Jack Warner's Adventures in Serial Killing :)

Yes, Jack Warner is very talented and prolific screenwriter, and no, he's not a serial killer ;)

Jack's edgy comedy/horror mash-up "Adventure's in Serial Killing" took top prize in Filmmatic's Season 10 Comedy Screenplay Awards. We asked our deserving winner to give some insight into his project and writing, bon appetit...

1)  How long have you been writing?

I’ve been a writer ever since I can remember.  I wrote short stories and novels starting when I was eight and kept writing well into my twenties.  I stopped, however, when my first wife said, “Why do you write?  Your words don’t mean anything.”

I never really wrote again for over twenty-five years until the summer of 2021, when my wife, and best friend of over twenty-four years, asked me, “Why don’t you write anymore?  I miss your words.”   That simple question has led me to write eight new screenplays, five shorts, a comedy pilot, and a series pitch.  I haven’t stopped writing since she asked me.  I love to write for her first and then share it with the world.

2)  What screenwriting training have you received?

My wife’s words have also led me back to college.  I am attending the Los Angeles Film School and will be graduating with my Bachelor’s in Writing for Film in Television in February of 2026.

3)  What writing habits work for you?  Do you write in short or long shifts, at scheduled times?

I am always writing something in my head.  Sometimes more than one thing.  When I just can’t hold it in any longer, and the structure is right, the story just comes in a rush of writing, which can last anywhere between one to three weeks.  If it’s a ten or twelve-page short, I can usually get that done in a day.

4)  What is your current day job, and how does it influence your writing & project choices?

I am a store manager for a company that specializes in sleep solutions.  It hasn’t influenced one of my stories… Yet… But the organization doesn’t dissuade me from writing when I’m at work during the long passages of time that sometimes happen between seeing some of my wonderful guests.

5)  Our judges loved your edgy comedic thriller "Adventures in Serial Killing", how would you describe the project to our readers?

What if, when you were a teenager, you were part of an inseparable brother and sister combo, who loved everything about your parents, shared a love of horror movies, had everything you ever wanted… And then found out that one of your wonderful, loving parents could be a serial killer?  What would you do? 

If Scream had been written by John Hughes and Kevin Smith, Adventures in Serial Killing would probably be the result.

6)  How did you form the concept for "Adventures in Serial Killing"?

I loved An American Werewolf in London when I was a teenager.  That unique blend of horror and comedy just lit up my world, and that feeling has never left me. I’ve seen it time and time again in the movies that I love, especially in the self-awareness of the Scream franchise.  I had written mostly in the horror genre before I stopped writing, so I knew it was a definite world I wanted to go back to.  My wife loves to laugh, and a fun film comedy brings that out in her.  She also enjoys a great horror movie… During daylight hours only, though.   Gotta make sure of that.  So, I really wanted to write something for her that was a combination of both.

When she asked me to write again, I had been sober for a year in August of 2021 (I am glad to say that I just had my “fifth birthday” in 2025).    I had always been ashamed that I had kept my “closet drinking” from my family.  It was really difficult to tell them, but I did.  I felt it was the worst secret I could have kept from the people that I love.

After dropping off my youngest son at school one day, I started asking myself what could be a more horrible secret that you would keep from your children?  Worse than drinking alone? Then it occurred to me that being a serial killer was probably pretty high on the list of terrible secrets you could keep from your kids.  I’d found my “What If,” that’s for sure!

7)  A comedic horror feature would be a welcome addition to the current market lineup.  Were you picturing any specific actors as you penned the film, or do you have a genre wish list for directors?

Wow!  This is fun!  Sort of like the ultimate “Wish List.”

I see an amalgam of actors when I write my stories. Not a specific one.  I tend to find those after my wife and I do “casting sessions.” I know how much more a performer can bring and layer into what I’ve created.   I look forward to seeing what they do with my words and how a director can bring those moments to life someday.

Adventures in Serial Killing has such a small cast, and I purposefully set it in one location… Like so many other horror movies that came before it.

If I had hopes for certain directors, the list would include Mike Flanagan, Shawn Levy, the duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (who did Scream 5 & 6), as well as a filmmaker named Cooper Roberts, who directed a film called All You Need Is Blood that I saw at the FlimQuest Film Festival in 2023.  It really captured the tone and spirit of my story.

Bill Hader, David Harbor, or Zach Braff for Don the Dad.  Mary Elizabeth Winestead, Kirsten Bell, or Elizabeth Olsen for Mom Sharon.  Vicki, the daughter who figures out who the killer is and wants to bring them to justice, could be someone like Sophia Lillis, Sadie Sink, or McKenna Grace.  And for her brother, Kevin, who teams up with her and loves Kevin Smith and horror movies with every fiber of his being? That could be a type like Julian Hillard, Banks Repeta, or Cameron Crovetti.

8)  What are you working on now?  What do you plan on writing in the near future?

I just finished my darkest horror script yet, The Killing Jar, and have four more ready to go in different genres and notes for three others outside of that.  Although I’ve gotten at least two screenplays out a year during my time at college, it’s slowed my output more than I hoped. The next two months are dedicated to “Final Project I & II.”  I’ve been saving my next screenplay for that.  It’ll be my first “all-out” action film set at Christmas.  It’s been kicking around my head for a while and is the closest one to “being born.”  It’s a genre my wife really loves – the “frantic, frenetic action comedy” along the lines of Nobody, Deadpool or Violent Night.  It will bring me back full circle to writing something infused with comedy, too, so I’m looking forward to that.

9)  Where would you like to be writing-wise, and industry career-wise, in 3 years?

I would like to have a wonderfully collaborative Manager who loves my stories as much as my wife does.  Someone who can guide me and my work towards success and look for other opportunities for me, such as serving as a script doctor, helping others, or even “assignment” work.  The goal: See something of mine produced and be writing full-time every single day, while being able to support my family and their dreams, at the same time. 

10)  Any advice for those about to write their first feature-length project?

Know your story before you start writing it.  I know this sounds obvious, but most folks have a really great first act, then don’t quite know where to take it from there.  Know the structure of your story… Where you want it to go.  This can be a tight outline or a strong first act with a great second act turning point and even better resolution waiting for you in the third act. Allow yourself to be surprised by your writing sometimes and let the dialogue go where it needs to.  I am always inspired by a Jordan Peele quote: “I'm writing a first draft, I'm constantly reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.”  My best advice is pour in all the sand you want.  You can sculpt it in every draft that follows.

Write for someone.  Have a person that you have to tell your story to, and one you just can’t wait to share with them.  Find your fan! But make sure it can be someone who will be honest with you about your work. Tell yourself, “I’m gonna write ten to twelve pages a day and stop at a place that you look forward to coming back to the next day.”  A cliffhanger, of sorts.  Leave your pages in a place where you know the person that you’ve been writing for will find them.   It’s what I love doing for my wife.  It is a great feeling to see the smile on her face when she picks up those pages.  It’s like every holiday rolled into one.

Congratulations once again to screenwriter Jack Warner, our Season 10 Comedy Screenplay Awards Winner. All contact and script requests for Mr. Warner will be forwarded to his attention. Please feel free to follow this talented writer at www.jackwarnerwriter.com!