matthew toffolo

Fan Fiction Screenplay: Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Power Loss by Jennifer Renner

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Watch the July 2016 Winning Fan Fiction Screenplay.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Power Loss by Jennifer Renner

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Synopsis: Episode 32.5 of the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The station welcomes visitors from a planet in the Gamma Quadrant that allows only women to hold positions of authority.

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Brandon Knox
BENNI – Susan Wilson
SORYA/KIRA – Meghan Allen
DAX/LELA – Courtney Keir
ODO – Julian Ford
BASHIR/QUARK – David Guthrie
SISKO/RISHTA – Sean Ballantyne

Get to know the winning writer Jennifer Renner

1. What is your TV Fan Fiction screenplay about?

Deep Space 9 welcomes visitors from a planet in the Gamma Quadrant that only allows women to hold positions of authority.

2. Why does this episode fit into the context of the show?

The episode uses a futuristic setting and the unique perspectives of the characters to discuss a social issue. One of my favorite things about the whole Star Trek phenomenon was the ability to look at potentially controversial issues under a new and intriguing light.

3. How would you describe this script in two words?

Existential exploration.

4. What TV show do you keep watching over and over again?

Star Trek: TNG

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I worked on this screenplay for about three months.

6. How many stories have you written?

I’ve written many short screenplays and three feature length screenplays.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I love the different personalities in DS9. The topic of gender has been in the spotlight recently and using the voices of DS9 seemed a good way to explore this issue.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

I don’t have much experience writing for TV, so that was fairly new to me. I also wanted to do justice to the Star Trek universe and it is a complex place to navigate. Use the term “warp coil” when you specifically mean “warp nacelle” and you’ve lost all credibility.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

All things film! From theory to shooting and editing, to just a lot of viewing, I enjoy it all.

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I was excited about the prospect of receiving feedback to improve my writing. The feedback I received offered many helpful suggestions, both in terms of my writing in general and as a piece in the DS9 universe. I’m definitely glad I entered this festival.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Although I don’t feel qualified to give advice, I would say to try writing as many different types of works as you can. From one-act plays to feature screenplays to poetry to just a really well-written email, there are so many ways to express yourself well through writing.

*****

Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Editor: John Johnson

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

June 2016 Fan Fiction Screenplay Winner

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Watch the June 2016 Fan Fiction Screenplay Winner. 

Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: https://fanfictionfestival.com/

SPACE 2099  by Kevin D  Story (Based on the television series Space  1999)

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Kelci Stephenson
JOHN – Geoff Mays
VICTOR/CARLOS – Julian Ford
HELENA/TANYA – Tee Schneider
ALAN/GERARD – Nathan Bragg
DAVID/TONY – Sean Ballantyne

Get to know the winning writer Kevin D. Story:

1. What is your TV Pilot screenplay based on the television show Space: 1999 about?

John Koenig, the commander of Moonbase Alpha, must prevent a terrorist group, led my an old adversary, from taking over a nuclear refinery.

2. How does this future remake fit into the context of the original TV show?

The screenplay is a re-imagining of the original pilot episode.

3. How would you describe this script in two words?

Action/drama

4. What TV show do you keep watching over and over again?

There’s more than one: Space 1999, Battlestar Galactica (the original and re-imagined), Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT), Babylon 5, Stargate (SG-1 and Atlantis) and Farscape.

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

It took about four months to finish the first draft, which was 137 pages. It took another two months to whittle it down to just under 100 pages. I’m still polishing it.

6. How many stories have you written?

I currently have two feature length scripts and a one-hour television pilot. I’ve also written two episodes of Space 2099 that would take place after the events of my pilot script. I’m currently working on a comedy feature.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I’ve been a fan of Space 1999 ever since I was six years old. Ronald Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica demonstrated to me that Space 1999 could undergo a similar makeover.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The biggest obstacle was trying to figure out how the Moon would breakaway from Earth’s orbit that sci-fi fans would perceive as feasible.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Keeping up with current events is important to me because it helps me to understand the world at large, which helps with my writing.

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I found the festival’s website as I was looking for screenplay contests that I could enter. I was impressed with the testimonials from past contestants. Watching a couple of past readings also had an impact. The feedback I received was incredibly helpful.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Never give up. Writing takes time, patience and research. Enter into as many contests as possible, especially ones that offer quality feedback, like the Fan Film Festival.

***
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: John Johnson

Fan Fiction TV Spec: SPACE 2099 by Kevin D Story (Based on the television series Space 1999 )

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Watch the winning Fan Fiction Screenplay for June 2016.

SPACE 2099  by Kevin D  Story (Based on the television series Space  1999)

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Kelci Stephenson
JOHN – Geoff Mays
VICTOR/CARLOS – Julian Ford
HELENA/TANYA – Tee Schneider
ALAN/GERARD – Nathan Bragg
DAVID/TONY – Sean Ballantyne

Get to know the winning writer Kevin D. Story:

1. What is your TV Pilot screenplay based on the television show Space: 1999 about?

John Koenig, the commander of Moonbase Alpha, must prevent a terrorist group, led my an old adversary, from taking over a nuclear refinery.

2. How does this future remake fit into the context of the original TV show?

The screenplay is a re-imagining of the original pilot episode.

3. How would you describe this script in two words?

Action/drama

4. What TV show do you keep watching over and over again?

There’s more than one: Space 1999, Battlestar Galactica (the original and re-imagined), Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT), Babylon 5, Stargate (SG-1 and Atlantis) and Farscape.

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

It took about four months to finish the first draft, which was 137 pages. It took another two months to whittle it down to just under 100 pages. I’m still polishing it.

6. How many stories have you written?

I currently have two feature length scripts and a one-hour television pilot. I’ve also written two episodes of Space 2099 that would take place after the events of my pilot script. I’m currently working on a comedy feature.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I’ve been a fan of Space 1999 ever since I was six years old. Ronald Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica demonstrated to me that Space 1999 could undergo a similar makeover.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The biggest obstacle was trying to figure out how the Moon would breakaway from Earth’s orbit that sci-fi fans would perceive as feasible.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Keeping up with current events is important to me because it helps me to understand the world at large, which helps with my writing.

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I found the festival’s website as I was looking for screenplay contests that I could enter. I was impressed with the testimonials from past contestants. Watching a couple of past readings also had an impact. The feedback I received was incredibly helpful.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Never give up. Writing takes time, patience and research. Enter into as many contests as possible, especially ones that offer quality feedback, like the Fan Film Festival.

***
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: John Johnson

 

May 2016 Fan Fiction Screenplay Winners

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Watch the May 2016 Fan Fiction Screenplay Winners. 

STAR WARS Episode 1: The Redemption of Skywalker Feature Screenplay
Written by Bryan O’Flaherty
Read 10 Questions with the writer

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Synopsis: Some stories are too important, some stories must be retold. The story of Anakin Skywalker will be molded between the pressure of separate forces vying for his soul, which will determine the fate of the galaxy.

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Sean Ballantyne
ANAKIN – Chris Ormrod
SHALI/MARA – Isabella Bontorin
OWEN/VARIOUS – Neil Kulin
ADMIRAL LEOPOLD/VARIOUS – Mark Sparks
OBI-WAN – Dan Cristofori

*****

POWER TV Pilot  (Green Lantern Pilot)
Written by Hisonni Johnson
Read 10 Questions with the writer

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Comic book, Drama, Sci Fi, Action, Superhero

Synopsis: A tragic turns of events leaves one of the world’s greatest heroes injured, without his powers and public enemy number one.

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Sean Ballantyne
JOHN – Mark Sparks
SANDRA – Lavinia Latham
SHIERA – Isabella Bontorin
DENNIS – Neil Kulin
LAWTON – Dan Cristofori

***

Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: John Johnson

Fan Fiction TV Spec Reading of MAGNUM P.I. by Lew Ritter

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Watch the March 2016 Fan Fiction Screenplay Winner.

Watch MAGNUM P.I.: Chrysanthemum Table Reading:

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Val Cole
MAGNUM – Rob Notman
ALLISON – Alicia Payne
T.C./SIMONSEN – Ucal Shillingford
HIGGINS/RICK – Kari-Michael Helava

Get to know writer Lew Ritter:

1. What is your Magnum PI screenplay about?

In the 80’s a computer whiz and former army buddy, fakes his own death to stop the theft of a then state of he art super computer. Chrysanthemum.

2. How does this episode fit into the context of the TV show? What season would this episode be in?

Probably early in the series.

3. How would you describe this script in two words?

Fast paced.

4. What TV show do you keep watching over and over again?

Gotham or Sleepy Hollow.

5. This is a very tight, emotionally engaging and fun screenplay. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I did an early draft in the late 80’s and then made some changes based on the comments from the Festival readers.

6. How many stories have you written?

About seven scripts including a pilot for a series about the seventies called Turbulence.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

Homage to a great show. It had humor and great story lines. I loved the characters including Higgins.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

None really, it practically wrote itself. I did some research and tacked on an ending where the friend is off to meet Bill Gates, then an unknown computer guy at the time.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Teaching. I am a teacher at local charter school.

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

Very accessible. Fee was reasonable. Above all, I got the feeling that the reader was knowledgable about scripts and made great suggestions for polishing the script.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Keep writing. Be prepared to write for a number of years before you get good.

****
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson

Movie Review: IRON MAN 3 (2013)

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Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: http://fanfictionfestival.com

Read Interview with Star Wars Storyboard Artist Kurt Van der Basch

MOVIE POSTERIRON MAN 3, 2013
Movie Reviews

Director: Shane Black

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle

Review by Matthew Toffolo

REVIEW:

Tony Stark uses his ingenuity to fight those who destroyed his private world and soon goes up against his most powerful enemy yet: the Mandarin. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) has literally everything a man could ever want. More money and fame than he knows what to do with, a great girl (Gwyneth Paltrow), an amazing house and even better toys and to top it off when he’s not jetting around the world as a billionaire playboy he’s the superhero Iron Man. But when a crazed terrorist (Ben Kingsley) starts blowing up pieces of the world Tony begins to realize he may be up against the one thing even he can’t handle: the second sequel.

Third time’s the charm, isn’t that how it goes? Except usually not, at least as far as film franchises go. Third time is usually where the gasp of creativity that breathed life into the series to begin with finally starts to run out, leaving the filmmakers with one of two possible options: either keep repeating what has worked already on larger and larger scales ad nauseum, or break the series apart and come at it from a brand new angle.

Very few series opt for option two, since it is a very risky proposition at the best of times. At best you’ll generally get some sort of middle ground in between options 1 and 2 – which pretty well sums up writer-director Shane Black’s (“Lethal Weapon,” “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”) stab at “Iron Man 3.”

He has, like many before him, decided to focus on what has worked in Iron Man before and provide more of it. Fortunately for him what worked before has been less big effects or ideas and more along the lines of star Robert Downey, Jr. doing what he does. Like no other actor in a superhero film (except perhaps Heath Ledger’s turn as the Joker), Downey has made both the character of Tony Stark and the role of Iron Man his, and most of the joy of these films is watching him swagger and strut and attempt to hide Tony’s many faults through snark and arrogance. Of course, Downey has done this three times already now so he can do Iron Man in his sleep if he has to.

Fortunately, Black is not going to let anyone rest on their laurels. He’s given a real think at how to advance an Iron Man story beyond what has come before and the result is not only the cleverest action beats in the series to date, but the most work Downey has had to put into them. In fact, for all the many dozens of suits of armor flying around through the film and all the people wearing them (at one point it seems as if the entire cast is put into a suit at one point) Iron Man 3 actually boasts the least Iron Man of the series to date.

After brazenly calling out The Mandarin on live TV, Tony’s home soon comes under attack and is destroyed, leaving him on his own with only his mind and his wits to help him figure out what the Mandarin is up to and what it has to do with an old girlfriend (Maya Hall) and a shady think-tank called Advanced Idea Mechanics who have been cooking a up a means to make the human body stronger and better called Extremis.

It’s a bit of a gamble but it works as Downey is actually more relatable and more fun to watch out of his armor than in it, and he’s helped but tight script from Black and screenwriter Drew Pearce who have applied a liberal dose of comedy relief that has the benefit of actually being funny.

On the downside, along with the armor, a lot of Tony’s supporting cast tends to come and go for long periods, particularly once he disappears into rural Tennessee to follow up a lead. Sure they get stuff to do – Happy follows some suspicious characters and sets the plot in motion, Rhodey once again backs Tony up during the action finish after doing little else the rest of the time, and Pepper actually gets into the action movie game for the first time, particularly during the middle segment when she briefly gets a suit of her own.

But then they disappear so that Downey can go off and trade quips with a 10 year old for 30 minutes. Which is, it must be said, far better than it sounds due to Stark’s inability to actually be sappy but it’s still hard to feel like you’re being gipped somehow. After two films setting these characters up and making you care about them, they are shipped off because now no one knows what to do with them.

Those are generally small quibbles, though, as “Iron Man” continues to set the bar for Marvel’s solo superhero films through a combination of wit, charm and out and out entertainment. It’s not quite as good as “Iron Man 2” – but then I’m one of the few who thinks Iron Man 2 is the best of the series – but it’s not far off and certainly does no shame to the series. I don’t know how many more of these they can make, but so far it doesn’t look like they’ve run out of steam quite yet.

 

 

Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: http://fanfictionfestival.com

Read Interview with Star Wars Storyboard Artist Kurt Van der Basch

Movie Review: IRON MAN (2008)

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Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: http://fanfictionfestival.com

Read Interview with Star Wars Storyboard Artist Kurt Van der Basch

IRON MAN MOVIE POSTER
IRON MAN
Movie Review

Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges,
Review by Salome Bell

SYNOPSIS:

When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.

REVIEW:

You can’t send a boy to do a man’s job, and you can’t put a man in a role that calls for him to be smarter than he is.

Fortunately for “Iron Man,” Robert Downey Jr. carries enough weight for any ten metallic suits, and seems like exactly the kind of guy who could build them

Popcorn movies have a tendency to underwhelm, but “Iron Man” has managed a pretty miraculous feat — to sneak in almost under the radar with few television ads and deliberately vague trailers, and to be the best flick I’ve seen this year and a natural to go on my list of top comic book films of all time.

Everything works. The casting is perfect. Paltrow shines as the essential but overlooked Poppy Potts, despite a last-moment shoe choice that says just about everything you can about fashion victimization. Jeff Bridges has just as much chemistry cast as the mentor/father figure to Downey Jr.’s obsessed Stark. The script is everything you could want — witty, intelligent, and steering clear for the most part of the usual comic cliches.

Even the ubiquitous Stan Lee cameo is a treat, which I will not spoil. .

If there’s one thing I could criticize, it’s that the story bogs down briefly while it shifts its bearings between Stark pre- and post-captivity, where it seems to be reinventing its moral center, much as Stark is at the same moment. Current films self-consciously walk the thin line between portraying the U.S. as a benevolent superpower or as a force just as prone to cause problems as solve them. “Iron Man” knows certain people have to die, and that because it’s a comic book movie, it has to relish the manner of those deaths to show off Stark’s new invention. But it never feels comfortable; in these years since the fall of the U.S.S.R., Hollywood is still searching for the perfect hateable villain.

But, smartly, things get personal and everything falls as snugly into place as Iron Man’s hydraulic armor. This film thunders through to the end, at once a flick that a newbie with no clue about Stark or Iron Man’s pic-lit roots can love while providing enough insider tips of the hat to thrill the fans with the feeling that, “Yes, Victoria, there is a Santa Claus watching over Marvel Comics movies.” The effects are seamless and organic so you feel every bump when Stark hits the ground (or a concrete wall), and Favreau has a brilliant touch with injecting just a little bit of humor into the darkest scenes. “Iron Man” is going to do well, really well, at the theatres, and it’s a movie not only a fan will want to own.

3 1/2 stars out of 4!

Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: http://fanfictionfestival.com

Read Interview with Star Wars Storyboard Artist Kurt Van der Basch

DOCTOR WHO “The Time Cuckoo” by David Gilbank & Paul Renhard

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Submit your Fan Fiction Screenplay to the Festival: http://fanfictionfestival.com

Watch the Fan Fiction Table Reading “The Time Cuckoo”

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Amaka Umeh
DOCTOR – Hugh Ritchie
AMY – Victoria Urquhart
NELSON – Julian Ford
VENTRILLIS – Sean Ballantyne
REGAZZA – Mohogany Brown
HARDY – Isaac Alfie

Get to know writers David Gilbank & Paul Renhard:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Doctor Who screenplay about? 

David Gilbank & Paul Renhard: The Doctor is forced to kidnap Lord Nelson by an alien race who believe Nelson’s battle skills will help them win a war that has been raging for centuries.

Matthew: Where does this episode fit into the context of the series? 

David & Paul: It was written for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. Although I’m pretty sure with a bit of tinkering, we could adjust to suit Doctors past and present.

Matthew: Your screenplay ends with a twist and a setup to a future conflict with the Doctor. Do you have episode 2 and beyond of your Doctor Who universe written or outlined? 

David & Paul: Not yet but it’s on our list of ‘things to do’. We’re currently in pre-production on a screenplay that we wrote about sport and love. That’s right a love story mixed up in a sport story. Think Rocky meets Pretty Woman and Love Actually. Or Slapshot in Love. Or something like that. We did it for the money.

Matthew: Who is your all-time favorite actor who played Doctor Who? 

David & Paul: Tough one – it would come down to Tom Baker or Jon Pertwee and we’d probably for Baker just because of The Seeds of Doom! Or Pertwee in the Planet of the Spiders. We did like Davis Tennant too.

Matthew: Who is your favorite non-Doctor character in the series? 

David & Paul: The Daleks. Every hero has to have his or her antagonists and the Daleks are just the best bad guys in fiction. Also liked Mike Yates, Sgt Benton and The Master (particularly Roger Delgado – Moriarty Deluxe). Also have to say I (Dave) loved the Tomb of the Cybermen. A beautifully written adventure with a claustrophobia akin to Alien (made some 10 years later). I love the way the old series (60’s and 70’s in particular) had to rely on storytelling to make up for the sparse FX and miniscule budgets.

Matthew: What TV show do you keep watching over and over again…besides Doctor Who?

David & Paul: The Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy TV mini-series – Alec Guinness as George Smiley. Perfect telly. I also loved Callan. Edward Woodward as a deadeye killer with a whiff of conscience was mesmerising. Loved the rebooted Battlestar Galactica. That story deserved to be re-made and those guys did it. Spectacularly written and wonderful acting. One of the best TV series ever made, scifi or other. I’m also re-watching The West Wing again. It’s like revisiting old friends. Aaron Sorkin has the IQ of Skynet.

Matthew: How long have you been working on this screenplay?  

David & Paul: About three months.

Matthew: How many stories have you written? 

David & Paul: Loads. We wrote a SciFi horror screenplay in 2010 called ‘Cull’ that won several screenwriting awards around the world. Think Soylent Green meets Alien. Its horrifying but a wild ride. We’ve also written several TV series, usually involving gangsters and aliens. We’ve just made a short film that is being well received. We’ve also written a ghost/horror screenplay which is currently doing well on the festival circuit.

Matthew: What motivated you to write this screenplay? 

David & Paul: We just love Doctor Who and the creative possibilities are infinite! We are ambitious writers and thought we could write something pretty exciting.

Matthew: What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay? 

David & Paul: A 9 to 5 job and, clashing personalities. Fortunately Dave is pretty obsessive and is pretty driven to complete projects. Dave finishes. Paul rewrites. Dave changes it back. They argue. They don’t talk for a week. Paul changes it back, Dave sulks. Paul thinks he’s got his own way. Dave sneakily changes it without Paul knowing…and voila a perfect writing team.(I didn’t know you did that!) (Just joking) (Really?) (of course) (I knew it!) (here’s a bottle of Johnny Walker. Drink it now) (Ok, but I will be checking in future) (sure you will, Drink…drink…driiiiink) (I love you) (shut up).

Matthew: Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

David & Paul: We both love making films! So far we’ve only had the resources to make short films, but watch this space! Dave loves cricket, physics, Rugby League (Brisbane Broncos), Evolutionary archeology, history, carnivorous plants, digging holes and road rage. Paul likes writing and nothing else.

Matthew: What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

David & Paul: We’re always on the lookout for festivals to enter and this is the only one we know of that would let us enter a script based on an existing TV franchise. It’s always great to receive constructive criticism of your work, it’s the only way to make your writing better.

We accept we probably tried to cram too much into the episode, but we just couldn’t help it!

Matthew: Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers? 

David & Paul: We’re really not in a position to offer advice, as we’ve never had anything made, barring our own short films, which are of varying quality. However, the only sage advice is to write! Just start writing, anything. The more you write the better you get at it. We’re both advertising copywriters during the day and we’ve learned that anything down on the laptop screen is better than nothing at all. Also listening to music and listening to the voices in your head is good. Unless they tell you to rob a bank or overthrow the government.

—

Producer/Director – Matthew Toffolo
Casting Director – Sean Ballantyne
Editor – John Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Sean Ballantyne, Batman Fan Fiction Screenplay Winner

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Watch the Winning Fan Fiction Screenplay of Batman “Joker’s Vendetta”:

Interview with the winning writer Sean Ballantyne by Matthew Toffolo:

Matthew: What motivated you to write this Batman Fan Short Script?

Sean: Practice, and fun, really. I had an idea to write a fan-film and cram it with all the references I could to see how far I could go without derailing it. Ultimately it was a great exercise in scripting.

Matthew: What is this script about?

Sean: I was kind of going for a theme of duality. Each major character has two lives that they live, there are two angles to everything etc. It’s not entirely evident in the end result, but my ability to write thematic explorations wasn’t as evolved back then. (I first wrote it over ten years ago.) Plot wise, it’s about the Joker murdering mobsters, and no one really knows why.

Matthew: What Batman universe does this script fall under?

Sean: The Sean-iverse! =)

I didn’t place it in any specific existing continuity. Though, I did envision a late 40s- early 50s kind of feel in terms of look and style. I left any direct references out of the script itself, it was simply my thoughts for setting while writing it.

Matthew: The character of Penguin is dynamic but not what I was used to in a Penguin as many of us see the Danny DeVito – Batman Returns character. Who is the real Penguin in the Batman universe? Yours or the Tim Burton version?

Sean: Penguin has gone through a lot of changes over the years, many of them silly. I hated the Danny DeVito version. I prefer the Penguin as a criminal aristocrat – a gentleman of crime. Before the Dark Knight Rises went into production, I had this hope that Christopher Nolan was going to use the Penguin (Philip Seymour Hoffman was rumoured for the role at the time) as just that – a crime boss akin to Marvel’s Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) – outwardly a socially upstanding pillar of the community – but really a crimelord. This would be a great counterpoint to Bruce Wayne, who is outwardly a spoiled brat, living a playboy lifestyle but secretly risks his life to help the city.

Matthew: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), how badly do you want to turn this script into a movie?

Sean: Oh, I’d say a 7 or 8. If I had the expendable cash I’d totally try and make it. But I suspect that, in order to do it right, I’d need a lot more expendable cash than I currently have. A LOT more. Do you think a Kickstarter might work? Ha!

Matthew: What movie have you seen the most in your life?

Sean: Likely a toss up between the original Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. As a kid I played them over and over.

Matthew: What year do you predict Warner Brothers to “rebrand” the Batman franchise?

Sean: That would be next year. The movie’s already made and coming out next Summer. Warner’s scrambling to catch up to Marvel on the whole ‘shared universe’ concept. They’re starting with the crossover event (Batman Vs Superman) and everyone’s getting a solo afterwards.

Matthew: What’s the process on writing a fan script? To just understand the universe you’re writing for backwards and forwards?

Sean: Absolutely – you definitely need to know the characters. At the same time, it’s a creative work, so there’s wiggle room to try something new. But having that understanding going in is really important if you want to be true to the story’s roots, I think. To paraphrase Picasso – know the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.

Matthew: If you could be a comic book character, who would you be?

Sean: Argh! Too many to choose from… my head’s going to explode with the possibilities!

Matthew: What comic book character needs to have their own movie franchise?

Sean: A lot of the ones I’d like to see are already in production – Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Wonder Woman (finally), Deadpool….

I’d love to see The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen redone properly. Alas, Alan Moore has been so mistreated by various entities when it comes to his properties, he’s pretty much stated that none of is work will ever get a film treatment again if he can help it.

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