We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kyle Scimone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I wrote my first stage play in the sixth grade for a theatre program when I was ten years old. It was a modern day Robin Hood spin that was selected to be preformed live in our school’s auditorium. I remember being in theatre wasn’t particularly “cool,” especially in the nineties, and especially being from a smaller town at the time. But, the people that know me, know that I am not one for conformity. I may be part of a very small percentage that was a multi-sport athlete and a theatre geek simultaneously. Those five years of theatre through grade school to high school formed the foundation of my skillset that allowed me to learn how to write for the actors who were going give away a piece of themselves to make room for your character. When my sport’s journey came its end, I refocused my efforts back into the arts. I transferred my credits to Full Sail University in Florida and obtained my BFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. Today, as a working screenwriter in Los Angeles, the skills I learned in my time at Full Sail truly helped me prepare for the opportunities to come. Granted, there are mixed opinions on film school in the industry, but what I have always said is that my schooling gave me to confidence to tell others what I do, and show them my work. And, that was coincidentally my biggest obstacle years prior. Even now, I struggle promoting myself on social media, but it is the nature of this industry. People have to know who you are, and what you do. My degree program really drove that home for me, and everything has changed since I’ve started sharing my portfolio with people. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have taken the same route, but I would have done it with more intention and professionalism from a younger age.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker in Los Angeles, California. My first professional screenwriting contract was completed in 2019, and I’ve been an active member of Indie Film ever since. Typically, directors hire me to transform their ideas into production ready scripts or I rewrite existing screenplays to standardize them into film-able works. There is a certain structure and pacing that is very nuanced in screenwriting. In fact, every aspect of screenwriting is extremely scrutinized before the story is even considered. Are the sluglines accurate? Is the dialogue relatable? Are the action sequences too long? Is the plot grounded? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you should hire a pro. It will save you a massive headache in the end, and ultimately, it will save you money. A professional screenplay is the compass for production. A great script makes shot lists easier, tells an amazing story, and keeps you under budget. When I’m hired to rewrite an existing script, the turnaround time is 30 days and the outcome is a production ready script written to industry standard. I also work closely with directors to curate ideas from scratch and complete full feature screenplays through collaboration.

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

My mission is to keep indie film alive here in Los Angeles. Freedom of expression is extremely important and indie film is the cornerstone for creatives to relate to society from different perspectives. Filmmaking changes lives and can adjust or even correct social norms in ways people often overlook. So, the more artists we support and encourage, the spectrum of creativity broadens and allows for a variety of voices to be heard. Variety sparks curiosity, and curiosity supersedes judgement.
If you would like to help us on our particular mission, we are gearing up for production in Los Angeles, and have a donation campaign attached to links in this article. Let’s revitalize indie film together!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The most consequential pivot of my life was my decision to stop working as a chef after 15 years and pursue filmmaking full-time. After balancing two careers for a decade, I made this leap to give myself the freedom of time to develop as a professional creative. Since my decision less than a year ago, I have landed several acting roles to supplement my screenwriting contracts. Being a part of the filmmaking community has allowed me to be my true self and connect with others that align with my values. The parallels of my cooking career and my filmmaking career are not lost on me. The lessons I’ve learned from so many successful business owners have taught me how to nurture an idea until it blossoms into a tangible entity. From my experience, the best business owners know how to adapt to market trends, attracts an ever-changing audience, and delivers a product that puts costumers in seats!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kjscimone.wixsite.com/scimone
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-j-scimone-728961138/
• Other: Film Funding Campaign

  https://www.freefunder.com/campaign/film-funding?fbclid=PAT01DUAO_uQtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAafoFKZXpRio8tAwjgH4QPweQzyUA9WRswdqRvIQjDtrPvDWgA1KB3fy9l-2Qw_aem_CDvnrmsekWOebclc_y6KBQ