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Scott
Teems has established himself as a sought-after writer, filmmaker
and videographer in the New York area, with work ranging from music
and comedy videos to corporate and promotional films.
His latest
short film, ROOT., which he wrote and directed, is currently touring
the festival circuit and has played to full houses in New York and
Los Angeles. His short film, INDIGESTION, was an official selection
of the 2002 Damah Film Festival, and his feature screenplay, THE
BURNING DOWN, recently reached the semi-final round at the Sundance
Institute. This past summer he adapted the novel, PARALLAX, into
a feature screenplay for a production company.
Other recent
projects include editing the short film, FRIENDS LIKE THESE, written
by Emmy©-winner Jason Reich and Geoff Kirsch, for the New York
festival “RIPFest #5,” and directing LE CHASE in collaboration
with Tori Spelling, a Super-16mm short written by Charlie Shanian
which wrapped production in November 2004.
Born and bred
just outside Atlanta, Georgia, Scott presently resides in New York
City with his wife, T.J., and son, McCabe.
For more information,
please visit http://www.waving-palms.com
SCOTT
ANSWERS DAMAH’S SIX-PACK OF QUESTIONS
1.
Who has had the greatest influence on your work?
I like to joke that the three people I’m most grateful for
in this world are my wife, Jesus Christ, and William Goldman –
but that’s really much closer to the truth than I sometimes
realize. Goldman’s influence isn’t so much on the way
I write or what I write about, but rather, reading his two invaluable
books on screenwriting (“Adventures in the Screen Trade”
and “Which Lie Did I Tell?”) made me truly believe that
I could do this, that a good story will find its audience, and that
belief is such a huge part of the battle. As the man says, “Confidence
is everything,” and his wit and wisdom gave me a pretty big
dose of that self-assurance.
2.
Which three films would you absolutely have to have with you if
you were stranded on a desert island?
• THE
PRINCESS BRIDE (’87, William Goldman, Rob Reiner) –
‘Cause you gotta laugh. I mean, c’mon, you’re
alone on a freakin’ island. You’re screwed.
• THE ELEPHANT MAN (’81, David Lynch) – ‘Cause
you gotta cry. Need I repeat? You’re on an island. Alone.
• THE DECALOGUE (’89, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof
Piesiewicz) – ‘Cause you gotta pass the time. Who knows
when – if – they’re gonna find you?
3.
Boiling it down to only three words—why do you love film?
Craft. Services. Yum.
4.
What has been the toughest thing about pursuing a career in film?
Hard work means nothing, and hard work means everything. In this
business, it seems nobody much cares if you’re the top student
in the class, or if you’ve had perfect attendance since kindergarten,
if you know what I mean. So much of what happens is about luck and
timing, but at the same time, you make your luck by busting your
tail day and night till you get what you want. So in a lot of ways
it’s out of your hands, but in many, many ways it’s
not. An odd thing, that.
5.
Who is the one actor that you would love to work with?
Robert Duvall. He’s the king, at least in my book.
6.
What are your five favorite “obscure” films?
• AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE (’62, Robert Enrico)
– Everybody’s got “the film” that opened
their eyes and set them on their life’s course. This is mine.
• DECASIA: THE STATE OF DECAY (’02, Bill Morrison, Michael
Gordon) – If you don’t do drugs, this is the next best
thing.
• WINTER LIGHT (’61, Ingmar Bergman) – My favorite
Bergman film, but really any Bergman does me right.
• THE RED BALLOON (’56, Albert Lamorisse) – Pure
cinematic bliss. The Balloon is one of the great characters in film.
• GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (’92, David Mamet, James Foley)
– It’s not really “obscure,” of course,
but still criminally underrated and under-seen. It is so much more
than just a great script.
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