Smoke Signals

You know the gig is good when all that's supposed to be done as it is supposed to be done results in things getting done right and people having smiles on their faces. Even the mistakes aren't a big deal because the support is actually there and the machine rolls along. The sensation of the machine running as it should is a beautiful, if fleeting, feeling. Like a pleasant boat ride on a summer evening or a lingering orgasm while clutching a twitching, exhausted yet satisfied lover. It hums in its own rhythm. I don't give a fuck that it's gambling. Gambling merely requires you to throw your money away. And maybe your life if you let the Demons take you. The majority do it voluntarily and good for them. Hollywood is far more than a flirtatious Dance with the Devil. It is an attrition chamber run by a cavalcade of demons and servants, swallowing incalculable numbers of Souls who lived and died by their own ambitions in pursuit of their Dreams. Hollywood demands you submit ...

I had heard it was coming, but it sounded so absurd I just chalked it up as one more reason the Industry I loved was falling to pieces under its own crushing hubris. I dreaded hearing about it as much as the unspoken certainty that the fight was on to make it real. I didn't want to believe it because it was yet another sign that the Hollywood I used to love and adore was fading into a nostalgic, overindulgent wraith, vacuous and emaciated under a sheer negligee. What was the point of demanding rewards for such a basic, utilitarian, functionary role, I wondered? Still wonder.  If they were to be acknowledged in such a manner, then so should every single department that serves with little more than the thrill of seeing their name in the closing credits on a silver screen. It was only fair. Some Casting Directors even have their name in the opening credits, so why did they need more? Then the nonsense became reality. The Academy saw fit to bow to the pressure of the Casting Director M...

This past weekend I was asked to submit a sample for a publisher and given some specific parameters they wanted to see to demonstrate my writing style. They asked for a minimum of 2000 words. I gave them close to 4400. Enjoy! Two Chapters – writing sample by Brad Havens – BradsMovies@gmail.com   Word Count: 4,378   I cleared the last of the dense brush from the end of the tunnel and pushed my way through. Dawn was breaking across the horizon and it was a clear morning. Damn, this was supposed to be a shortcut. This was supposed to get me closer to the royal woods, about six hours ahead of the others with clear paths and landscaped trees to move swiftly through to keep my advantage. But there had been some sort of battle here, and the land was ravaged, torn apart. Improvised walls amongst fallen trees were now scorched and blackened earth. Craters gouged through uprooted trees and blasted remains of hedgerows. What had not become ashes was reduced to charred brittle s...

I had been asked to submit a writing sample for a potential gig adapting a book to screenplay.  It was about a man's true life redemption story, and they offered two scenes for me to choose from - each had specific character beats or events, although the first scene was a bit more specific detailing the sequence of events. The subject interested me, so I wrote samples for both scenes. Here is the second one, where our Hero tries to reconnect with the woman he loves - Enjoy! EXT. CHURCH - EVENING Dragon stands outside the main entrance, on the sidewalk at the base of the stairs, softly shuffling his feet as the breeze pushes leaves past. The SOUND of the heavy doors cracking and creaking open prompts him to freeze in his tracks and look over. Kate gets a full half-step out the door when she sees him. They lock eyes for a few breathes before Kate sort of nods to herself and closes the door behind her. She makes her way down the steps, moving stiffly as Dragon approaches. He greets he...

I had been asked to submit a writing sample for a potential gig adapting a book to screenplay. It was about a man's true life redemption story, and they offered two scenes for me to choose from - each had specific character beats or events, although the first scene was a bit more specific detailing the sequence of events. As the subject interested me, I wrote samples for both scenes. Here is the first one, the open of the movie - Enjoy! FADE IN EXT. CHINATOWN COLUMBUS PARK PAVILION - DAY   It’s a bright and bustling early September, with the change in season causing people of all shapes and sizes to sport a mix of fashions from shorts and tank tops to light jackets and corduroy. Dragon Wei , an ambitious young man in his late 20s/early 30s, weaves his bicycle through a cluster of pedestrians as he makes his way from Bayard St. to a pay phone nestled between clusters of people huddled on either side of the building. SUPER: 1983   He rolls his bike up to the payphone...