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.
“The Minstrel”
Written by Todd Sorrell
What motivated you to become a writer?
I came out of the womb creative. I was an indoor kid, hampered by asthma, which suited my temperament just fine. I used to make puppets and have neighborhood puppet shows. I wrote poems, comic books, eventually joined theatre and dance. I felt this immense power leading people’s thoughts and influencing their emotions. The arts has a way of making people drop their guards and become vulnerable. For a brief time, you can access their souls and enrich them. This privilege was not lost on me, and it didn’t take long for me to understand the exponentially more powerful impact a visual story makes on screen, in film. It took me years to wield the screenwriting format with some skill, but by then, I was bursting with stories and messages to tell.
Starting on a blank page is not easy- where does your creativity come from?
I think I see beauty in the world, and feel the need to channel it, repackage it. It’s a profoundly intense sensibility that I hope I never lose. The backside of that is a hyper-awareness of the sadness and darkness in the world as well. Bringing these concepts to life draws attention to these intrinsic qualities of beauty and sorrow in the world, and our intuitive ability to manifest them on our own. If I can create a storyline packed with injustice or love-gone-wrong, it can be just the right motivator or irritant — like a sand grain in a clamshell — to instigate justice or more love in the real world.
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 do fall instantly in love with my stories, and have a healthy belief that everyone else will feel the love as well. But it’s been a hard lesson to learn that not everyone falls in love with my projects, and many people in the business are weary of hearing pitches and synopses. It seems there’s a fair amount of luck finding fresh eyes and ears, along with the persistence and dedication from me to improve my writing. I suppose when I see so many retreads and rehashed concepts and stories out there, I am reminded why I have faith in myself. My stories are a little left of field. I have a hard time writing for what’s in fashion.
What is your dream for this project and what other ancillary revenue do you think it could generate? Please include script title in reply.
“The Minstrel” is the first script of a trilogy, followed by “Minstrel II: The Maiden’s Diary”, and “Minstrel III: The Last Song”. I’ve been chastised for my chutzpah to write a trilogy on spec. But the story is one that lends itself to serialized adventures, as the central character is a reluctant hero with an arc that spans a good period of time. He’s a type of messiah who slowly embraces his calling to confront the darkness in the world. And that would take a long time to depict. For this reason, the Minstrel series easily lends itself to TV and broadcast/streaming formats that can attract, keep and grow an audience that grew up on TV shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Kung Fu”, “The Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman”, “Carnivale” and “Tru Calling”. These are shows with gifted heroes that don’t want to be known for their gifts. So the audience roots for them.
How has your experience been with screenwriting contests for this project so far?
I’ve won a few big ones. Top spots at Nashville Film Festival and Worldfest Houston were recent wins in its genre.
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 have a project here that has legs. It can go far in its field, with the right handling and team. It can even go very dark, the way Jessica Jones and other Netflix Marvel properties demonstrated. It can go ultra-light, as a children’s cartoon or series, with merchandising to follow.
Do you have any website links for your writing, credits, background, etc that you would like to share?
www.facebook.com/SilentRescue https://www.imdb.me/toddsorrell