Interview:
Kerry Finlayson was born and raised in the United Kingdom. She starting performing at the tender age of three and it soon became apparent that this would be her chosen career. Kerry went straight into performing arts school where she had the chance to play numerous different characters and learn all of the styles and techniques of acting, dance and musical theatre. Her natural progression was to move to Hollywood and pursue the acting dream there.
Throughout her journey, Kerry has also studied and worked on the production side of the industry and picked up a lot of technical knowledge as well as creative. Writing was always in her blood having come from the acting world. Kerry was always coming up with scenarios for characters since she was a child and she soon felt it was time to put those skills to use and write films of her own and dictate how she wanted each character’s life played out.

Is US & THEM your first script? If not, what else have you completed?

US & THEM is my second script. I have also written a supernatural thriller, with a ‘Da Vinci Code’ feel to it, which I finished one month before starting US & THEM. This is my first feature length comedy.

Why did you write US & THEM And how long did it take you to write it?

I have always loved British romantic comedies like ‘Bridget Jones’ and ‘Notting Hill’ and I wanted to write something that was along those lines and covered my two favorite places, London and LA. It took me three months to write the script and then over the following two months I kept coming back to the script and tweaking the odd sentence.
US & THEM does almost parody parts of my own life, which is why I am so excited about the potential of one day getting this movie made.

Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing?

I start my writing in my notebook, as is a better flow when I write by hand. I go to the park or a coffee shop and write until my hand hurts and then I stop and pick it up again the next day.

What inspires you to write?

I am always jotting down ideas in my notebook, when I am out and about. If I see an event or hear a funny conversation in a coffee shop, I write it down. Sometimes if I go and watch a movie at the cinema and it leaves me with an intense emotion, (happy, sad, in love) I have the urge to go home and write and pour those feeling onto the page.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Acting is a big passion, which is why I love writing characters and stories so much. Creating scripts that I can act out with friends is always fun and hones both my crafts at the same time.

What influenced you to enter the Movie Script Contest?

I felt I had to believe in the work I had done and this script is one I am proud of and the fact that Movie Script Contest offered the chance to actually get it read and seen by the right people in the industry filled me with hope. A contest that was about the quality of the work and not just how many dollars this winning script could make.

Do you feel that screenwriting contests are worthwhile for writers and why?

If the contests provide the right sort of exposure, i.e. the opportunity to actually get it recognized in the industry then yes I do. If it’s just a case of a random panel reading the script and just handing out cash prizes then no.

Who is your favorite screenwriter or writer and why?

I Love the work of Richard Curtis for the Romantic Comedies, he has that subtle mix of comedy and emotion that allows you to believe that the characters are real. Christopher Nolan is an amazing writer as her can diversify between projects. Of course the best writer I know of is Shakespeare the man that laid the basis for most screenplays today.

Any any fiction novel written by Marion Keyes, is the perfect beach or bedtime read.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

When you write try to block out everything else around you and visualize everything you write as if playing out the movie as you go along. It helps to build life and color to the page and make it real.

What’s next for you?

I am already in the middle of writing another script, with both a comedic and Thelma and Louise feel to it. I would one day, love to write a children’s film, like ‘Narnia’.