From Winning Feature Screenplay Writer Brooke Elowe (BLACK WIDOW: FUGITIVE)
Seeing as this was a passion project of mine, I really wanted to have an industry professional’s point of view, as having a knowledgeable set of eyes reading the script would benefit the story. The feedback was fantastic. It was critical without being negative, bettered the script overall, and increased my confidence as a screenwriter.
WATCH Winning Screenplay Video:
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Fantasy
After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff is on the run. Branded a fugitive for violating the Sokovia Accords, Natasha tries to keep her head down and lay low, but there’s no rest for the world’s greatest spy…
Set in England in the early 1800s, and tells the story of the Bentleys, a family composed of Aunt Lucy, the matriarch, and her three orphan nieces, Eliza, Julia, and Mary. Aunt Lucy’s goal in life is to arrange good marriages to her nieces, fulfilling a promise she made to her sister in her deathbed, sister who had been disowned by their father.
“The Great Adventure of the Bentley Girls” is set in England in the early 1800s, and tells the story of the Bentleys, a family composed of Aunt Lucy, the matriarch, and her three orphan nieces, Eliza, Julia, and Mary. Aunt Lucy’s goal in life is to arrange good marriages to her nieces, fulfilling a promise she made to her sister in her deathbed, sister who had been disowned by their father. Aunt Lucy, however, is unable to get married, because if she does, all the fortune that was left to her by her father would be given to her future husband. Therefore, Aunt Lucy decides to remain unmarried so that she can have control over her inheritance, and provide decent dowries to her nieces. Her task is a difficult one as certain things come into play, such as love, reputation, betrayal, and greed.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
This screenplay is a historical drama.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I strongly believe that there’s a public for it. Period pieces are always of interest to many people, and I am sure that the legion of Jeanettes (Jane Austen’s fans) would love to see another movie inspired by this amazing author. Furthermore, I think that a film led by a strong female ensamble cast is what we need right now. I hope that my film can inspired women to be the masters of their own lives, even if they are facing the harshest of realities. Though my characters live in a male-centric society, where a good marriage is the highest ambition a woman could have, I show how they find ways to bend that society’s rules and live their lives as they believe they should.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
It’s hard to describe it with only two words, so I’m going to bend the rules here and go with “Unapologetic Feminist Jane Austen Fan Fiction”.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Probably the Harry Potter series. Have I mentioned that I am also a Potterhead?
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I had the original idea for this screenplay about 15 years ago, when I first feel in love with Jane Austen and the world she created in her novels. However, I did not get to write it until recently; I don’t think I was mature enough to develop this story until now, so I saved it for when the moment was right, which was about two years ago. From there, it took me about one and a half years to do extensive research, which included a trip to the English countryside to see the actual location of my film, and then to finally write a first draft. I have been working on rewrites ever since.
7. How many stories have you written?
I have written several stories, but this is my first feature screenplay.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Drops of Jupiter, by Train. I totally identify with the girl he’s describing in the song.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Probably time to write and research. I am a film professor with a very busy schedule, so finding the time to do research to make sure I got the time period right was a great challenge. And then, of course, writing demands time, inspiration, and concentration, things that are hard to come by when you have another full time job.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Watching and making films, of course. Traveling comes right after, wanderlust runs in my veins.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
Film Freeway is an excellent platform. I love how easy it is to navigate and find out the best festival for your film/screenplay.
12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
When I read the description for this festival, I immediately knew that my screenplay and the fan fiction film festival were a match made in heaven. This is a great festival, with a very original idea of how to award the winners, and the feedback was very appropriate and valuable. I could tell that whoever read my screenplay, did so with much attention to detail and with an open mind. Thank you for this opportunity!
1. What is your fan fiction TV PILOT screenplay about?
On the night before summer vacation, Fred’s dad is murdered by a serial killer. As Fred’s reeling from loss, Daphne, a cheerleader and lifelong mystery geek, enlists her estranged best friend Velma and Fred’s own cowardly stoner best friend Shaggy to track down the killer. The four of them, with Scooby-Doo in tow, work to unravel various mysteries, deal with bullying, and experience first love.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Mystery and CW-style teen drama
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a TV show?
What initially inspired this whole thing was an observation I had after years of consuming Scooby-Doo in various forms. I have never seen a scene in any of the television shows, books, comics, or the animated or live-action films where I believed Shaggy and Fred were friends. Not one. This is despite the fact that the two of them were inspired by best friend Dobie and Maynard from “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis”. At its emotional core, I wanted to create a series that would eventually touch on the unique relationships between each of the members of Mystery Inc. because high school is such a vulnerable time when some kids feel like they live or die by those relationships and I had a special interest in exploring what a Fred and Shaggy friendship would look like.
Aside from that, I think now is a great time for a live-action Scooby-Doo television series as the success of Riverdale and the upcoming Sabrina the Teenage Witch spinoff have illustrated that there’s a definite market for this kind of interpretation. I also wanted to introduce a larger audience to Thorn and the Hex Girls who were first introduced in Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost and Red Herring, the bully from the criminally underrated A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Groovy murder
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Chasing Amy.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
About three months off and on.
7. How many stories have you written?
I couldn’t give you an exact number, but I’m always writing! I’d say I have a decent bushel.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
I developed a deep fondness for “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” by Neil Young while I was writing this. I must have listened to it a hundred times.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
My biggest problem in finishing any screenplay is figuring out what to do when I hit a roadblock. I get really excited about an idea and then I can’t figure out how to move forward. Part of this, is that I’ve never done well with outlines. However, I’m very lucky because I have people in my life who were willing to read this script multiple times and give me great notes. I would not have been able to finish this silly script without their constructive criticism and support.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I’m currently learning American Sign Language! It’s a really beautiful language and I think it’s fascinating that even though I’m from the country where it originated, I’ve rarely ever seen it since I’ve had little exposure to Deaf culture.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
It’s been fantastic! I use FilmFreeway all the time because it’s so convenient.
12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
Here’s the thing, while I was finishing my MFA last year, in a practice pitch session I blurted out something I never realized about myself – one of my wildest fantasies is being a writer on a Scooby-Doo project. I knew I had a Scooby-Doo story in me, but I didn’t want it just to sit on my computer and not go anywhere. When I came across this festival, I couldn’t have been more relieved that there were people out there that were actually interested in my insane, nerdy ramblings.
The feedback couldn’t have been nicer. I was directed gently away from my original idea of doing a 1960s period piece into something more modern and was given some truths about my tendency to overwrite. The script is all the better for it and I couldn’t be more grateful to the Fan Fiction Festival.
Fallen – a Star Wars story is about Bixel, an exJedi who’s left the order to start a family on a distant planet. An unexpected visitor arrives and disrupts the peaceful life he’s struggled to create.
At it’s heart it’s about understanding that character and integrity, not uniforms and dogma are what make a hero.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Fantasy and Science Fiction, and of course Star Wars, which should be a genre in and of itself.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I believe it would start a dialogue about patience, caring and the people we call heroes in our society.
I think Star Wars has always been very progressive in its themes. Even the prequels were filled with subversive plot lines and thought provoking ideas – it was the story of a corrupt government working with a corporation to create an endless profitable war. The original trilogy was about fighting against the establishment. And just recently THE LAST JEDI’s true villain was toxic masculinity.
FALLEN continues with these themes. It is allegory of the over-reach of the Police, which is unfortunately happening around the world and in our country. Jac Pale believes himself faultless and is emboldened by his status a Jedi. Like a police officer who believes his uniform should illicit veneration, he is incapable of seeing the situation with Bixel and his daughter correctly. He then attacks and punishes instead of guiding, protecting and giving aid.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Exciting and heartbreaking.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
ehhhh – it’s probably STAR WARS. But I promise I am into way more than that.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
The story and themes were with me for sometime. I wrote and edited it in about two weeks.
7. How many stories have you written?
I’ve written a feature film, THE JOURNAL OF 2ND LT. ISAAC BANGS. It’s a action / horror movie that takes place in Manhattan during the American Revolution. I’m working on a few shorts. THE ALGORITHM takes a science fiction bent on the dangers of following religious dogma blindly. The others, ISSUES vol 1 and ISSUES vol 2 – are about a psychiatrist whose clients are superheroes. Vol. 1, like FALLEN, is about how integrity of character makes a hero – not fancy costumes and powers. Vol. 2 is a sweet love story of two superheroes struggling with social issues and the hazards of secret identities. ISSUES has a great deal of comic book art that I have drawn myself, under the nom de plume – BIXEL BOONE.
I have also got another Star Wars short, about smugglers figuring out the political climate of the galaxy after the first DEATH STAR has been destroyed.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Currently – YOUR LOVE by THE OUTFIELD. Music is always a big part of my artistic endeavors. YOUR LOVE is having an influence on ISSUES vol 2. It was DUEL OF THE FATES from THE PHANTOM MENACE soundtrack for FALLEN.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
“Showing not telling” – writing behavior. It is something that, being a new writer, I’m currently struggling. I’ve a treasure trove of ideas and I’m just learning to turn them into screenplays.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I am also an actor and an artist. I have been an actor in NYC for many years. Some years ago I was diagnosed with leukemia, which set me back a few years in my career. Fortunately, I am 100% back and have beaten it soundly. After returning to show-business, I realized I wanted to explore new ways to tell the stories running around in my head.
I am also a senior dog adoption advocate. And My wife and I have a 12 year old poodle named Vanilla Bean.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
Great – I love it. I’ve got all the deadlines stashed away so I can submit all the screenplays I am working on for next year’s festivals.
12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I wanted to find a way to do something more with these Star Wars Shorts than just show my friends. So…honestly – I googled “fan fiction screenplay festivals”.
The initial feedback was amazing! it was so helpful and much more detailed than I expected. It taught me things about myself a writer that I don’t think I could have discovered elsewhere.
TEARS IN THE RAIN, 11min., South Africa, Fan Fiction/Sci-Fi
Directed by Christopher Harvey
Tears In The Rain is a short film set in the world of Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) as well as the motion picture Blade Runner (1982).
CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!
MAN-AT-ARMS, 10min, UK, Fan Fiction//Animation
TEARS IN THE RAIN, 11min., South Africa, Fan Fiction/Sci-Fi
FAN FICTION Film and Writing Festival 