Episode 89 - The Foundations of a Screenwriting Career

In this episode of the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast, Jaclyn Whitt interviews award-winning screenwriter Shelley Paino, who reflects on her 25-year journey in the industry and over 50 completed projects. The discussion covers the significance of film festivals, networking, and the influence of faith-based films on her career. They talk about the necessity of relatable and imperfect characters, the role of comedy, the complexities of character development, and the courage required in both personal growth and the craft of storytelling.

Highlights Include:

• The Importance of Attending Festivals
• Shelley's Journey into Screenwriting
• Networking and Collaborations
• Current Projects and Future Plans
• Divine Interventions in Writing
• Balancing Morality in Screenwriting
• The Art of Comedy in Faith-Based Films
• Range and Depth of Emotions
• Crafting Realistic Characters

Bio:

Shelly Paino is a produced and award-winning screenwriter who has been writing for 25 years, completing over 50 projects including feature scripts, shorts and pilots. Produced works include an adapted feature film, two award-winning shorts and two series pilots. She regularly writes on assignment for producers and directors with several projects in development starring talent such as Eric Roberts and Todd Terry.

Most notable awards include Best Screenplay at Canadian International Faith and Family Film Festival in 2020 and Content Media Conference and Film Festival in both 2020 and 2021.

Crowning Lori Website: https://crowninglorimovie.com/

Shelly on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9627536/

Shelly on FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/shellypaino

Shelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-paino-06a4a85b/

Screenwriting Foundations Class: https://www.faffassociation.com/screenwriting-foundations

VIP Producers Mentorship Program https://www.faffassociation.com/vip-producers-mentorship

The Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers,  talent agents, and distributors. 

It is produced and hosted by Geoffrey Whitt and Jaclyn Whitt , and is brought to you by the Faith & Family Filmmakers Association

Support Faith & Family Filmmakers Our mission is to help filmmakers who share a Christian Worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. If you would like to assist with the costs of producing this podcast, you can help by leaving a tip.

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Enter the Faith & Family Screenwriting Awards festival

Faith and Family Screenwriting Academy: https://www.faffassociation.com/

Script Notes and Coaching: https://www.faffassociation.com/script-services

Copyright 2024 Ivan Ann Productions

Jaclyn: 00:00:00

Welcome to the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast.

Jaclyn: 00:00:03

My name is Jaclyn, and today I have Shelley Paino with me.

Jaclyn: 00:00:07

Shelley Paino is a produced and award winning screenwriter who has been writing for 25 years, completing over 50 projects, including feature scripts.

Jaclyn: 00:00:15

Shorts and Pilots.

Jaclyn: 00:00:17

Produced works include an adapted feature film, two award winning shorts, and two series pilots.

Jaclyn: 00:00:24

she regularly writes on assignment for producers and directors with several projects in development starring talent such as Eric Roberts and Todd Terry.

Jaclyn: 00:00:33

Most notable awards include Best Screenplay at Canadian International Faith and Family Film Festival in 2020 And content media conference and film festival in both 2020 and 2021.

Jaclyn: 00:00:46

Welcome to the podcast, Shelley.

Shelly: 00:00:48

Hey, Jaclyn.

Shelly: 00:00:48

I am so excited to be here.

Jaclyn: 00:00:51

Me too.

Jaclyn: 00:00:51

Actually, you and I met at a festival.

Jaclyn: 00:00:54

and I'm going to kind of talk briefly about that because I want people to know, and I have said this before in some other podcasts, but the value of actually attending festivals.

Jaclyn: 00:01:03

I mean, it's one to submit, but to actually attend a festival, it can change your life.

Jaclyn: 00:01:09

So in 2021, I went to content we met there, we actually roomed, uh, we met online on Facebook and we were like, let's share a room because you know, we're two single ladies and we don't want to have to pay extra.

Jaclyn: 00:01:24

So let's some money.

Jaclyn: 00:01:26

Um, and you know, little did we know that we would end up totally hitting it off.

Jaclyn: 00:01:31

And I think our friendship has totally improved my writing ability, like getting your feedback and sending scripts back and forth to each other.

Jaclyn: 00:01:40

Like, for one, I started saving a lot of money didn't know anyone before.

Jaclyn: 00:01:45

So if I wanted someone to read my script and give me feedback, I had to pay someone to do it.

Jaclyn: 00:01:50

So that was huge.

Jaclyn: 00:01:52

and It just, it really changed my life going to the festival and, you know, meeting you and some other people, same kind of situation where it just, they ended up becoming a big part of my life and helping to move my career forward.

Jaclyn: 00:02:06

So, I'm thankful to God that I got to meet you.

Shelly: 00:02:17

I don't think it was any accident that you and I roomed together.

Shelly: 00:02:20

yeah, and you inspire me because you hustle way more I do.

Shelly: 00:02:26

And I'm like, man.

Shelly: 00:02:27

So it's like you inspire me to action sometimes where I'm

Shelly: 00:02:30

Jaclyn's doing it.

Shelly: 00:02:31

I'm gonna take a chance.

Jaclyn: 00:02:34

Awesome.

Jaclyn: 00:02:35

Okay, well, I'm glad it goes both ways.

Shelly: 00:02:36

Right.

Shelly: 00:02:37

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:02:44

you won that year.

Jaclyn: 00:02:45

So that was really exciting.

Jaclyn: 00:02:47

Um, so how old were you when you started writing?

Jaclyn: 00:02:51

How did you get into film writing?

Jaclyn: 00:02:53

Like, where did that start for you?

Shelly: 00:02:55

I want to say I was 20, and, uh, when I found out that, quote unquote, they let people, like, normal people do this.

Shelly: 00:03:04

And I use, I use normal, you know, that's, a target for me.

Shelly: 00:03:09

Um, but I was like, I thought you had to go to film school or, you know, be a, be a coppola or something before they let you write movies.

Shelly: 00:03:19

And so I just figured it out.

Shelly: 00:03:21

I took a class.

Shelly: 00:03:21

I started doing it and there was no faith based film then, to speak of.

Shelly: 00:03:27

So I was just writing mainstream screenplays, going to writers groups.

Shelly: 00:03:32

I lived in Southern California, so there was a lot there and I got to.

Shelly: 00:03:37

You know, go to Beverly Hills and do those kind of panel interviews and things with people, so, and then once faith based films started to grow, I was like, this is really exciting.

Shelly: 00:03:49

So, I wrote a true story for a woman, and, um, she had an amazing God story.

Shelly: 00:03:56

She has a few of them,

Jaclyn: 00:03:57

Mm hmm.

Shelly: 00:03:58

So it was Hannah Ratnam, so hers was the script that won that year.

Shelly: 00:04:04

And that was just amazingly exciting for me.

Shelly: 00:04:08

And if it weren't for her entering the screenplay in so many different places, I'm a little bit too careful, reserved.

Shelly: 00:04:16

I don't like to spend a lot of money.

Jaclyn: 00:04:19

It's

Shelly: 00:04:19

And so, yeah, and she entered it in a lot of contests just started winning.

Shelly: 00:04:25

So I think that God is with that story for sure.

Shelly: 00:04:29

but you're right, going to the film festival and meeting people, it's, it grew my career from like non existent to

Jaclyn: 00:04:37

Mm hmm.

Shelly: 00:04:38

it was like a slingshot.

Shelly: 00:04:39

So,

Jaclyn: 00:04:40

Like it moves it from being a hobby into being a career.

Shelly: 00:04:43

yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:04:44

Yeah.

Shelly: 00:04:45

that you make there.

Shelly: 00:04:46

I've also, I just want to say this, I've been to mainstream film festivals and faith based film festivals and the difference was stark to me that when you go to a faith based film festival, and I don't know that they're all like this, but you can be talking to somebody for 10 minutes and then be like, Wait a second, I've seen you on TV.

Jaclyn: 00:05:06

Right.

Shelly: 00:05:07

You're famous and they don't come at you with their card being like, don't you know who I am?

Shelly: 00:05:12

You

Jaclyn: 00:05:13

Uh huh.

Shelly: 00:05:13

this, nature of, we all want to help each other and we all want to serve each

Jaclyn: 00:05:18

Mm hmm.

Shelly: 00:05:19

we're being Jesus y.

Shelly: 00:05:20

Um, I

Jaclyn: 00:05:24

something that I found, too, it was really encouraging to me.

Jaclyn: 00:05:27

so, yeah, definitely.

Jaclyn: 00:05:28

So is that where you, met the actors that you started working with?

Jaclyn: 00:05:32

How did you get into the production side of things?

Shelly: 00:05:36

had kind of been on TV.

Shelly: 00:05:38

short film sets when I was in Southern California, um, but I was just helping out friends.

Shelly: 00:05:44

And so I did meet, some actresses there who I had met online, but again, when you meet in

Jaclyn: 00:05:51

Mm hmm.

Shelly: 00:05:52

you deepen that connection.

Shelly: 00:05:54

And so, yeah, you just kind of start talking and you go, well, let's get into a project together.

Shelly: 00:06:00

And so.

Shelly: 00:06:01

Some of the actresses that I met there were crowdfunding right now for the film that I wrote for them based on their idea.

Shelly: 00:06:08

And that's Crowning Laurie.

Shelly: 00:06:10

Um, our website is crowning lauriemovie.

Shelly: 00:06:12

com.

Shelly: 00:06:13

So we're, we're currently crowdfunding and that's really different and exciting and extroverting.

Shelly: 00:06:19

So always something new.

Shelly: 00:06:21

But, I can't say this connection is the thing that did it.

Shelly: 00:06:25

It was like a producer Got in touch with the festival, looking for a writer, who gave them somebody else's contact information, and she was like, Well, I can write, but I don't love it.

Shelly: 00:06:39

But I know that Shelly loves because and I had met, and she's an editor and a colorist.

Shelly: 00:06:45

So it's like, don't ever discount who you're talking

Jaclyn: 00:06:47

Yeah,

Shelly: 00:06:48

you know, and think, Oh, well, they're, they're an editor, they can't anything for me, you know, and She and I were just friends.

Shelly: 00:06:55

I wasn't looking at it as, you know, what can you do for me?

Shelly: 00:06:58

So, but she gave me that guy.

Shelly: 00:07:01

And I have written, I think, three features and a short for that producer.

Shelly: 00:07:07

um, He filmed two of them this past year has been really exciting because I got to see two things that I wrote for him, get filmed like back to back.

Shelly: 00:07:15

I don't even think he was realizing that it was gonna happen that fast.

Shelly: 00:07:19

But one of them was ready, and then the other one was all of a sudden ready, and so, um, yeah, he's been busy this

Jaclyn: 00:07:24

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:07:25

Did you get to go to set?

Shelly: 00:07:26

I am so bummed that I didn't, and it's very rare for a writer, I to be invited to the set, but because I'm, I know the producer at this point so well, that he said, you're welcome to be on

Jaclyn: 00:07:38

Mm hmm.

Shelly: 00:07:38

And I think I was, actually, had a trip planned at the same time, so.

Shelly: 00:07:45

And I thought, well, they'll film some more, because it's a project that's not done.

Shelly: 00:07:50

And I just actually found out not too long ago, that Kevin Sorbo might be coming on.

Jaclyn: 00:07:55

Oh, wow.

Jaclyn: 00:07:56

Nice.

Shelly: 00:07:57

yeah, it's Todd Terry, who you interviewed on your podcast.

Shelly: 00:08:03

is acting in it as well.

Shelly: 00:08:04

So,

Jaclyn: 00:08:05

Okay.

Jaclyn: 00:08:06

Nice.

Jaclyn: 00:08:06

Are you allowed tell the title?

Shelly: 00:08:08

Yes.

Shelly: 00:08:09

Uh, we just changed it actually.

Shelly: 00:08:11

It's going to be the dark state.

Shelly: 00:08:13

and the, the main character's last name is dark with a C K.

Shelly: 00:08:17

So if you see the dark state with a C K, that's that one.

Shelly: 00:08:21

It's, a little bit different.

Shelly: 00:08:22

I liked it a lot.

Shelly: 00:08:23

It was a departure for me.

Jaclyn: 00:08:25

Is it a movie or was that one a pilot?

Shelly: 00:08:28

It started out as a pilot and this has happened twice.

Shelly: 00:08:31

It started out as the pilot and we ended up changing to make it into a feature.

Shelly: 00:08:37

So, It's kind of political thriller ish, we don't, we don't go party lines.

Shelly: 00:08:43

We just talk about, you know, what it's like to run for president.

Jaclyn: 00:08:48

Right.

Shelly: 00:08:48

And of course there's some, thriller things that happen in there.

Shelly: 00:08:51

So twists,

Jaclyn: 00:08:53

like probably the right time, I guess, like, with everything going on in the world, people are very much aware of politics and, you know, I think, from an outsider's perspective, being Canadian, it's always seemed that Americans have been more involved in politics than Canadians were.

Jaclyn: 00:09:12

Canadian politics have been boring for decades.

Jaclyn: 00:09:14

decades.

Jaclyn: 00:09:15

Um, but just lately, the last few years, it's definitely got more interesting because there's a lot more at stake.

Jaclyn: 00:09:22

but like looking at American politics, I think even though Americans were kind of known for being more involved politics, it does seem like even more so now.

Jaclyn: 00:09:32

that people are paying attention.

Shelly: 00:09:35

did grow.

Shelly: 00:09:36

I never was interested in politics.

Shelly: 00:09:38

To me, that was like, oh, well, my parents, you know, they pay attention to politics, but I don't.

Shelly: 00:09:44

And to my peril, I didn't, I didn't realize how much stuff was going on.

Shelly: 00:09:49

I actually sat next to somebody.

Shelly: 00:09:51

At my day job that I had for 15 years in finance, weirdly, with numbers instead of words.

Shelly: 00:09:57

and she would listen to talk radio all day long.

Shelly: 00:10:00

So I was actually so politically aware at that point.

Shelly: 00:10:04

And when I would talk to people, they would be like shocked at how much I knew about politics.

Shelly: 00:10:10

And I've heard people say, God wastes nothing.

Shelly: 00:10:13

had no idea that I would be able to use all of that stuff that I learned, in a script someday.

Shelly: 00:10:19

And it, it's amazing how that happens.

Shelly: 00:10:21

There's been so many things That I never thought that I would use in my writing career.

Shelly: 00:10:26

And it's like, Oh,

Jaclyn: 00:10:27

exactly.

Jaclyn: 00:10:28

So have there been any times along the way, in this process of pursuing writing where you're thinking that, either God lined something up or he saved you from something or, you know, some way that God intervened?

Shelly: 00:10:42

absolutely.

Shelly: 00:10:43

Um, I think God has lined me up with so many people that, I've been able to write a lot of true stories.

Shelly: 00:10:50

And it seems like once you do that once or twice,

Jaclyn: 00:10:54

hmm.

Shelly: 00:10:55

people kind of start showing up, popping up in your life with these amazing stories.

Shelly: 00:10:59

So.

Shelly: 00:11:00

I absolutely think that those were God things.

Shelly: 00:11:03

Um, there was one time that I, feel like maybe I was being tested because somebody who was absolutely a Christian, also had a mainstream script and it had, a pastor in it that was, He was off the rails and it never was redemptive in any way.

Shelly: 00:11:20

And I think it was supposed to be a comedy, but I, I had to say no to that one.

Shelly: 00:11:24

And it's not like that burned the bridge with him.

Shelly: 00:11:27

He was totally understanding.

Shelly: 00:11:29

I said, I just don't think that I'm the right person for this project

Jaclyn: 00:11:32

Mm hmm.

Shelly: 00:11:34

And he was like, Oh, that's totally cool.

Shelly: 00:11:36

Let's work on this other thing.

Shelly: 00:11:37

So, Yeah, you kind of got to be on the lookout for that, I don't want to write something that's going to cause, a downfall in any

Jaclyn: 00:11:45

Mm hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:11:45

Mm hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:11:46

Yeah, exactly.

Jaclyn: 00:11:47

And, like, we're responsible for the words we say and the words we write, same for me.

Jaclyn: 00:11:52

I've had to turn down, jobs where it was outside what I felt that I was able to really be on board with.

Jaclyn: 00:11:59

And that's not to say that I wasn't.

Jaclyn: 00:12:00

all of the characters that we write have to be, you know, wonderful and redemptive.

Jaclyn: 00:12:05

But if there is no redeeming quality, then all it is at the end is glorifying sin.

Jaclyn: 00:12:11

and I'm, I'm just not, I'm not gonna do that.

Shelly: 00:12:14

Right, exactly.

Shelly: 00:12:16

No, and I agree with what you're saying about not writing the characters as being too good.

Shelly: 00:12:21

you see those movies where it's like, I don't relate to somebody who's perfect, when the children are two kids, I'm like, I have raised kids, and they're not that squeaky clean, and they usually don't want, you know,

Jaclyn: 00:12:35

anytime they're that clean, you're like, what's going on?

Jaclyn: 00:12:39

You're too polite right now.

Shelly: 00:12:42

right.

Jaclyn: 00:12:43

What do you want?

Shelly: 00:12:45

Suspect.

Jaclyn: 00:12:48

So what is your favorite kind of movie to write?

Shelly: 00:12:51

Oh gosh.

Shelly: 00:12:52

I really love comedy.

Shelly: 00:12:54

And, in the faith based space, there's not a lot of it, but I think it's very needed.

Shelly: 00:13:01

what Crowning Laurie is.

Shelly: 00:13:02

We kind of, on purpose went that way because it's like, we need to laugh and, and it doesn't have to be corny and cheesy.

Shelly: 00:13:10

It can be real world.

Shelly: 00:13:13

I think life is funny.

Shelly: 00:13:14

I see the funny every day.

Jaclyn: 00:13:16

Oh, yeah.

Shelly: 00:13:16

Um, I actually wrote a mainstream, comedy that is about comedians, and I just really wanted to, like, get in that world and research comedians.

Shelly: 00:13:27

I'm fascinated that they can just go up on stage And do what they do.

Shelly: 00:13:32

I, I admire comedians a great deal.

Shelly: 00:13:34

So, um, even when I write heavy dramas, I'm always putting in comedy.

Shelly: 00:13:39

I don't do it on purpose.

Shelly: 00:13:41

I just, I'm typing and I'm like, oh, that's funny.

Shelly: 00:13:45

I, just put that in.

Shelly: 00:13:46

Like, I just.

Shelly: 00:13:46

have a brain that sees the funny in things that maybe other people might not.

Jaclyn: 00:13:51

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:13:51

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:13:52

it's the same for me.

Jaclyn: 00:13:53

I, I like to have those moments where it, um, it lets people breathe, you know, when you go into some of those more difficult emotions, if you don't come up for air every now and then it gets exhausting.

Shelly: 00:14:04

Right.

Shelly: 00:14:05

And I think the same for a comedy, too.

Shelly: 00:14:07

You gotta have like a few serious moments in drama, because that's just reality.

Shelly: 00:14:11

lives are filled with and drama and tragedy.

Jaclyn: 00:14:16

Well, and then that also allows for the next laugh to be stronger anyways.

Jaclyn: 00:14:21

Like, when you have more variety of emotions, then the emotions that you have, you can actually access on a deeper level.

Jaclyn: 00:14:28

So, definitely, you want to have a variety.

Jaclyn: 00:14:30

You don't want to just stick with, like, okay, I only want to make people laugh.

Jaclyn: 00:14:34

No, if you can make them laugh, and cry?

Shelly: 00:14:40

Pretty cry,

Jaclyn: 00:14:41

Yeah, yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:14:41

yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:14:42

yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:14:43

at least tear up a little bit, you know.

Jaclyn: 00:14:45

Yeah, no, I love making people cry, to be honest.

Jaclyn: 00:14:49

Like, okay, let me, let me specify that, because I don't like to make people cry because they're sad.

Jaclyn: 00:14:55

There might be some sad moments, but the thing that makes me cry is beauty.

Jaclyn: 00:14:59

So I love when a story has so much beauty you cannot help but cry.

Jaclyn: 00:15:04

Like, when something, it just touches your heart and the tears come out and, so, like, that's the kind of stuff that I love to, to put in there.

Jaclyn: 00:15:11

It's inspirational, beautiful, like, there's this coming together and things fitting and it's like, how do How do you not?

Shelly: 00:15:21

I know, to be able to touch a chord with somebody and I actually wrote some skits for my church and somebody came up to me after and they said, you know, the person in front of me during that skit, they cried.

Shelly: 00:15:34

And I was like, yes, for kind of the same reason that you're, you're saying that, you know, I touched some part of them that they were like, I recognize that in my family.

Shelly: 00:15:45

and I was like, I'm so glad that it, got real enough in a church skit

Jaclyn: 00:15:50

Yeah, exactly.

Shelly: 00:15:51

to do that.

Jaclyn: 00:15:52

Yeah, like, you know, thank you for, for representing me or representing a reality that I know of you know, as a writer, especially for faith based, um, and I know a lot of your writing.

Jaclyn: 00:16:05

I've read a lot of your screenplays and so, know, and you've read a lot of mine.

Jaclyn: 00:16:09

So I think we're, we're pretty well versed in how each other approaches things.

Jaclyn: 00:16:14

but what I love is that we do love to bring in the real characters.

Jaclyn: 00:16:19

Like not everybody in his script has to believe in God or has to want to honor God.

Jaclyn: 00:16:24

Like, I mean, you've got a lot of people in the world.

Jaclyn: 00:16:27

You know, and so being able to navigate that and balance that and work all of that together.

Jaclyn: 00:16:33

So that you can have, your story moving in a direction that is the direction that you want, but at the same time, it's got a lot of complications.

Shelly: 00:16:42

Right.

Shelly: 00:16:43

Yeah.

Shelly: 00:16:43

People are real, people are messy, life is messy.

Shelly: 00:16:46

And I love, the things that got The Dark State moving forward was Unexpected way was that one of the minor characters?

Shelly: 00:16:55

The main character has her goal.

Shelly: 00:16:57

she's on a very specific, storyline, so there's not a lot of wiggle room with what she can do.

Shelly: 00:17:03

But there was a minor character that I was like, I can have fun with

Jaclyn: 00:17:07

Right.

Jaclyn: 00:17:07

Right.

Shelly: 00:17:10

as kind of off the wall and unexpected as I could.

Shelly: 00:17:14

And that's what attracted.

Shelly: 00:17:16

an actor to that role, that they wanted play against what they normally play, and because he wasn't serious.

Shelly: 00:17:24

And you kind of question him, is he crazy?

Shelly: 00:17:26

Or is he, is he sane and everybody else is crazy?

Shelly: 00:17:30

I don't know, like, you don't really know what that character is for a while.

Shelly: 00:17:34

And, um, yeah.

Shelly: 00:17:35

That was just really fun.

Shelly: 00:17:36

there shouldn't be any character in a script that you're writing that's just like a throwaway.

Shelly: 00:17:41

Like, oh, well, just a cop or it's just a lawyer.

Shelly: 00:17:44

Like, have a point of view and they have life experiences that are going to affect the way that they approach something.

Shelly: 00:17:51

So,

Jaclyn: 00:17:51

Absolutely.

Jaclyn: 00:17:52

I actually, I want to get deeper into that in the next interview.

Jaclyn: 00:17:55

as we're wrapping this up, do you have any final thoughts for this episode for our listeners?

Shelly: 00:18:02

Yeah, I think just what I've been thinking about this week is the word courage keeps coming to me like three different times.

Shelly: 00:18:08

So I'm like, okay, I'm going to have courage.

Shelly: 00:18:11

And, also just growing in your craft, but also loving what you do.

Shelly: 00:18:16

There's like the juxtaposition of of those things is that's, what's been on my mind lately.

Shelly: 00:18:21

So

Jaclyn: 00:18:22

No, that's

Shelly: 00:18:24

share that courage.

Jaclyn: 00:18:25

thank you.

Jaclyn: 00:18:26

That is a good word, definitely.

Jaclyn: 00:18:29

Okay, well, I look forward to speaking with you in the next episode.

Jaclyn: 00:18:32

Thank you so much.

Shelly: 00:18:34

Awesome, thank you.