TONY BUSTAMANTE
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Suburb of Chicago, IL 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 entire short script was driven by a single compelling scene that popped into my head several months ago – a scene where a desperate mother hangs up her child’s dirty play clothes on her clothesline in the hopes that the prairie wind would blow her child’s scent for miles and allow the family dog to find its way home. I sort of reverse-engineered an entire story around that scene. I think my story could well have been a short story or novella, but I’m intent on honing my screenwriting skills so I wrote it as a screenplay. 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? It took me less than two-weeks to write my first draft – which ended up at 41 pages. I spent the next two weeks getting feedback from respected friends, and then rewrote and edited the story down to 30 pages to qualify for short script contests. My writing process is to simply write down the scenes that I know should be part of the movie, and then fill in the gaps as I think of them and reorganize scenes as needed. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? I want to have one of my screenplays greenlit and then spend my retirement years writing more of them! Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? It was a full short script. I don’t think I could enter the first 10 pages because if I write that much I might as well finish a first draft! What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? There are so many. If you’re asking me about the best western movie ever made, it’s Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. If you’re asking me about the best dramedy, I’d say Back to the Future. Best action adventure? Raiders of the Lost Ark. Best Science Fiction flick? Empire Strikes Back. Best Musical? Sound of Music. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Keep your mind open and look for interesting things or concepts that could blossom into a story. Then try to write a screenplay about it. Write a movie that you want to see. And find other screenwriters who can give you honest feedback and criticism. Enter contests like Wiki that provide exceptionally good feedback and constructive criticism. Wiki judges have really helped me elevate my craft. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I’m tinkering with making The Autumn Year into a full-length feature film. But I’m also working on another project – a dramedy – that will be my first attempt at humor. You can bet I’ll submit it to Wiki when I’m satisfied with it. |
