The Writer, Director, Producer
Born on an Air Force Base in North Dakota, John Wayne Bosley was named after the legendary actor John Wayne. At age seven he started writing short stories. By age twelve he was writing more and the length of his stories were becoming more involved. At this age he wrote his first screenplay, The Knight Story, kicking off his pursuit of filmmaking, which eventually would end any pursuit of “the next great novel." At age 15 he started to dabble more into writing poetry on the side which helped to influence his style of dialogue and pacing of his scripts. His senior year of high school he took a class on video productions with Brenda Jepson (now the Co-chair of the Maine Film Commission). Jepson taught and inspired him to continue his pursuit of filmmaking. In 2001, four months after 9/11, after reading “Rebel Without a Crew” By filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, John was inspired with the idea for the script later to be named: “The Allan Carter Saga Part I: ‘amnesia’” which he wrote, directed and produced. “Amnesia” went through 13 drafts and took 6 ½ years to complete.
Learn more about John and his projects @ J.B. Movies and Visual Arts and on Twitter.
The Movie
Allan Carter wakes up with amnesia . Only one thought drives him forward: “I have to find my family!” He finds himself being shot at, hiding in caves and secret tunnels, and being chased through the forest while constantly searching for the truth. What kind of world did he wake up to? And, what really happened to his family?
Writing for the Screen
For those of you who write for different arenas - big screen, boob tube, stage, page, web - what are elements that differ for you as the writer in regards to how you SEE the story unfolding in each arena?
I have written both stageplays and screenplays. But I write my stageplays like screenplays. I try to keep a steady pace. I write into the script how the actors leave the stage and the stage is changed while action is going on so there there is no lag time. When you watch a TV show or a film, there isn't a two-minute delay for the scene to change; the story just continues going. I try to find ways when writing stageplays to do the same thing. Sometimes I have them carry conversation with curtain closed. Sometimes write it that the scene is intentionally changing behind them as they are moving across stage. Whatever creative way that I can keep the play going, conceiving how it will look performed, so that there is no stopping or starting up between scenes.
What similarities, things no matter the medium, are important for a good story to be told?
An "inciting incident" which poses a question like: damsel in distress, will the hero save her? Then a conclusion to the question which in that case is either a yes or no. There also needs to be a depth to the relationships and it needs to deal with some of the universal questions that people deal with around the world. There are so many deep questions people have. A good story should dig into the souls of the audience and awaken some feelings they have about the issues.
How has the internet and the marketing/promotional opportunities that exist there helped to create a buzz with the projects you do?
With 'amnesia' we did the Amnesia Movie Poster Contest in Jan./Feb. We allowed contestants from Twitter and other platforms to submit a poster on how they potentially saw the film. It created a lot of interaction and drew in a lot of attention toward the film and other projects. We also did the Amnesia Party on Feb. 20th to have specific Tweeps watch the film at hosted parties around the country and then to Twitter about it and their feelings about the film. Twitter, Facebook and MySpace have given me a chance to connect on a deeper level with the audience.
What three things should writers/filmmakers have in their arsenal if they want to heighten their chances of success?
Connect on Social Media sites, find their style, learn from life and life experiences, and connect with people on a day to day basis. You can not write about life if you're not living it.
What are sites writers/filmmakers of your field should bookmark for great information?
Twitter and Linda Seger's site; she is a script consultant, one of the best who also writes many books on screenwriting.
What am I trying to convey in a project?
Interesting question. It is many different things on different levels. Personal level it brings up the worse case scenarios, the "something bad is going to happen" that we don't want to happen. Instead of running from fear, we should deal with it. It also brings up family and the struggle to do what is right when everything seems wrong. But beyond a story I found 'amnesia' to convey something bigger, loftier: The idea that anything is possible and that we are only restricted by the limits of our imaginations.
No comments:
Post a Comment