SEAN ELLIS Success is the Only Option We caught up with the screenwriter and director, Mr. Sean Ellis … Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started. I’m a screenwriter, director and editor, who began making films at 11, while growing up in Australia and Hong Kong. I fell in love with movies and TV as a child, watching shows like “Lost in Space” and “Land of the Giants”, which frightened me, but also excited my imagination. So, science-fiction, fantasy and monsters made a big impression early on. But it was “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” that confirmed my desire to be a filmmaker, when I was about 9 years old. I was creative as a child and loved to draw, make models and write stories. My parents recognised my passion and gave me a Super 8 camera for Christmas, so I began making short films and teaching myself to edit. That was pretty much all I did throughout High School, and I was accepted into a film school in Melbourne when I was 19, the year we returned to Australia from Hong Kong. Since then, I’ve had some work in film production, but mostly I’ve been a freelance writer and director. Where do you write? I’ve lived in many places over the last twenty years, so I’ve had to be adaptable. I don’t always have a quiet place at
home, so I’ve spent a lot of time writing in cafes, and also libraries. When I lived in Los Angeles for a few years, I did most of my writing in cafes, which was always enjoyable. Writing can be a very isolating, anti-social process, as it requires so much of your time and focus. So being in a cafe feels like you’re being social, not cooped up at home. In a city like LA, it’s completely normal to write in a cafe or restaurant, during the day or night. A cafe that’s not too crowded or noisy, with good coffee and food, is ideal. When do you write? I found many years ago that I have to schedule time to write. Once I established what was most distracting to me, I could organise my routine to eliminate those factors. Most screenwriters know the best time of day for them to write, and I gradually worked out my own. The important part is to have time in the first place. I’ve chosen part time jobs or flexible hours, so I have at least two or three days a week to write. Usually it’s from mid afternoon until 7pm, but I sometimes go to a cafe to write until late. Not all writing happens when you’re seated at the computer. I get my best ideas, or breakthroughs, when I’m just doing ordinary things, like taking a shower, going for a walk, or driving alone. So you have to allow time to do things by yourself, too. Just to think. It’s all part of the creative process.
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