TOM PICKARD
 TOM PICKARD
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Las Vegas, NV How did you discover The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others? I discovered the festival at Film Freeway. I was looking for a festival with a solid reputation for supporting writers. I was also wanted “pro” level notes for my script. Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project? ‘SPA n COUNTER’ was originally a scene from an award-winning feature screenplay based on a similar work experience my Korean American wife had. Her journey was the inspiration for this short script. The scene was cut from the feature in favor of short film to fully develop the story and characters. How long did it take you to write your script or produce your pitch deck/sizzle reel/trailer...and what was your development process? The catalyst for writing the script came from the desire to make a short and realizing right away that this snapshot of a day-in-the-life was the perfect subject. I pitched the idea to an Academy Award winning short film producer who indicated interest. I had a tight time frame, about 30 days, to deliver a fully developed concept from the original one-page scene. Collaboration from our local creative community was helpful and impactful. We did a full table read of the first draft which resulted in more notes and a stronger final draft. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker? My approach to filmmaking comes first as a writer. Focusing on great characters and interesting stories that engage audiences. ‘SPA n COUNTER’ will be my first project as writer-director. I’m looking forward to work with a crew and see these characters come to life. My goal is to make a film that fulfills the promise of this great script. Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why? Andrew Ahn is a filmmaker I admire. I came upon his work while looking at other Korean American films exploring the Korean spa setting. His movie ‘Driveways’ shows what a good director can do to tell story in between the dialogue. I’ve recently been enjoying the work of Kristoffer Biorgli. His film, “The Drama’ shows how you can draw humor even in the most absurd moments. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? I’ve been deep diving on John Boorman’s 1967 ‘Point Blank’ starring Lee Marvin. I was surprised to discover the script is under 30 pages. Talk about telling story between the dialogue! How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests? Someone besides my mom likes the script. �� I appreciate festivals as an opportunity to market test the script. And answer the question, “Am I crazy?” What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Start with a concept that your confident is a good one because you’ll be living with it for a while. Get that first draft done. Get good quality feedback on your scripts. Take the feedback constructively and make changes. Your work will improve. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I just finished a new draft of a sports comedy feature I wrote. I’m getting great feedback. It was a major leg up from my previous scripts with more characters and action than before. I really grew as a writer. I’m working on my first biopic about Don Kirshner’s meteoric rise and fall over an 8-month span as the Monkees first producer, creating a gigantic catalog of hits that outsold the Beatles. Where can the world find you? (Website, IMDB, etc.) Stay tuned for a ‘SPA n COUNTER’ website. Until then email at [email protected] |
