ANDY O’Gorman, who took part in a Limerick Writers’ Centre scriptwriting course in 2010, recently complimented LWC for encouraging him to pursue his dream.Andy’s first script, Dead Dog Bounce, was among 40 long-listed from hundreds of entries for the RTÉ Filmbase Short Script Awards.
Originally from Patrickswell, he did the LWC scriptwriting course with tutor, Eleanor McSherry, in late 2010.“The six week course was geared towards having a script ready for submission to award programmes by the end, which we achieved. It was a very interesting course and really helped us to hone our skills and learn the technical details of writing a script. It was great to have the feedback of the other members of the group as well; they push you on and you have deadlines to get it handed in on time,” Andy said. “I’ve always been a big movie fan and liked reading and writing so scriptwriting was something that combined all of those interests. Once I started it, it really seemed like something I could get enthusiastic about. I enjoyed doing it very much.” The script for Dead Dog Bounce was around 12 minutes long. “It was the story of a man going to pick his two kids up from school. It was set around 2008 when the IMF and the troika were beginning to make their appearances in Ireland. There is a certain scene towards the end of the movie, which is a bit shocking, and it was basically a visual allegory for the thing that had just suddenly appeared in Irish life. People found that drastic and shocking too. The ending was quite open really. I wasn’t trying to write anything too deep or introspective. It was just a snapshot of what Irish life was like possibly at that time.”Since completing the course and entering the initial competition, Andy hasn’t looked back. “I’m always on the lookout for more competitions to submit to. The group is still in touch with each other and we still meet every few months. We still spark off each other, get ideas and motivation. I’m actually co-writing a script at the moment with Maeve McGrath who also did the scriptwriting course. She asked me if I’d be interested in co-writing this feature length sci-fi film based on an idea that she had. We’ve made a start. I’ve written the first part and handed it over to Maeve. Writing with someone is a really interesting venture too.” He admitted that his ultimate ambition is to get a film produced and see it on screen—whether little or big. “That would be the ideal outcome for me and to make a living from screenwriting or any kind of writing really. Yeah, that’s what I would sell my soul for,” he joked
.Limerick Writers’ Centre is currently running another scriptwriting course. For information on this and other upcoming courses, see www.limerickwriterscentre.com.
Photo: Andy O’Gorman with tutor Elenor McSherry (seated) with students of the current Scriptwriting course at the Limerick Writers’ Centre.
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