Meet David Mandell of Blank Slate Pictures in Miracle Mile

Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I went to USC and started in the Theater program. However, before college that I had a teacher in high school swear to me that I would be a director. I scoffed as I loved the stage too much. And yet, when I got to USC, I found a newfound passion. I found writing. This still shocks my mother to this day because grammar and spelling were never my strong suits. And they still aren’t to this day. But I loved creating. I loved telling stories. So I wrote. And I kept writing. Eventually, finished a feature film. I had taken absolutely zero classes on the subject, read zero books on the subject matter so it was about as bad as you can expect for a first screenplay with no background. Probably worse, to be honest. But I gave it to a friend who worked in development to read. And she said, “David, this isn’t awful.” (Still one of the best compliments I’ve ever received on my writing. Maybe I should find a new career?)  She continued, “character, plot and pacing are all there. Sure it needs work. But it’s actually a great start.” So I kept writing. I transitioned to the film school side and learned as much as I could about the film industry.

After graduation, I tried getting a feature off the ground and went about raising funds. It didn’t work out. (Who wouldn’t give buckets of money to someone who has never made a movie, which is already a risky investment, is beyond me). I was, however attached as a producer to a feature being financed for a large budget. After a year and a half of negotiations it all came crashing down. But I had to pay bills. I’ve managed a gym, worked at Starbucks, driven Uber, was a TMZ bus tour guide, Facilities Coordinator at a tech company, a personal assistant and all the while I was writing. I had written a few features but hadn’t made anything yet. I decided to go and make something. So I wrote a short. Called it Tea Time with Mr. Patterson, sent it to Emily Osment’s team and she accepted the offer. And if you ever want to see me with a crazy beard, you can give it a watch on my web site. I then shot a web series and two shorts since then. I have now written nine features, three TV shows, and 12 shorts. It’s been a long road, but it’s always been worth it doing what I love. Even needing multiple jobs at one time. I am now in development as I adapted two best selling novels and currently up for another adaptation at another company. So it’s just starting to look a little brighter.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. I don’t think it ever is. Maybe for Emma Stone? Even with her, I’m sure there are bumps along the way. I have gone through a plethora of hardships and heartbreaks in regards to projects. For me, though, it’s not the rejection that hurts the most. It’s the false starts. The broken promises. The great meetings that never return your call. The financed film that falls apart after two years. And, yes, these happen all the time. But when you are working against all of this on a daily basis it really takes a toll on your outlook. I have been rejected and told my writing isn’t strong enough more times than I can count. It’s a lonely journey at times but I am surround by amazing friends, family and work partners that make it bearable to chase this crazy dream.

Blank Slate Pictures – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Blank Slate Pictures is all about creating stories worth telling. A cliche, yes. But we stand by it and have been able to create stories that matter. The last short we produced, which I wrote and directed is called “Like Turtles.” It’s about Molly (Troian Bellisario) who lost her husband to cancer without health insurance and amassing ungodly amounts of medical debt she is forced to live in her car with her son all the while never revealing the severity of their circumstances. Personally, I am most proud of this project. We plan to develop it into a feature and it’s a touching story. Emotional, nuanced and beautifully shot. It truly captures the relationship between a mother and son and shows that poverty can be categorized as a gendered issue, which we fail to realize often.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Shooting LIKE TURTLES. It was the definition of a collaboration. I could not have been happier with the entire cast and crew. The talent from everyone on set was astonishing. Our production designer made a van look like a home in two days, our producers battled everything thrown their way, our camera team lit a street and cheated day for night under a bridge downtown LA, our DP made every frame look like it had the budget of a studio movie and our actors delivered a performance I couldn’t have dreamed of. Their chemistry felt so raw and real, I forgot they had just met each other until the last day. In all honesty I hired and brought people on who are vastly more talented than myself and so the project is coming together with more magic than I could have anticipated.

1 Comment

1. 

   Michael

   September 17, 2019 at 01:18

   Keep creating and following your dreams.

   Reply