MATT GALLAGHER
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Manhasset, New York.
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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?
I was walking around the empty streets of Denver during Covid lockdown and thought: “this is the only period in American history when a couple of robbers could walk into town in masks and blend right in.”  That got me started on a heist movie idea.  Once I had a premise, I needed interesting criminals, targets, etc.  Being in Denver around the legal dispensaries, it led me to think they would be an interesting target.  It all flowed from there.  My goal is to get a movie made, so writing it as a novel just creates an extra step.

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?
All-in it took me about two years to write (when I wasn’t busy with my day job).  It was a while after that initial epiphany before I had the whole thing fleshed out.  I started with my two leads, who are they, why would they risk it all for a heist, who would help, etc.  I wanted to focus on men lacking attachment in today’s society, so I picked two out of work actors / bartenders in L.A.  I built the other characters around them.
Then I set my major plot points: establish their situation (in debt and dreams on hold), present the opportunity (the heist), have a point of no return (kicking in the door), a late setback (digital trail), and try to resolve it all in ten pages.  One final change was starting with flash forward to inject some action right away, which was a great tip by a producer friend.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I’d like to get a quality movie made, ideally a cult hit.  I want something I could show friends and one day my daughter and proudly say, “I wrote that script.” 

Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
I like funny movies that aren’t strictly comedies.  My favorite dialogue is in early Tarrantino movies, he really made it feel like you were eavesdropping on a conversation.  The best set of characters might be who Paul Thomas Anderson crafted in Boogie Nights, even the minor characters had effortless depth to them.  Hard to beat Dazed and Confused for realism, everything in that script feels authentic.  Each of those movies makes me laugh.  For funny television I really respect Entourage, Archer, and Succession.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
My favorite movie is True Romance, another crime film.  It is maybe the most loaded cast in history: Walken, Hopper, Slater, Arquette, Gandolfini, Pitt, Kilmer, Oldman, Sizemore, etc.  So many actors come in a crush small, well-written parts.  For example, Gandolfini reportedly got the Tony Soprano part based on his work in this film, and he’s like the 8th biggest part.  It is also a Tarrantino script, although Tony Scott directed it.

What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Get people to read the script that will give you useful feedback.   That sometimes means paying for coverage or asking favors.  And don’t take all the feedback, not everyone should like your movie.   
Also, be coachable.  You will have to cut stuff you like.  Try to craft dialogue that moves the plot and defines the characters at the same time, like Chinatown.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?​
I think America needs a pep talk.  So I’m writing a redemption story with a character who is an avatar for the country.  It involves hookers and gambling.

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