Skip (3 pages in pdf format) by Gary Howell

A woman finds it difficult to communicate with her mother, but will that change when her great-granddaughter comes for a visit?

Jane drops her daughter, Sophie, off with Anna, her mother, Sophie’s grandmother. Sophia sings an old but memorable jump rope song. Anna recognizes this old song and chimes in. They sing together as Sophie jumps.

And the generations don’t stop there! Anna takes Sophia along to the retirement home to visit Gloria, Anna’s mother, Sophie’s great grandmother. Anna wheels Gloria out into the garden. She tries to talk with Gloria, but we learn Gloria has lost her memory. However, as Gloria takes interest in young Sophia, a smile comes to her face and for that moment, her memory is reawakened by the chant of the old jump rope rhyme, Cinderella dressed in yellow… and just when we think her memory is back, Anna asks Gloria if she recognizes her. But it is a very sad moment when Gloria doesn’t respond.

This is a sad but sweet story that would be super low budget and easy to produce. It’s a strong piece that everyone can relate to. No matter our age, we all know time is something we cannot stop or even turn back without a time machine but it’s part of life.

Things I love about Skip:

I love the way the writer scans over four generations weaving the jump rope rhyme throughout. We see youth in Sophie, the middle aged always-on-the-go in Jane, the gracefully aging Anna and then Gloria who is in a state of waiting for death to come. I super love the way the writer touches our heart at the end when we see that Sophie has left her jump rope in Gloria’s lap. This story makes a reader appreciate each stage of life. It is also chock full of female cast which is hot right now, and it’s a story I think could wow a lot of festivals!

Production: Budget – low; Actors – four and one extra; Locations – 2

About the Writer: Gary Howell is an attorney by trade, but a writer at heart. He has written several shorts, one of which was recently produced, “Country Road 12” that stars Dee Wallace (“E.T.”, “Poltergeist”). He has also co-written with Rick Hansberry a dramedy, “According to Plan”, that was optioned with Josh Monkarsh of Traffic City Productions, and is in development. He has had a manager reach out regarding representation after a drama pilot, “Bounty,” has performed well in a couple of competitions.

Recently Gary and Rick started working on a new script together (“Lake Regret”) and they’re blogging about the process from beginning to end, including the marketing and hopefully eventual sale and production of the script. You can read about their efforts at www.lakeregretmovie.com.

Gary enjoys writing both comedy and drama, and leans towards indie-themed pieces that are character driven. He enjoys reviewing scripts and providing advice and constructive criticism to other writers, and would welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with any producers/directors looking to work with him on any type of project. Gary can be reached at: GaryMHowell (a) gmail.

Read Skip (3 pages in pdf format)

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About the reviewer: Dena McKinnon is an optioned and produced screenwriter who also writes on assignment. Her IMDb credits. She can be reached at: girlbytheshore (a) hotmail.

I-commute by Christina Katsiadakis

When it comes to finding love, look up.

Synopsis
In a world where we are becoming our phones or they are becoming us, Eugene is a lot like many of us, always buried in his cell phone. Day in, day out it is the same old routine of Eugene and his phone, no real human interaction or communication, until one day when his battery runs out, he notices the beauty on his commute–a girl. Unfortunately, she does not notice him because she is consumed in her cell phone. Eugene fixes himself up, even does obvious things to make her notice him, but she does not. When he finally gives in and gets sucked back into his phone, the girl’s battery finally dies. We hope she will finally recognize him. And she does look up long enough to take an interest in a guy, but it’s not Eugene.

What’s good.
This is such a relevant topic. It showcases the world we live in and what’s becoming of us. Maybe we are becoming machines. We are surely living in machines i.e., cell phones these days. I think this script is contest material. Not a big enough concept for feature but it works well as a short IMO.

Production Qualities.
– Medium Budget (hardest thing would be the bus)
– Two main characters (Eugene and Girl) with several extras to fill the bus.
– Two locations (house, bus)

The Real.
After reading this, I am going to try to go a day without my cell phone tomorrow. It really made me think about what we are becoming. The fact that we may miss a chance at love. Or a smile. Or life… Hits home. A sad script in a way, but reality.

About the writer: Christina Katsiadakis was born in Athens, Greece and she moved to Montreal in 2012. She holds a BA in History from the Athens University and an MA in Film from Goldsmiths College. She has been working in film and TV since 2004 as a production coordinator and production manager. In the last few years she has started pursuing her personal creative projects. She has written and directed two short films, Marching Muse and Football Days in Hockey Town and is currently working on her first feature film Fumus and Umbra. Christina Katsiadakis can be reached at xkatsiadakis (a) gmail.com

Read I-commute (3 page Romcom in pdf format)

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

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About the reviewer: Dena McKinnon is an optioned and produced screenwriter who also writes on assignment. Her IMDb credits. She can be reached at: girlbytheshore (a) hotmail.

Zombie Romance by Oksana Shafetova

On the eve of a zombie apocalypse a young wife has to make a life or death choice in the name of love.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the horror staple of Zombies has reached saturation point and that our appetite and continuing hunger for the lumbering, rampaging, bloodthirsty undead has waned.

Future Box Office however, tells a different story.

There are some twenty Zombie horror flicks already slated for 2018/19 with titles such as The Cured, Little Monsters, Cargo, Patient Zero, An Accidental Zombie (Named Ted), Breathers, and Inherit The Earth, to name just some of the titles already released or awaiting release. These movies have big-name stars attached: Lupita Nyong’o, Ellen Page, Martin Freeman, Stanley Tucci, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Brad Pitt is returning in the sequel to World War Z 2, and the original cast of Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Jesse Eisennberg make their return in Zombieland 2.

Chances are if you’re reading this blog you fancy yourself as the next George Romero, Jennifer Kent, Mike Flanagan, Julia Ducournau, or James Wan. You want to make a short film with maximum impact, which means you need good material with broad audience appeal.

Want something with a little horror, a little romance, and a good dose of humour? Not to mention blood, gore, and a decent dose of foreboding and suspense? Oksana Shafetova’s, Zombie Romance, has all these ingredients and more.

We open on Barbara, a young woman lying on a bed in a darkened room. Anyone who’s ever suffered a migraine knows the benefits of quiet and darkness. Only trouble is there’s some weird screaming and carrying on going on outside Barbara’s bedroom window. Rest and recuperation is not going according to plan.

We hear the fumbling of the key in the lock of the front door. Thank God, her loving husband Harry, is home. He can take Max, the dog, out for a walk. He might even be able to explain the weird auditory hallucinations Barbara is hearing from outside.

Maybe it’s all in her head.
Or maybe it isn’t…

One thing’s for sure. The words: ‘for better or worse’ and ‘in sickness and health’, are just about to be sorely tested.

Filmmakers: Zombie Romance is a killer script. One you’ll be dying to get your hands on. There’ll be a lot of clamouring for this one, so best set yourself apart from the hordes and get on it fast.

Contained Horror. One location, two leads, a mutt, minimal SFX, Zombie makeup… And you’re set to go.

About the Writer: Oksana Shafetova has always been fascinated with storytelling, but discovered her inner voice only a couple years ago. Graduated as an editor, she has worked in the fields of journalism and video game narrative, until she finally found her true passion in script writing. Oksana gets inspiration from cinematography, and empathizes with an audience to think up riveting plot twists in her own works. She currently lives with her husband, an illustrator, in Dusseldorf, Germany. SHe can be reached at: oshafetova (a) gmail.com

Read Zombie Romance (4 pages in pdf format)

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

About the reviewer: L. Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.

SATNAV by Anthony Cawood

 A woman’s infidelity takes her on an unexpected journey.

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned is how the old adage goes, but the latest research indicates men may in fact be sorer losers when it comes to love and war. Add twenty-first century technology into the mix as the latest weapon of revenge and things can get very dicey indeed.

In Anthony Cawood’s one-page thriller, Satnav, we open on 30-something, Sarah, driving along a deserted patch of road alone and late at night. Sarah’s just punched her location and presumably her destination into a high-tech device some of us like to call a Satnav – otherwise known as a GPS, or navigation assistant.

The question is: will she reach her destination?

She’s just received a text message from her husband, David, and he’s not happy.  Certain revelations regarding Sarah’s extra-curricular behaviour have come to light and it appears she has not been the model of a loving and faithful partner. As the text messages continue to come thick and fast and the Satnav guides Sarah on her journey we wonder will she make it to where she wants to go in one piece?

It’s no easy task to build suspense and create a fully fledged story in one-page but Anthony Cawood negotiates the twists and turns with skill and expertise in this tight micro-short thriller that’ll resonate and pack a punch with audiences.

Filmmakers: We know you have the drive and you’re dying to move off the starting blocks. All you need now is the vehicle. And here it is! Cut and polish in your own inimitable style and Satnav could be your short-cut to guaranteed success.

Specs: One talented 30-something female with a driver’s licence and attitude. A car, a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. A SatNav and accompanying V.O.

About the writer: Anthony Cawood is an award winning screenwriter from the UK with 4 short films produced and another 10 or so scripts optioned and/or purchased. Links to his films and details of his scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

Read SatNav (1 page in pdf format)

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This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

About the reviewer: L. Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.

Good Sam by Sylvia Dahlby

An old man encounters an alien in need of assistance.

Aloha! Looking for a script to knock out over a couple of weekends? You’ve found it with Good Sam.

Good ole’ Sam is heading home one night and happens across the wreckage of another vehicle. Being the Good Sam[aritan] that he is, he stops to lend a hand. The occupant of the vehicle do Sam a solid in return. Or does he/she/it?

Production: Pick up truck. Alien space craft. Two actors that look vaguely similar – one old and one young. Alien voice. Two locations – dirt road and spaceship interior. Slime. Colored lights. A fog machine would be really, really cool. You can F/X the shit out of this of you have the resources.

Budget: Micro to low

About the writer: I’m a one time advertising copywriter who has fallen in love with screenwriting. I’ve written a handful of features, one has been produced as a Role Playing Game (RPG) and made its debut at CarnageCon. I enjoy writing short scripts since it’s a fun exercise for sharpening my skills; so far one of my shorts has been produced as a student film project, and I welcome the opportunity to have more of my work produced via participation on SimplyScripts. Sylvia can be reached at sylviedahl (a) AOL.

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About the reviewer: Ingrid Short is the love child of Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon.

Careful What You Wish For (1 page in pdf format) by Tim Westland