Colin Francis Costello

There is a reason I feel a kinship to Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. I grew up as an introverted kid in Philadelphia, PA. And just like Spielberg I always had a love for movies, especially trains.

However, The Wizard of Oz was my first love, and I spent years either reenacting it alone or eventually putting on plays in my grandmother’s basement for the neighborhood kids.

At six, I memorized the film and wrote my version of The Wizard of Oz in a spiral notebook. It was the first script I ever wrote, and I was proud. There was only one problem: it was all dialogue. I didn’t know about writing action back then.

While my love for film never wavered, I eventually found a different creative path—advertising. I realized I could create mini films and actually get paid. Coming from Philly and moving to New York to work in advertising was already far-fetched for my parents; the idea of writing films would’ve had them suggesting I get drug-tested.

I spent years in advertising, first in New York and later in Chicago for 18 years, which I now call home. Chicago gave me the opportunity to work on products with big budgets, which led to collaborations with A-list directors like Michael Bay, Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Malcolm Lee, Pam Thomas, and Marcus Nispel.

After shooting several Gatorade spots with Marcus, he inspired me to pursue screenwriting. So, I started writing a screenplay—without formal training (which I don’t recommend). That script placed in the top 50 of the Illinois Screenwriting Contest, opening the door to the real me: Colin the Writer.

I’m very structure-oriented and go overboard on preparation. Once I have a scenario in mind, I think about the themes I can explore within that scenario. I look at other films and read scripts in the same genre. After settling on a theme, I create a character who can really learn from that theme.

Storytellers don’t just write stories—we are teachers. We have the ability to change perspectives, and it all starts with our characters learning lessons from us.

The last four years have been difficult but enlightening. We had a pandemic, a strike, we fired our agents, and I went through an emotionally devastating divorce that left me on the edge of suicide. A friend encouraged me to use these feelings and turn them into my writing superpower. We have to embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly to tell our stories.

I went through an extremely dark period of writing, but funny enough, it’s some of my best work. I wrote a pilot called Loving Life about two roommates learning to start over and reopen their coffee shop after a zombie apocalypse. I also wrote The Long Dark Climb. While it’s a disaster film on the surface, it’s really about the climb we make once we hit rock bottom. Metaphorically, it’s about me overcoming my depression.

The project I’m most excited about is my upcoming film Doppelgänger, currently in pre-production. It explores how AI and technology are stripping humanity from relationships. While it’s technically a horror film, it’s really a twisted love story. We have two fantastic, well-knowncleads attached, and we hope to start filming in the first quarter of 2025.

The characters. No matter how great the plot is, if we don’t care about the characters, what’s the point? Create memorable, flawed characters who are obsessed with something, and you have the foundation for a great story.

There’s no doubt we’re hurting in California, and possibly the industry as a whole. It seems there are fewer jobs for writers, and no one has development money anymore. You have to bring a complete package to investors, networks, or studios—and even then, it’s tough. Investors want big names, and big names want money. It’s a vicious circle.

The battle cry has been “Survive until 2025,” but we’ll see how things evolve. Either way, we’ll have to adapt.

I’m a cinephile, and I approach writing from that point of view, no matter the genre. I write as a movie fan, trying to entertain myself. I’ve caused myself to laugh and cry while writing. That happens when the characters start speaking to me and telling the story they want to tell. At that point, I’m just doing the dictation.

I jump out of my first-floor window… but the rose bush stops me from hitting the grass. Jokes aside, everyone has an opinion. If a piece of feedback comes up repeatedly, it’s worth looking into. I love feedback because it helps me find holes in my screenplay and sometimes even opens doors to new ideas.

Yes! I already mentioned Doppelgänger, and I’m thrilled because it will be my directorial feature debut. I wish I could reveal the leads, but I’m bound by secrecy for now. I also have a short film hitting festivals soon.

It’s a horror proof-of-concept called Swipe, which examines how technology is affecting relationships. It stars Anne Leighton from Grimm and Christopher Storer from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and was directed by Patia Prouty (Arrow, Banshee Origins). I’ll be directing the feature version of the script I wrote.

I think we’ll learn to use AI as a tool—not as a story generator, but as another tool in our belt. Who knows what the future holds, but there will always be storytellers who create tales that reflect the times.

Keep writing. It’s that simple. Tell your story, then tell another one.