Today we’d like to introduce you to Leon Golterman.
Leon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
About a year ago, I moved from the Netherlands to Los Angeles, where I began to work as a screenwriter and script consultant. I travel back and forth between the US and Europe, where I’m currently writing a television series.
I was able to cross the Atlantic thanks to my thesis film, Morphine, which I wrote and directed. Based on a true story, Morphine is a short thriller about an elderly, paraplegic man who can no longer speak and decides he wants to end his life. While euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, his Catholic doctor sabotages the euthanasia request by falsely claiming the patient suffers from dementia. The only witness is a young intern who decides to prepare an illegal euthanasia.
The film won awards at a number of festivals and I received scholarships to further my education in Hollywood. I chose the Screenwriting program from UCLA Extension.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Moving to LA is a challenge, especially for internationals. Still, I loved every part of it. I always saw it as a game. As a screenwriter, we learn that the essence of a story is: a character wants something and needs to overcome an obstacle to get it. Without the obstacle, without struggle and conflict, the story is boring. Life is the same.
If you want to have a career in the film industry, you are going to face a lot of rejection. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been turned down for a job or internship. I realized that if something doesn’t go your way, it simply is not your path. When one door closes, another one opens. There’s no shame in that, only in not trying. The sooner you embrace that, the better you’ll feel. Every rejection will become a victory: you gave it everything, you learned and you grew. And then, one day, you’ll get that “yes.”
For me, that “yes” came this week: I sold my first story to a European streaming service. I’m flying out to Amsterdam to work on the treatment.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I work as a screenwriter and specialize in stories with dark themes: crime stories, mysteries and elevated thrillers. A detective story I wrote about the Son of Sam murders won the first price in UCLA Extension’s writing competition, and I’m currently developing a political thriller with European streaming service Videoland, a subsidiary of RTL.
When I’m not working on writing my own stories, I work as a script consultant and help other writers and producers with theirs. For example, we’ll work on ways to improve structure or character development, but also on ways to increase the story’s marketability. I have worked in both the European and American industry, so writers who want to increase the global appeal of their pilots and features come to me.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many generous people. I owe a lot to all my instructors and mentors at UCLA and everyone else who has helped me along the way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 500 Landfair Ave, 90024 Los Angeles
- Website: https://leongolterman.com/
- Phone: +13103079259 / +31637154602
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leongolterman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeonGolterman
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/leongolterman
Image Credit:
Morfine poster and stills
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