Great news for a pair of Black List writers!
I enjoy interfacing with all types of screenwriters, but I am particularly fond of getting to know talented up-and-comers. Oftentimes uninhibited by conventional wisdom and so-called screenwriting ‘rules’, they bring a fresh perspective to the craft and to the world of storytelling. So I was thrilled this week when two announcements about Black List writers — Elijah Bynum and Jason Mark Hellerman — hit the trades:
THR: Imperative Entertainment Producing Black List Script ‘Hot Summer Nights’:
Imperative Entertainment will finance and produce Black List script Hot Summer Nights, a coming-of-age drama set during a stormy summer in Cape Cod.
Elijah Bynum wrote the script and will make his directorial debut with the project, which is slated to begin production this summer. Bynum was the only writer to have two scripts on the 2013 Black List, the other being Mississippi Mud.
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“Bynum is an exceptional talent and is someone we believe will be a phenomenal director. In our experience, these types of visionaries come along very rarely and we have designed Imperative to have the resources and infrastructure in place to support them and help them realize their vision,” says Thomas.
Deadline: ‘Shovel Buddies’ 2013 Black List Script Heads To May Shoot With AwesomenessTV, Film 360:
Shovel Buddies, a 2013 Black List script by Jason Mark Hellerman, will be produced by AwesomenessTV and Film 360 for day-and-date theatrical and VOD release. The film will be directed by English duo Si & Ad with a likely cast of social-media stars plucked substantially from the stables of AwesomenessTV and its Big Frame talent-management unit.
Casting is underway, and filming is expected to begin by May.
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Thus the deal for Hellerman’s script, which ended up eighth on the 2013 Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays. The name is a play on the idea of the “bucket list.” Here, a group of four teens whose friend has just died of leukemia strive to do all the items on the friend’s “shovel list” in a single night.
I got in touch with Elijah and Jason to congratulate them. Both are longtime Go Into The Story followers. In fact, Elijah said in his email response, “Thanks man! You’re part of the reason this was able to happen.”
So congratulations to Elijah and Jason! Hot Summer Nights and Shovel Buddies are wonderful stories. May the Cinema Gods be with each project as they move forward into production.
To read my April 2014 interview with Elijah Bynum in which we discuss Hot Summer Nights, go here.
To read my August 2014 interview with Jason Mark Hellerman in which we discuss Shovel Buddies, go here.
Twitter: @BynumElijah, @JasonHellerman.