TIM SUGARSearch WILDsound  11 Questions with 2010 Screenplay Finalist TIM SUGAR 1. What is your screenplay about? Holy Roller tells the story of two Bible salesmen plying their trade in Northern Louisiana circa 1965. As they take to the road, trading salvation for cash, a group of escaped convicts travel that same terrain, conducting a murderous crime spree along the way. Fate sets them all on a collision course that will pit one man's beliefs against another man's will in the ultimate test of faith. 2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay? I wrote Holy Roller as an ode to the Southern Gothic writers of 50's and 60's, particularly Flannery O'Connor. Growing up in the South, I have a passion for the type of storytelling that is intricately woven into even the most basic of conversations. I have also been fascinated with the time period in which the screenplay is set (1965) because of the drastic changes that were going on all over the country and the dynamic of a world that did not want any part of that change. 3. How long have you been writing screenplays? I have been writing screenplays for the past five years in some form or another. Having no professional training to speak of, I began with short film screenplays that I could raise enough money to shoot myself and then worked my way into full length features. This is my second feature length screenplay. 4. What is your favorite MOVIE of all-time (name only one and explain why it's on top)? My favorite film of all time is Raging Bull. I have a fascination with the "anti-hero" and believe that Martin Scorsese's poetic ballad toward the ultimate example of this type of character speaks to me with every viewing. It also contains what I believe to be one of the greatest performances ever committed to celluloid. To find the humanity in such brutality is a feat within itself. 5. What artist in the industry would you love to work with? As far as the people I would love to work with, the list is very long. To be on the same set (even as a PA) with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Terrence Malick, or Joel and Ethan Coen would be a dream come true. To hear an actor such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, or Benicio Del Toro say anything that I had written would be nothing short of amazing. That being said and knowing the blood, sweat, and tears that go into making a film, you have to respect anybody who dedicates their life to such an endeavor. 6. Who was your hero growing up? My heroes growing up were directors such as Stanley Kubrick and John Cassavettes. Although they come from two totally different ends of the filmmaking spectrum, their attention to detail in each of their respective types of film is awe-inspiring. As far as writers, Paddy Chayefsky, Cormac McCarthy, and the aforementioned Coen Brothers all have inspired me greatly with their works. 7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years? Ideally, in five years, I would like to have a film that I have either written or directed see the light of day outside of my parents' living room. 8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? Unfortunately, I think my process is still forming. Usually it starts with me purging out all my ideas over the course of a month and then stripping away from there. I switch between days of writing one page and long nights of writing ten pages until I have something resembling a readable draft. Seven or eight drafts later, I might end up showing it to someone outside of my immediate circle of friends. 9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? Outside of writing, I am passionate about directing. I am sure this is a common answer among most writers, but I have a real fire for taking something in its written form and bringing it to life. To watch actors, set designers, and cinematographers realize images that were once in your head is what it is all about. That and the Boston Celtics. 10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Script Contest? I entered the contest because I had come to a point with the script that I wanted to see if it measured up with an audience outside of my circle of friends. It has also served as a barometer to see if this was something I should continue pursuing or file away in my "in another life" file. 11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers? Being pretty new to this entire experience myself, the only sage advice I can offer to other writers is to keep writing. I think finding things that you are compelled to write is the most important thing and the from there, staying true to yourself. Writing is one of the hardest things I have ever done and I commend anyone who is able to open themselves up to such an experience.
TIM SUGAR
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