THE SHOT is the February 2016 1st Scene Screenplay Winner.
THE SHOT by Michael DeMattia
CAST LIST:
NARRATOR – Jarrid Terrell
HUNTER – Sasha Rajamani
Get to know writer Michael DeMattia:
1. What is your screenplay about?
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Digital Poetry.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Avatar.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
About five years.
6. How many stories have you written?
I’ve written countless scripts since dropping out of Emerson, ever trying to hone my craft and teach myself knew techniques, but officially? Three. My next one for instance takes the opposite approach, being a dialogue-heavy, horror masterpiece that will scare the $%&! out of you. You have my word on that.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
The biggest influence on why this film was created was how much an enthusiast I for the whole “Film vs. Digital” war. Tarantino himself has made comments regarding how, if you wanted to write a poem, that you wouldn’t type it… you’d write it with ink instead. While his films are also part novels, mine is part video game. I really wonder what some of the film lovers out there would think of this “movie”.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
While I’ve been toying with the outline and concept for some years, it wasn’t until a freak accident that got me to sit down and actually figure out how the hell to execute a film that would make everyone who watches it, perceive it differently, from a time standpoint. One day I was just playing basketball with my brother, and somehow in going for a rebound at the same time, his finger went *through* the right side of my nose. I didn’t know the laws of physics worked that way, must have missed that class. So I’ve been suffering from this severed nerve, confined to the indoors, and just dealing with the most unbearable, excruciating agony. I’m not a complainer though, and just used it to create a journey through self-discovery, about struggle in its purest form.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Love what you do. It might sound cliche, but I’m a firm believer that people simply do what they want. If you want to make a good film, you will. Practice. Practice. Practice. And that goes for any art form or life pursuit.
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Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson