MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter David Cirone

An interview with screenwriter David Cirone regarding the Spec Scriptacular Writing Competition.

A: CSI: Miami - The Hobbyist is about the team's investigation of a murdered prostitute. Nothing new there, but what it leads to is an exposure of the out-in-the-open communities of clients and "providers" that exist on the internet. It's almost like a subculture, with regular social events and parties, and offshoot personal relationships. It's really huge here in South Florida and I was surprised that no one had done a script about it.

A: TVWriter.com was the first place I saw a contest opportunity for television work. All of the contests I knew about at that time were for feature screenplays or stage plays, so it was exciting to throw this type of work into the ring. CSI: Miami was my first TV spec and is still one of my favorite scripts, but I haven't entered it in any more contests. I retired it with a perfect record.

A: Notification and prizes were handled very quickly, though I never got a response from the Terry Porter Agency, which is partnered with the contest.

A: I got a great deal of feedback from my peers and some internet connections, but none from the contest itself.

A: Yes, absolutely. Saying you won first place in a contest that carries some respect is a definite plus. It's sort of like how in high school, you never really pay attention to somebody until someone else likes her. So having a contest-winning script helps with the initial contact and getting people to read your material. Of course, we all know that these contests are subjective and uneven, so there's quite a bit of random luck involved. It's like winning at the tables in Vegas: you're proud of it, but you don't let it go to your head.

A: I have a theatre background and began by writing stage plays. Two of them were just picked for the Best Stage Scenes/Monologues 2003 series by Smith & Kraus, so that's just super cool to be in the same book with Sam Shepard and Israel Horowitz. CSI: Miami was my first spec and I chose that show because I was mad! I absolutely hated the generic, clichéd way the show was portraying Miami, and being a native, I wanted to show the elements of the city that you didn't find on a postcard. My latest spec is for The Shield, a show I have immense respect for.

A: Samuel L. Jackson had a joke with his agent in New York. Every day: "Did Hollywood call?" 'Cuz he knew he would only go when they called. After Jungle Fever, they did. There's a good lesson to be learned there.

I lived in L.A. for about a year right after college, and there was a saying: Stop 10 people on the street, ask them how their screenplay's going, and 9 of them will tell you. No doubt, the marketing and networking has to be done face-to-face, but right now I'm just working on craft.

A: I'm writing and directing a series of interconnected digital shorts, trying to emulate Kieslowski's The Decalogue. More dark, violent, twisted stuff. Fun for the whole family! It's all on my site: www.crookback.com.

Posted Wednesday, December 15, 2004