We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mikhail Saburov. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mikhail below.
Alright, Mikhail thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.
I do all kinds of writing: sci-fi, period pieces, ghost. Not just as in horror but also as in ghostwriting. I feel like that’s a natural place to be when you’re not an aspiring writer anymore, but still far from clutching anything gold-plated on national TV. So, one day I get a call from a friend. A simple side hustle: some production company (can’t name names) has rights to a short novel that they want to have broken down into a synopsis. Four days. Decent pay, but your name’s not on it. Sounds easy enough.
Back then, my wife was also considering pursuing a writing career, so we decided to split the work and do it together (spoiler: she decided not to, and she’s the happiest she’s ever been. Makes you think…). So we say yes, get a tiny brief and a short, 150-page or so, novel. As I’m opening page 1, all I know from the brief is that the story is high-concept sci-fi with a pronounced romantic storyline. Not to delve too much into details (rights stuff), the story revolves around a strong female protagonist (or so the author seems to believe) who works for this crazy cult/corporation making androids. Sure, why not. Ghosts don’t judge.
And so I get to page 30 as our character gets to talk to the new android and… sleeps with him. And then again, and again. My wife, a bit behind in the story, texts me, “This sex scene is very vivid”. I reply, “I’m on page 90 and they’re still f***ing”. Yep, you’ve guessed it. It was a porn novel.
I have nothing against porn and even less against sex of any kind. Talking about dramaturgy, it can be an incredible device for character study or social commentary but when it’s nothing but a detailed description of various ways a beautiful android is plowing an intern (yep, she was an intern… I remember now) — it doesn’t exactly make your job easier. I guess I’m a bit too negative – after all, it does get a bit more character-driven when the corporation’s CEO joins the android and the intern (not a joke).
What’s the moral of that story? Life’s hard for interns? Don’t know. The moral of my story? Life is chaos, nothing matters, the things we assign meaning to are just hallucinations of our brains that are good for nothing but spotting patterns where they often don’t exist, ghostwriting pays.
As my wife put it, “I was paid for my writing twice. For a script for a child’s birthday, and then for porn”.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a writer and director, born and raised in Russia. From a very young age, I quickly became a major thorn in my parents’ sides. I was even kicked out of kindergarten as “I didn’t belong with other kids,” according to the supervisor. Recognizing my differences, my mother, a wise woman, led me to theater where I would spend the next 13 years. I never really considered any career other than the arts, not because I had a calling or anything, but because my social circumstances conditioned me to believe that was the only thing I could do well. However, this isn’t entirely true as I happen to be a stellar cook.
Fast-forwarding a bit, I am an alum of the School of Visual Arts (SVA) and the AFI Conservatory. I am an honored participant, finalist, and winner of a few festivals and programs such as the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Academy Nicholl Fellowship, the Austin Film Festival, and others. My style? I’m truly a student of dramaturgy so I work in different genres and formats. However, being the son of a Russian homicide detective with 25 years of service and a math teacher, I don’t view the world as an overly optimistic place. Time and time again, I find myself drawn to convoluted stories where the border between right and wrong is nothing but arbitrary — and it’s up to the audience to question their own morals.
In addition to writing and directing, I also offer script consulting to help other writers shape their projects in the best way possible. I teach screenwriting, and recently, we’ve begun expanding overseas. If you have a story and you feel stuck with it, don’t hesitate to reach out. I love helping other creatives get things done.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
As the worst kind of interviewee, I’m going to spin this question around. I don’t think there are “creatives” and “non-creatives.” Why is art deemed more creative than, let’s say, police work? Yes, as an artist, you have to come up with complex concepts about the world and then execute them in an engaging format of your choice. That certainly requires a lot of creativity. However, getting your informants drunk at a secret safe house to extract tidbits of information that could propel a case of national significance (a true story, by the way) demands its own type of creativity. The creativity may be different, but it’s not lacking in the slightest.
I believe we’ve bought into this marketing-driven dichotomy of “creative” and “non-creative” jobs. It’s almost as ingrained as the “American dream” — a pretense to sell people on their personal uniqueness and significance for material gains and social control. Divide and conquer, right?
In truth, we’re all far more alike than we think. So, how about we stop looking for what makes us unique and instead focus on what unites us? I believe we’ll all benefit greatly from that.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
While I could hide behind phrases like “making the world a better place,” I must admit that I am not quite the propagandist one might expect. So, I’ll be brutally honest — I am an artist because I seek validation. In my case, it’s not rooted in parental issues or a desire for social validation, but rather, professional affirmation. I thoroughly enjoy moments where I can be the smartest person in the room among other professionals. This sense of achievement usually comes from writing and directing stories that excel not only in concept but also in craft.
Being recognized is profoundly rewarding — it’s the reason people buy expensive cars, order bottle services in elite clubs, or spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a wedding. There are two primary driving forces behind our actions: sex and status. And this isn’t necessarily a cultural or parenting failing — it’s biological. Chimps kill each other for status and mates; we aren’t far evolved from that if we really think about it. But it isn’t necessarily a negative thing either (though it can certainly become one). The best things we experience, such as new technology or the discovery of a trendy spot, often result from competition where Person A battles Person B to be seen as the best.
However, regardless of our quest for validation, we can all strive to be kinder to one another. Let’s showcase our evolution, so to speak. Feels like the right time to do so.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saburov.film
- Instagram: @mikhail_d_saburov
- Twitter: @mikhailsaburov_
- Other: https://screenwriting.pro
Image Credits
Slava Makarov