Steve Douglas-Craig: Sony Pictures, Horror Films, and Hard Work

Steve Douglas-Craig: Senior Executive Coordinator & Story Analyst with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition.(thenewscreenwriter.com)(LI:@stevedouglas-craig) Steve and I cover it all from his early life to present day and quite a lot in-between.

Steve - After graduating from the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory with an MFA in Screenwriting, I had a big bag of tools I could use to conceptualize and craft original screenplays, but a deeper understanding of the industry and it's players was also needed. So, I successfully applied for a coveted story analyst and junior executive position with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, and  quickly acquired the knowledge necessary for packaging projects geared toward the commercial, high-concept desires of the industry. Working story on titles such as Faster, Attack The Block, The Raid, War Room, Looper, Evil Dead (2013), The Insidious Horror Franchise, Don’t Breathe, and many others was also part of my portfolio as was connecting with  top-tier network, studio, agency and production executives. Then with a new TV pilot and Feature script in hand , I was able to pitch several of these contacts which eventually lead to representation. Not gonna be the same path for everyone... except writing and polishing those spec gems. 

It all seems so far removed from toiling inside a BFA in theater and film studies at The Queensland Institute Of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. And that's my point. There's no instant-success formula you can drink. And neither should there be. I spent over a decade working in the Australian and American theater, film and TV industry as an actor, writer and director before receiving a government grant from the Australia Council For The Arts to travel through the USA, Canada And Europe studying theater before finding screenwriting as a creative foundation. No matter how high the climb seems, I hope to help those willing to mine their inherent talent by putting in the hard work. There's no time limit that can be applied to creativity and passion - beyond those there's only hard work, dedication and developing solid, structured understanding of the craft of telling that story that is nagging at you to be told. That will be your measure of success. And the primary reasons why I've created The New Screenwriter.