Meet David Pirinelli

Please tell us about your current line of work and how you got started in it. Please include any awards or upcoming projects.

Some time ago I began my journey in the film biz as a PA. I worked my way up to Art Director and designed commercials for MTV, Chevy Trucks, Mountain Dew and others. I also spent three years working for Playboy TV as the Art Director for their Personality Profiles. My first love has always been writing. I studied at Grantham University, the UK branch of the University of Evansville. I immersed myself in English writing whilst living in a castle. I have placed multiple times at Cinestory and Austin and a few other contests. I have a Sci-Fi short story in an anthology called "Unlocked Stories." The latest writing project I have completed was four episodes of my show "Gateway" for the acclaimed TableRead Podcast last year. My episode won "Best Audio Drama" at PopCon '23.

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Do you have any mentors or sources of inspiration?

In 2016 I went back to school at UCLA for TV Writing. A professor there, Jonathan Greene, had written for Law & Order SVU. He would print out our assignments every week and do handwritten notes on them and then hand them out. He was extremely generous with his time and a huge help moving forward. Having a seasoned Pro believe in me and take me under his wing was hugely inspirational. We were both big fans of "The Americans" which was running at the time, so my spec script for his class was for that show. The script went on to become a 2nd Rounder at Austin in 2018. He and I greatly enjoyed imagining where the show was going and trying to predict the plot twists over the semester. He got me thinking about how it is that a character can move a story forward, and I still use this trick today.

I should give thanks to my family, especially my Mom, who have been very supportive. Also my writing group friends who gave notes on each draft, over and over again. And, of course, my other half, Fabian, who has never faltered in his belief in me during the difficult days.

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What parts of your work do you enjoy most? Why?

Creating a world and people that didn't exist until I made them. I really enjoy picking up something I wrote before and reading it over. It all comes to life in my mind once again.

I enjoy creating fictional worlds accompanied with some of the personas I have encountered in my life. It provides an outlet where I can create a legacy to share with others. I am most proud of the work I have done with Grappa, preserving the legacy of my family in the early 1900’s. Telling a story that needs to be told.

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What are your favorite things to do when you have free time?

I enjoy using some of my vintage Polaroid cameras to take pictures of the world around me. The world that has inspired me to keep writing. I enjoy swimming in a pool not only because it might be the closest experience I will get to floating in space but the "inside my head" time has helped piece my scripts together. I have also had the pleasure of creating writing groups to help motivate and support each other.

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Are there any dream projects you'd like to pursue?

It would be a dream come true to finally see my scripts be created for the big screen. One of my stories is based heavily on my grandfather’s history in the Mafia named Niagara Fell. Not only would seeing the sets come to life be a dream come true but most importantly, it's the legacy of my father’s family that I would like others to experience. In addition, I have always been in love with Sci-Fi and the innovative sets that come with the territory. My curiosity for the future has supplied many different stories with new inventions I hope to see in the future.

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How can we learn more about you?

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-pirinelli-9737036/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/david.pirinelli

Podcast https://www.tablereadpodcast.com/gateway

Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/table-read/id1673590083?i=1000618550385

Unlocked Stories: Ten Stories, One Phone a.co/d/99Gbnhn