Screenwriting with A View #37

June Recap

June Recap: Roots in the Desert

And just like that, June is in the books—and it was a big one. From setbacks in state legislation to forward motion on multiple fronts, here’s a week-by-week breakdown of everything that went down.

Week One — After the Dust Settles

The fallout from AB 232 not passing continues to loom. There’s a growing realization among Nevada creatives that Hollywood isn’t coming—at least not without serious infrastructure. I still believe the opportunity is here, but it’s clear we’re being used as leverage while California prepares to push its own incentives through. Until then, it’s mostly hurt feelings and confusion.

On the creative side, we officially cast the final two roles for Jane Doe. Chelsea Debo, who also leads Craftlace, is set to play Vivian. While Craftlace is further out, Jane Doe is right in front of us—so I’m excited to collaborate with her immediately.

Middle of the night, I knocked out a 50-page rough draft of The Little Book of Bad Intentions adaptation—triggering an early completion bonus. There’s still four months left on the deadline, but it felt good to get that first push out of the way.

After a month and a half of silence, Boarder came back into the conversation. I’m not rushing it, but I’ve had a quiet change of heart—there might be a slow, piecemeal rewrite in the cards when time allows.

Week Two — Laying Tracks

The Rise and Fall of the Pixels is coming together. I’m nearly past the overwriting stage and getting closer to letting it go. It’s lived with me for a long time, but if I’m directing, I need to give us time. I’ve touched base with Zoey Foxx, and we’ll aim to connect later this month. I genuinely believe this script will make some noise—like Craftlace—but we’ll see.

I began setting up the crowdfunding assets for Jane Doe. We’re likely doing two—possibly three—campaigns to hit our funding goals. That means building a mountain of content. It’s a lot, but I’m confident we’ll pull it off.

I also pitched an idea to a well-known wrestling company. I don’t have a full script yet, but there’s interest. We have another meeting in two weeks to see where it leads.

Craftlace stirred again too—a legit producer (friend of a friend) reached out. He’s got some heavyweight credits and wants to see the work. If he joins, it’ll be a major lift for a project that’s admittedly been stuck in neutral.

Back to Jane Doe: I’m nearly locked on the script, with only a few grammar tweaks left. We’ve found our VFX/makeup artist and our production designer—both local and both fantastic. My longtime makeup collaborator may also join the company officially.

On top of that, I dusted off a couple of shorts. One may go to a team member aiming to transition into acting. I’m watching that one closely.

Week Three — All In

Casting is officially wrapped for Jane Doe. What excites me most? A nearly all-Vegas cast. A decade ago, that wasn’t even a consideration—too much chaos. Now? We had a smooth, hybrid casting process: self-tapes followed by in-person callbacks.

We also filmed the KevinLMartin.com Productions slate announcement right after casting, with Jonathan James hosting. I say it every time—he’s going to be my Michael B. Just wait. We’re aiming to drop the full slate and cast announcement in mid-July, along with additional behind-the-scenes content.

2019 pitch for “Thirst”

I received an inquiry about Thirst, a TV pilot I’ve been tinkering with for years. It’s semi-autobiographical—think Insecure or Girls, but from a male perspective. It’s episodic by nature, but I’ve thought about turning it into a feature. The five central characters are based on friends in a decade-long group chat who’ve been bugging me to make this for years. I’ll need to knock out one or two features first, but Thirst is staying on my radar.

Studio work may be picking up again: I’m in line to write the sequel to a project I worked on two years ago. It’s been greenlit, and if all goes well, this could be my second studio assignment of the year—and a major credit.

Lastly, we’re finalizing the Jane Doe mask design and still looking for a key artist. Bumpers were created for Pixels, Jane Doe, Craftlace, and Kayfabe, and those will all premiere with the slate drop.

Week Four — Real Partnerships, Real Scripts, and One Big “What If”

Biggest news of the month: we’ve officially partnered with JR Lighting. Jessica Reid Fox will serve as Executive Producer on all slate projects. We’d crossed paths before, but a real conversation started at our favorite bar, bonding over how AB 232’s failure affects not just filmmakers, but companies like hers. From there, the connection clicked. I remember JR Lighting back when it was up in North Vegas, before I ever left town. This partnership matters—not just for legitimacy, but because it reflects my larger goal: to build KevinLMartin.com Productions into an indie studio on par with A24 or NEON. That starts with infrastructure—and real Las Vegas roots.

We’re still looking for an editor to build our post team early, which most don’t prioritize—but we will. For now, we’ve brought on Hannah Branch, a recent UNLV grad, as associate editor. She’ll help with crowdfunding content and more. My hope is to grow homegrown talent instead of watching them move to L.A.

The Pixels screenplay is complete. My toughest critic (and mentor) has it now. We’re planning a full-day breakdown session. If it clears his test, it’ll head to my non-industry reader group, and then to Zoey and our investor. Target date: July 15.

Remember that wrestling pitch? It’s official. Pending script approval, we’ve secured a licensing agreement with a popular promotion to use talent and facilities. I can’t say much more (NDA), but it’s a big step forward for Kayfabe, our dark comedy set in the world of pro wrestling. That said, we’re under the gun to finish the script—deadline: October 31. Crystal and I have started digging in.

Also… I may have done something my wife would shake her head at.

I wrote and submitted a mock legislative draft: The Homegrown Film Nevada Incentive. It’s a state-funded, non-transferable incentive bill that supports local filmmakers, infrastructure, and long-term growth. I sent it to several legislators. I’m not entering politics again—but I am advocating for what this state needs: a cultural economy rooted in its own talent, not a temporary tax break for outsiders. I borrowed elements from New Jersey’s bill (which I worked on as a councilman) and global incentive programs designed to preserve and promote local culture. If you want to read the PDF, I’m happy to share it.

Oh—and yes, Boarder is circling again. I might revisit it this fall in between everything else.

And finally, I was right: California just passed a $750 million film incentive to bring production back to the state. My assumption was correct—the minimal threat posed by studios like Sony and Warner Bros. to shift production to Nevada, or even the talk of the American Film Market relocating here, always felt more like a negotiating ploy than a real plan. And now it’s clear—that’s exactly what it was.

Bonus note—because the universe is weird:

There’s a running joke among my friends that I should reboot Police Academy. A few years ago, I leaned into the bit and wrote an 80-page vomit draft of a movie called Police Academy: Son of Hightower. Every time a new remake is announced (which feels like every week), they push me to rewrite something from the ’90s or early 2000s—IP rights be damned.

Well, about two weeks ago, a friend made a Son of Hightower poster—turns out it was AI (not thrilled about that)—and I posted it on Twitter and Bluesky with the caption: “Let me save the franchise.” I thought nothing of it.

Then this past Sunday, Warner Bros.—who has a dormant Bluesky account—randomly liked the post. The next day, I get a call from a producer who saw it. He claims he can get the script to Warner Bros., and his credentials do check out. That said, I’d definitely want to do a background check first, because IMDb is a wild place, and more importantly, I wouldn’t send the current draft. If this is legit, I’d want to do a full rewrite before anything moves forward. But hey—stranger things have happened.

Closing Thoughts

It’s a lot, I know. But every bit of it is intentional. This time around in Vegas, I’ve planted roots deep. I’m not just here to make films—I’m here to help grow a real film industry in Nevada. With Jane Doe ramping up, Pixels almost out the gate, and Craftlace, Kayfabe, and the book adaptation close behind, the back half of 2025 is shaping up to be my busiest and most focused stretch yet.

Here’s to building something real—brick by brick, story by story.

—KLM