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.
All For Blood
Written by Matt Lewis
What motivated you to become a writer?
I went to art college with an aspiration to become a comic-book artist. I was a good artist and I could do one-off pictures but I could never get my characters to look consistent. That’s a real art specialism and I don’t think I was good enough. But what happened was that I started storyboarding short films and then I made the films and slowly, the writing became the art form I became engrossed in.
Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?
It’s not easy at all. I think after a while you just become confident enough to say ‘this is an idea and not a story’ so you stop writing or ‘this is definitely more than an idea, lets explore.’ It helps when you have structure in your mind also and when you have that structural understanding embedded in your mind, for me, it helps the creativity and the words flow.
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?
It’s a mixture. I’ve been lucky enough to win competitions. I haven’t yet had that big-break with an agent or selling a script. I don’t know if I ever will. I love to write screenplays and that’s why I write. With that in mind – I’m not writing Avatar-like stories as I would love to have that big-break but I know the odds are lower if the budget has to be four-hundred million dollars.
It’s finding that line where you’re telling imaginative, genuine stories that aren’t going through the motions and at the same time, you have that budget in mind. It helps now that I can create concept art on my IPAD and that helps bring a certain level of achievable-ness to the whole process.
What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate?
All For Blood – it’s a feature fantasy suspense with a central romance. It’s Shakespearian. I’m not suggesting me and Shakespeare are on the same level writing-wise or anything but the drama and the spiralling into madness because of love is influenced by Shakespeare.
It’s like a feature-length Red Wedding from Game of Thrones and it that sense. You already have your tone for your marketing. There are fantasy elements to the characters – creatures, vampires, kings, queens, magical elements – you definitely have platforms in terms of a teenage market as well as those who enjoy Lord of the Rings.
How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?
It’s been fantastic. This is a different type of competition that helps you link with investors and I think, because of that, it’s got an edge.
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?
That the story is killer! I’d like to show them the concept art, to show them the world which I think is spectacular within a reasonable budget size. I also would like them to know that I believe in this project. It’s not about selling the project, for me, it’s about telling this story. I think anyone reading the script will see the potential because of the story it tells.
Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc. that you would like to share?
Sure, my ISA Network profile is https://www.networkisa.org/profile/mattlewis