Conan McKegg

In an audio recording titled "Conan McKegg profile," recorded in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, Conan McKegg shares their journey and insights as a writer, specifically in screenwriting for film. The interview, conducted by Gareth Watkins, delves into McKegg's writing history, which began in early childhood and eventually led to creating scripts for role-playing games and articles on gaming communities. McKegg's foray into film writing followed participation in a 48-hour film challenge, sparking the realization that regular filmmaking was possible and desirable outside of annual events.

Striving to return to a creative outlet after a period of aimlessness, McKegg wrote "The Winding City," a web series that taught valuable lessons about large-scale project execution. Despite initial underestimation, the project took one and a half years, teaching McKegg about the complexities of scaling up from small to large productions. The experience with film was distinct from writing prose, given the collaborative nature of filmmaking and the repeated rediscovery of story through the contributions of the team.

Continuing the journey, McKegg initiated "Urban Nomina," a smaller-scale project embracing a more immediate, weekly cycle of scripting, shooting, and releasing episodes online. This exercise further highlighted the constraints and demands of filmmaking without a budget and the challenges of coordinating a passionate, yet unpaid, cast and crew. Through these projects, McKegg developed from a novice to a more seasoned creator, a transition marked by pride in managing to shoot significant amounts of footage on a zero budget, a testament to the possibility of overcoming limitations commonly perceived in filmmaking.

When it comes to writing for film, McKegg notes the discipline required compared to prose. Film scripts necessitate a clear understanding of the intended message and implications for the production team, as they rely on the script's direction. The storytelling approach must consider visual elements, such as how facial expressions and actions can convey a character's thoughts without explicative dialogue, posing a unique and challenging aspect of screenwriting.

McKegg's interest in various film genres, from speculative fiction like fantasy and sci-fi to horror and romantic comedies, is reflected in a broad taste for good storytelling, which transcends genre specifics. This openness also informs McKegg's writing ambitions, which include stepping out of comfort zones and experimenting with different genres, such as a planned dance movie entirely devoid of fantasy and magic.

Currently, McKegg's significant project is "House of Memories," an existential horror feature film envisioned with a low to zero budget. This constraint necessitates creative scriptwriting that considers budget at every step without limiting the story's scope. Born from the challenge of writing a script in 48 hours and addressing the lack of cinema featuring strong, diverse female roles and queer perspectives, "House of Memories" aims to provide inclusive representation and a powerful narrative.

Throughout the creative process, McKegg wisely incorporates feedback, workshops, readings, and audience reactions to refine their screenplay. The intention is to strike a balance between authenticity to personal vision and the project's communicative effectiveness to a broad audience. By recognizing individual feedback limitations and maintaining a person-first perspective that transcends stereotypes, McKegg successfully navigates between queer and mainstream appeal.

In summary, Conan McKegg's profile offers insight into an innovative and adaptive writing journey. By focusing on character authenticity and inclusivity, McKegg aspires to create film narratives that resonate with diverse audiences, bridging gaps within the film industry and fostering universal relate-ability through storytelling.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Conan McKegg

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