Interview with Screenwriter Julia Sauder (DR. NEVES)

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about?

Julia Sauder: It’s about what can happen when you mess with Mother Nature and try to play God. How it can devastate lives and leave a path of destruction in its wake.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

I imagined it as a horror, but there is a lot of science fiction.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It would be a fun ride. I want to write movies that make people happy, so they can have a good time.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Monkey business.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Aliens. I know it backwards and forwards. It taught me some valuable lessons about storytelling like timing and plot points. It’s just a great, entertaining movie, and I love to watch it.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I wrote the step outline in the fall of 2006 in Lake Como, Italy. The rough draft took me 11 days. After that, I worked on it off and on for 13 years.

7. How many stories have you written?

I have no idea. I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I think it would be cool to know an actual number, though.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the
most times in your life?)

“Freedom ’95” by George Michael. It’s my anthem, and I totally rock out to it. It really gets me going and gets me excited.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Making the reanimation believable. I wanted the power source to be realistic. It had to be strong enough to wake the dead. There’s a fine line between cheesy and clever.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Traveling. I love going to new places and absorbing cultures, seeing new things. Just put me on a plane and tell me where to later. Time stops as you connect to the world.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your
experiences working with the submission platform site?

It’s a very simple process. It’s very easy to apply to contests, to get information about festivals. I like how the dashboard where you can see where you’ve applied and what your status it.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings
on the initial feedback you received?

Definitely the free feedback was a large draw. I was very happy with the feedback. It was encouraging and constructive. Well done and professional. And I especially liked the grammar notes.

Watch the Screenplay Reading: 

After practicing first on a manufactured ape, an ambitious doctor creates life while losing control of his own.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Shawn Devlin
Neves: Colin Sandquist
Woman: Melie B Rondeau