Screenwriter Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Constantine Athanas
An interview with screenwriter Constantine Athanas regarding the Acclaim Film Writing Competition.
Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?A: POE is a macabre take on the mysterious (and still unsolved) death of Edgar Allan Poe, and the lifelong emotional distress and madness that led him to it. On the one hand, the screenplay is a fact-based account of Poe's life; at the same time, the story stands alone as a tale of mystery and horror that unfolds like a typical Poe short story--and therefore pays homage both to the man and his enduring work of fantastical fiction.
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 chose to send POE to the contests with the highest reputations. The Acclaim Film competition received particularly positive feedback on the "report card" and "comments" sections of the MovieBytes contest database. I entered POE in a few other contests where it has done very well (placing 2nd in A Feeding Frenzy and 5th in Red Inkworks).
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: Yes--all deadlines were met, all promises kept, all cash winnings paid out.
Q: Were you given any feedback on your script? If so, did you find the feedback helpful?A: Feedback is not part of the contest (if you want high quality feedback, try the contest run by A Feeding Frenzy). However, I did receive a nice letter from Frank Drouzas, the contest administrator, who pointed out a few things in the screenplay that he really enjoyed.
Q: Has your success in this contest helped you market your script? Were you contacted by any agents, managers or producers?A: I just found out I won, so I'm not sure if the companies that have contacted me are doing so because of winning Acclaim or because POE was a finalist in other contests.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I'm an attorney with a strong background in research and writing (I'm what's called a "litigator," formerly known as a "trial attorney" back when cases actually went to a jury). I recently finished writing IN THE DARK OF DAY, a supernatural thriller set in the perpetual darkness of an Alaskan winter. It's about a group of tourists who seek shelter in a Cold War listening post after their charter plane crashlands. While racing against time to send out a rescue beacon, something more deadly than the elements descends on the base. With fuel for the emergency generator running out and something unseen stalking them, the group must decide whether to wait for rescue or make a run for it into the cold, dark of day.
Numerous production companies have requested a copy of the script. It's a mid-budget scare-fest (John Carpenter's "The Thing" meets "Poltergeist") that I would love to see on the screen.
A: If someone were to give me a chance on a writing career, I'd move to L.A. in a heartbeat.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: Absolutely. I have two new scripts reaching completion.
The first is HOUSE OF SPARROWS, a supernatural thriller about an overly-protective mother who moves from the dangers of the city to the seeming tranquility of her New England home town--only to learn that the police are covering up a series of child abductions. When her daughter appears to be the next victim, she must confront the demons in her past--and the monster in her present--to save her child.
The second is NIKA, an epic story of action and intrigue based on the riots instigated by the charioteers in 6th Century Constantinople that nearly toppled the Byzantine Empire (the successor to the Roman Empire). The riots ultimately were quashed when the charioteers and 35,000 of their fans were lured into the Hippodrome and slaughtered in a surprise attack. This is a high-energy GLADIATOR on wheels.
Posted Wednesday, September 7, 2005
