Part 1.

I knew I wanted to be screenwriter........

I realized that a story I was trying to write as a novel would be much better shown visually and with music, as it was a music-driven story – an interracial love story set in Mississippi in the mid-70s, focused around a teen band. That was a little over two years ago, and turned into my first screenplay, AT LAST.

I know I've succeeded........ 

I know I’m on the path to success, and I’ve been very fortunate so far in a very short time. All of my works have placed or won screenwriting competitions, and my first screenplay now has a Director attached who has been involved with three movies nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. I have four television projects and another screenplay (other than Missing Sydney) that are currently either optioned or under serious consideration by major production companies and television networks. But I’ll know I’ve truly succeeded when the first feature film or television project that I wrote or produced makes it onto the screen.
 

My inspiration to write Missing Sydney.....

came from my niece Camille and her best friend Sharon. Both are ethnically Chinese, with somewhat overbearing, controlling “Tiger Moms” who grew up in China and are fairly recent immigrants. As my wife and I were driving to my niece’s high school graduation, I overheard a conversation between my wife and her sister in Chinese. I didn’t understand all of it, but figured out that they were throwing a graduation party for my niece because my sister-in-law’s co-worker told her that was common practice in the United States. I told my wife “I hope they remembered to invite some of Camille’s friends”, imagining a graduation party filled with adults, as they did for Benjamin in opening of THE GRADUATE. We started laughing so much I nearly drove the car off the road. By the time we got to the graduation ceremony an hour or so later, we had the basis of the story plotted out.

Part 2.

FilmMakers Magazine: What inspired you to write?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: I wanted to try my hand at writing fiction for years, but never had time due to work constraints. During the economic downturn of 2008 – 2010, my business activities slowed down considerably. I decided to use my free time to write fictionalized versions of two unique stories inspired by real people I know and actual events in my life.

FilmMakers Magazine: How did you prepare yourself to write your first script?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: When I realized that my stories might be better suited as screenplays than novels, I recognized that I needed to learn the format and craft of screenwriting. I found a four-day intensive class “Writing Your First Screenplay” through UCLA Extension. My instructor and fellow classmates thought that both of my ideas were interesting and that I should pursue them. I developed outlines in that class, and then did one-on-one mentorship's with several produced screenwriters that helped guide me in the completion of my first drafts. I was then accepted into the UCLA Graduate Film School’s Professional Screenwriting Program on the basis of that first draft of my first script.

FilmMakers Magazine: Is this your first script and how long did it take you to complete?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: GUIDE 2 PARENTS was my third script, but the first that I undertook and completed in the UCLA Professional Screenwriting Program. The draft I submitted to the Filmmakers International Screenwriting Competition (my first draft) took twenty weeks to complete, as I wrote it according to the schedule of a screenwriting class. My other screenplays have taken from four to ten weeks from beginning an outline to completion of a first draft. Rewriting typically takes an equal or greater amount of time, over multiple drafts.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: I typically write from my home office, although I’m thinking about stories, scenes and dialogue all the time, and write anytime and anywhere – even on vacation, which sometimes drives my wife crazy. I don’t have a set time that I write – it all depends on what else is going on with my life and work. If I have a deadline imposed by a writing class, a writing group, or client I find that I am much more effective and efficient.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: I think they can be highly valuable. Most aspiring screenwriters work in a near vacuum: they write on their own, and hope that what they write will be appealing. But every writer needs feedback, and not just from close friends and loved ones, but from professionals in the industry. Screenwriting competitions are a great way to get that feedback, particularly if you can purchase judging notes. If you do well in a contest that says that at least somebody likes what you are doing. But many scripts that win contests don’t end up getting produced, and the exact same script can win one contest, and not even make it to the second round of another. Scripts are both art and craft, and the artistic piece of it is going to appeal to different readers in different ways at different times. Don’t think that just because you won a contest you’ve got the next Oscar winner, and don’t think that just because you didn’t place in a contest that you are a failure. But if you are consistently striking out, you should use that feedback get professional writing help to figure out what you could do better.

FilmMakers Magazine: What influenced you to enter the FilmMakers International Screenwriting Awards / Screenplay Contest?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: I entered this contest because it was one of the better-known, reputable contests. Unfortunately, there are many contests that seem to exist primarily as a way to make money from the entry fees.

FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: There is no single script I would recommend as the “must read” for aspiring screenwriters. I think aspiring screenwriters should read as many scripts they can of movies they like – particularly if they tend to write in a particular genre. Beyond that, they should read scripts of movies considered great outside of their own genres. You can learn a lot by reading scripts of movies considered modern classics, or that have done very well at the box office.

FilmMakers Magazine: Beside screenwriting what are you passionate about and why?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: I love all aspects of creating and telling stories on film and television – acting, producing, directing, music, lighting –pulling art and craft together to create a story told in a visual medium. Outside of movies and television, I’m passionate about music – particularly jazz - and great food and wine. All of which are forms of art that are ephemeral and highly enjoyable to consume!

FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter and Why?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: I really admire William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan. Both have had amazing careers and written or adaptedmany wonderful stories across multiple genres. But at the core, their writing is about people and their interactions, rather than being plot and spectacle driven, even if the movies happen to be action-oriented spectaculars.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the director you would love to work with and why?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: Of living directors it would be Francis Ford Coppola. He’s a writer and director who understands how to tell a story, and has done so across many genres, from family movies to crime thrillers to war. I personally think that The Godfather and The Godfather II are among the best movies ever made. I also love what Alexander Payne and Clint Eastwood have done, because they are also all about the story. From a visual aspect I think Ridley Scott is amazing. The visuals (and stories) of Blade Runner and Gladiator blow me away every time I watch them.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the actor you would love to work with and why?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: There are many I admire, but if I had to pick only one it would be Meryl Streep. I bet most of my classmates in the acting studio I’ve been involved with for the past year would likely say the same. Meryl Streep portrays her characters with such authenticity that I almost always forget I’m watching “Meryl Streep.” That’s what great acting is all about. By the way, I think all writers and directors can learn how to write and tell a story better from studying acting and working with actors.

FilmMakers Magazine: Any tips and things learned along the way to pass on to others?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: A) Take screenwriting classes – there are classes at most colleges, and several good ones available on-line, including from UCLA. B) Get professional feedback from produced screenwriters and pay for coverage/development notes - it’s worth it to help improve your work. C) Work with other writers whose work you admire – get their feedback, and give your feedback back to them. D) Take an acting class – you’d be amazed how much you will learn that can help your writing. E) Enter screenplay contests, both to see how you stack up, and to get feedback on problems in your work. F) Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite to make your work better and better! Screenwriting is rewriting! G) Don’t give up. THE BODYGUARD, which was written by Lawrence Kasdan, was rejected 67 times before it was picked up. Then is wasin development hell for 15 years. Love it or hate it, it finally made it to the big screen, and it made tons of money.

FilmMakers Magazine: What's next for you?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: On the writing front, Missing Sydney has been extensively rewritten since my first draft was entered into the Filmmakers International competition, and people who know what they’re talking about seem to think it is substantially improved. I have three othercompleted feature screenplays and four television pilots. All of my scripts are now either under serious consideration or have been optioned by major production companies or television networks. I’ve recently been hired to write a feature screenplay from someone else’s idea. It looks like I’m going to be hired to do an adaptation of a novel by a famous author who’s had a long list of their other works turned into movies over the years. I have several other ideas for features and/or television shows, including a sci-fi/thriller, an ensemble dark comedy,and a comedic heist movie. These areall genres I haven’t tackled before, butI like to testmy abilities and stretch myself in new ways rather than doing the “same thing, but different.”

Outside of writing, I recently Executive Produced a short filmtitled REFUEL. That was a great experience to learn how a film is made.We’ll be taking REFUEL to major festivals beginning this fall. I’m planning to direct a music video later this summer for the musician who wrote and performed the music for our short. I’m a Producer on a multi-million dollar feature that I helped polish that will be shot this fall. I will be shadowing and working on-set withthe Director on that project, and hope tolearn a bit about the art and craft of directing. I am interested in directing features in the future, but only projects I’m personally passionate about. On the business front I’m working with a group of experienced industry executives and havecreated a new production company. We’re in the process of raising a multimillion-dollar equity fund for a slate of films – hopefully 2 a year over the next five years, including several co-productions in China and Korea.


FilmMakers Magazine: Where will you be five years from now?

Ross Carey & Evan Shaw: If you had asked me five years ago where I would be today, all of the things that I’ve done and that have happened for me in the last two years wouldn’t have been anywhere in my imagination. So who knows where I’ll be five years from now, but hopefully still having the time of my life -just like I am now!