Wearing a red Ball State Cardinals cap backwards, Kevin Murphy explains the screenplay bug he has, which in some cases keeps him up until 4 a.m. working on a new idea for a film script.
"I love that," Murphy exclaims. "I love catching that bug. You just keep going and going and going, and the ideas just come to you naturally, and if you stop and try to pick up again, sometimes it's not there."
Murphy participates in all screenplays have to offer, specifically writing, directing and producing. He considers his devotion fueled not only a bug though. Over the past three years, Murphy has premiered three of his movies, "Ambivalence," "Lake Marion" and "The Quilt" at Pruis Hall. He is in the process of making a DVD of "The Quilt," complete with commentary.
"It's an itch that no matter how much you scratch it, it won't go away," Murphy said.
His interest started with "E.T." when he was younger, followed by "The Land Before Time" and "Roger Rabbit," and what is now, Murphy says, "a ridiculously large film collection."
Murhpy's high school friend and fellow filmmaker David Hamilton attributed to Murphy's interest in screenplays.
"David called me up junior year and said, 'Hey, I was wondering if I could read you the first couple of pages of this screenplay I'm writing,' and I said yeah, why not...and he blew me away," Murphy said. "It was a Pearl Harbor bombing scene...and the image has just stuck with me. I didn't know you could write things like that."
Murphy's inspiration said he is impressed with Murphy's work.
"(Murphy) has a real grasp on the theory behind film making," Hamilton said. "He is very talented...I am very proud."
Rodger Smith, associate director of the Center for Media Design, assisted Murphy with his screenplays by editing, providing casting input and supplying cameras to use.
"Kevin is talented and very open to the process," Smith said. "His scripts are usually intricate stories, in which you have to be tuned in to write."
While pursuing his passion, Murphy is continuously gathering ideas to prepare other scripts. He finds inspiration in dreams, experiences he has had and friends.
"It'll just happen to you when you're walking down the street, and you see something that makes the neurons fire, and you think, 'That's a great idea!' and you build on it," Murphy said. "The last place you expect it is usually where it comes from."
Murphy's time dedication depends on the type of script he is writing, whether it is a short film or a feature length script, and how many pages each one is. Short film scripts can usually be written in one setting, while feature length scripts are different. Murphy can take anywhere between two weeks to two years to finish a feature script and just as long to shoot and complete.
When he's not writing, Murphy is still working on screenplays, by either shooting a finished piece, editing shots, assisting with other productions or collecting a crew and ideas for his next work.
To find a crew, Murphy asks people he is involved with, but it takes patience.
"A lot of times you will find guys who think it should be their certain way, but that's not how it works," said Murphy. "It's usually just people I know, and sometimes people I don't, but as long as you surround yourself with talented people, you'll end up with a good product.
Murphy is currently working on his next film, set to shoot later this semester. With internships at Lucasfilm in Los Angeles or Pathway Productions in Indianapolis in mind, he is ready to make contacts in the business, but still continue his career writing and directing screenplays after graduation.
"I want my films to affect people," Murphy confides. "The way so many have affected me."
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