THOMAS CHAVEZ

ALSO ON SITE

Armed with the belief that the building block of great cinema is diversity of thought, filmmaker Thomas J. Chavez has strived to balance his love of the visual image with his passion for the written word. A Denver native, Thomas was first introduced to the arts world through the Theatre at age 14 and became forever hooked. Soon after, he began to churn out handwritten screenplays and crudely-edited stop-motion shorts. Though ambitious, Thomas still recognized that his work was not quite ready for public consumption, and steadily he began to fill the ubiquitous “box in the closet” of un-produced scripts. After dedicating himself to his writing, Thomas’ first success arrived at the age of 20, when his first full-length stage play, “Winter Tales” (co-written with Terry Dodd) premiered in Denver to strong reviews.

After a stint in the Air Force Reserves, Thomas graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver with a B.A. in Marketing and later attended the Colorado Film School. While working on Wall Street, Thomas gained significant insight into the business aspect of the industry, and used called upon that experience to produce and direct several well-received short-film and commercial projects, including the award-winning music video “Low Flying Clouds”, and the short film “The Proposal”. Thomas is a current candidate for a Master’s degree in Entertainment Business.

11 Questions with THOMAS CHAVEZ. A WILDsound FALL 2008 Feature Screenplay Finalist

1. What is your screenplay about?

“The Salesman” is the story of the greatest con man of all times, Victor Lustig. Set in swinging 1929 as the stock market is booming and the streets are paved with gold, Victor has just swindled the world’s deadliest gangster – but even that’s not enough for him. Already well known as one of the masters of the sting, with each increasingly audacious scam, he finds he needs something more – something legendary.

While on the run from a spurned victim, opportunity presents itself. Along with his partner “Dapper” Dan Collins, Victor sets out to con five of the richest men in Paris with an unbelievable scheme – he is going to sell the Eiffel Tower! Only one thing stands in the way – the beautiful Justine Poisson, the suspicious wife of Victor’s intended prey.

As the complications mount, the ever-cool Victor begins to lose control as he realizes not only is he falling for Justine, but the sucker in this deal may indeed be him. Can Victor out-smart the law, out-run his past and outwit Justine before the odds catch up to him? Set in breathtaking 1920’s Paris, “The Salesman” is based on the incredible true story of a man who never let the truth get in the way of a good deal.

2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay?

I stumbled upon the story of Victor Lustig while doing research for a class in Entertainment Business Strategy, and I was absolutely shocked that there had never been a movie made about this outrageous character. I love the period (1920’s Paris), the music, and other films of the genre (such as David S. Ward’s “The Sting”) are among my favorites.

Emerging from a dark and brooding period in my own life, so much of my writing seemed to reflect that. I saw “The Salesman” as a way to break out of that artistic slump, write something a little more lighthearted and take on that grand scope of classic filmmaking in the David Lean sense – a personal story set against an epic backdrop, in this case, the backdrop of an exciting period of art, wealth and adventure. I also loved the character – I think the film-going public accepts the idea of a little person giving a punch in the chops to the “big shots”. In many ways, though a narcissistic character, Victor is a champion of the working man, just as Bonnie and Clyde were able to transcend the label of mere “bank robbers” to become heroes of the displaced masses of the Hoover Depression, in this case it is the grand backdrop of the stock market boom that foretells a darker fate for the world, and only Victor seems to see it.

3. How long have you been writing screenplays?

I wrote my first “screenplay” when I was 14, so just under 18 years. But being my own worst critic, most of them reside only in that ubiquitous “box in my closet”, never good enough for public consumption. “The Salesman” is the first script I felt could “grow up” and go into the world.

4. What is you all-time favorite film? (name only one)

I’m a sucker for the epics, but the original “Die Hard” will always keep me on the edge of my seat – it’s a perfectly balanced film in the Syd Field structure, has awesome villains and was an innovator in the action world, more of an evolution of Hitchcock than anything else in the 80’s.

5. What artist in the film industry would you love to work with?

Narrowing it down to a single individual is a tough one – I’d give up five years salary to apprentice with Steven Spielberg.

6. How many screenplays have you written?

Counting shorts and commercials, about 20.

7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years?

I’d say complete with my first feature directorial effort, a small-budget feature and putting the finishing touches on something a little bigger.

8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing?

I don’t write well at home, so I try to remove myself to a clean, solitary location such as a coffee shop or library. I don’t start a project until I am sure I am going to finish it, then I decided to spend every free moment, evening and weekend at that spot until the project is complete. Sometimes this takes a week, sometimes a month, sometimes more. Once I am complete with that project, however, I always “retire” that spot – I can’t write a new story in a place that has so much emotion and memory from a previous project. I always try to write somewhere new. But that is not to say the story reflects the environment in which it was written – “The Salesman” has very little in common with the Starbucks where I wrote it.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Filmmaking in general is a passion of mine. In the U.S. right now, politics are the discussion of the day, and as a veteran, I take a keen interest in the affairs of the government. I also try to clear my mind with a motorcycle ride from time to time.

10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Script Contest?

Having been a writer for so long, I have come to appreciate the difference between the written word and the spoken word, and I have found that staged readings are an invaluable way to “spot” your story – what is good, what is bad, what simply doesn’t work, and how do actors “hear” the dialogue. I was very excited about the idea of a professional reading of this script and was keen to enter in the WILDsound Script Contest for that reason.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

I tend to meditate on a story for months before beginning, and I plan every step. I do most of my creative work in the treatment, but still happen to find “happy surprises” in the dialogue. If your characters are well built, your story well structured and your theme well planned, the script will write naturally. More than anything, you have to love your characters enough to let them “grow up”. Don’t force them to act out of character simply to deliver a “perfect line” you had imagined or get them into unrealistic situations simply to put in an action piece or crane shot you though would be cool. Love your characters more than yourself, and they’ll come to life for you, all you have to do is show them the way.

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