MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Matt Larkin

An interview with screenwriter Matt Larkin regarding the ScriptVamp/Feature Writing Competition.

A: My script is called H-O-R-S-E. It's a screwball comedy (co-written with Ian Van Den Hurk) about two best friends who fall in love with the same girl. To win her over, they decide to settle the dispute with a wild competition. They use the same rules of the basketball game "H-O-R-S-E" -- only they apply it to their everyday lives. Instead of mimicking each other's shots in the driveway, they're matching each other's ridiculous, embarrassing, extreme dares. The longer the game goes, the more it destroys their lives.

H-O-R-S-E puts the star characters, Clark and Robbie, to the ultimate test. What would they do for love? Would they jump off a bridge? Eat garbage? Show up to work with no pants on? French kiss their own grandparents? H-O-R-S-E answers absurd, often disgusting questions like that.

A: I had two primary criteria when seeking out writing contests: (a) a strong industry reputation and (b) useful feedback. ScriptVamp fit the bill twofold. It had plenty of strong reviews and was known for providing very detailed coverage along with a report card. I'm happy to say that this contest delivered exactly what was promised.

We entered half a dozen other contests with H-O-R-S-E and made at least the semifinals in all but one. H-O-R-S-E has been a finalist at STORYPROS and ScripVamp; it was also a semi-finalist at L.A. Comedy Shorts' screenwriting contest. It's currently still in the running for the finals at Screenplay Festival.

A: I'm extremely satisfied with ScriptVamp's handling of the DreamQuest Feature Screenwriting Competition. It met every deadline as promised (and you'd be surprised at how many contests doddle and repeatedly extend their own deadlines). I haven't received awards yet -- though I don't expect to this soon (and third place doesn't win you too much).

A: That's a tough question to answer! Technically, our original draft of H-O-R-S-E took two to three months. But, in reality, that was more than two years ago. We we-wrote the script four times before submitting to contests, with each new draft taking a month or longer.

Outline? You bet! It's oh-so useful to lay out all your story beats and visualize how the plot points come together.

A: Naturally, we went with the industry standard: Final Draft. I swear by it. I sometimes convert files to PDF but I don't think that counts as "other software"!

A: I'm a professional writer by trade, so I technically write five or six days a week for at least five hours.

However, in terms of pure screenwriting, I do it two to three times a week at this stage of my career, always for at least two or three hours per session. It's important to get momentum.

A: Of course I get writer's block! Some people say it's best to grind through it. I subscribe more to the philosophy that forced ideas just don't work. Every good script idea, every good scene, comes naturally in my case. Instead of forcing myself to write two hours every single day, sometimes I function better if I write when I'm "hot." That could mean writing for eight hours straight when I'm really feeling fresh and creative; it could also mean walking away from some material for several days at a time.

That said, you can't hide behind writer's block forever, right? There are times when I push through a block -- at least when it's a small one (say, being stuck on a particular line or scene).

A: I come from a journalism background. I did my education in media studies and have worked in newspaper, television and the online sector.

I've written four feature films to this point (two collaborative, two solo) and I've colloaborated on one TV series. I've also collaborated on half a dozen short films.

A: I don't live in L.A. at this point. There's an excellent chance that I'll move there someday. If any of my work makes a major splash, it's almost a given that I'll end up in La-La land.

A: H-O-R-S-E is starting to generate some industry buzz after its strong showing in multiple contests, so I'll be working hard to sell that script in the short term.

I'm also finalizing two other features at the moment. After that, it'll be time to start a brand new project, which is always exciting!

Posted Tuesday, March 22, 2011