My day job is in advertising. As a writer and director, I’ve pursued screenwriting and directing film as my “side” job - my art. This side job has been exciting, encouraging and yet, frustrating.  I’ve had success and won awards writing and directing my own short films and commercials. And I’ve managed to option my scripts to Hollywood producers.

From my home in Cincinnati, my screenplays found their way into the hands of people like Spielberg and Oscar-winning producers like Mark Johnson. My work has been pitched to Tom Cruise and George Clooney.  And when Samuel Goldwyn Jr. gives you his private number - or actors like Michael Keaton and Laura Flynn Boyle are excited to play one of your characters, well, that’s pretty exciting for a boy from Cincinnati.

One of my scripts became a joint project between Showtime and MGM with Jack Lemmon set to star as a character inspired by my grandfather, who delivered dry cleaning for a living. A week later, Mr. Lemmon passed away. 

Sadly, none of my screenplays have been made into films - which underscores the Hollywood adage that it’s a miracle when a film gets made.  And it leaves the writer/director - me - wondering what to do next.

Based on the reception my screenplays have received, I’ve come to believe that I can create compelling characters and tell a good tale.  But a script is a mutant piece of literature. It contains all the action and all the dialogue that one sees in the movie. But it’s not fully realized as art until it is actually made into a film.  And, to make one of my films correctly, it would cost millions of dollars that I don’t have and although I’ve come close, have never managed to raise. 

So I began to wonder what I could do to get over the frustration.  What could I create that, like my short films, I could afford to stay in control of and make - so my vision could be fully realized and come to life.

A stage play.

The idea for Riding Shotgun came from a phone call I received from my close friend Steve. In first grade, we walked to school together and have remained best friends since. Our friendship is shared by two others - B.J. and another Steve - and the four of us go back as far as junior high school. I’ve been blessed to have these friends nearly all of my life. 

On the eve of the year 2000, Steve called to remind me that we were supposed to be on the Golden Gate Bridge. He remembered our youthful pact that, regardless of where we were in our lives, we’d meet up on the Golden Gate Bridge on New Year’s Eve 1999.

That’s where the idea for Riding Shotgun came from.

The rest is fiction that I hope you’ll enjoy. 

Greg Newberry