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
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
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
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.
Sower
Sower might be best described as a “post” post-apocalyptic tale that ponders: To what lengths should humankind be preserved from extinction?
As a result of world-wide chemical warfare, a vast majority of what remains of the human male species has been left sterile, unable to contribute to the repopulating the planet. To address this calamity, the matriarchal Order of the Sower was established, wherein young, fertile men are taught the highest moral standards and sent out to reverently plant seeds “as nature intended.”
In this reformational construct, there are no longer states and countries, but territories made up of settlements with like-minded citizens. Not all these groups believe in the tenets of The Order, however. Some follow more scientific doctrines (i.e., artificial insemination) over the “unclean” method of intercourse. Others, like the patriarchal Traditionists, are committed to a lifestyle of the Old Ways. In fact, they condemn Sowers to be nothing more than rapists.
We experience this world as we follow Gavri, a Prioress and warrior (her weapons a staff and a non-violent fighting art) of The Order, in her pursuit of Thomas, a young man who was denied the title of “Sower” due to his low fertility count. But Thomas is not mentally well. He longs to be of purpose in a seemingly purposeless existence, and his rash actions lead to a series of dire events.