American Gem 2007 Short Screenplay Competition - RED CARPET

2008 CONTEST

ENTRY FORM

RULES

AWARDS

Sponsors


			*American Gem Short Screenplay Competition*

| ENTER ONLINE | RULES | AWARDS/PRIZES |

2007 WINNERS

Runner Up

Kristina Sisco Romero
of Los Angeles CA

Screenplay
RED CARPET
Drama

Biography:

Kristina Sisco Romero is a professional writer and Emmy-nominated actress.
She has worked as an actress on CBS Daytime¹s As the World Turns, NBC
Daytime¹s Passions, Sands of Oblivion for the Sci-Fi Network and The Flock,
a major motion picture starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes. She received
Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Younger Actress in 2001 and 2002.

Romero is also an award-winning playwright. Her One-act play GoneŠ won the
MPW One-Act Play Festival in 2007 and was preformed at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Los Angeles.

In 2002, Romero attended Rockport College¹s International Film Workshops in
Rockport, Maine specializing in the craft of filmmaking. Romero executive
produced, wrote, directed and edited Abigail, the 6-minute short that
premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival and Dances With Films.
She earned her BA in 2006 from Thomas Edison State College, in Trenton, New Jersey and received the distinct honors of Alpha Sigma Lambda and the Arnold Fletcher Award. Romero is a current graduate student at University of
Southern California¹s Masters in Professional Writing program and will be
graduating in Spring '08.

Interview

I knew I wanted to be a screenwriter.......

at fourteen when I began reading scripts as an actress and coming up with ideas for how I would re-write them. I¹ve known I wanted to be a storyteller from as far back as I could remember.

I know I've succeeded.......

Period. I¹m happy, have great support and am doing what I love.

My inspiration to write RED CARPET.......

has been brewing ever sense I began working as an innocent and naïve actress at age seventeen. I have always been fascinated by the moment when you realize the reality of your dream. Red Carpet is a fictional culmination of conversations overheard with a mixture of my own passion about the delicate balance involved when seeking out what you desire.

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FilmMakers Magazine: What inspired you to write?

Kristina Sisco Romero: I am inspired everyday from interesting things I see on television to the people I observe on the street. I usually write to work out things in my head so they make sense, like why someone is the way they are?

FilmMakers Magazine: What did you do to prepare yourself to write your first script?

Kristina Sisco Romero: My freshman year of college I took a UCLA Extension online course in screenwriting and it opened up a whole new world of possibilities and mostly structure). I remember writing my first script in one week.

FilmMakers Magazine: Is this your first script and how long did it take you to write RED CARPET?

Kristina Sisco Romero: This is not my first script. I have completed three feature-length screenplays, one short screenplay before this one, as well as a series of short stage-plays and one-acts. I began this idea for Red Carpet in my Playwriting
class at USC where I am currently earning my Masters. It went over so well with my classmates that I decided to see what it would look like as a short screenplay.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you have a set routine, place and time management for writing?

Kristina Sisco Romero: My routine is to treat my writing like a job. I get up in the morning and ³go to work.² I try to put in 5 hours of writing everyday. So far I have been very fortunate and can afford to devote this amount of time to my writing.

FilmMakers Magazine: Do you believe screenplay contests are important for aspiring screenwriters and why?

Kristina Sisco Romero: I believe contests are extremely important for aspiring screenwriters because they are encouraging to the writer and one of the only forums a new writer can receive creditability. I, personally, feel more confident of my work just from being a finalist. It makes me write more. In an industry filled with rejection, one rarely receives a positive view on their work, and screenwriting contests can aid in inspiring the new writer to move forward.

FilmMakers Magazine: What influenced you to enter the American Gem Short Script Competition?

Kristina Sisco Romero: I have been trying to ³test my work² and not be shy about submitting my stage plays as well as my screenplays. When I saw the American Gem short Screenplay Competition I decided to see how far my work could go. I am happy I did.

FilmMakers Magazine: What script would you urge aspiring writers to read and why?

Kristina Sisco Romero: I would urge aspiring writers to read EVERY script they can get their hands on, good and very bad. I have found that I learn from other¹s mistakes almost more than I learn from what the pros did right.

FilmMakers Magazine: Beside screenwriting what are you passionate about and why?

Kristina Sisco Romero: I am passionate about storytelling. I love story. This is the reason I decided to enter into the Masters program at USC, which opened me up to novel writing as well as playwriting. I have tried my hand at picking up a camera and creating, as well as editing. Any part of the storytelling process is fun for me.

FilmMakers Magazine: Who is your favorite Screenwriter and Why?

Kristina Sisco Romero: My favorite film/screenplay is Forrest Gump so I would say Eric Roth. I like working with adaptations and historical material and Eric Roth is very talented in that realm. William Goldman and The Princess Bride has always inspired my storytelling as well as Goldman¹s books on the craft of screenwriting. I also love how Charlie Kaufman plays with the story structure and rules. I think that¹s three? Sorry.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the director you would love to work with and why?

Kristina Sisco Romero: I have heard that Gore Verbinski has great respect for the writer and insists that they are on set. I have also been a fan of Robert Zemeckis and the stories he chooses to tell.

FilmMakers Magazine: Name the actor you would love to work with and why?

Kristina Sisco Romero: Being an actor myself it is very hard to just choose one. Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Tom Hanks are just a few. Christian Bale is one of those amazing actors that I believe has just started to show us what he can do. He has so much talent and potential to tackle any character he chooses.

FilmMakers Magazine: Any tips and things learned along the way to pass on to others?

Kristina Sisco Romero: Since I began as an actress, I have encountered harsh rejection as well as a realistic look inside Hollywood. I knew when I decided to switch to writing that the struggles wouldn¹t be any different. I think it is a ³cautious optimism² that keeps me going. I know it is hard and it is a business to
every degree. If you keep that focus and remove the personal, you can last a
very long time.

FilmMakers Magazine: What's next for you?

Kristina Sisco Romero: What is immediately next for me is completion of my thesis screenplay and graduation from USC with a Master¹s in Professional
Writing. I have a treatment for a television series that is under consideration at the CW Network and I am cleaning up all my screenplays and novels as I venture forward in pursuit of literary representation.

FilmMakers Magazine: Where will you be five years from now?

Kristina Sisco Romero: Working. Somehow. I have never shied away from the idea of teaching story. I just love it that much. If I am fortunate, I hope to be in the position of selling my work and teaching others the power of story.

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