Author: Donald L. Vasicek

Award-winning writer/filmmaker Donald L. Vasicek studied producing, directing and line producing at the Hollywood Film Institute under the acclaimed Dov Simens and at Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. He studied screenwriting at The Complete Screenplay, Inc., with Sally Merlin, daughter of the famed Hollywood Merlin family of screenwriters and writers, as his mentor. Don has taught, mentored, and is a script consultant for over 300 writers, directors, producers, actors and production companies. He has also acted in NBC’s “Mystery of Flight 1501”, ABC’s Father Dowling starring Thomas Bosley, and Red-Handed Productions’ “Summer Reunion.” These activities have resulted in his involvement in over 100 movies during the past 23 years, from major studios to independent films including MGM’s $56 million “Warriors of Virtue”, Paramount Classic’s “Racing Lucifer”, American Picture’s “The Lost Heart” and “Born To Kill” starring the Charles Bronson of Korea, Bobby Kim, and his internationally-known brother, Richard, who directed, Incline Productions, Inc.’s “Born To Win”, 20th Century Fox’s “Die Hard II” starring Bruce Willis with Rennie Harlan as director, and Joel Silver as producer, Olympus Films+, LLC’s “Haunted World” with Emmy-nominated PBS Producer Alison Hill, and Olympus Films+, LLC’s “Faces”, “Oh, The Places You Can Go” and the award-winning “The Sand Creek Massacre” documentary film. Don also has written and published over 500 books, short stories and articles. His books include “How To Write, Sell, And Get Your Screenplays Produced” and “The Write Focus.” He has been a guest screenwriting and filmmaking columnist for Hollywood Lit. Sales, Moondance International Film Festival’s e-zine, Screenwriter’s Forum, Screenplace, Screenplayers.Net, Screenwriters.Net, Screenwriters Utopia, Spraka & Kinsla (Swedish), Inkwell Watch, and Ink On the Brain. Writing recognition includes Houston’s WorldFest International Film Festival, Chesterfield’s Writer’s Film Project, Writer’s Digest, The Sundance Institute, The Writer’s Network, and the Rocky Mountain Writer’s Guild, Inc. Don completed producing “The Sand Creek Massacre”, a documentary film project that includes the completed and award-winning documentary short, a book, a classroom video, Interactive Media, a study guide, and a lesson plans. The film is being distributed by Films Media Group. Don is on the board of directors of the American Indian Genocide Museum in Houston. He is the founder and owner of Olympus Films+, LLC, a global writing and filmmaking company and a screenwriting volunteer on AllExperts.com. Don’s screenwriting agent is Robin Kaver of the Robert Freedman Dramatic Agency, Inc., 1501 Broadway, Suite 2301 New York, NY 10036, 212-840-5751.
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How to Write Compelling Fiction

To write compelling fiction, the writer must think in terms of a beginning, a middle, and an end with a defining theme. A main character (protagonist) with a goal must drive the story/plot. Each other character should be a subplot which crisscrosses the plot. They must reflect the theme, and in some way, interact with the main character. The character who opposes the main character can be a antagonist or a villain (represents pure evil with no redeeming characteristics). This character must be seeking the same goal as the main character, but for a different outcome. The stronger the antagonist or villain is, the more powerful the main character becomes and the more compelling the story becomes. In the interaction between the main character and the antagonist, the main character must show a transformation arc, which terminates at the end of the story where he/she has an epiphany that completes their transformation.

Booth Western Arts Culture Museum Appearance

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“How to Get Your Screenplay to a Producer”

Go to “The Hollywood Creative Directory”. There,
you will find listings of producers, what they’ve
produced, and their contact information. Select
the producer or producers who have produced
genres similar to yours.

To contact them, write a query letter. If you need
some guidance with this, read my
query letter article, “Anatomy of
How To Write An Irresistible Query
Letter” on my website. You can
also find it in “How To Sell
Your Screenplay” by Joan Wilen
and Lydia Wilen at Barnes & Noble.

Fax, snail mail (be sure and enclose
a SASE), or email the letter to your list of
selected producers. Give them 2 weeks to
respond. If they do not, then contact them.
Tell them that you are contacting them to
see if they received your query and that you
would like an update on it. Then, go from
there.

If you would rather call producers, then,
write up a short script for yourself. Many
of the gatekeepers who answer the phone
can be pretty tough on callers. Simply
make them feel like they can benefit
from your call. They love to “discover”
someone like you and take you to their
boss.

Donald L. Vasicek
http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
dvasicek@earthlink.net

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“How to Write Texting Into Your Screenplay”

INT. WHITE HOUSE/OVAL OFFICE – DAY

President Obama drops his eyes down to his mobile phone. He begins texting.

PHONE SCREEN

PRESIDENT OBAMA (V.O.)
America’s indigenous people must be respected.

BACK TO SCENE

President Obama looks up from his phone. His eyes stop on an Indian Chief’s headdress leaning next to a photo of Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle.

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When showing something like this, it is vital that you have a voice over to read it to the audience. This approach makes it easier for the audience to follow, rather than squint their eyes trying to read the text. This can be unpleasant for the audience, and you could lose them.

Donald L. Vasicek Olympus Films+, LLC
The Zen of Writing and Filmmaking
http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
dvasicek@earthlink.net