The accidental screenwriter

Local author's angelic adaptation earns him top honors in the Nevada Film office's script competition

BY EMMILY BRISTOL

Brian Rouff never set out to be a screenwriter, and he certainly never thought he'd win an award for it on his first try. But Rouff has spun his novel Dice Angel into a first place award in the Nevada Film Office-sponsored 2004 screenwriters competition.

An advertising executive with Henderson-based Imagine Marketing, Rouff says he got the idea to adapt his book from his agent, who recommended the author branch out a little bit. But Rouff admits he never thought the screenplay had a chance in the small, state-run contest.

"I sent it away and forgot about it," the author says with a laugh.

Jeanne Corcoran, administrator of the film office competition, says the contest is one of the oldest state-run competitions in the country. In its 18th year, the competition had about 200 applications, narrowed to 165 judged entries. Anything is fair game, except for pornography.

Each year a cash award, depending on budget, is handed out and winning scripts are sent to production companies that have agreed in advance to read them. It's this access to Hollywood producers that's the hottest prize of all, Corcoran says. Past winners have had their work optioned by big-name stars such as Reba McEntire, and have gotten writing job offers in Hollywood, the contest administrator says.

"Every producer in Hollywood has a slush pile of scripts they never read," Corcoran says. "This opens doors."

Rouff's script has received some of the highest marks in the contest's history, Corcoran says.

"The judges uniformly said [the script had] tight structure, real characters, strong dialogue and very vivid storytelling," says the contest administrator, who sends the scripts to a confidential group of 18 to 24 industry professionals to judge.

The strength of the script is due in part to its first incarnation as a novel, Corcoran says.

Rouff got the idea for his book from a curious classified ad he once read in -- where else? -- CityLife. The ad read, "Call Julie. I can bring you luck at dice." Rouff called and the conversation inspired him to write his book.

The main plot of Dice Angel revolves around streetwise Jimmy Delaney, a native Las Vegan who runs his father's bar. Following a chain of events Delaney finds himself down on his luck and sees an ad in the paper for a woman who claims she has supernatural power over the craps table.

"How desperate would you have to be to call this person?" Rouff says with a laugh.

Las Vegas itself is nearly a silent supporting character as Rouff peppers the story with colloquial references to everything from the Runnin' Rebels to the ever-present traffic cones. In fact, Delaney's pub is loosely modeled after the old-Henderson institution Johnny Mac's (842 S. Boulder Hwy.).

"It makes people feel like Vegas insiders," the writer says. "Most people don't get off the Strip. I wanted to do something about the love/hate relationship locals have with Vegas."

But these touches endear Rouff to locals as well. Native Henderson resident and friend, DJ Allen, says the local nuances made Rouff's book come alive.

"It gives you possession of it [the story]," says Allen, the founder and head visionary of Imagine Marketing. "When you go to Johnny Mac's you always see someone [you know] there. It's exciting to see that one of Henderson's local's secrets is in a book."

Rouff says he wants to establish himself as a "Vegas writer."

"From a creative standpoint there is so much stuff going on here," Rouff says. "And Vegas is hot in the industry."

His Dice Angel follow-up, Money Shot, is about an established local, middle-aged, advertising executive who suddenly wins a giant jackpot. Could it be art imitating life for the 50-year-old Rouff?

"Sometimes I joke that [my wife] supports my bad writing habit," Rouff says, pulling out an overflowing file folder containing newspaper clippings for future story ideas. "It's how I deal with my mid-life crisis. I could have bought a Harley and hurt myself. Instead I do this."

Even though Rouff is trying to keep his feet firmly on the ground, he is excited at the prospect of seeing his story on the big screen. "Boy, are you kidding? That would be great."

The scripts from the competition's top three winners were sent to five productions companies: Billy Crystal's Face Productions, Tapestry Films (The Wedding Planner, Pay It Forward), Alcon (My Dog Skip, Dude, Where's My Car?), MPH (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Quentin Tarantino's company A Band Apart production.

Not bad for an accidental screenwriter.