Education: The Industry Place of Residence: Hollywood, CACompanies Read For: CAA, Rat Entertainment, Ocean Pictures, LightstormJob Prior To Entering Film: Public RelationsFavorite Place To Read: Backyard with a tall glass of ice teaFavorite Movies: Casablanca, Usual Suspects, A Fish Called WandaFavorite Screenwriters: William Goldman, David MametFavorite Director: Spielberg, Capra, Sturges, HitchcockFavorite Books: A Confederacy of Dunces, The Stand, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Lincoln Lawyer, Love in the Time of Cholera, A Princess Bride,Favorite Authors: John Irving, Wally Lamb, James Lee Burke, Michael Connolly, Jeffrey Deaver, Gregory Maguire, Stephen King, Patricia CornwellFavorite TV Shows: The Wire, Deadwood, Lost, The Sopranos, Modern Family, Glee Analyst Interview WHAT ARE THE MAIN THINGS YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU READ A SCRIPT?First and foremost is this a movie I want to see. My tastes run the gamut from comedy to drama to sci-fi to action. Basically I want to be entertained. I want to be drawn in the story and most importantly I want to remember the experience.WHAT MAKES BELIEVABLE CHARACTERS?A full life. Writers often make the mistake of dealing with the characters only in terms of what is happening in the here and now of their story. Every character no matter how big or small came from somewhere and is going somewhere. That is on their mind. And like everyone you know, we all have our own unique points of view. It is the diverse ways of seeing the world that make it interesting.WHAT’S THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE YOU SEE?Too much narrative description and not enough vibrant dialogue. Narrative should read like comic books: crisp, clean and to the point. If you can’t film it, then don’t write it. In other words, narration is no place for back-story or emotions. As to dialogue, see the above note. When a character has a fully realized “life” that will have plenty to say and a unique way of saying it.WHAT KIND OF SCRIPTS ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO CONSIDER?Let’s face it, the business of show business is business. That means a script needs to have a certain level of marketability. It’s a sad reality but deeply introspective stories won’t get a lot of play. That doesn’t mean that everything has to be AMERICAN PIE but look at what is getting made and build from there.WHAT’S THE BEST SCRIPT YOU’VE EVER READ?An un-produced Coen Brothers feature. Even they can’t get everything made but this was a classic example of what they do best. A simple story with characters that leapt off the page, each speaking with their own voice and distinct personalities. If it ever does get made, I’ll be first in line.WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIEGOING EXPERIENCE?Anytime I can go to a big theatre with an enthusiastic audience at a film that everyone is waiting to see. The three Lord of the Rings was a great example. We all couldn’t wait for it to start and didn’t want to leave when it was over. That’s entertainment.
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