Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Malone Elliott.
Peter, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up in a house with a New York Times best-selling author, I always knew I wanted to write. After seeing Scorsese’s The Departed, I firmly decided on writing for film, television, and theatre.
After playing a year of Division 1 collegiate soccer, I transferred to Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television. It was there that I met some of my closest and most inspiring fellow creatives, one of whom is still my best friend today.
Once I graduated in 2016, I continued to work on honing my voice and getting specific about the stories I wanted to tell. Now, I’m lucky enough to be writing full time—when I’m not out with my two dogs and their co-owner/my girlfriend Michaela, of course!
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?
Probably the biggest challenge for me as a screenwriter is that it’s a completely subjective profession. Meaning, there is no concrete “right” or “wrong” in terms of product, and there is a ton of rejection. That can make it hard to maintain a positive attitude, let alone continue to trust your gut/instincts/ideas. What I’ve learned from all this is that you need to have faith in the process—and yourself. I also realized how important it is to find good people who are way smarter than you are, and who don’t mind reading countless drafts. Thanks guys!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m a screenwriter/playwright who specializes in period dramas and contemporary crime thrillers. Last year, my screenplay JUNIOR was the Grand Prize winner of the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition. Out of several thousand submissions, it landed the $25k prize and a close camaraderie with the heads of the company. With the help of my manager, Zach Book, JUNIOR is now being shopped to A-list directors by a top tier producer, which I’m beyond thrilled about.
I also just wrapped principal photography on my first feature film, WIRED SHUT, in which I served as writer-producer alongside my best friend/director Alex Sharp. We shot the movie in 12 days, which would have been impossible if not for our amazing ten-person crew and three-person cast. As you can imagine, though, it was still quite a whirlwind! We are currently in post-production and are so excited to take it out into the world once it’s finished!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I try my best to maintain some level of mindfulness and stay day-to-day. I’ve found when I speculate too far into the future. It can pull focus from my current projects and create unnecessary stress. This is a new practice for me, but so far I have to say I’m a fan!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wiredshutmovie
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/wiredshutmovie
Image Credit:
Loyola Marymount University
Photographers unknown
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