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Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter James Foley
An interview with screenwriter James Foley regarding the Nicholl Fellowships Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: Powder River Breakdown is a western. A bankrobber who needs a change of vocation and location, a black sheriff representing the railroad in a boomtown and a reporter who has come west to find out how her brother died collide in the town of Powder River. A few good men on the wrong trail find their way. A few bad men learn their way leads nowhere. Lots of action. A little romance.
Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?A: I entered this script in the Nicholl at the urging of a friend. I never entered it anywhere else, although I had entered the Nicholl with a couple other scripts. The year before this won I had a script advance in the Nicholl, Chesterfield and Disney.
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: Absolutely. They gave us some things that were not promised in addition to everything they promised.
Q: Were you given any feedback on your script? If so, did you find the feedback helpful?A: Very little feedback, but some of it was from Frank Taradash and some from John Gay.
Q: Has your success in this contest helped you market your script? Were you contacted by any agents, managers or producers?A: I was contacted by approximately one hundred agents, managers and producers. The failure to market the script lays, I believe, mostly in my failure to anticipate winning.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I have a theater degree from Northwestern. Primarily I was a salesman and salesmanager all my life. I've written thirteen or fourteen scripts.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: I lived in Los Angeles in 2002-03. If I ever come back it will be because I was sent for.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: Always. Another western for the first time since Powder River.
Posted Tuesday, June 17, 2008
