We recently connected with David Rothmiller and have shared our conversation below.

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My career as a writer has allowed me to choose areas of interest that I wanted to learn more about. So, as student and storyteller I have shared my passions and progress. My first job in television was in the late 90s as a writer for “Beyond The Line”, the first of its kind New Age/New Science & Environment talk show covering such edgy topics as: UFO Abductions, Underwater Birthing, Near Death Experience and Genetic Engineering, really anything my writing (and life) partner and I wanted to know more about. The in-studio guest experts were the leaders in their fields. We got to have drinks later with many of them and heard, first hand, hair-raising stories of what was really going on in science labs and quantum physics think tanks around the world.
Anytime I choose a story to develop into a screenplay, it is a deep-dive research and development exploration into a time and psychology other than my own. In each case I learn more than I knew before.
My first film as writer/director, “For My Wife…”, is a documentary film that answers the question, “What makes an activist?”. The story told is of Charlene Strong, a woman who rose from tragedy to triumph as an national advocate for Marriage Equality at a time when no legal protections were offered to same-sex couples and their families. The film went on to win six festival awards around the world and was used by the CIA at Quantico in their Diversity Training programs. The film was an important part of the national dialogue on Gay Marriage and I believe had a critical effect.
Meaningful work can also be what we do other than our chosen careers. In my case, it was a desire for parenting that brought my spouse and I to the conclusion that not enough safeguards were in place for LGBT youth in foster care. This seriously at-risk population has very little dedicated support. Together, we founded Sanctuary Palm Springs, a transitional home for youth leaving foster care. It still operates today under the banner of Oak Grove/Sanctuary Palm Springs, but serves our original mission.
At the same time, we fostered a rambunctious teen in our own home and after many ups and downs we became a family. Our daughter is now a working model/actress in LA, having appeared in Vogue and Harper’s, as well as onstage at the Golden Globes and AMAs and numerous fashion shows.
A life as a “creative” is all about imbuing meaning to our time here on this beautiful planet. We create meaning first for ourselves, in an attempt to understand it, and then for others as they find their way.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always described myself as a storyteller, first. And I’m fortunate that my stories have found readers and viewers who appreciate the odd twists and turns my tales may take. My book of short stories, “Curious Shorts: A Creepy Collection of Terrible Tales” is a compilation of thirteen spooky stories for young readers, a sort of “Twilight Zone” for kids. With content ranging from the possible ghosts next door to the werewolf upstairs, readers are invited to glimpse into worlds just scary enough to make them wonder.
Our video production company, Trick Dog Films, has been a source of commercial content for over twenty years. With a project catalogue of music videos, image videos, event coverage and TV commercials, we have provided the means for fund-raising and brand recognition for a vast array of professional and non-profit clients.
Working in the Palm Springs market was a constant source of amazement. The large amount of non-profit organizations meant a yearly calendar of events and galas, each event needing video content with emotional appeal. My job was to create just the right combination of love, light and laughter, through image and music, to inspire a sense of community and of course… generosity. It was always a creative challenge, but I loved the community I worked in. I was honored to film interviews with some real icons of old Hollywood: Carol Channing, Kaye Ballard, Norm Crosby, Stephanie Powers, Susan Anton, Lindsay Wagner, Estelle Getty, Doris Roberts and many others. Lucie Arnaz (Broadway pro and daughter of Lucy and Desi) was a delight every time we worked with her, funny and kind with the mouth a sailor.
More recently, I have put the focus of my work on screenwriting. But once the script is finished, the focus changes to “script selling”. This requires a different set of skills and a determination that needs care and feeding.
As a member of the WGA, the screenwriter’s union, I have jumped one main hurdle to access the market, but a constant maintenance of craft and ego is required, while waiting for the next project to find its home.
So, if you are looking for the next charming and witty Christmas movie, give me a call.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

As a professional writer, the advent of AI is a real concern. The WGA strike was crucial to bring attention to the potentials and pitfalls of this new technology. Of principal threat is the parasitic nature of AI. It is not a “creator”of content. It is a “curator” of ideas and language. No AI product can exist without there first being written content – by a writer. This amounts to plagiarism. The WGA strike did, at least, succeed in achieving studio guarantees of “written by” credits in any AI created content, naming at least one human writer of record.
How this technology will continue to affect professional writers and the entertainment industry as a whole has not even been quantified. But wherever a dollar can be shaved off the budget, the studios will continue to make that call.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Legacy is a term that comes more often to mind as I enter my third act here on Earth. I look at my written work. On occasion, I will receive a text or a note from a young reader telling me about “Curious Shorts” and how it affected them. I know that my stories will delight kids long after I have left the planet. That’s a good feeling.
I have several film scripts that I know will have an impact once produced. So, I focus on that becoming reality. I do all the magic spells on moonlit nights that are required for such an occurrence.
But for legacy, I often remind my daughter that the only real purpose for success in this life is to achieve the ability to help someone else.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.trickdogfilms.com www.davidrothmiller.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidrothmiller
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.rothmiller
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rothmiller-6b3b70b/?msgOverlay=true
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@trickdogs
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user9954674

Image Credits
LD Thompson Dorian Marras Dane Andrews