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Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Robert Gately
An interview with screenwriter Robert Gately regarding the Hollywood Scriptwriting Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: The title is Boo Hoo Flanagan and it's about a African American prison guard who teaches basketball to the inmates and he bonds with a white, crippled inmate who can shoot three-point baskets better than any professional player. It's a story about personal redemption with a good-feeling type of ending where basketball and personal honor meet center court.
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 Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute because it was a monthly contest, and I'm a bit obsessive. I like the quick turnaround times. Boo Hoo also won The Burris/hulett contest, also a monthly competition. The scripts also placed in contests such as Barrier Magazine, Storybay, American Screenwriting (flatshoe), American Zoetrope, Monterey Festival and Screenplay Festival.
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: The Institute is very consistent in announcing the winners on the first or second of the month following the deadline, and I'm pretty much satisfied how they handled my affairs. One of the perks of winning HSI was the free posting of the script on inktip.com. I was also allowed certain amenditites on "So You Wanna Sell Your Script" website which I'm in the progress of finalizing.
Q: Were you given any feedback on your script? If so, did you find the feedback helpful?A: No, I didn't received any feedback from them. But they never promised it either.
Q: Has your success in this contest helped you market your script? Were you contacted by any agents, managers or producers?A: Yes. I was just contacted by an agent who saw my logline/synopsis on inktip.com as a direct result of winning HSI.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I left a lucrative job in 1998 to write full time. Since then, I've written 8 screenplays, 2 stage plays and a novel which will be published by Sun Rising Press in the Spring of '05.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: No. I live in Pennsylvania. I'll go to LA if that's where my writing takes me, but I have no plans at the moment. Of course, if there are any producers out there who want to cut me a check for Boo Hoo Flanagan, I'll be on a plane tomorrow.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: I'm ready to finish a family piece I've been working on for the past couple of years. The family is my family, a true story that takes place from 1919 to 1998. This one is a hard one because it's more personal and I'm not allowed to fabricate any storylines or characters. I have a science fiction story floating in my head which I'm itching to write. The winter is coming and I might just start that one since I'm more prolific during the colder days of the year.
Posted Friday, November 5, 2004
