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John Jay Science & Engineering Academy
Northside ISD
San Antonio, Texas
Winner of Making the Connections Student Short Screenplay Contest, High School
"The Healing Process"
Kyle is a junior enrolled in the Science and Engineering Academy located at Northside Independent School District’s John Jay High School. Kyle has had a lifelong passion for computers and technology and became interested in film during his sophomore year of high school. He began creating short variety films in English and History class and hasn’t stopped since! His filmmaking skills have garnered top awards in the National History Day competition on the school, district and regional levels. He is currently preparing to take his project, Tying the Knot: The Transcontinental Railroad, to state competition in May. Kyle also has an interest in poetry and music - many of his poems and song lyrics have been featured on www.4empowerment.com. Kyle is the son of Arthur and Judy of San Antonio, Texas.
At school, I took a Creative Writing class. During this class we were asked to write three prose pieces. When I first heard about this contest, I was writing my second piece and I was confident with what I had at that point. I decided to kill two birds with one stone. So, I finished it as a short story, and then I rewrote it as a screenplay.
The idea for the story came to me during my Creative Writing class. We had reviewed several pieces that contained characters with mental disorders and the majority of them confused the different disorders or had the stereotypical "multiple personalities" disorder that’s so common in Hollywood. I had taken an Introductory Psychology class, and even though I was no expert, I knew I could approach the topic with at least a little more realism. I had also found it interesting that so many famous creators were bi-polar, including Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain to name a few. This information drove me to explore this connection in a creative fashion.
The only character that really gave me trouble was David, and I think it’s because it’s like trying to cast one actor for two parts. For David, I guess I would choose James Franco. I could see him in the role perfectly; I think he could capture both sides of David’s personality.
For the role of Adam, I would choose Edward Norton, because I think he is a great actor and this role needs one. I attempted to make the friendship between David and Adam very complex, with Adam seeing the gradual emergence of David’s psychological issues. The scene at Adam’s house is really the only place to show this and I think Norton could pull it off.
I chose Johnny Depp for the role of the music store clerk, because not only is he the actor that everyone wants now a days, but I think he could bring the look I want to the role. The look of a somewhat spaced out and slightly sarcastic guy that loves music, but isn’t that great at it, hence, the cashier job.
For Dr. Bealle, I would choose either Jack Nicholson or Christopher Walken. I think they would both fit that role very well. And for the club owner I would choose Jon Lovitz.
For the nurse I would choose either Kiera Knightly or Elisha Cuthbert, because no film is complete without a beautiful woman, and I’d rate them both right up there.
I’ve always seen the film industry as one connected process. From the idea, to the screenplay to the screen to the homes of the people, it’s all one process, and I think anyone that’s interested needs to try it all. My plan is to start at the beginning and ride the creative train all the way through. Then I can go back and consider a career in the part I do best in. I’m a very visual person, so I have always wanted to work on the actual production of a film, because that’s were the vision finally comes out of the imagination and into a medium that everyone can see.
I love Fahrenheit 451; of all of Bradbury’s work, that one is my favorite. I think that would have to be one of my favorite novels anywhere. I like a lot of the old science fiction, the books that dealt with social issues underneath. But, not the new stuff, like the ten thousand different Star Trek novels.
I would choose Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. I loved Anthony Burgess’ story and I think that Kubrick’s interpretation was magnificent. I did wish that it had the final chapter though; I was very disappointed in that. I also enjoyed Fight Club. It dealt with so many complex issues about society and people and somehow did it on a fun level, so that it is simultaneously complex and entertaining. I know it is very clichéd but I am also a Matrix fan, for many of the same reasons that I like Fight Club. It had a strong philosophical background, despite the fact that it is an action movie. I like movies that are fun every time you watch them and deeper each time you watch them.
In my spare time, I enjoy playing guitar. I am working on learning bass guitar as well. I also enjoy working with computers. I have been using video editing software to piece together various projects including History Fair documentaries and short cartoon-like films.
During the summer, immediately following the screenplay program, I will be attending a Duke University program at Chapman University in Orange County, CA. It will focus on filmmaking.
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