DONALD McKINNEY

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
 Los Angeles, California
 
Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel?
 Work is changing and nowhere is this more pronounced than in creative industries such as advertising. I wanted to explore the tension between money and humanity in an industry where humanity is losing. My heroes are fighting for creative freedom against a system that devalues creative at every turn. I thought of “Agency of Record” as a TV show from the beginning. The characters are composite characters of real people I’ve met along the way. I wanted to give the characters enough room and time to develop. TV is the perfect medium to do that.
 
How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
 I wrote the script fairly quickly and I’ve been rewriting it ever since. My writing process is discovery. I start with FADE IN. I absolutely loathe outlining. The writing process for me on “Agency of Record” was finding the story through the characters. The characters took over. I couldn’t wait to see what they would do next.
 
 What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
 I’d like to make a movie or a TV show.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
 There are so many. I’ll start with the first one. Robert Towne. In the 80s I was a room service waiter at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. Robert Towne was a frequent guest. One day I was picking up dishes from his room and there on a writing table, next to his IBM Selectric typewriter, was the unfinished script for “The Two Jakes.” Next to it was the yellow leather-bound shooting script for “Chinatown” complete with his handwritten notes. I sat down and read it. If I had been caught, I probably would have been fired. It would have been worth it.
 I’ve been inspired by obvious writers for obvious reasons – William Goldman, Nora Ephron, Mel Brooks, Billy Wilder, Quinten Tarantino, the Cohen Brothers because their scripts and movies are note perfect. Aaron Sorkin because his dialog is note perfect. Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest for inventing a new style of comedy with “Spinal Tap.” Jordan Peele for reinventing horror films. The Daniels for the absolutely crazy things they are able to envision. S.S. Rajamouli for making maybe the greatest movie ever in “RRR.”
 I’m inspired by TV writers such as Quinta Bunsen, Judd Apatow and Michael Hurwitz, for their ensemble comedies. Amy Sherman Paladino, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy, Ronald D. Moore for their world building.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
 My favorite film is a beautiful Japanese film written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda called “Afterlife.” It’s a wonderfully original take on the afterlife. Everything about it is perfect.
 My favorite TV show changes like the channel.
 
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
 Shane Black frames the classic “write what you know” advice in a way that really resonated with me. He talks about “competence porn.” Competence porn is immersing your audience deep into a world. I know the advertising world – pitches, ideas, politics, competition, creative, persuasion, jargon. Competence porn is hard to fake, but easy if you know your world.
 The other thing always in the back of my mind is – are these words good enough for my character? I try not short-change any of my characters. I find they don’t like it.
 Finally, never be defensive about readers’ notes. Take them or leave them, but always consider them. Iteration is great. Remember, when someone picks up your script, they want to love it. They’re rooting for you.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’m almost done with a comedy feature titled “Clyde’s Dead.” It’s a true story that’s basically Fargo with seafood.

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