Screenwriting Blog
Posted on by Courtney Meznarich

Nicholl Semi-Finalist Randi Barros Debuts Her New Film "YES," Written with SoCreate

Randi Barros is making waves in the film industry with her latest project, YES, a short film written using SoCreate’s screenwriting software. As a Nicholl Semi-finalist with an impressive career spanning editing, teaching, and award-winning screenwriting, Barros is a force to be reckoned with in the world of filmmaking. Her latest film, YES, not only showcases her immense talent but also highlights the power of SoCreate, the innovative scriptwriting platform where Barros’ story idea came to life.

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From Inspiration to Screen: Writing YES with SoCreate

Barros found the inspiration for YES during a sleepless night, after a holiday experience in Arizona that exposed her to the harsh realities of life at the U.S.-Mexico border. The story—focused on outsiders and refugees—came to her quickly, but it wasn't until she began testing SoCreate's screenwriting software that the script truly came to life.

Using SoCreate, Barros discovered a new way to approach screenwriting. "Usually, when I start a script, I’m confronting a blank page," she explains. "But with SoCreate, the platform is really visual, and I kind of felt like I was watching the film as I was writing it."

How SoCreate Helped Elevate the Script

Unlike traditional screenwriting tools, SoCreate’s intuitive and visually-driven interface allowed Barros to "live in the world" of her characters while writing. The software's ability to help her visualize characters and locations made the creative process more dynamic. "Being able to picture the characters as they spoke helped me know their voices more," she noted, adding that this made the dialogue feel more authentic to the story.

Another standout feature for Barros was the flexibility of working across devices. She could start a scene on her desktop, tweak it on her laptop between classes, or even work from her phone while waiting at the doctor’s office. This versatility meant no moment of inspiration was wasted—a game changer for busy screenwriters balancing multiple roles.

SoCreate’s Impact on Emerging Screenwriters

As a professor, Barros also believes SoCreate is an invaluable tool for new writers. When her students participated in a trial of the software, she saw a marked improvement in their screenwriting. "Using the software alleviated some of the formatting anxiety and allowed students to focus more on the characters and story," she said, noting that the platform makes screenwriting less intimidating, which is crucial for beginners.

YES and the Future of Screenwriting

The success of YES is a testament to Barros’s creativity and SoCreate’s groundbreaking capabilities. The script has already won several awards and is in the top 1% of Discoverable Scripts on Coverfly. As Barros continues her journey, working on new projects like her latest feature The Chicken Festival, she plans to keep using SoCreate to push her creative boundaries.

Barros’s use of SoCreate to craft the screenplay for YES is another milestone for both the platform and the film industry. As DIY filmmaking becomes more accessible, tools like SoCreate empower writers to bring their stories to life, regardless of their location or budget.

What’s Next for YES?

YES will soon be playing at festivals, with a sneak preview scheduled in San Luis Obispo, California at the Palm Theatre October 13. It will also be shown out of competition at the LaFemme Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 25. Be sure to follow the film’s journey on Instagram @yes_theshortfilm and catch a sneak preview near you!

For more information about YES, visit the film’s official website and check out the IMDb page.

For Barros’s complete interview, read more below!

  • Let's start with your journey—you’ve got an impressive list of credits and are a Nicholl Semi-finalist. Can you tell us about your background as a writer and filmmaker, and how you got to where you are today?

    I first discovered screenwriting as an undergraduate student at Ithaca College. At the time I was a Photography major with minors in English and Political Science, and when I stumbled upon a required film class, I realized filmmaking, though visual and artistic, was all about story and character. At the same time, it could incorporate ideas around social justice, so it merged many things I was passionate about. After college I began working in the industry, primarily as a film editor on documentary and educational projects, but I was anxious to get back to narrative filmmaking, so I applied to graduate film programs, and was lucky enough to be accepted at Columbia University’s MFA Film program. I made a short film while there, Goodnight Elizabeth, that did well in festivals, and my first feature script was optioned by Dustin Hoffman’s production company, Punch Productions. Of course, the film industry is a challenging one and never a clear path, so none of this paid the bills! I went to work full time as an editor, working on a lot of programs for PBS, CNN, and independent producers. I was still writing every chance I could get, winning screenwriting festival awards and having another script optioned, but not made. In 2008 when my daughter was five, my husband and I decided to leave New York City and move to San Luis Obispo. I began teaching film and screenwriting courses, first at Allan Hancock College, then at Cal Poly. One of my favorite sayings is the Orson Welles quote, “the enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” I had never finished my Columbia MFA, so Cal Poly required that I go back to school and complete it. I found a low residency Screenwriting MFA program through Stephens College, which I loved. I met wonderful mentors and screenwriters, and completed two feature screenplays and two TV pilots, all of which began winning awards. One of my scripts, The Chicken Festival, was an Academy Nicholl semifinalist, and is now in development. So, it’s been a long but incredible road!

  • You’ve written your latest film, YES, using SoCreate—the first film to ever come out of the platform. What inspired you to use it for this project?

    The screenplay for YES actually came to me almost like a dream one night when I couldn’t sleep. My family and I had recently spent Thanksgiving with a large group of friends outside of Tucson, Arizona, in an outdoor park that bordered the Arizona/Mexico border. As we ate, ICE helicopters buzzed overhead searching for migrants, and the juxtaposition of our casual holiday meal with the desperate attempt for survival happening just steps away, stuck with me. I’ve always been interested in stories of outsiders and refugees, and the conflict between what they hope to gain and all that they leave behind. So, on that sleepless night, I envisioned the idea for YES and then scratched a few notes into a journal next to my bed, but then didn’t get back to it. Then last summer, when SoCreate was almost ready to launch, Justin asked if I could be one of the beta testers. I decided it was time to write YES, and I’m so glad that I did. The script has won several awards, is now in the top 1% of Discoverable Scripts on Coverfly, and I just completed the film.

  • SoCreate’s visual, intuitive interface is quite unique—how did it impact your creative process, especially when compared to more traditional screenplay formats?

    It made the process more playful and allowed me to live in the “world” of the characters as I was writing. Being able to picture the characters as they spoke helped me know their voices more, so perhaps made their dialogue more authentic to them rather than to me.

  • As a professor and a mentor to emerging screenwriters, how do you think SoCreate can benefit students or new writers just starting out in the industry?

    I think it makes screenwriting less intimidating for some new writers. In my class, students are assigned two short screenplays, and typically, the first screenplay is about experimenting with screenplay language and formatting. Some students dive right in while others struggle with understanding format. Last quarter my students participated in a SoCreate trial, and I found that using the software alleviated some of the formatting anxiety and allowed students to focus more on the characters and story. The overall quality of their work improved, as did their level of enjoyment with the process.

  • You’ve accomplished so much in your career—how has SoCreate helped you continue to push creative boundaries in your work?

    SoCreate helped me think of YES as a film, not just a screenplay. When I wrote it, I wasn’t necessarily planning to make it, but the visual aspects of the software allowed me to let the images speak along with the characters, and I think made the script more powerful. When I shared the script with my writing group, one of the members who is also a producer told me that the film had to be made, and she offered me $1,000 to get started. That set the film into motion, but the journey really started with SoCreate.

  • The industry is shifting—with tools like SoCreate and the rise of DIY filmmaking, what advice would you give to writers looking to take control of their careers in this new landscape?

    I think for writers, the most important thing is to write. SoCreate makes it easy to explore screenwriting, and with some of the new features, to share your work on their platform. Features are definitely hard to get off the ground, but writing and producing short films is doable, especially if you find a group of people that you like working with. I also used GoFundMe and Seed & Spark to help raise funds. My advice is to think about locations that you have access to and write with those in mind, not letting the budget necessarily control the film, but instead let it inspire your choices. What limitations can you use to help spark ideas?

  • Where can people see YES if they can't make it to the Palm sneak preview (other festivals, theaters, online, etc.)?

    The film is going to play out of competition at the LaFemme Film Festival in L.A. on Friday, October 25. I’ve just sent it to a bunch of festivals, so fingers crossed, it will officially premiere at one of them. I’ll keep you posted!

  • Finally, what’s next for you? Are there other projects you’re working on, and will SoCreate be a part of your future writing endeavors?

    As I mentioned, my feature script, The Chicken Festival, is in development, so I’m working hard on that. I have a fantastic producer, Jennie Lew Tugend, who has produced several well-known films including Free Willy. We just put together a budget and are hoping to get the production off the ground in 2025. I’m also working on two new projects. One of them is actually a rewrite of a buddy heist script my husband wrote 25 years ago. ... The other one is completely new, a romantic comedy inspired by a Dear Abby column (great place to find story ideas!), so I’m planning to begin that script on SoCreate to see where the creativity of the platform takes me.

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