Screenplays
“It’s an accepted fact that all writers are crazy, even the normal ones are weird.” ~William Goldman
Free Bird and The Old Man
Comedy - Drama / Heartwarming / Music
Free Bird and the Old Man is a new take on bonding in a cross-generational friendship. Shelton Cahill is an old guitar player of mediocre ability who travels via RV with his dog, Saint, making a minor living playing ambient music for bars who couldn’t hire anyone else. Set in his ways, he reluctantly rescues Erin La Blanc (Free Bird) from an abusive relationship to eventually discover she can sing and play a helluva slide guitar.
Shelton and Erin, each with their own quirks, are characters an audience will root for. Their friendship is never forced or unrealistic but, rather, develops organically as we come to find they are in each other’s lives for much-needed individual chapters. (Spoiler) Their paths, destined to separate, continue with renewed strength because of the experience they shared. You’re never too old, or young, to find your own path, your own song.
Finally, there’s music – lots of music – covering decades of well-known, and maybe not so well-known, tunes that will appeal to everyone, no matter their background or history.
Rite
Dark / Speculative / Social Commentary
In Rite, how humans interact and live is overseen by The System (a collection of magistrates) - because a controlled citizen is a good and safe citizen. This is accomplished through the use of patrolling drones, a strict curfew, and punishment of even the most minor infraction by the wearing of electric-shock armbands. While the idea hints at “high concept” (i.e. Minority Report or The Hunger Games), it is a more nuanced, reflective vision of current norms that ponders: How does a parent prepare their child for a society that wants to keep them in the dark, fearful of the light (truth)?
The thematic focus is on a widening societal gap. On one end of the spectrum, the younger generation lacks tenacity and skills that allow the navigation of life in affirming ways. While at the other end, the more aged hold to times less reliant on technology.
We see this through a conflict between two families. To address the perceived inadequacy of teens to deal with inevitable challenges, Sennet – a high school teacher - creates System-subversive “Rites of Passage,” tailored to each individual subject. When Walter goes to him for a Rite specific to his own son Els - an older subject with a family - the results are tragic.
Traceur Flow
Drama / Romantic / Action / Inspiring
At its heart, Traceur Flow is a love letter to parkour, the athletic art of navigating obstacles in the most efficient way possible. Because this is a niche subject, it is thus wrapped within a body of universal themes – family, mental health, romance, hope, cooperation and perseverance.
Michel Demers is a despondent sculptor who has lost his creative spark due to a series of critically panned works. Having reached an emotional and spiritual low, Michel happens to see Emela Ballesteros, a traceur (parkour athlete), practicing in a park to music from her Bluetooth speaker. Not only is he mesmerized by her balletlike athleticism he’s inspired by it!
What begins as a creative partnership soon leads to something greater. Or at least it tries. While Michel struggles with manic-depressive tendencies, Emela carries the burden of her father’s failing parkour gym. Michel’s ex emerges, and Emela’s best friend, Bonnie, longs for them to be more than platonic. And then there’s Rafe and his pals, a nefarious trio that live to make the lives of others difficult - just because.
All the while, the spirit of parkour reminds us: Life’s obstacles may weary us, even try to break us, but they never have to stop us.
Work-in-Progress
Sower
Speculative Fantasy / Drama / Action
It is a post-apocalyptic era where fertile men are rare, and Gavri, an Elder and warrior in the Order of Sowers, hunts for a young disciple who has gone astray.
Son of Ashtar
Speculative Fantasy / Action / Part I of a Quartet
The peaceful inhabitants of Ashtar live in harmony with their natural world, using ceremonial dances to aid and honor prosperity - until, that is, one group chooses greater prosperity for themselves and corrupts a cherished ritual, sending the planet into chaos.
From the Dark Country
Western / Psychological / Suspense
A stranger comes to the 1880's town of Promise. His presence opens long-forgotten wounds as well as, literally, new ones.