WRITER PROFILE
It’s always great to get together with a large group of writers and investors and keep up to date on what’s new, the screenplay contest, any recent deals, new dealmaker contacts, agents or managers that are looking and simply encouraging everyone to keep going after every dream in this difficult industry. For the hard working writer we want to do as much as we can to continue the exposure and word of mouth in the investment circles of the industry. Another way we do this is with writer interviews that we send far and wide and showcase at all possible meetings and markets.
We want to encourage your writing spirit, motivate you and again give you the accolades you so deserve.
“Days of the Future Past”
Written by Magdalene Paniotte
What motivated you to become a writer?
On reflection, I think that what motivated me most was learning to read at an early age. As soon as I could decipher the meaning of words on the page, I recall being fascinated with fictional stories and immersing myself in childhood books for hours at a time… and though the words were expressed in another language (as I lived in a faraway land during my formative years), the memories of those childhood novels stimulated my imagination to where I often wondered how I could begin to convey my thoughts in a make-believe story.
Starting on a blank page is not easy – where does your creativity come from?
In my experience, writing creatively comes from engaging about the craft with other writers and imagining how the rising conflict, suspenseful moments, and comic relief work together to bring characters to life in any given script. As a screenwriter, I find that while there are many structural elements that must be taken into consideration when conceptualizing an outline or initial treatment for a film, in my view, a single strong image can inspire a compelling story to emerge. Similar to a painter’s first brushstroke on a blank canvas or a writer’s initial words on the page, I do think the idea of going from nothng into something is what the creative process is all about.
Do you write projects knowing that so many other factors need to happen to get it to screen, and does that come into your project creation?
With the understanding that a good script requires visualizing the big picture (as screenplays are inherently structured to empower a collaborative process in contrst to an absorbing novel where a memorable story would need to be adapted for the screen), my writing style tends to embrace a rather skeletal, at times poetic script form conceived to hopefully create an opening for that collaborative process to begin; i.e., actors who can inhabit the lives of my characters, a director to envision how the story would unfold, a producer who could potentially finance the script, and of course a production crew to combine their talents and expertise in shooting/editing, set creation, sound elements, costumes, filming locations, etc.
What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate? Please include script title in reply.
A dream come true for this project would be to receive a communication from a producer/investor or production company expressing an interest in optioning the script. In the event this comes to pass and “Days of the Future Past” is thereafter made into a movie, assuming that it does well at the box office, I imagine significant additional revenue could potentially be generated from a sequel or some other form of continuation of the story.
How has your experience been with screenwriting contests with this project so far?
I’m pleased to share that my screenplay has received numerous accolades, from Official Selection, to Third Place, to Special Mention, to Semi-Finalist, to Finalist, to Nomimation for Best Screenplay, as well as won an award for Best Screenplay. And though the script has naturally had its share of setbacks in the Not-Selected category, rather than getting discouraged, I found it more productive to make a few necessary revisions and edits in an effort to perfect the story as much as possible, i.e. added/deleted a scene or two, moved another scene here or there, etc. This was certainly not an easy task but clearly a rewarding process, as the script placed in the Hot 100 List of the 2026 Capital Fund Competition!
If you could stand in a room full of investor partners looking at many projects, what would you like them to know about you and this project?
I would want potential investors to know that while the story may in some way be considered a reflection of my subjective worldview as a writer, the script itself is a purely fictional story intended to entertain and enlighten moviegoing audiences.
Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc., that you would like to share?