Scott Currie is an accomplished veteran in the motion picture production industry

Scott Currie is an accomplished veteran in the motion picture production industry, with a career spanning 36 years in film production and distribution. He brings a wealth of experience, innovative thinking, and a vast network of contacts to any project, propelling it to the next level. Starting his career working on Mark Harmon’s first feature “Worth Winning”, Scott went on to work on notable films such as Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia” and Terry Gilliam’s “12 Monkeys”, showcasing his experience and ability to work with different directors and styles.

About You and Your background ?

In high school, I hated math. The classes where you read or watched movies were easier. From there, I began to fancy the concept of how the movies were put together. In college, this is what I studied. But college doesn’t teach you how to get a job. So I started out as Production Assistant, driving trucks from Philly to New York and back to pick up camera gear. Then one day, my boss said, “here is a camera. Go down the street and takes some pictures of the stained glass in the church”. That moment started me as a Location Scout – finding unique places to film in. Through the years, my experience with Location Scouting and Management has led me to place where I can help answer the question of “WHERE” for both myself and other film makers.

How do you convince yourself with things that you have to shoot for a film but you actually don’t otherwise believe ?

It’s always better to be involved with projects in which you believe. Weather its the story, actors or locations – it’s always challenging. The reality, is that we all have mouths to feed, so, if you don’t believe in the story, you better believe in the money. Otherwise, why do it. Life is short and better spent on endeavors you believe in.

Your Scripting Process ? Your approach to casting ?

Scripting really depends on the project. In fictional narrative, I usually work with others bouncing ideas back and forth while writing them all down. We usually work out the plot lines and sub plots on a big white board – once the big picture of how the story plays out is complete, we hone in on dialog.

 

When a draft is complete, we send that to our associates for review and comment.

Casting, like Location Scouting, is project dependent. When I was involved with film distribution, it was always the Q or M rating of the actors attached that guided much of the process. After that it was the actor’s availability for the production schedule, Casting Director input, and their appropriateness to a given role. Documentaries are a different animal. The cast is the story in most cases.

How much does your life influences your story telling and the characters that you bring to life ?

I’ve only ever worked in entertainment, so that’s what influences my approach to story telling. I don’t know if that’s good or bad nor how the character ends up on the page.

How do you work on yourself to become better in your field learning , observing , reading ?

At my age, I’m not sure I’m going to get better. What I’ve found is that by working with younger people, I have the opportunity to extend to them what I’ve learned since 1984. The flip side of that is, I learn from them. It’s very interesting to see how 5 different people will have 5 different view points on how to handle a challenge. It’s navigating those viewpoints to synthesize a solution to the challenge; that is the basis of team work and filmmaking is a teamwork oriented endeavor.

Filmmaking is team work. Tell us about your team and what sort of pre planning gets done before you decide to make a film. Tough things about making films and what keeps you going despite those tough things ?

My expertise is the “where” of the project. How that function intersects with the “what”, “when”, “who”, and “why” is where it gets challenging and interesting because each aspect has to deal with the “how much”. Most projects I deal with begin with a location breakdown from an approved script. From there research of locations as written in the story begins, quickly followed, by a search of states and cities offering the best tax incentives for filming. Once a production locus is selected, the fun of thinking out of the box begins. For example, recently I was tasked with finding 4 different locations: An old time men’s club, a cemetery, a sports club, and a 1930’s tuberculosis ward. Oddly, I was able to find homes for all the scenes in one location, saving a great deal of time and expense. Its rare, but it happens. These type of “wins” are what keep me going. You can find out more about my location company at www.phillylocations.com

Title Of Your New Release

Touched By Darkness

What is the central theme of film ?

It’s an in-depth discussion about life in the American prison system. Crazy Kenny did 21 years of an 85 year sentence; he has spent his whole life living under harsh conditions. Its an honest conversation with a criminal.

how many days it took you to shoot ? What locations it has been shot at ?

The film is currently a body of interviews, filmed over 6 days in Scranton, PA. More filming is planned to round out all the story potentials.

Share your thoughts about production process . Any interesting trivia about its making ?

I have 2 old sayings and an equation that amount to the production process:The harder you make it, the harder it will be.

Good, Fast or Cheap – pick 2.

Show = Business

While new approaches and new technologies can have an impact, the equations will always remain true.

What platforms will the film be released ? Date of release ?

Since our film is not yet complete, our distribution strategy is not solidified. We hope to finish filming in the next 3 months. We are seeking partners who can help us take the project to the next level.

Any other project you are working on ? Some details about the film ?

I learned long ago, success comes from persistence and opportunity. Having many irons in the fire = opportunity. I am currently working on a dramatic biopic called Sound the Trumpets. It’s the story of Theodor Hesburgh and his impact on race relations in the early 60’s. Also, working with Director, Beverly Perry, I’m helping with her documentary series “Incorrection”. It’s a deep dive into the many issues surrounding mental health and the American penal system. I’m also, working with the Dallas Music Network to find a home for our 60+ episodes of live music programming we created during the pandemic.

How do you deal with Negative Feedbacks ? How do you stay balanced with Positive Feed back ?

All feedback is good feedback. If the feedback can help you to tell a better story and reach more people – then listen to it and act accordingly.

How did you hear about CarryOnHarry ? Any message for Studio ? Any Suggestion that we can make it better ?

My publicist told me about Carry On.

IMDB Link

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0192994/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Your Official Website

 

Facebook Handle

https://www.facebook.com/scott.currie1/

Linkedin Handle

https://linkedin.com/in/scott-currie-274213241

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