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Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Jorge J. Lomastro
An interview with screenwriter Jorge J. Lomastro regarding the ScriptDoctor.com Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: The Priestess:
Ancient Mayan weapons and blood-drained, headless bodies. Two NYC detectives, a young Latino and a worn-out alcoholic, must quickly unravel a string of these murders or the world will relive worse.
That's the basic logline.
A: If you take a look at "Winning Scripts" you'll see she does very well.
Q: Were you satisfied with the adminstration of the contest? Did they meet their deadlines? Did you receive all the awards that were promised?A: I won the thing. I'm really here to express some concerns to folk before the deadline. I don't like the idea of "burning bridges," but maybe things will run smoother now. Sorry, this is hard for me. I don't care to be negative. It should be noted that as well as what was listed, I was told I would be getting a "1st place certificate" and there was some mention of software. I didn't pursue that as much as some might have. What I got: I suppose the mention on their site counts as "Internet publicity." They never informed me of my win/script going out to "100+ agents and production companies." I did ask about it. No reply. Did I get the certificate? Nope. It's been near a year. Will there be free entry this year? I don't know. Probably. It's a good business practice. So, no. As I see it, I didn't receive all the awards that were promised. There's some issues about the feedback too. But, I'll leave that below. Also, if things get cleared up, I'll drop everyone another note.
Q: Were you given any feedback on your script? If so, did you find the feedback helpful?A: Some. It was okay. No huge complaints there. Not outstanding. Certainly not as detailed as I would have expected as the winner of the contest. Worth $450? Not in my opinion. Maybe I got the $125 thing by accident. But, at least it suggested someone read the thing.
Q: Has your success in this contest helped you market your script? Were you contacted by any agents, managers or producers?A: Nope. I was not contacted by agents, managers or producers because of this win. In fact, the phrase, "a snowball's chance in Hell," comes to mind. To my knowledge, the information simply never got to them in the first place. Thank God I already have my own connections. And, those I don't have, I make.
Again, I've given "ScriptDoctor" the opportunity to fix these issues but I've received no reply. I didn't go to the "hound them" level because that's just not professional. But, I did my best to communicate the problems. Now, I feel it's time to jot down my experiences for other screenwriters to see, and decide for themselves.
A: I don't really want to go into my background here. I think that should be saved for "happy interviews." This is not what one would call a "happy interview." I wish it were. There have been plenty of those.
Yup. I've written lots of scripts in different genres. No TV, though. You can see a some of my wins on "Winning Scripts." I do okay.
A: Nope. I don't live there now. I visit a lot though. I expect to be there full time within the next year or two.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: Yup. I'm always working on a new script. I just finished a comedy. And, now I'm working on a drama. I can see I'll be putting together a fantasy just around the corner. Plus, I have the last in, "The Priestess" trilogy to finish up. That one's taking me a while.
I have more stories to tell than I have life left to live.
To me, that's actually a pleasant thought. I'll never be bored.
Take care all.
Posted Sunday, July 29, 2007
