Hi Reader, Yesterday, several cast and crew members from Contamination joined forces for something special: the "Stuff the Semi for Veterans in Need" food drive. And by the end of the day, we’d doubled last year’s donations! That’s a massive win - for veterans, their families, and everyone who showed up to help. If you’re new to my newsletter, Contamination is my upcoming feature film - a character-driven action-sci-fi thriller about isolation, survival, and what it means to hold onto your...
19 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I just got back from Los Angeles, where my feature film Contamination had its world premiere at the Southern California International Film Festival - and wow, what a trip. I was joined by three incredible collaborators: David Heacock, my co-director Preston Ewasiuk, our producer Tyler Sabourin, one of our lead actors Together, we spent three whirlwind nights soaking up every bit of movie magic that LA had to offer. Our screening took place in Glendale, CA, and it was surreal seeing...
27 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, This week is a huge milestone for me - my feature film Contamination is having its world premiere in Los Angeles at the Southern California International Film Festival. To say I’m excited would be an understatement. This project started as an idea in my head - a “what if?” moment - and now it’s about to play in front of a live audience in the heart of the film industry. Hollywood. The place we all imagine when we think of big screens, popcorn, and movie magic. What makes it even...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, If you’ve been thinking about joining Zero to Hero: Screenwriting for Beginners, but you're still on the fence, I get it. Making the leap from wanting to write a screenplay to actually committing can feel big. Here’s the thing: you don’t need to have the perfect idea, tons of free time, or years of experience to start. You just need a willingness to show up once a week, take in the lessons, write a little bit, and let me and your classmates support you through the process. By the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Only 2 days to go before Zero to Hero starts! Over the last few days, I've gotten a number of different questions, so I thought, rather than repeating the answer over and over, let's cover them here - in case you were wondering the same thing! Here are my rapid-fire answers to the questions I get most: 1) Do I need experience?No. Zero to Hero is built for beginners (and writers looking for a solid refresher). I’ll teach format, structure, and simple workflows - along with plenty of...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Quick story. A producer friend once asked me, "Could you write a short that uses a few hearses?" I replied, "Do you have access to any hearses?" He grinned, and said, "Absolutely! Can you think of any way we could use them?" I took that as a personal challenge to flex my creative muscles. That night, I wrote Boneyard Racers - a supernatural fantasy short about a pair of teens who are challenged to a drag race by a crossroads demon - with their very souls on the line. And the hearse...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, If you keep meaning to start your screenplay but never do, you’re not broken - you’re human. It's a problem that plagues writers of all levels, but none more so than beginners. Here’s the loop I see all the time: You wait for a perfect idea. The blank page gets bigger. Confidence drops. So you wait… again. It's so easy to fall into this cycle, and the longer you wait, the bigger the climb seems. And eventually, waiting becomes a permanent mindset - and the perfect idea never turns...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Fear is sneaky. It whispers: “You’re not ready.” Or worse: “What if you fail?” But here’s the truth: sooner or later, if you want to accomplish anything, especially writing - a screenplay, a novel, a short story, a poem - you have to stop dreaming about it and start doing it. Almost everyone I meet tells me they’ve got a movie idea. A story they’ve been carrying around for years. But most people never put it on the page. They would rather tell me the idea in the far-fetched hope...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Let’s talk about experience. The dictionary definition is "practical contact with and observation of facts or events" - which is another way of saying "familiarity with something from learning about it or doing it". Now, everyone knows experience makes you better. But what does that actually mean for writers? How do you get experience as a writer? How do you get better? Here are the top three ways: Every time you write, you gain experience. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s bad....
about 2 months ago • 1 min read