Stunt to Screen: The Origins of “Dwayne’s Place”

“Dwayne’s Place” delves into the lives of a mother and father whose long-awaited vacation takes an unforeseen detour when their troubled son, grappling with rehabilitation, demands their attention.

The creator behind “Dwayne’s Place” is filmmaker Jordan Kartchner, who shared insights into the origins of the film during an exclusive interview.

“The idea for the screenplay originated from a desire to execute a stunt Ethan had been thinking about for months,” Kartchner reveals. “It was inspired by a scene from Lady Bird when the mother-daughter duo get into a fight while driving and the daughter jumps out of the car as the ‘solution’.”

As the story took shape, Kartchner found himself drawn to the evolution of the main character, recognizing the need to imbue the storyline with depth and emotional resonance.

“The whole idea revolved around the stunt of the main character jumping out of a moving car,” he explains. “But a stunt is just a stunt, and I knew I had to find an interesting and organic reason for why that would be a good idea for someone to do.”

Through meticulous crafting, Kartchner crafted a narrative of past events, unseen yet palpably felt, to engender empathy for the protagonist, infusing the story with layers of complexity.

Yet, navigating the terrain of filmmaking is not without its challenges, as Kartchner candidly acknowledges.

“The most challenging part of screenwriting for me has been learning to trust the process,” he confesses. “Essentially learning to get out of my own way.”

World building and story telling is also a very enjoyable activity has Kartchner explains. 

“The absolute most rewarding and enjoyable part of the craft is the discovery of the story and characters in the writing,” Kartchner enthuses. “Characters who live and breathe, and who make decisions of their own I never saw coming that inevitably bring the story alive.”

For Kartchner, the journey is far from over. With an open invitation to collaboration, he extends a hand to fellow creatives, eager to explore new vistas and narratives.

“I love writing and would love to collaborate with other creatives,” he asserts. “The types of stories I’m most passionate about are action, thriller, drama, and sci-fi.”

If you are looking to collaborate on future projects consider an email to jakartchner@yahoo.com  as this may just be the beginning of a cinematic odyssey.

“Dwayne’s Place” was an official selection in the 2024 Utah International Film Festival and was screened at Maven Cinemas in American Fork.