We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful C. Neil Davenport. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with C. Neil below.
Hi C. Neil , so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
Overcoming writer’s block is like walking across hot coals and the trick to avoiding a severe burn is to keep walking.
Whenever I find myself in a creative funk, I keep writing even though all I want to do is stop. Sure, the deadline keeps the fear of God present and yes, that bottle of bourbon looks enticing, but if I stop trying to obtain that pinnacle idea which will solve all my problems, my feet will burn.
I was hit by writer’s block recently while developing Called Higher Studios’ faith-based kids film, CAMP HIDEOUT. It is a story about a non-Christian orphan who steals an important item from two big city goons and hides out in a church summer camp to evade his capture – think Home Alone meets Earnest Goes to Camp. We had the story outlined, the characters developed, and the theme nailed down… but there was this one scene which I could not get right. Jason Brown, one of the film’s producers had a great idea – he wanted a scene where the kids told a ghost-story about Falco (the camp’s leader) and his dog similar to the black and white ‘bones and all’ scene in The Sandlot. When it came to this scene, I wrote and rewrote and deleted and went back to the drawing board and eventually threw in the white towel. I called up Sean Olson, the director to collaborate and together we developed a wonderful scene which Jason liked.
To this day, I have no idea why I struggled so much on that one scene, but the point is that I did not stop striving after a solution. Now that I think about it, I do not think I left my office for a month on that project… Nonetheless, if you have writer’s block, the best thing you can do is keep writing.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As of 2023, I am a 30-year-old feature film screenwriter and producer.
I have an MFA from UNCSA and was mentored by the late Academy Award Winner, Peter Werner. I have worked in the film industry for almost a decade. Seven years prior to grad school, I started out as an actor on various films, television shows and commercials which helped my transition into writing. I have a mountain of contracted screenplays with several producers, but I am proud to share that my first film titled, CAMP HIDEOUT will be in cinemas nationwide this September.
During grad school, I found my hidden talent for producing. I am currently attached on two projects. The first is as a co-producer alongside Pooja Gupta on a faith-based football true-story titled, ALL IN and the second is as a producer along side David H. Hanks on a true-crime period novel adaptation titled, EIGHT YEARS.
As of the fall of 23, I am working for the Austin Film Festival and gearing up for the next adventure.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. The sooner you are debt-free the better. This industry requires everything from you and you have to give it your all.
2. Be willing to let certain people go in order to move forward. It is one of the most difficult and necessary things to do.
3. Establish the people in your life who believe in you… especially in the moments where you do not believe in yourself.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
There are three questions I ask myself when it comes to evaluating someone as a potential client:
1. Do I immediately connect either emotionally or personally to their story? If not, is their story strong enough to allow a connection with a deeper dive? – The reason I ask this question is to simply see if I understand what the client wants at the end of the day. If I do not connect with their vision, I may not be the best person to help them. However, if we see things on the same wavelength, let us get to work!
2. Can I marry this person? – The reason I ask this question is to see if we both get along with each other not only as artists but also as people. Sometimes a project can last multiple years and before you take on a project, you need to see if you can take on the client as a person. Ultimately, you should want to have a drink with this person after a long day of work.
3. Are they open to alteration – if so, how much? – The reason I ask this question is to see the client’s ground rules. Most often things change and it is efficient to be aware of how the client will react to that change before the work begins. That being said, ground rules are not always a bad thing. Sometimes they act as the foundation of whatever you are building.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cneildavenport.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cneildavenport/
- Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7465781/
Image Credits
UNCSA Dean Deborah LaVine, JD Franklin III Ben Davenport, Vora Davenport
