. What is your typical writing routine? How do you structure your workday to stay productive? My writing routine is a unique blend of physical activity and creative work. I kick off the day with Pilates or swimming sessions, which I find invigorating. After attending to my emails and providing feedback to fellow writers on the Get It Made platform, I dedicate my afternoons to writing. I often switch between revising a completed script and working on a new one, allowing my mind to stay fresh and creative. 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 wrote in Dan Calvisi’s Master Class. It took me a couple of months to complete the first draft, but I kept rewriting it whenever I received coverage from any contest whose evaluation I thought would improve my writing style. Writing is rewriting. My writing process starts with an idea popping in, inspired by an image, a word, olfactory sensations, or a memory. Then, I choose the appropriate genre that best encapsulates the story. I create characters with distinct personality traits, know how the story ends, and define the major beats. Still, my outlining changes as my characters grow and come to life. Curiously, they decide which path to follow and what to do. They rule the way. How do you handle writer's block or moments of doubt (we all have them) during your creative process? I experienced writer’s block when I lost my mother. I needed time to find closure and resume writing. Inevitably, there are traces of this painful moment in my following stories. What tools or software do you find essential to your workflow as a screenwriter? Final Draft is an excellent tool. And Dave Trottier’s Screenwriting Bible is a must. How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests? Which contests have you entered...and how has your work been received overall? Have those contests been helpful to you in your writing? I first entered competitions like Page, Screencraft, Scriptapalooza, and The Blue Cat. All my scripts ranked well in all of them. My sci-fi Fantasy Destiny’s Vessel won in the sci-fi category at the Eyestorm Productions/ScriptXpert competition. Their feedback was helpful, particularly the one-on-one with Robert McCullough after The Dead Ringer won the October 2020 Wiki Screenplay. Since then, The Dead Ringer has garnered accolades at over 90 worldwide festivals and caught the attention of a producer who optioned it. Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your screenwriting and how you overcame it? My first paid writing assignment was a significant challenge that I embraced wholeheartedly. I was tasked with writing a Horror Thriller for Filmes Nation, a Brazilian Production Company. To ensure the project's success, I maintained constant communication with Eduardo Sallouti, the Producer and Director, exchanging views and ideas. This collaborative approach helped me overcome the challenge and enriched the final product. If you are balancing your “writing time” with a “day job”...how are you managing that? Since I have retired, I can focus on my writing and alternate with sports and other artistic activities, such as music or painting. Where do you see yourself in five years as a screenwriter? I see myself as a happy, produced screenwriter. Suzanne's award-winning screenplays--thrillers, action, sci-fi, and supernatural--feature solid female protagonists in their quest for identity and a sense of belonging.
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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. The film and television industry is constantly evolving. How do you see the role of screenwriters changing, especially with the rise of streaming platforms and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence? Have you used A.I. in your writing; if so, how have you used it? The rise of streaming services has put additional pressure on theatres. The major media companies view challenging Netflix as their greatest imperative. In contrast, most independent filmmakers shoot on a shoestring with renewed creativity. Still, Studios, distributors, and Exhibitors will have to agree on a hybrid form of movie release to respond to the new situation. The screenwriter’s future is increasingly competitive and challenging. This is not only because big studios and streaming platforms rely on their Franchise and staff writers but also because of AI. I was curious to know how AI works, so I once used it to outline a script from a logline but didn’t like the outcome. Even if it helps outline a script, it will never replace a writer’s voice and soul. Which film or television writers inspire you? Why? Jean Cocteau influenced my fascination with surrealism, fantasy, and poetry brought to the Silver Screen. Stanley Kubrick's stunning photography and topics left me in awe. Ridley Scott's unique take on diverse topics is a treasure trove of knowledge and experience. Wong Kar Wai struck a chord with his refined characters and their impossible love stories, hiding frustration and the unspoken. My French education and major in English literature enriched my culture and my taste for diverse authors, from Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, and Jane Austen to Lovecraft, Edgar Alan Poe, Steinbeck, and Toni Morrison. Today, I'm obsessed with Flicker, a 1991 novel by Theodore Roszak, which covers about 20 years of the life of film scholar Jonathan Gates, whose academic investigations draw him into an esoteric conspiracy underlying the work of fictional B-movie director Max Castle. Darren Aronofsky's name has long been associated with a possible film adaptation. I'd love to do it, of course. We have so much to learn from all these Masters. Watching their films and reading their novels or scripts is a constant source of inspiration and a booster. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? 1946: Beauty and the Beast, whose plot is universally famous, was written by Jean Cocteau, a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, and film director. Today, Korean shows (K-dramas) are my favorite. The list is long, but if I had to pick one, it would be the recent When Life Gives You Tangerines, written by Lim Sang Choon and directed by Park Hae Joon. Inspired by a real Jeju island couple, it is a lifelong tale of setbacks and triumphs, filled with simple joys and strong feelings, proving that love endures across time. What advice do you have for aspiring screenwriters? They should follow their dreams without neglecting their family and friends. Practice a sport that helps them cleanse their minds and bodies. Take the time to chill out. More importantly, they must keep their jobs. At the same time, they should keep learning and reading scripts to improve their writing. They should do what it takes to fulfill their dreams and be prepared, which is the key to success when the opportunity comes. Above all, they must believe in themselves. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? (links to your projects?) I have three projects on the slate. Destiny’s Vessel, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Feature. Think “Dune” meets “Le Cirque du Soleil” in space. Logline: When a maverick princess is forcibly shapeshifted and teleported to a distant planet, she must team up with a rogue bounty hunter to steal an antidote that can restore her original form and then race home in time to stop the death of worlds. Link to the Lookbook: https://www.getitmade.la/lookbook Based on Titian's painting, The Man with a Glove is a supernatural thriller set in modern times. Gold Reels Media is currently optioning it. Think “Beauty & the Beast” meets “Dorian Gray.” Logline: When a claustrophobic art intern is held captive, she must restore a mysterious Renaissance-era painting with more inside than paint. The Grand Jury, primarily a Short Script, has just been expanded into a Feature Script. Think “Interstellar” meets “Escape Game.” Logline: In a climate-ravaged future, a homeless teenage math prodigy competes for a coveted spot on a space exploration mission while secretly yearning to find her father's missing spaceship. Where can the world find you online? (Social media links, etc.) www.Twitter.com/SuzanneLutas www.Linkedin.com/in/SuzanneLutas www.Facebook.com/SuzanneLutas www.Youtube.com/SuzanneLutas |
