Growing up, I’d always be writing about something I struggled with, someone that hurt me, or even losing someone I loved. Telling stories was a way for me to cope with whatever was happening in my life.
I have lots of ideas for potential books and scripts. Some are in process and some are just waiting to be written. The one I want to focus on is my short animated film Marbles, which is currently in pre-production.
Writing Marbles came about in an interesting way. In 2023, I had gotten a newsletter email from the Women in Animation organization. The email contained information about the Women Over 50 Film Festival and that they were accepting submissions for short scripts. I know what you’re thinking…”you’re not over 50 years old”. Well, I didn’t have to be over 50 to submit the script, but the main character could be over 50.
I had lost my mother when I was nineteen. It would have been her 60th birthday in 2023, so I wanted to write something to honor her. When this email came up, the idea for Marbles came quickly. What if I write a short script where my mother is the main character? What if the story incorporated my longing to have said goodbye to her? What if nobody had to lose a loved one so suddenly?
Everything came pouring out and I couldn’t put my computer down. I took inspiration for the story structure from some of my favorite shorts like Bao, One Small Step, and Hair Love. I utilized the Pixar Xperiential program to see how my story would resonate with others and to learn from the Pixar team on how to build it.
I had never written a script before and there are specific industry formats that need to be followed. Part of my day job, as a Film & TV Underwriting Specialist, is going through scripts on an almost daily basis. This exposure to scripts and internet research helped me ensure mine was at least formatted to look industry standard and was acceptable to the festival.
Once I was happy with a draft, I decided to take the leap and submit it to the Women Over 50 Film Festival’s short script category. That’s when I decided I would not stop until this film was made and that I would dedicate it to my mother Lisa.
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In the next post, I’ll talk about my experience submitting the script to film festivals.
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