MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter David (Nicholas) Hartmann

An interview with screenwriter David (Nicholas) Hartmann regarding the Kairos Prize Writing Competition.

A: The script is called "A Dolphin In Our Lake". The logline is: A Midwestern farmer in early World War II America must believe in the miracle of a dolphin appearing in his small fresh water lake, if he is to save his family farm, his terminally ill son, and ultimately his soul.

It's basically a coming to faith story. The dolphin is a huge symbol in the script. The terminally ill son first sees the dolphin, a promise from his dying grandfather. Then, the father and the rest of the family have to each decide for themselves if it is real - Do they "believe".

It sounds rather dark, but it has a lot of light moments in the script and quite a bit of humor. There are two children that play primary roles in the script, and I had a lot of fun writing for them.

A: The Kairos, unlike a lot of other contests, is very focused. It is very specific in its requirements. So, I knew that my script fit the criteria, and to be honest, with contests being a paid exercise, the amount of money offered for the Kairos is fantastic. It is far and away one of the better paying. You never assume you are going to win. But, if you are going to enter the arena, it's nice to know that there is a big payoff. And, their record of scripts getting optioned and/or produced is really impressive. I think it might be something like seven of the twenty-one winning scripts from the many years are moving forward into production or have been finished. That's a better record than just about any other contest.

The script has done very well in other contests. It was a semi-finalist at Kairos and then was heavily re-written for the winning year. It was a semi-finalist at Scriptapalooza. It was top 10% in the Nicholl. It was a semi-finalist (last 25 in family category) in the Page Awards. And, it was an Honorable Mention (Top 100) in the Writer's Digest International contest.

A: I could write a book about this subject (or maybe a screenplay). The entire experience was absolutely top-notch. From the moment they called to tell me about the win, they were in constant contact to arrange the flight to LA, the hotel accommodations (Universal Hilton), pick-up from the airport, wonderful meals I have never met a more gracious group of people than those involved with the MovieGuide Gala and Kairos contest - Dr. Ted Baehr, Michael Trent, too many to name.

Most contests don't even have a celebration, let alone the red carpet gala that my wife and I experienced. They could not find a flight back for us on the night after the gala. So, they put us up for another night in the hotel and even took us on a yacht cruise for the evening which was never part of the winning package!

And, of course, the check came in the mail as promised. And, they have continued to work on my behalf in the industry to support the script which is obviously a huge asset.

A: It probably took about two years. I was working on other projects in between. It probably went through about a dozen major revisions.

I never have been an "outliner". Everybody finds their own way. I usually start with scenes done freehand on legal pads. This lets me free associate and jump back and forth between chunks of the script, write in the margins, etc. Then, I type it in, rewriting as I go. Then, I make all the rest of the revisions on the computer. Outlining would probably be much faster! But, it never works for me.

A: I use Movie Magic. I started, probably like most, with Word, just using Tab, etc. But, getting a solid program, Movie Magic or Final Draft, is worth every penny. Once you get used to it, you almost wonder how you could work any other way.

A: I still have that "day" job. So, I try to put in at least a half an hour each night, sometimes a couple of hours. Then, on weekends, or days off, I may write for twenty hours straight. Not good for your posture, but it's all for the script, right?

A: I've never had writer's block. I always have more ideas than I have time to write. I probably have my next six scripts roughed out in my head.

Although, if I get stuck in a scene, the best thing for me to do is get up and get away for a while. Or, just jump to another section of the script, then come back.

A: I started as a short story writer, then moved into stage plays. I had some luck there with a couple of productions. I still love that form of writing. I love the immediacy of theatre. But, script writing seems to really suit my skills better than other forms. The playwriting helped me to learn dramatic three-act structure and dialogue has always been a strength of mine. Since narration is not my strong suit, I don't think I was cut out to be the next great fiction writer.

I have written several other scripts. One of them has a similar contest record to the winning Kairos script. No wins for that piece yet, but a lot of close calls in several of the major contests (Nicholl, Austin, Big Break, Writer's Digest, and Creative Worlds).

A: I don't live in LA. I would be willing to move if enough writing assignments occurred. Don't we all say that? And, I think any writer wanting to work in film, should make himself available for meetings in LA, New York, Austin, or wherever, if needed.

A: Always. You have to market the old scripts and keep writing something new. The current script is a romantic comedy due in theatreswhenever someone will pay me for it.

Posted Friday, September 28, 2012