F.J. Hubert

"Put your main character in lots of trouble [...] and let's see how he handles it," preaches Christopher Keane in "How to Write a Selling Screenplay." Check. But... a friend told me Starfire was "dark, intense, and gritty."

To me, that's just more popcorn, M&Ms, and Coke Zero to ingest. Because, in the end, it leads to beauty and success. For Keane, creating conflict and drama comes down to facing our demons: "I'm speaking of the dark interiors of our inner nature where fear thrives."

That rage in me
Rage runs in my family. It's nothing wacko although the urge for destruction it generates - picture Godzilla trashing an entire city and spitting fire - led me to try purging it in fiction for increased self-control.

But Starfire isn’t autobiographical per se; it’s rather my response to the harsh comments of three professional script readers on my first script, “American Cars.”

I also gave my rewrite a clear, effective structure: The mini-movie method my screenwriting sensei, David Chai, used himself for his multiple award-winning "SIJI: Driver" film.

Script readers
For my Academy Nicholl, Black List, and Stage 32 script readers, “American Cars” lacked conflict, drama, a simple plot, and a hero to root for. "Oh, you want drama?" I thought for myself while addressing every flaw highlighted by these script readers.

King Kong Lives!
Every day, in any situation, I choose to live by my deepest values of patience, understanding, and self-control. This is the real me, not the raging King Kong at the top of the Empire State Building.

I get scared when my raging heart starts throwing and kicking things around. Starfire's all about the dark interiors of my inner nature where fear thrives.