1st Annual 1st T Script Writing Contest Winners

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Winners | Biography | Logline | Interview | Script Excerpt

The Experimentalist

American Gem Short Script Contest

Biography

Allan Staples

Allan Staples is a New York-based playwright and screenwriter whose writing has been called, “funny, sexy, intimate and heart-wrenching.” Allan received his MFA in Playwriting from the New School for Drama in New York City. In addition to productions around the country, Allan’s work has been developed at the Kennedy Center, Playwrights’ Center and the Jungle Theater. His play, Why Actors Can’t Love, won the American Theatre Coop Award for best one act plays and his No Direction Home was a finalist for the New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest. His writing also appears in collections published by Smith & Kraus and Heinemann Publishing.

As a screenwriter, his short films The Unmentionables and Words & Actions were screened at the New School last year. His screenplay, More Than Love, finished in the top ten percent of the Nicholl Fellowship and was a finalist for the Denver Film Festival’s Screenplay Competition. The script was also a finalist for the West Field Screenwriting Awards. His pilot script, The Experimentalist, won honorable mention at the Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival and was a finalist for the American Gem Short Script contest. Recently, the script won first place in the 1st TV Script Writing Competition. Additionally, Allan is a member of Actors Equity Association and the Dramatist Guild.

Logline

In order to combat the "malaise of existence," fledgling writer Katie begins conducting social experiments which wreaks havoc on her personal and professional life.

Interview Part 1.

I knew I wanted to be screenwriter when in the 7th grade - I saw Annie Hall on cable. It’s funny, I felt like I understood the dynamic of the romantic relationship even though I hadn’t yet had a girlfriend! It was like foreshadowing, in an odd way.

I know I've succeeded when  if the script has both comedic and dramatic beats. Also, for me, the comedy should come more out of character and not entirely out of situation. 


My inspiration to write The Experimentalist was a pretty simple one. It was to have a main character who feels stuck and, in an effort to get unstuck, she starts behaving in ways she normally wouldn’t. And, yes, while there’s something exhilarating about it - something alive - it’s also an incredibly destructive thing to do.

Interview Part 2.

FilmMakers Magazine: What inspired you to write?
Allan Staples: I think most writers are inspired by something really mysterious within themselves that they’re trying to figure out or understand.

FilmMakers Magazine: Is this your first script and how long did it take you to complete?
Allan Staples: No, it’s not my first script. The initial writing took a couple of weeks and then I did a lot of revising over the next few weeks. And I’m still revising.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?
Allan Staples: No, I wish I did.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?
Allan Staples: I hope so! Ask me again in a few years and I’ll let you know!

FilmMakers Magazine: What influenced you to enter the 1st TV Script Writing Contest?
Allan Staples: What appealed to me was the fact that top scripts got industry reads.

FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?
Allan Staples: The pilot of “Breaking Bad” is a perfect piece of seamless writing. But I also like reading other scripts where you can deconstruct how they’re functioning a little more easily; ones that aren’t quite as flawless.

FilmMakers Magazine: Beside screenwriting what are you passionate about and why?
Allan Staples: I’m very passionate about the reason for writing, the watching! I love theater, film and television. I’m also a huge sports fan – baseball and basketball. I guess I’m a fan of watching how storylines play out – either in drama or sports.

FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter and Why?
Allan Staples: Theater, Anton Chekhov. Film, Woody Allen. TV, Larry David. All of them find comedy in sadness, anxiety and social discomfort.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the director you would love to work with and why?
Allan Staples: Alexander Payne. Like my favorite writers, he’s a master at blending together comedy and drama. Sideways and Election are great examples. I’ll also say reading Sideways is a great example of comedic tone – even the descriptors are funny! For some reason, I always loved the description: “Miles laughs at his own non-existent joke.”

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the actor you would love to work with and why?
Allan Staples: I loved Philip Seymour Hoffman; he had such range and compassion and humanity for his characters. But I’ll say Bradley Cooper – he’s got charisma and intelligence. I think Juliann Moore possesses all those same qualities, too.

FilmMakers Magazine: Any tips and things learned along the way to pass on to others?
Allan Staples: Oh, I don’t know. I try to write characters that are as smart as possible. I love banter between characters. It’s probably my playwriting background, but I think connecting characters through language (word choice, the ability to amuse each other, to make each other laugh, etc.) is always great.

FilmMakers Magazine: What's next for you?
Allan Staples: Continue writing.

FilmMakers Magazine: Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
Allan Staples: Physically? New York or California. I can make no guarantees regarding my emotional state.

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