David Ross

I started my writing career as an advertising copywriter, having worked in commercial film production before that, then graduated to creative director and have worked at Saatchi & Saatchi, Lintas, and cole & weber among others. I've also worked in-house at GoDaddy, Coinstar/Redbox, Eddie Bauer, and some others. Been involved in two start-ups as well. While I'm still involved in advertising, I also write movies, mostly with strong female leads (thanks, Mom).

Formally repped by Innovative Artists and Preferred Artists Agency, I took a 20 year hiatus due to a personal tragedy and am now writing again and have completed a few good scripts. Here is the Black List coverage on three of them:

"Frankie" (dramedy)
A young woman tries to make it as the first female construction worker in NYC, 1970's. Getting pregnant, having a baby, and then wanting to bring it to work at the construction site further complicates things.

Strengths:
“Frankie” is a rousing, spirited character-driven drama that keeps us entertained and engaged throughout. Frankie herself is a fantastic protagonist. She’s tenacious, driven and has enough personality to fill the skyscrapers she builds. She is also colorful enough, even flawed, to avoid becoming a flawless, saintly (and thus uninteresting) character. There’s something endearing about how Frankie inadvertently becomes a feminist icon simply by following her own dreams. The script’s themes are inspirational and uplifting, and it executives them passionately, without seeming forced or coming off as preachy. Frankie is backed up by a strong supporting cast that either supports her or antagonizes her, but always makes the script more complete and enriches the world. Frankie’s father makes a strong impression in the beginning that stays with her- and the audience- throughout. Frankie’s fellow construction workers initially resent having to work with a woman, but she eventually grows on them as they grow on us. New York in the 1960s is a rich and powerful setting, as is the Italian-American subculture, and the script utilizes it well.

Prospects:
As a vibrant, entertaining period piece with a fantastic lead and a great setting, "Frankie” should captivate critics and audiences alike. Frankie is a fiery, rich part for any talented actress, with possible even Oscar potential.


"Expiration Date" (dramedy)
An elderly couple meet and fall in love in an assisted-living center. Not wanting to have to survive each other, they decide to end their lives together— only to survive and continue to age... backwards.

Strengths:
Both characters and plot pop in this screenplay. SAM and MAGGIE'S second chance at life is an old story standard that finds easy champions, especially when played out against an assisted living facility where other residents are not granted the same reprieve. Their attempted suicide is handled well, their ocean plunge portrayed as a last, desperate act of tired lives. Sam's drive to reclaim an unfulfilled career as an entertainer plays a solid opposite to Maggie's need find contentment in more quiet successes. PETER, Sam's estranged sixty-something son, offer the hero's story a great emotional arc and poignancy. JACK, Sam's octogenarian "buddy" also provides an interesting wedge - visualizing both the animosity percolating below the surface of this elderly community as well the twelve year old that can come out in even the oldest among us when the right buttons are pushed. The media attention that follows these media darlings is plausible, but the real meat and potatoes of this screenplay resides within the rooms - and lives - of "God's waiting room."

Prospects:
Both concept and script have independent potential. The story terrain does stray close to The Curious Cast of Benjamin Buttons, but hides that enough to warrant exhibition of its own.


"The Nano Protocol" (action)
A young man with no experience in the world of clandestine ops finds himself the center of one— he's hunted because he inadvertently possesses information — perhaps a government conspiracy — and as he tries to decipher it he must stay one step ahead of whoever is trying to kill him.

Strengths:
The scope of the story feels grand thus making the overall script feel potentially big and commercial. Jack is setup as an accessible everyman who is pulled into a much larger conspiracy thus the cat and mouse element is very present. Antagonists' motivation is relatively well-defined with Stygg acting as an imposing threat who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Screenwriter shows a strong knack for writing strong action sequences that help drive the narrative forward while the overall writing clearly shows talent to keep the read entertaining.

Prospects:
THE NANO PROTOCOL has elements reminiscent of a 70s style action thriller involving an innocent pulled into a much larger conspiracy. The script certainly has commercial elements including the overall scope which is constantly on the move. While the overall concept does not break new ground, there are certainly areas that can further be developed in order to elevate the material. Screenwriter should certainly be considered for other concepts as well.