Interview with Screenwriter Zack R. Smith (In Too Deep: The Brian Futz Story)

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about?

Zack R. Smith: A modern-day murder-mystery-comedy wrapped around a 1980’s absurdist underdog comedy.

30 years after the murders of the most prolific screenwriting duo of the 1980’s, their final screenplay has finally been brought to life — ‘In Too Deep’ is the story of a disgraced college swimmer returning to the pool at age 40 looking for a shot at redemption.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Comedy

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

‘In Too Deep’ is not only funny for an audience of any age, but it also taps into the nostalgia felt so many people who came up in the absurd 1980’s.

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

Joyful lunacy

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

‘Deconstructing Harry’

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

9 Months

7. How many stories have you written?

30

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

Peter Cetara – Glory of Love

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

The hardest part was cutting. Initially, this script was close to 150 pages of joke after joke after joke. While obviously too long, the goal for my writing partner and myself, at the time, was to make each other laugh. So, we just kept going. Eventually, we had to do away with some great stuff.

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

New York City, yoga, animals

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

Mostly positive. Easy to use. The downside, of course, is that there are SO MANY competitions on FilmFreeway – many with little to no payoff for entering or even winning them.

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

The real motivation for entering ‘WildSound’ was the possibility of having our work performed by professionals. I’m not sure either of us have designs on directing. We simply love writing comedy. But also want to see our work put out there. And low and behold, we were fortunate enough to pick up a win and have the opening scene from ‘In Too Deep’ performed, which was great. But even before that, our initial feedback from ‘WildSound’ – the feedback we received in writing – was both informative and full of positive praise. So, that was pretty great, too.

Watch the Screenplay Reading: 

30 years after the murders of the most prolific screenwriting duo of the 1980’s, their final screenplay has finally been brought to life — ‘In Too Deep’ is the story of a disgraced college swimmer returning to the pool at age 40 looking for a shot at redemption.

CAST LIST:

Narration: Esther Tribault
Meriwether: Pierre Simpson