Barry Levy
Encyclopedia
Barry Louis Levy is an American
screenwriter
best known as the writer of the 2008 film
Vantage Point
.
in St. Louis, Missouri
, Levy says he had always wanted to attend film school, and when he discovered the university lacked any kind of film program he decided upon an interdisciplinary
major, and graduating summa cum laude after making a feature film for his thesis. He used this film to apply for a place at the University of Southern California
's School of Cinematic Arts
in the two-year masters
Peter Stark Producing Program. After graduating, he became the assistant to the head of the animation company Nelvana
's Los Angeles
office, and within a year he had become a top development executive at the company. Just three years later, he resigned to pursue his own projects. All of his initial scripts, most of which were low-budget horror films, were unsuccessful; even those he did sell were produced direct-to-video
. Picking up executive producer credits on the films Zolar and Black Irish
, his first nine writing credits totaled less than the Writers Guild of America
minimum of around $
21,000. "I was so tired of writing what other people wanted me to write... 'You know what? I'm going to tell the story,'" Levy said about writing his breakthrough screenplay, Vantage Point
. His inspiration for the spec script
, which deals with the attempted assassination of an American president from multiple perspectives, came from the controversial John F. Kennedy
assassination
: "The question I asked myself was, if there had been someone on the grassy knoll when John F. Kennedy was shot, what would that story be and how would it break down?" Unlike his previous scripts, a bid was made for Vantage Point the morning after its submission to studios in October 2004, and several studios were interested.
Levy is currently working on a screenplay for the upcoming film Kung Fu, based on the 1970s television series
of the same name. He has also been hired to write the screenplays Rainbow Six, Last Man and The Button Man: The Killing Game.
in biochemistry. He married Stacey B. Davis, the founder and president of Davis Public Relations and former Director of Publicity for NBC Studios
, on 21 August 2005 in Malibu, California. He is Jewish
and has taught Hebrew
and social justice
at Temple Israel
in Los Angeles
in between writing jobs, having attended Greenhills School
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
himself.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
best known as the writer of the 2008 film
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
Vantage Point
Vantage Point (film)
Vantage Point is a 2008 American political action thriller film directed by Pete Travis. It was adapted from a screenplay written by Barry L. Levy. The story focuses on an assassination attempt on the President of the United States as seen from a different set of vantage points through the eyes of...
.
Career
Despite studying history and psychology at Washington UniversityWashington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Levy says he had always wanted to attend film school, and when he discovered the university lacked any kind of film program he decided upon an interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
major, and graduating summa cum laude after making a feature film for his thesis. He used this film to apply for a place at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
in the two-year masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
Peter Stark Producing Program. After graduating, he became the assistant to the head of the animation company Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
's Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
office, and within a year he had become a top development executive at the company. Just three years later, he resigned to pursue his own projects. All of his initial scripts, most of which were low-budget horror films, were unsuccessful; even those he did sell were produced direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
. Picking up executive producer credits on the films Zolar and Black Irish
Black Irish (film)
-Plot:Sixteen-year-old Cole McKay’s struggle for independence is put to the test as his South Boston Irish-Catholic family implodes around him. Older brother Terry is descending into a life of drugs and crime, pregnant sister Kathleen is being sent away to cover up the shame of unwed motherhood and...
, his first nine writing credits totaled less than the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
minimum of around $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
21,000. "I was so tired of writing what other people wanted me to write... 'You know what? I'm going to tell the story,'" Levy said about writing his breakthrough screenplay, Vantage Point
Vantage Point (film)
Vantage Point is a 2008 American political action thriller film directed by Pete Travis. It was adapted from a screenplay written by Barry L. Levy. The story focuses on an assassination attempt on the President of the United States as seen from a different set of vantage points through the eyes of...
. His inspiration for the spec script
Spec script
A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or studio....
, which deals with the attempted assassination of an American president from multiple perspectives, came from the controversial John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
assassination
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
: "The question I asked myself was, if there had been someone on the grassy knoll when John F. Kennedy was shot, what would that story be and how would it break down?" Unlike his previous scripts, a bid was made for Vantage Point the morning after its submission to studios in October 2004, and several studios were interested.
Levy is currently working on a screenplay for the upcoming film Kung Fu, based on the 1970s television series
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
of the same name. He has also been hired to write the screenplays Rainbow Six, Last Man and The Button Man: The Killing Game.
Personal life
Levy's father is a pediatric cardiologist and his mother the dean of a liberal arts college with a PhDDoctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in biochemistry. He married Stacey B. Davis, the founder and president of Davis Public Relations and former Director of Publicity for NBC Studios
NBC Studios
The NBC Studios in New York, New York is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the historic GE Building houses the headquarters of the NBC television network, its parent General Electric, and NBC's flagship station WNBC , as well as cable news channel MSNBC.When NBC Universal relocated,...
, on 21 August 2005 in Malibu, California. He is Jewish
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
and has taught Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
at Temple Israel
Temple Israel
Temple Israel is the given name of numerous synagogues. It may refer to:*Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California*Temple Israel *Temple Israel *Temple Israel...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in between writing jobs, having attended Greenhills School
Greenhills School
Greenhills School is an independent college preparatory school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.-Awards and recognition:Greenhills Upper School was recognized as one of six national Intel Schools of Distinction in 2007 for excellence as one of the nation's top schools for science...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
himself.