Of Poetry and Understanding

An Arthouse Film Discussing Young Love, Depression, and Self-Forgiveness

Writer / Director / Composer / Editor

Project Overview

This project highlights the existential dread of a young widower who has made a name for himself as a poet. He’s haunted by the memory of his late wife, but must accept her passing in order to move forward before it drives him insane. An indie film through and through. It has the taste of an arthouse classic and the atmosphere of a cult silent film.

Personal Statement

This was technically my directorial debut. I had no idea what I was doing, but I made it happen. Aside from the acting by Jessica Dallessandro and John Posner (not to mention John’s assistance in sound design), this project is my brain child. I worked tirelessly on the script, production, and post-production. Are there things I’d do differently a second time around? 100%, but that doesn’t matter, because this how the story turned out and I would be remiss if I felt the need to reshoot it.

How I Grew as a Part of This Project

This was the first thing I ever produced on my own. It was the first thing I ever produced, period. I brought along some theatre friends to help me translate my script idea to the screen, and I oversaw our first 12-hour shoot over the course of a single day. I felt I could do all the crew roles myself. If there was anything I learned, it was that I have the confidence to direct and executive produce an entire short film on my own, but I have my limits as an individual filmmaker, and it’s okay to rely on others to delegate tasks.

July 3, 2018

What is Scott?

Scott Duvall is a screenwriter, development producer, marketing director, and burrito enthusiast. Focused on telling the stories of life, Scott has built a career around getting the word out about others’ journeys and triumphs.

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The process is simple.

You scream from the rooftops. I scream from the rooftops. You think it’s an echo, but then it keeps going. You realize it’s me responding to your initial rooftop scream. We find each other. We discuss the story you’re trying to tell at a much more reasonable volume. I research your audience and develop your story in a way that helps you connect with your target audience.

If you aren’t a fan of yelling across vast distances or it’s cold outside, we could try carrier pigeons or smoke signals, but emailing might be easier. Actually, yeah. Let’s just go with that.

SAY WHAT?? ^{(Say What??)}

Not sure you’re “story” material? That’s ridiculous. You’ve started a business or are helping it grow. There are more sane things to do with your time, trust me. Look at the other crazy people in history. Why do we remember them? Because they made a good story.