‘Backdraft’ Scribe Pen Densham Says Success for Midwest Screenwriters is Just a Few Ideas Away


No doubt in a basement office in Cleveland or the back booth of a coffee shop in Pittsburgh or on an iPad in the middle of study hall in an Indianapolis high school, there’s an aspiring screenwriter punching keys and imagining great adventures that she hopes will someday grace the silver screen.

Not in Los Angeles, not in New York, but right here in the Midwest. Is she just chasing a dream? Not according to screenwriter Pen Densham, whose film credits include Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft, and Rocky II.

“The truth is, any movie is about great ideas that stimulate human emotions, and if you can write films that mesh in scale with the new grass-roots producers that are evolving all over the country, there is a chance that someone in your city may be just as likely to produce your script as someone in Hollywood,” says Densham. “There is a new, technological gold-rush, as digital technology disrupts the entire old distribution system, and no one is quite certain where the new markets are.  But many people are willing to experiment to discover them.”

Densham recently published the book Riding the Alligator, his definitive guide to screenwriting that advises writers to filter their final product through their passion. We had a chance to chat with Densham via email to get his take on screenwriting outside of Hollywood.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW BY CLICKING THROUGH

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marvel Studios' 'Blade' coming to Cleveland

Image
Marvel Studios Blade  is about to take a bite out of Cleveland. Featuring Academy Award winner Mahershala Al i in the title role, the film will be the fourth Marvel project and third Marvel Studios movie to shoot in Cleveland. Ali previously played Cottonmouth Stokes in Marvel's Luke Cage  Netflix series. Previous films include Sony's  Spider-Man 3 , Marvel Studios' The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier . Marvel almost shot exteriors for Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness in Cleveland , but changed plans when the coronavirus pandemic struck. While Marvel has made no official announcement about the film’s Cleveland connection, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission announced via an Aug. 18 newsletter that the film Perfect Imprints was accepting applications for local crew, providing an @mcustudios.com email contact. Perfect Imprints is Blade ’s alleged working title, first reported in April. The GCFC couldn’t comment on whether Perfect Imprints
Read more

Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh crowned ‘Best Places to Live and Work' for filmmakers

Image
Filmming 'Fast 8' in downtown Cleveland Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were recently named three of the best cities to pursue filmmaking as a career by MovieMaker . Pittsburgh ranked the highest at No. 10, followed closely by Cincinnati at No. 11. Cleveland came in at No. 18. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati topped Austin, Texas, and Boston, in the results, and Orlando fell far below Cleveland in the annual list. When researching its list, the online publication focuses on livable cities that support filmmaking on every level. “We don’t believe people should have to be rich or well-connected to make movies,” the publication writes. “We think the best place to live is one you can afford — a place where you can be happy, inspired, and financially free to pursue your art.” Netflix's 'White Noise' shot in Cleveland, Oberlin, and several NEO locations Filmed in the CLE Cleveland is a “cinematic powerhouse with Midwestern charm,” writes the pub, adding that Cleveland has
Read more

Paused 'Blade' still shooting in Cleveland

Image
Marvel Studios recently paused production on its vampire superhero flick, Blade , after director Bassam Turiq stepped down in late September. He remains attached to the film as an executive producer. Cleveland was set to host Blade ’s production crew in November. Some local cast and crew hoping to work on the picture wondered via social media if the change in director and reported script updates might see a change in Blade’s on-location plans. “There is no indication that the Cleveland portion of the script is likely to be omitted,” says Bill Garvey, president of the Greater Cleveland Film Commissio n . “We look forward to the project spending and creating jobs in Northeast Ohio sometime next year.” No official word from either camp has explained why Bassam left the film, though scheduling conflicts are the most likely culprit. Marvel has pushed back production on the reboot several times over the last few years. The movie, featuring Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali in the title
Read more