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.

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THE GRADUAL DETERIORATION OF WALTER TWIG

Written by Lisa Garvey

What motivated you to become a writer?

I was a lonely kid and lived in my head. As a young adult I was drawn to the arts; pastels, photography, drawing, and acting. Then I got my MFA in Cinematic Arts from USC and found film editing. It was the first thing I was particularly good at, and it led me to writing, which has been my preferred form of expression ever since.

Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?

I haven’t stared at a blank page in a long time (who wants that!?). By the time I sit down to write something new, I’ve gathered images, concepts I want to explore, and other bits and pieces so there’s always something already on the page when I begin.

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?

I used to write too expensively–big budget stuff with a lot of VFX. I’ve adapted most of those scripts into novels, so now when I have an idea for something how much it costs helps determine what medium it gets written in.

What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate?

THE GRADUAL DETERIORATION OF WALTER TWIG was adapted from the first two chapters of a yet-to-be published novella I wrote. While the screenplay is its own standalone story, it’s actually part of a larger universe that could be expanded into another film or limited series. The publication of the original IP might bring more attention/viewers to the film just as the film could introduce more readers to the novella. The screenplay also contains some compelling visuals and could potentially be adapted as a graphic novel, so additional revenue might come from selling the artwork/print images in various forms (postcards, large prints, T-shirts, etc.).

How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?

I completed the first draft of WALTER TWIG the day of the final deadline of the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition and sent it in on a whim. It subsequently made the top 2% in four categories: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and the Enderby Entertainment Award which is for features that can be independently produced for under $10m. Do I wish I’d waited a year so my first draft wasn’t being judged for the finals? Yes, absolutely. But the positive reception of this strange little story still in its infancy also encouraged me to keep working on it and has given me the confidence to push it out into the world through every avenue available.

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?

THE GRADUAL DETERIORATION OF WALTER TWIG is a sci-fi/fantasy/romance. The Lobster meets Palm Springs meets Eternal Sunshine in terms of two people in a relationship falling down a rabbit hole. Which is what I write about—characters falling down rabbit holes trying to figure out their place in the world. I grew up having to constantly adapt to new surroundings, so I struggled with my identity and where I fit in. While on the surface WALTER is a story about love, self, mental illness, and deciphering what’s real versus imagined, it’s really about how the mind is affected by and responds to loneliness and how being lonely can make you feel like you don’t exist, which I think is a universal feeling always, but especially given the isolation we’ve been going through this past year.

Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc that you would like to share?

9000 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90069

[email protected]

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