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Meet Seda Anbarci

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Seda Anbarci.

Seda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a screenwriter, originally from Turkey. I was born in Istanbul. I’ve always dreamed that I would become a scientist or an engineer and invent something unique that would change people’s lives. I even finished my undergrad studies in Chemical and Biological Engineering. But in the meantime, I found the Humor Club at my university where I wrote plays and organized events. We can say that it was the beginning of my journey to find myself.

When one year was left for graduation, I realized that Engineering was not what I wanted. I was writing plays for Humor Club and writing lyrics for a music producer based in London. Writing is what I wanted to do. I wanted to invent stories that would influence people’s lives. I came to Los Angeles during my Summer break to take some classes in Screenwriting because I’ve always loved movies and TV shows. I have a list of TV Shows I watched, and if you see that, you just won’t believe that a 25-year-old had time to finish all those seasons of TV series. But I was always interested in the realistic and flawed characters, the deep idea behind the series, and the story engine that would generate seasons and seasons of stories.

I honestly wanted to quit Engineering and stay in LA to study Screenwriting, but my family’s pressure was huge. I had to go back and finish Engineering before doing anything else. Imagine you’re about to finish Engineering, and you tell your parents you want to become a writer. That’s not a good thing in Turkey. They say, “Are you crazy? You’ll starve.” So, I went back and finished my last year. I came back to LA to do an MFA in Screenwriting.

During my MFA years, I wrote two sci-fi feature films, a sci-fi TV pilot, and a fantasy TV pilot. I realized that I could combine my Engineering knowledge with screenwriting and create exciting science fiction worlds that are scientifically correct. I even invented a chemical device in theory for one of my feature films, which is a compression device for water to store large amounts in micro spaces.

Now, I’m in LA, still writing and pitching my feature films and TV shows around town. I really found my purpose, especially after reading my childhood journals back in Istanbul. It so turns out; I’ve been creating stories ever since I learned how to write. I have an endless passion for creating unique worlds with flawed characters to explore themes like social justice and world issues. My purpose as a writer is to inspire people to think outside the box, break stereotypes, represent diverse voices, embrace differences, and be kind to one another.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been very challenging. Especially with my family still believing that Screenwriting is just a phase, and I would go back to Engineering, which will never happen. You can’t go do something else when you found your purpose in life, am I right?

Other than that, the industry itself has a rocky road for new creatives breaking into the industry. Finding a manager or an agent is one of the biggest struggles as an international screenwriter. Especially if you have a ticking clock on your visa.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a Screenwriter/Producer. Screenwriting has been my biggest passion as I mentioned before. But when I was doing my MFA, I started producing my friends’ films who were in the filmmaking program. I realized that I was helping them enable their true potential as the director of the film. I was taking some of the pressure off their shoulders. Producing has become a second passion of mine, so I go for it when I read a project that explores an interesting theme. And when I produce, I get a chance to help with the script and revise the script to make it even better. I heard some of my friends calling me their Creative Producer for that reason.

“Spotted” short film started as a script that my boyfriend was working on. He’s a filmmaker, who’s also into science. He was going for a theme that would explore the potential of an internet community becoming a cult and controlling our future with VR technology. This was super exciting. I started revising the script. It was such a huge process for both of us. Then I decided to be the producer so that he can focus on the creative side of the project. Being a producer of a short film is like being the manager and the maid at the same time. You find the locations, contact people, gather the crew, and make sure they sign the contract, schedule meetings, schedule the auditions, sign contracts with the actors, get filming permits, etc. And during filming, you have to make sure the cast and crew have water and food, the filming is going according to the schedule, the location is safe, which makes you a security guard as well, and so much more. Producing is an intense process that I adore because I love what we create as a team. All of us have one purpose, inspire people, deliver a message and hopefully, entertain them in the process.

I’ve been focusing on screenwriting more after producing “Spotted.” I’m currently pitching my films and shows around town and working to find a manager to represent me as a writer. I’m a diverse and probably a rare voice in Hollywood, whose goal is to influence humanity to be better, I always create stories that explore situations or characters from different perspectives. An example would be my sci-fi TV show that explores how humankind might react if we encounter with aliens. It sounds like one of those stories where humans bravely fight to kick the evil aliens out, but no. I wanted to explore something bigger, something deeper. What if peaceful, decent, homeless aliens knock on our door one day asking for help? In a deeper sense, this explores the alienation of foreigners and discrimination; and hopefully, it will show the audience that different is good. So, the unique perspectives I integrate into my stories is what sets me apart as a writer.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I asked myself this question before. I thought the answer would be that I would study Media or Filmmaking in my undergrad rather than Engineering, but that’s not it. I wouldn’t change my Engineering background for anything else because that helps me create unique science fiction worlds that can excite the audience and hopefully, blow their minds. I believe in the process of growth and everything we do helps us find ourselves and our purpose. I believe that everything I did has brought me where I’m supposed to be. One little thing that I would do differently would be to apply for Screenwriting Contests and network with managers before graduating because it might definitely come in handy after graduating and save some time.

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