While attending college in London, Jason Keller discovered he wanted to be a screenwriter. Soon, he fully committed to the profession and moved to Los Angeles with no connections and little to no safety net.

Over the years, he worked every job imaginable on a set while studying scripts at night. During his first decade in Los Angeles, he experienced what’s known as “development hell.”

Keller sold an array of scripts to people like Mel Gibson and Michael Mann, but didn’t receive his first credit until ‘Machine Gun Preacher’ in 2011. The next few years, he sold ‘Mirror Mirror,’ ‘Escape Plan,’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari.’

James Mangold directs Matt Damon and Christian Bale in the latest film, which is described as “ American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.”

Make sure to also listen to Episode 192, where we speak with Darrin Prescott, who worked on the racing stunts for the film.

If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5