Power of Purpose

Meet Writer Director Woody Bavota

2011-05-17T06:22:00.007-04:00

Meet Producer Carrol Mendelson

2011-05-17T06:13:00.002-04:00

Woody Bavota Interviewed for the Broadsider Newspapers

2009-09-25T09:00:00.007-04:00

Paul Babin interviewed Woody at his home for the Broadsider Newspapers. Paul also mentions Woody in his Movie Blog.

Paul Babin's Movie Diary
Here's to you Woody Bavota

Broadsider Article
Power of Purpose: New film addresses suicide prevention.

Power of Purpose Facebook Group Begun

2009-07-19T19:04:00.005-04:00

The Power of Purpose Facebook Group features information about the film as it's made. We will post video updates from the set plus, interviews with the actors and crew.

To join the facebook group please go to "Power of Purpose Film"

Positive Feedback

2009-06-08T10:00:00.015-04:00

The Power of Purpose screenplay has been read by eighteen TV and film actors and production professionals. I am completely humbled by their kind and uplifting response. The following are a few words from these wonderful people.

Marina Welsch, German Film and TV Actor
http://www.marinawelsch.de
Your script is the best I personally read so far. It is inspiring and uplifting. What I like in particular is that each character stands for a philosophic principle which makes them so touching. This story will leave nobody unaffected and even more importantly, it will make each person it touches a little better.

Janine Mitchell, Stunt Coordinator
http://www.imdb.com
Woody!!! Great screenplay ... just finished reading your script... now may I go blow my nose... it really touched my heart. Let me know what I can do to help you make this come to fruition?

My Story

2009-06-07T10:29:00.016-04:00

I must give you a slight back story on myself to help connect all of the dots. In 1955 I was born with Poland's Syndrome, an anomaly which did not allow me a left hand. Being an only child as well, my parents just hovered over me and I really kind of lived in this little bubble of love and kindness. My parents also provided me with strength and determination in my young life and I have never viewed myself to be any different.

In grammar school I was a good student, but I had problems with the teachers more than the students because of my hand. One teacher actually said to me "ten years ago they put people like you into institutions". Yikes, what a thing to hear from someone that is supposed to be nurturing you. But I guess that he did teach me that I needed to stand up for myself.

At fifteen my cousins took me to a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert and the lighting just blew me away. Later that night at home I told my parents that I wanted to be a lighting director. Over the next year I read books and articles on lighting design, the career of Jean Rosenthal was a big inspiration to me. I also went to concerts, befriended and picked the brains of the great lighting directors of the day, Mike Tait comes to mind, he lit the band Yes and he was very open in speaking with me about the craft. By the time that I was sixteen I received a $5000.00 loan from my parents, with the money I purchased theatrical lighting and along with a friend built a lighting console. And for the next two years I lit anyone that would have me. Then at eighteen I went to Photography School and by the time that I was twenty-two I was touring the world as a lighting designer/director.

The culmination of my thirty plus years of practical experience, combined with my studies in photography led me in the year 2000 to work as a HD camera operator, director and writer. Since that point I have completed over one hundred productions.

The Journey

2009-06-07T09:20:00.031-04:00

Writing a screenplay to help with the prevention of suicide. OK where do I begin? How do I convey the horror of this deadly epidemic, but yet provide an entertaining and inspirational film?

After a year of study and investigation I was still searching. And then one morning it hit me as to how I was going to convey my message. I was greatly inspired and began writing the screenplay, the first day I wrote the beginning, the main characters, and the concept for the ending. The screenplay was on its way, my thoughts and emotions were always focused on preventing suicide.

The first eighty-two pages were completed in about nine months, fifteen thousand plus words and forty-two characters. And that's where the journey begins!

Filmmakers Unite and Facebook

Well during of all of this I joined Facebook and started the Filmmakers Unite Group. The group was begun to help both the seasoned professional network and the novice filmmaker with advise and inspiration. The Filmmakers Unite Group now has over 2500 members and 10 Officers from various sectors of the film and television industry. We have facilitated several film productions around the globe.

Through the group I have met many production professionals, writers and actors. Genuinely good and generous people that have been there for advise and inspiration to me. So I guess what you reap you sow. Two of these friends have analyzed the Power of Purpose script for me, one a twenty year veteran writer and the other a script analyst for HBO and the studio system. I'm just amazed and honored that these two people to take time out of their lives to care.

Rewrites

Three rewrites, 19 additional pages, 4000 additional words, much character development and action, much more action. Now we are at about a year and a half and I'm pretty secure that the script is closing in on completion.

My Inspiration

2009-06-05T12:25:00.001-04:00

The Power of Purpose screenplay was inspired by my step sons best friends suicide at only nineteen. I wanted to help to be part of the solution and to inspire others to pitch in and help in any way that they are able.

My wife Lenore and myself were on holiday and received a phone call from home at 7:30 am that Rich's best friend committed suicide. We were all in shock. I could not fathom it, this was a bright kid who was a naturally talented drummer.

We drove to a book store and I purchased a black leather cover book with blank pages. That entire day I was consumed with writing, not a screenplay, just words, words that expressed how we were all feeling. I purchased a couple of medical books on the subject as well.

For the next year I read as much as I could and organized my thoughts on the subject of suicide and its prevention for a screenplay. But at this point I had not come upon the means to convey my message.