You can do it too

The Bristol Evening Post reports that Stuart Gallop, after spending almost ten years writing a science fiction thriller, has sold the script at the Cannes film festival in May. Backed to the tune of $10 million, Mr Gallop said: “I finished the first draft in 2009 after eight years of writing it. That script has gone through three girlfriends and several house moves – it has always been there.”

In November that year he went to the American Film Market in Los Angeles to try to get the film picked up by a studio or producer. After ten nervous days of networking and meetings an Emmy award-winning director showed interest, and the pair spent a few months trying to find backers.

But the project fell through and Mr Gallop was back to square one.

Being made redundant in April after ten years at Unite gave him the push he needed to get his film off the ground.

He took the script to the Cannes festival in May and met LA-based actor and producer Beau Nelson and producer Kayo Anderson, who jumped at the chance to get involved.

Mr Gallop hopes to start filming early next year, possibly in Puerto Rico.

So all you budding scriptwriters out there, keep at it. Remember, it does happen!