Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about?
Eric White: The 15-minute Short is about a vampire who was blinded in an ambush. She learns to survive throughout the centuries by using the vision of animals and her ability to compel beings through thought. In the Short we see: (1) Healthy vampire Dreven, (2) Blinded Dreven and (3) Dreven overcoming her disability. It’s heartwarming in a horrible sort of way.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Horror, Action
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Vampires typically don’t have a disability — they are either very strong and resilient or dead. In this case, the vampire Dreven adapts to her disability in a seemingly “normal” way by using a service dog that she has trained to detect danger, protect her and hunt for blood.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Pragmatic adaptation.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Fifth Element
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
1 month
7. How many stories have you written?
I have mature scripts for “Blind Vampire” and “Vapor”, a Sci-Fi Steampunk TV Pilot. And nascent scripts/stories for two more Pilots, “Unseen” and “Not So Charming” and one feature, “Dead Princess”.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Targeting 15-minutes in length and I struggled with the ending. Some will feel it ends abruptly. I could have explored a relationship with the neighbor, making the script longer, but I preferred bloodlust over just plain lust and kept the script to 15 pp.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Beach, beagles, and irreverence.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
It’s great. I feel like I’m not presenting work through a portal but, rather, sharing my accomplishments with a community.
12. What influenced you to enter the festival?
The festival struck me as welcoming, constructive and interested in my work, not just building a lengthy participant list to legitimize their festival – particularly new ones.
What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
The feedback — in particular the tone, not just the content — was far more helpful and encouraging than most all other reader responses I’ve received.
Watch the Screenplay Reading:
Centuries after a being ambushed, a blinded vampire survives thanks to her seeing eye dog.
CAST LIST:
Thug Leader: Daniel Jones
Boris: Steve Rizzo
Narrator: Carina Cojeen
Dreven: Caroline Concordia
Melanie: Emily Weir
Celia: Judy Thrush
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 