Writing Samples –
Alec Bewkes
Comedy
Intro
That’s what I love most about these spots, they know romance and comedy go together like peanut butter and jelly, like caramel and chocolate, like – ok you get it. Your deck is similar to a “Greatest Hits” album of the best trappings of Rom-Com movies. Nerdy girl gets a makeover and now the star quarterback wants to date her? Check. Mortal enemies at the beginning discover they’re actually each other’s soul mates? Check. A man rushing through the airport to confess his love to someone boarding a plane? A big check-your-bag-at-the-gate (sorry I couldn’t resist). If I learned anything from working in this genre, it’s that wearing your heart on your sleeve is what the audience responds to most. You’ve made my job much easier by how simple and relatable the premises you’ve created are. It will allow us to elegantly pull the audience in and nail that warm, cozy feeling Rom-Coms provide. These spots have the special ability to remind viewers of their own Rom-Com moments, to tap into that nostalgic feeling of a first experience with romance. I know I can bring this kind of emotional resonance to these spots, and I’m excited to dive in.
Food & Beverage
Product
It’s appropriate that the first words in the voice over are “real world”, because we want the audience to know that Modelo is a beer for real, hard working people with real relationships. If this was a different beer, I’m sure Dave would go on to play So-Fi stadium, bask in his new fame, and never return to the small bar where he started with Alex. But not with Modelo. Modelo attracts people who are grounded; those who don’t forget where they came from.
The script is perfectly structured so that Modelo is not only the reward Dave and Alex get for their hard work, but also the symbol of their roots and of their strong relationship. Whenever a Modelo is on screen, we want its golden liquid to pop in contrast to the grainy texture of the film and gritty background of the bar. Its worth is unquestionable within the space. Whether it’s in a dive bar or in a large stadium, Modelo is the very lifeblood that brings people together. When people sees this ad, they’ll immediately know the next time they meet up with they’re oldest friend, they’ll be ordering Modelo.
Comedy
Edit and Sound Design
Remember when I said the key ingredients of comedy are performance and timing? Well, performance and timing, please meet editing and sound design - you two will be inseparable from now on. This is where the magic happens, that place where scary and funny aren’t all that far apart. Pacing is crucial - we want to use as few shots as possible to establish the scene. We also want to leave enough room to let the performances breathe, and include shots that let our audience know exactly what genre we’re paying homage to.
Don’t tell the visuals (they’re sensitive), but sound design might be the most important aspect of scary movies. My mind is already stockpiling creative ways we can distort the scenes’ sound to fit the spot’s thematic balance. We’ll amplify the sound of crickets in the night to contrast the amazing update the audience is reading about on screen. The music paired with the ending super and tags should be [Car Company’s] triumphant bow to the audience for having cleverly merged two genres so seamlessly.
Lifestyle
Tone
One word kept coming back to me as I looked over the deck: passion. These scripts beautifully capture the personal stories of these individual business owners and how [Credit Card Company] has helped them spread that passion to their customers. We want these spots to have an up close and personal feeling, to see the world from their point of view. Between our character’s lively narration, and the montage-esque action happening on screen, we’ll be able to emulate the kind of momentum that fuels high-energy movies like Wolf of Wall Street and Boogie Nights (minus the white collar criminals and porn stars).
About Alec
Bio: Alec is an award-winning director and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. Inspiring his commercial treatment and pitch writing, he has professional experience working with Davis Guggenheim at Concordia Studio and Greg Silverman. When he’s not directing shorts or writing treatments, you can find him performing stand-up at the World Famous Comedy Store.
Education: Colgate University, BA Creative Writing