We just heard from screenwriter Mark Rupprecht:

I wanted you to know that I just sold my short, Heavener. I had been working on it as a feature for a few years and struggled with its structure. When I read Blake’s book, the script came into focus really fast. I saw my holes and I finally had a road map.

The story, when broken down to its primal root, is about loneliness and loss and how to cope day to day. Here’s the logline: After dying with his family in a horrific car accident, a lonely man wants to learn why he has been sent back to earth as an immortal and how he can get back to heaven.

I was fortunate to have had a wonderful producer contact me after he read it. Due to the budget, I had to rework it into a short script (approximately 55 minutes). Because I had all the structure in place and I knew my theme and beats, it was a very smooth process.

I have read many (probably all) books on screenwriting. There are a few good ones. To me, Save the Cat! is by far the best. It forces you to plan, to construct, to hit the most important beats in your story, and it lets you know what’s missing or where your story is weak. It has really helped in keeping my scripts tight and focused.

Bradley Wolf from Antworks films UK is producing and directing Heavener. Filming starts in the UK in August and it is due for a fall release this year. Here’s the listing on IMDB. And here’s the movie’s website.

Thanks so much!