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Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter April Rouveyrol
An interview with screenwriter April Rouveyrol regarding the Nevada Film Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: My script is called AMERICAN CHILD and its about an agoraphobic 12 year old kid who is forced to leave his house when his Grandmother dies. He meets a 16 year old petty thief who tries to rob him, but winds up driving him to Nevada to find his Mother. These kids are so different but their lives are both train wrecks and they sense that maybe they can help each other on this trip. They don't find what they're hoping for but they get something else.
Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?A: A large portion of this script takes place in Nevada, so I thought it would be a good contest to try. I have entered other competitions and am waiting to hear--yesterday I found out that American Child is a top ten finalist in the 2010 American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition.
Q: Were you satisfied with the administration of the contest? Did they meet their deadlines? Did you receive all the awards that were promised?A: The Nevada Film Office has been fabulous. Not an exaggeration. They really believe in the script and are pulling all their resources to help promote it. They have a script consultant taking a look at it to help me with the rewrite, I received a letter of congratulations from the Governor of Nevada and the film office sent a care package complete with screenwriting books, a t-shirt, a cool hat, and I'm a sucker for a cool hat.
Q: How long did it take you to write the script? Did you write an outline beforehand? How many drafts did you write?A: It took me three weeks to write and I was working off of an outline which consisted of little scraps of paper and odd things like fabric coasters. The outline was written while my husband and I were on a trip to France and thats when the majority of the plot came to me--so whatever paper-like object was nearby was written on.
I submitted my second draft to this competition and am now working on a third draft.
A: Final Draft. Pen and paper.
Q: Do you write every day? How many hours per day?A: I write three days a week when I have child care for my 2 1/2 year old.
Q: Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with that?A: I get writers block in the form of years. Years go by like seconds and I realize that I just stopped writing. To prevent that I make sure to write at least a sentence a day to keep the neurons moving and keep the lockdown from happening.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: This is my first screenplay. I have a background as a playwright.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: I do live in LA.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: I'm working on another screenplay. Its a thriller/drama called HAAGWINDESTRAAT. Its about a 15 year old girl who is sent to live with her mother's ex boyfriend when her mother has a breakdown and she winds up trying to solve the murder of the girl who lived across the street.
Posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
