Film alumnus hits big screen with “˜Rush’

For UCLA screenwriting professor and master of fine arts screenwriting graduate Paul Castro, life is a rush.

Opening nationwide Wednesday, Castro’s original story-turned-film “August Rush” was written during his last quarter at UCLA. The film celebrates the adventures of orphaned musical prodigy August, who seeks his parents through his gift and passion for music.

In addition to “August Rush,” Castro has two projects underway for 2008 ““ both off-beat coming-of-age dramas, “Cupcake” and “Eileen’s Ice” (starring Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine), as well as a book, “The Million Dollar Screenplay.” Castro credits his accomplishments to UCLA’s screenwriting program in which he graduated first in his class.

“When you write a script at UCLA you’re in a really safe environment. You get an enormous feeling to write it the way you want to and not much pressure adhering to anyone else’s vision,” Castro said.

But even admission into the School of Theater, Film and Television was an epic journey. After moving from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, Castro was rejected upon first applying.

Persistently flooding professors’ mailboxes with a “Top 10 Reasons” why they should reconsider his application, Castro reached the attention of cochairs of the screenwriting department, Lew Hunter and Richard Walter, who accepted him into a one-year professional screenwriting certificate program. Castro reapplied at the end of the program and was finally accepted into the school.

Close friend and 1997 UCLA graduate Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”) noticed Castro’s inexhaustibly motivated character.

“His passion for life is obvious to anyone who meets him. Paul has an extraordinary amount of energy. His writing is crisp, evocative and deeply emotional. The ability to harness his passion and inject into his work a level of raw emotion is arresting,” Astin said.

While at UCLA, Castro wrote over 43 screenplays, directed “Healing,” a script he wrote as a finalist in Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s competition, and landed an impressive three-picture, $1 million deal from a producer friend of Walter, one of Castro’s former professors.

“His characters are fleshy, palpable, heroic, flawed and ultimately human,” Walter said.

Now a professor at UCLA, Castro is able to give back to the community in his courses Film TV 431: Introduction to Film and Television Screenwriting, Film TV 434: Advanced Screenwriting, and Film TV 130C: In-Depth Introduction to Fundamentals of Screenwriting.

“In our three to four-hour weekly class comprised of eight people, we read at least five pages of each other’s scripts out loud, giving feedback and freestyling new ideas for our stories,” said master of fine arts graduate student Charlotte Winters. “What’s fantastic is that everyone receives the same amount of time, attention and quality of criticism. Castro’s commitment to us is truly admirable.”

Castro stresses the importance of screenplays to be visual and visceral, something the audience can react to.

“In Hollywood, people don’t buy script, they buy emotion. So if you can make somebody feel, they’re going to buy your script,” he said.

In the classroom, Castro teaches his students to contribute emotion through their own points of view, drawing a lot from past experiences.

“You enter my class and it’s telling the story that’s your story. I’m a big fan of writing what you know hurts,” Castro said. “It’s the pain and emotion of your life experiences that if you can capture that on screen that’s what people will respond to.”

“August Rush” is one of three projects. The other two, “A Gift for Mom” and another project in development about a modern-day Hunchback of Notre Dame, are included in the three-picture, million-dollar deal Castro landed while studying at UCLA.

Walter, for one, seems content with the results so far. “August Rush” is “perpetually engaging, gorgeous to look at, stunning to listen to. … And for all of its entertainment value it has at the same time a great deal to say regarding profound issues including identity, fate and faith.”

The story, cowritten with Nick Castle, was inspired and written for Castro’s musically gifted nephew Anthony, for his birthday. The name comes from Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush’s musical character in “Shine” (1996) and the theme of an August (Harvest) moon.

“It’s a bit of a metaphor,” Castro reveals. “We all have our God-given gifts and music. If you’re a nuclear physicist, a biologist, pre-med or poli-sci, that’s your passion, that’s your music. And if for some reason or another you don’t have the courage to pursue your passion, you’re not only depriving yourself but you’re depriving the world of your music.”

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