Creative Writing Samples

Samples from "Jackpot" Screenplay

Example Treatment for Projects

            The idea for this project was originally spurred from my experiences on a recent project from the fall. During that time I had created a short film based upon smaller, stop-action videos my friends and I made nearly nine years ago in 2005.

            The project allowed me to reconnect with my friends of which I have not had the chance to talk to as much since the end of high school. Even though the project was completed, I felt that the experiences and conversations that we all had reconnecting were a far richer treasure than what was to be gained in the film. I was curious to know what it would have been like if I had another crew following and recording my friends and me. That eventually lead to thoughts about what we had hoped to do after high school, as it was a common topic thrown around with these friends. Each of these friends all had these different interests and goals that they wanted to accomplish in the future and we all had a sense of what we could expect out of them, but for some it was not the case. There were people that had their ambitions change over the years and had become different people. Again, from that idea, it led to me thinking about what I had wanted to be when I was a child. Those pure, innocent dreams as a child were so strong, that they continue to resonate with me today, were not the ones I am living now. The distance between the “then” and the “now” is something I find incredibly interesting because of the differences, similarities, and connections we can make between them. I knew my story, but I was really curious about others, especially from my friends.

            I hope to capture my curiosity and intrigue with different people’s stories in this project. I intend to speak to each person one-on-one and have the interview more conversational. In order to accomplish that, I will have these people lower their guards and become more comfortable with speaking to me by having them assemble Lego blocks or drawing on pieces of paper with crayons. This distraction for the interviewees is in hopes that they lower their guard and becoming more vulnerable so that they can all speak “off the cuff” and talk more and more about their lives.

            Eventually, I intend to have the conversations with each person have some sort of connection with each other in order to link them up whilst editing. When linked together, the viewers should be able to learn something about each person that is different, but also able to relate and empathize with them in the end, be it a positive or negative result in the end.