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attending USC's prestigious Graduate Screenwriting Program. "Going to film school, rather than continuing my career as a storyboard artist, was a critical decision for me. I often wondered if it was the right one, but it was hard to turn down the opportunity to attend such a great film school even with the opportunity to make good cash immediately in front of me." It was at USC that Townsend began to truly hone his writing skills. "USC is big on story structure which really bothers a lot of people. But to me once you understand structure and put it into practice you're free to flesh-out your characters without worrying so much about whether your story is coherent." But like most young writers Townsend didn't sell his first screenplay…or his second but he continued writing even when the realities of life set in and it was time to get a full-time job. Townsend landed a production assistant position at DreamWorks SKG and over the next few years moved into the interactive games division. "I guess a part of me felt defeated by the film industry having not sold a script and another part of me just really wanted to make video games." But Townsend's fervent passion for storytelling |
kept him writing screenplays whenever he stepped away from the
joystick. Now with the completion of his latest project he's stepped
into the director's chair with his digital feature debut The
Kingston High. "I'm older now and a lot more focused.
With The Kingston High it was a situation where I just
had to stop talking about wanting to do it and do it. Ultimately,
I learned a lot and I would like to do it again...but with a bigger
budget." Upon completing The Kingston High Townsend
hopes to continue directing but stresses that his focus is on
writing. "More than anything else I consider myself a writer
first. It's nearly impossible to have a great film without a really
solid story. Although admittedly I'm a novice, I think directors
who are also good writers are probably in a better position to
have a more fulfilling career for themselves in the film industry...but
writing a good story is hard."
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A native of South Los Angeles, Townsend first became enamored
with storytelling after viewing Star Wars as a child. "I
think it's an amazing moment when you experience something that
really moves you. Star Wars was like an awakening for me."
After that fateful day, Townsend began experimenting with
his parents' super 8 camera, building model space ships and collecting
all things Lucas, Henson and Tolkien related. With a natural artistic
talent he spent his early days drawing, writing and tampering
with music. Finally, merging his artistic talents with his humanitarian
nature, he self-published a politically charged response to the
death of two friends to gang violence - a black and white comic
book called The Hood: A Change From Within. Seen as a sort
of diamond in the rough, this UCLA Art Thesis garnered an LA
Times article, adulation on the underground comic book scene
and the attention of the William Morris Agency. After completing
his very first Hollywood assignment - creating storyboards for
Paris Barclay's film "Don't Be A Menace
To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood,"
Townsend returned to school
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Stephen's Favorite Quote
"The only rule that has no exceptions is the rule that excepts all."
