Today we’d like to introduce you to Christan van Slyke.
Hi Christan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in the DFW area, I have always been interested in the film industry as a whole. Back in 2008, I was living in Seattle for a stint. Seattle has a hugely supportive film community, as many know. Always having an affinity for filmmaking, I’ve written since I was a wee one; I began my own filmmaking journey. I started by joining a slew of indie and short film production crews. Learning the ropes, I tried out a variety of crew positions. It was in 2009, while working on set of The Details, an LD Entertainment production, that I realized writing was my home and main interest in the industry. I began a year-long journey, receiving my Master Screenwriting Certification through Gotham School for Writers in 2010. I have been writing ever since. Back in 2018, I began to really take my filmmaking career more seriously and started pumping out feature scripts, learning the trade, pursuing the grueling festival circuit, networking, etc. Since then, I have had many optioned and produced works. I have been the staff screenwriter for 7 different production companies and have received over 600 wins/accolades via festival circuit for screenwriting. I have also had the pleasure of being a screenplay/film juror for many festivals, including International Cinema Center and Waco International Faith & Family Film Festival, and am grateful to have collaborated with many talented peers in the industry along the way. Currently, I am represented by Nuala Quinn-Barton, Mania Entertainment LLC, and The Film Co-Operative, for which I am their go-to writer for paid assignments. I have many available short/feature scripts and am quite accustomed to writing on paid assignments if ever the need arises. I continue my writing journey daily, pushing forward with new and hopeful unique works that will not only inspire others to dig into their own creative sides but may offer some bit of hope for their futures in the industry as well.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
They say that “Anything worth having will never be easy…” I can attest to that. My writing journey has seemingly been uphill the entire time. I have had many works optioned and never produced, thusly wasting precious time to get the projects out there. I have had deals fall through last minute, which can be the worst blow to confidence of all as a writer. Rejection is sadly part of the whole experience as a writer in the film industry. I have had my fair share of “not interested” responses as well. Our work won’t be for everyone, not possible to be. The key is to continue to have faith and push forward, believing in yourself and your work even when it seems no one else does. I am still to this day awaiting my big breakthrough- but will not lose hope. There are many blessings along the way; of course, we just have to train our eyes to focus on them instead of the lows. This is what will help us push forward to greatness!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a multi-international award-winning, optioned screenwriter based in the DFW area. I have had many successful collaborations with peers in the industry, which is something I believe sets me apart from many others. I am not afraid to be a team player. Many people are out there competing. I believe that if many great minds come together and collaborate as a team instead of worrying about who is the better writer, producer, etc., great projects can be made in less time, with less struggle, and so on. It will all just fall into place and make sense. The process should be natural. When the right team comes together, I am able to write quickly and efficiently, effectively doing my job. I have been known to complete feature scripts within a few days’ time.
I enjoy exploring all genres, except for horror/slasher type personally. My particular areas of writing interest would have to vary between romantic comedies, dramedies such as my hugely successful festival winners: Lover Haters Club, set to star Anna Stadler, Megan Reneau, and Rachelle Henry, Curbside Service, which was recently featured at Festival de Cannes in the Cannes Film Market Catalog 2023, and Winner at Cannes-SRFA for Best Feature Script, set to star Laurine Price and Megan Reneau, both are shopping for financing/investors with The Film Co-Operative and Nuala Quinn-Barton as Development Executive Producer. Thought-provoking Dramas such as Faith, Hope, & Grace, which is co-written with Wayne D. Burdette Jr. and is in pre-production with his company Romans VIII Films, D After C, the hugely successful romantic drama short with All Dog Entertainment, currently streaming on PocketFilms and many other sites, and our upcoming feature, Reclaim & Rescued which is in development. And lastly, Dark Comedies and Apocalyptic types, such as my upcoming pilot for End it on This, that was just optioned by the talented Wayne D. Burdette Jr. with Moonless Media & Entertainment and DreamFrame Productions, currently in pre-production, and Combobulate, A Rivertree Production, co-written with Sisi Theo, currently in post-production, and Frigid Dealings, Violent Delights, both of which are unique, dark comedy types as well. I prefer to write character-driven, thought-provoking pieces, whatever the genre may be. I enjoy encouraging, inspiring, and creating a world where people can relate and self-reflect, continuing their own unique learning paths.
What does success mean to you?
Success, to me, can’t really be defined in a single word or sentence. To me, success is simply a daily process of steps forward. One step at a time, no matter how slowly, toward your goal is success. Being better than I was the day before is the goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3578545/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christanvanslyke/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christan.vanslyke.1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christan-van-slyke/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ofchristansmind/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnKpzG9uWSFnPgavv78A2Qg
- Other: https://thefilmco-op.org/christan-van-slyke/
