Meet Jake Curtis | Screenwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jake Curtis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jake, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
When I worked at Locksmith Animation, they used to say “to make things happen, you’ve got to make things” and it’s something I try to keep in mind throughout my process. Especially as a writer, it’s easy to get bogged down in your own ideas. We want things to be perfect and fully formed – but nothing happens until you make something.

Throughout my career, I’ve tried to focus on what I have the resources to make – because what’s the value in anything else. Back in 2018, I received the inaugural MAG Grant from the Northwestern School of Communications. At the time, I knew we didn’t have access to the greatest equipment – but working at The Second City, we did have access to the best comic actors in the nation. I tried to write from a perspective of what we had and what we could make, and that ended up being a mockumentary series of character profiles. The web series that came from it – Making Ends Meet – went on to screen at festivals across the globe and win The UK Offline award for the Best Mockumentary of the year.

It was only possible because my process began with what we could actually make, instead of beginning with an idea and compromising once challenges came up. Everything I write, from big budget to small, is born from what we can actually make. That’s our job. Make things happen by making things.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Currently, I work as a screenwriter. As someone who grew up between film sets and editing bays, I always dreamed of writing films. It was why I came to the US from England in the first place, and it’s been a joy to be welcomed into the community here. And though features are my passion, above anything, I consider myself a storyteller.

We’re living in such an exciting age, as media storytelling is expanding into all fields of media and content. We are seeing incredible narratives told through video games, mixed-media web content, mixed-reality shows that blend the line between what is real and fake. All of this to me is simply storytelling. It’s trying to find a way to engage an audience. So, when I look at my feature scripts – I try to always bring it back to the story.

One thing I learned from Paul Schrader was the importance of oral storytelling. I came up doing stand-up and improvised comedy and the joy of those fields is the immediate feedback. You don’t have to send off a script and wait two weeks for sanitised notes. You make the joke and find out immediately if it worked. Once I get excited about a feature idea, I try and tell it as a story. I tell my friends. I tell strangers (if they’ll let me). And ultimately, if I can’t grip someone orally with the story. If I can’t make it interesting without the car chases and crafted jokes – then I don’t have a story.

We’re all storytellers trying to make the crowd smile. I try never to forget that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I first moved to LA, I lived in Koreatown and for anyone visiting, that’s where I’d start. The food is unparalleled. I’m taking them for Tteokbokki at Dan Sung Sa, GolTong Chicken from the film legend that is Director Goltong, and then ending the night with Milk flavoured ice cream from Bumsan. There’s very little Korean food in the UK. For someone visiting from the UK, it’s going to blow their mind.

In general, my friends who visit seem most excited by the glitz and glam of Hollywood. For a while, I was working on the Universal Lot and it was my distinct pleasure to bring visiting friends to the bench behind the Jaws ride and watch train after train of people be scared by a roaring mechanical shark. I think if you’re visiting and get a chance to go on set, that’s going to be the most authentic LA experience you can have.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to Shoutout the incredible organisations that took a chance on me before I had any credits. Mindy Kaling and the wonderful people at Kaling International. Locksmith Animation. Simon Sinek. The team at the Davos World Economic Forum. And everyone at The American Film Institute.

Website: jakedcurtis.com

Instagram: @imjakecurtis

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=nav_logo