MARK HAZELL< Search WILDsound 
11 Questions with MARK HAZELL. A WILDsound SUMMER 2009 Short Screenplay Finalist 1. What is your screenplay about? The idea that bad luck doesn’t always just happen to people. It can sometimes be attracted, albeit unknowingly. 2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay? I have long been interested that opals, with all their striking colours, are often associated with bad luck and I thought the idea could the foundation of a good screenplay. 3. How long have you been writing screenplays? About 3 years. 4. What film have you seen the most in your lifetime? ‘The Others’ starring Nicole Kidman. 5. What artist in the industry would you love to work with? Naomi Watts. 6. Who was your hero growing up? I've never been one to idolize people so I didn’t really have one. 7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years? Still living in Australia, but earning a living from my writing. 8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? My pieces are always plot-driven so I begin with a simple starter idea. Then I write out a plot on paper, using a line or two for each scene or sequence. Then it is an easy matter to write the screenplay from that. i don't write every day but once I start a project I am usually driven to complete it. 9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? Classical music. 10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Script Contest? I saw it as a way to get exposure. Something I’ve found very difficult in the past. 11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers? Write simply; don’t try to be too clever. If the story is strong and the characters are interesting it will find its place. 11 Questions with MARK HAZELL. A WILDsound WINTER 2009 One Page Screenplay Winner 1. What is your One Page Screenplay about? My screenplay is a comment on the dangers of making hasty assumptions. It shows that circumstance and coincidence can conspire to lead us away from the truth of a situation. 2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay? As a writer I am always on the lookout for new ideas. One day I happened to be in my local shopping centre when a customer set off a gate-alarm while walking into a shop. Obviously a mistake had been made in a previous store but my mind was immediately set awhirl with possibilities. This fictional screenplay is the result. 3. How long have you been writing screenplays? I have been writing stories since my late teens but a love of cinema prompted me to write my first screenplay in mid-2005. 4. What is you all-time favorite film? (name only one) To Kill A Mockingbird. 5. What artist in the film industry would you love to work with? Naomi Watts (I think she is a great actress and naturally, hailing from Australia, I am a little biassed.) 6. How many screenplays have you written? I have written 4 short- and 2 feature-length screenplays. All remain unproduced but one of the feature-length works reached the Quarter Finals of the 2006 PAGES International Screenwriting Awards. 7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years? Still living in Australia but being able to support myself with my writing. 8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? If by 'writing' you mean physically sitting at the keyboard typing then I must confess to writing fairly sporadically. However, if you define 'writing' as tossing ideas around, planning, making notes and conceiving storylines and characters then I write pretty much all the time. The actual process of typing out a story or screenplay is quite intense because once started I find I am drawn back to it every waking moment until a first draft is complete. The first draft is always the most fun because that is where most of the creativity takes place and the characters come to life. The editing is more tedious but nevertheless important and satisfying. With both of the feature-length works I set out the usual plan (Intro, 10-minute hook and 2 plot points) then fleshed it out on paper scene by scene before beginning the actual writing. 9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? I love classical music, reading, good movies (naturally!) and I look forward to the day when the world has a viable, zero-emission car engine. 10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound One Page Script Contest? I see the WILDsound One Page Script Contest as another way of getting my name 'out there'. 11. Why should people VOTE for your One Page Screenplay and turn it into a film? With all the complexity and bad news around globe at the moment, I think the light-hearted nature of The Shop Alarm and its simple, everyday setting and theme might provide a pleasant diversion.
Mark Hazell, Mark Hazell
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