After graduating from Los Angeles Film School and working for a handful of years on sets, Marc Martinez grew disheartened with the trajectory of his film career. He decided to create his own path and started a production company shooting corporate content for the web. With his sights still set on narrative films, he directed two shorts that eventually lead to his feature directorial debut—50K. He discovered 50K through InkTip. The film has been picked up for distribution, and Marc spoke to me about why indie scripts are important now more than ever.

Chris: You’ve been using InkTip’s service for four years. As a director, what keeps you coming back?

Marc: As a director, you have an innate vision for the type of film you aspire to direct. It’s just a matter of connecting to the material. I find InkTip to be an abundant resource for quality screenplays, covering every genre imaginable and with an intuitive interface to search for them. The ability to pinpoint sub genres is a major plus for me. I’m able to start very specific and broaden my search as needed. It’s a fast track to acquiring properties on the fly, which was the case with 50K.

Chris: Speaking of 50K, you discovered it through our newsletter. What about Andrew’s pitch stood out to you?

Marc: I think Andrew has a good sense for what today’s production climate is in demand for. His logline was concise and his synopsis finished drawing me in. I immediately knew I had to request the script and add it to my reading queue.

Chris: What attracted you to the script?

Marc: Self-contained thriller. It checked off all the boxes for what we needed for the budget we had to work with. One location, minimal cast, solid characters, high tension, and a big payoff. Bang for the buck literally.

Chris: How was working with Andrew Costello, the screenwriter?

Marc: Andrew was a godsend to work with. Let me put it into context. I’ve worked with other writers; they don’t take tweaks well. They either take it to heart or just make the process weird and cringey. But with Andrew, any rewrites, tweaks to characters, or plot we suggested, he was right there with us. At an indie level that is crucial. Money is in motion and that made the process of prepping for the fast approaching shoot dates easier to manage.

Chris: What do you think is the most important skill for a writer to develop?

Marc: Aside from knowing the story structure of commercial films (if that’s what you are aiming for), I think writers should take a page out of Andrew’s playbook and learn to collaborate. Go with the flow when a producer or director options your script but needs rewrites and tweaks, which can go on even during shooting. We have a billion things to forecast to materialize your imagination, but when everyone is on the same page, things magically begin to happen.

Chris: This was your feature directorial debut. How was the leap from shorts to features?

Marc: Good question. Yes, first feature but not first production. Imagine you’re a swimmer and you are going to compete in the Olympics, but all you have to practice with is the swimming pool in your backyard. You know you have it in you. You’ve studied the greats. You’ve put in the work. You just need the Olympic size pool to dive in and go. Same idea.

Chris: What challenges did you have to overcome with production or post?

Marc: The challenges on set were by far a baptism by fire. Anything that could have gone wrong did. We almost got shut down twice (which was no fault of the cast or crew). We were able to put those fires out, overcome adversity, step up, and complete the shoot by the stubble on our chins. At the end of the day, the positives far outweighed the negatives.

Chris: Speaking of positives, what do you think was the strongest element of the film?

Marc: The cast without a doubt. We spent a good amount of time casting for chemistry. The cast really gave this film its charm. They brought Andrew’s writing to life and really cared about the project and it shows on screen. They are fun to look at and just as fun to watch. Some budding stars for sure.

Chris: When and where will the film be available?

Marc: 50K was picked up by NBC/Universal’s new streaming platform ‘Peacock’. They launch in mid-July. Tubi also picked it up, starting in May, and Roku as well.

Chris: What advice would you give writers who are looking to get their scripts produced?

Marc: Write that passion project where your imagination has no bounds or regard for budget. But, and it’s a big but, write and have an intelligent, self-contained script (preferably one location and minimal cast) on hand that can be produced for budgets under $250,000. That’s SAG ultra-low and the baseline to deliver a cinematic quality film. There are more and more budding filmmakers looking for attainable projects to produce and get in the game. There is a hungry market for those films. 50K is proof of that.

Chris: What is next for you?

Marc: I’ve partnered with Sherry Robb of the Robb Company who manages talent and reps writers, some of who are here on InkTip. We are developing a slate of high-octane thrillers to produce as soon as this quarantine is lifted. We’ve already optioned another InkTip member with self-contained material. See what I mean?

Chris: Anything you’d like to add?

Marc: 50K opened up doors for me. I’ve met insanely talented and positive people and cultivated meaningful relationships and life-long friendships thanks to that film. I’m excited about my future as a filmmaker. I feel blessed. The dream is real. And to think it all began with a little script I found here on InkTip. Thanks guys.