Four Stories Winner Profile: Adam Blampied

Comedy comes naturally to Adam Blampied. For the past three years, the 27-year-old Englishman has been writing and performing for the sketch comedy troupe, The Beta Males. His Four Stories winning script was a sly, sureal comedy that Roman Coppola and his panel of judges matched with up-and-coming director Spenser Susser, and which was filmed in Washington D.C. The Ultrabook™ Experience team caught up with Adam after he got home from filming his script. We talked about what inspired his film, how he enjoyed working with Spencer, and what's next for the funny Englishman.

How did you hear about Four Stories?

Adam Blampied: I frequent the movie website Empire Magazine, and I saw a story about the contest. At first I didn't think I had enough time to write anything. I was about to go on a vacation with my parents to the south of France. But I ended up taking my computer to France. I missed most of the trip because I sat in my hotel room writing this script.

Were you inspired by your travels?

Well, yes and no. At first, I just sat looking out the window at the Mediterranean, like someone who was lost and trying to type his feelings. But then I started taking in my surroundings and feeling like my strange sense of alienation was one that some travelers who are alone often feel. At that point, I think I understood the kind of character I wanted to write about.

And what type of character was that?

Someone who was, like me, sort of lost in their own feelings and thoughts while they were away from home. But I also wanted to tell the story of a relationship. What if you had a computer that controlled the universe? I was captivated by the idea that you could change the world by typing on a computer. So from my first feelings of alienation, I developed something of a sci-fi comedy—A story about a man who suddenly has a great deal of power. In the ten minutes of the film, you can see his relationship to that power change dramatically.

What was it like reworking the script with the director Spencer Susser?

It was a good collaboration. Spencer has a slightly crueler sensibility than mine. I really love his short film, I Love Sarah Jane, but my voice is a bit more sentimental. After his rewrite, I could really see his voice in it. I sent some notes back that tried to make the characters a bit sweeter. And at the end, I think we came to a really great middle ground.

Do you think this might be your big break?

I hope so! I am so grateful to W Hotels and Intel for putting on this competition. I've been writing and acting in my comedy troupe The Beta Males for years, and this will undoubtedly be the largest audience I ever reach. Right now I am writing another short film for The Beta Males' next show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It's about a man who has a nervous breakdown at Lego Land.

Be sure to watch the original films at YouTube.com/fourstories and behind-the-scenes documentaries at Intel.com/fourstories.