Behind the Slate
Behind the Slate is your backstage pass to Playtime Studio. Hosts Jules Mercer and Devon Pierce mix sharp analysis with real talk about writing, filmmaking, and the struggles of bringing stories to life. New episodes drop every Saturday — because great stories deserve more than just the spotlight.
Behind the Slate
Unpacking the Trauma and Resilience in Silence as the Smoke Settles
Jules Mercer and Devon Pierce dive deep into the haunting world of Silence as the Smoke Settles. From gripping character arcs to cinematic possibilities, they break down what makes this script a standout, share their dream cast picks, and explore how it could come alive on screen.
Ask ChatGPT
All right. So you know how sometimes you stumble across a story, maybe a book or a film, and it just it really sticks with you long after you're done.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, absolutely. It's like finding that hidden gem, isn't it? Something that resonates on a deeper level.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And that's well, that's what we love doing here on the deep dive, finding those resonant stories. And today we're doing just that. We're taking you behind the slate, as we're calling it, for a really powerful movie script. It's titled Silence as the Smoke Settles.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And this one, it's not just a well-written script. It's quite profound, actually. It digs into memory, trauma, those quiet battles people face, especially later on.
SPEAKER_01:Right. So our mission today is pretty straightforward. We've got the script itself, some really insightful notes from the author Jason Wright, info on his studio.
SPEAKER_00:Playtime studio, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And we're gonna pull all that together. We want to give you a shortcut, really, to understanding what makes this script tick, its themes, how it might look and feel on screen.
SPEAKER_00:So basically exploring the core story, how it's told, and you know, imagining its journey to the cinema.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell Precisely. So let's dive in. At its heart, Silence as the Smoke Settles is about Johnny Kemetic. He's a Vietnam vet, probably late 50s, maybe early 60s. And he's in a nursing home. Pretty withdrawn, just lost in these echoes of his past, it seems.
SPEAKER_00:And his kids, Josh and Amanda, they're trying to figure it out, right? Trying to connect with him, understand what's happening. Aaron Ross Powell Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:They're grappling with his silence, the cost of his care, all of it.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell And what's really clever, I think, is how the script handles time. It's not just linear.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Ross Powell No, not at all. It weaves back and forth pretty seamlessly, but also jarringly sometimes. Between his present, which is very quiet, very still.
SPEAKER_00:The nursing home.
SPEAKER_01:And these really vivid flashbacks to the 60s, his youth.
SPEAKER_00:Right. You see everything. The romance with Marianne starting out, his decision to enlist, basic training, which sounds brutal, and then Vietnam, the really pragmatic stuff, losing his friend Buck.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that hits hard.
SPEAKER_00:It does. But it also shows his return, the struggle to find work. There's a specific line about that, isn't there?
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell Yeah. About learning not to mention he was a Namvet.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And then family life, watching his kids grow, and also Marianne's own battle with illness later on. It's it's a whole life condensed into these flashes.
SPEAKER_01:The pacing is really something. It's so deliberate. That contrast you mentioned between the stillness now and the intensity then.
SPEAKER_00:It really puts you in his headspace, doesn't it? Like the past isn't really past.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. It feels like it's always right there, just under the surface. And the script uses these great techniques to show that.
SPEAKER_00:Like the Matsia Tesis's?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Those are brilliant. That opening.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You hear a helicopter getting louder, but then it cuts to toy helicopter in the nursing home.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, with a realistic sound effect, it immediately links the two times, the two realities.
SPEAKER_01:Or the marching footsteps. Yeah. They take you straight from the quiet hallway back to him signing up. It's not just a transition, it's showing how these sounds trigger the memories.
SPEAKER_00:It's really smart writing, very cinematic already.
SPEAKER_01:And the dialogue. I mean, it just felt real. What parts stood out for you there?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, lots. Um Well, you've got the kids, Josh and Amanda. Their conversations feel so grounded, you know? Like when Josh is complaining about the cost.
SPEAKER_01:Paying way too much for him to sit and stare at water.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And Amanda immediately snaps back, This isn't a joke, Josh. You get their dynamic instantly, the frustration, the worry, the shared history.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that felt very real.
SPEAKER_00:And then you contrast that with young Johnny and Marianne. Their banter is just sweet and awkward and hopeful.
SPEAKER_01:Come to spill something else of mine again.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. Or her asking, What are you so nervous about, Johnny? It captures that young love feeling perfectly.
SPEAKER_01:But then there's the other side. The wartime dialogue.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. That's raw. Buck's last words. I'm gonna die in this fucking place. Just devastating. No filter.
SPEAKER_01:It's that contrast, again, that makes it all so powerful. The different ways people talk depending on, well, everything.
SPEAKER_00:So let's talk character arcs. Johnny's journey is well, it's a whole story, really.
SPEAKER_01:It is. He starts out so eager. Confident, maybe.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Young, ready to go, and then you see the war just chip away at that the disillusionment.
SPEAKER_01:He comes back different, dedicated to his family, yeah. But also kind of closed off. A workaholic, maybe trying to keep busy.
SPEAKER_00:That's how it reads, doesn't it? Like he's running from something, and then finally in the nursing home, it all catches up. The silence settles in.
SPEAKER_01:It's a heartbreaking arc seeing that slow burn over decades.
SPEAKER_00:And Mary Ann, she's not just a sideline character. Her journey is crucial too.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. From that independent young woman to this incredibly strong, supportive wife. Even facing her own health problems, her resilience is just wow.
SPEAKER_00:She's the anchor, isn't she? Through his silence after the war, through everything. Her strength is incredible. It shows that the war impacts everyone, even back home.
SPEAKER_01:Definitely. Yeah. And Buck, of course.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:His death is such a turning point for Johnny.
SPEAKER_00:Huge. It haunts him. And then Josh and Amanda, they give us that present-day perspective trying to piece together this father they don't fully understand.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell, their struggle is important too. How do you care for someone lost in their own silence?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it adds another layer of emotional weight.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so we've got this incredibly moving story, these complex characters. How does this translate visually? How do you take this script and put it on screen? Because it feels like it's already giving direction.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell It really does. It's quite visual. The script has these explicit camera notes, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, like camera looking up to show a partly cloudy sky, then slowly pans down, or the close-up of John I's face.
SPEAKER_00:It guides you. And think about the contrast you could create. Big wide shots of the pond at the nursing home, maybe the jungle in Vietnam.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell Contracted with really tight close-ups on the faces, capturing that internal emotion.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. It pulls you into both the environment and the personal struggle.
SPEAKER_01:And color. The script doesn't spell it out, but you can just feel how a director could use color, right?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, for sure. Maybe those early romance scenes have this warm, golden, nostalgic glow, like a faded photo.
SPEAKER_01:Mm-hmm. Sebia toned almost.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And then Vietnam could be really desaturated, gritty, maybe almost black and white in moments, just harsh.
SPEAKER_01:And the nursing home. Maybe sterile, muted blues and grays.
SPEAKER_00:Mm.
SPEAKER_01:Reflecting that quietness, that lack of distraction.
SPEAKER_00:Totally. The colors could tell their own story, mapping his emotional journey visually.
SPEAKER_01:And the sound. Oh man, the sound design is practically screaming off the page.
SPEAKER_00:It really is. It's not just background noise, it's integral.
SPEAKER_01:That helicopter sound growing louder. The toy helicopter sound effect.
SPEAKER_00:The bugle horn suddenly blaring.
SPEAKER_01:The ringing and gunshots and the battle scenes, that whistling sound of the mortars coming in, terrifying.
SPEAKER_00:It puts you right there. But also the absence of sound, the silence.
SPEAKER_01:Right. The title. That silence in the nursing home could be almost deafening, couldn't it? Especially cutting against the chaos of the memories.
SPEAKER_00:It's all about putting the audience inside Johnny's head, experiencing the world as he does.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, this is always a fun part. Fan casting. Who do you see in these roles? For older Johnny, you need someone who can convey so much without saying a word. That quiet pain.
SPEAKER_00:Ooh, tough one. Someone with real gravitas, maybe. Richard Jenkins. Or Stephen Lang. They have that intensity, that stillness.
SPEAKER_01:Ooh, good calls. I was thinking maybe like a Tommy Lee Jones, like kind of weathered presence.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that works too. And for young Johnny, you need that initial spark, but also the ability to show the trauma taking hold.
SPEAKER_01:Tricky. Maybe someone like Jeremy Allen White, he's got that intensity. Or maybe Austin Butler.
SPEAKER_00:Jeremy Allen White is a great shout. He can do both vulnerable and tough. Yeah, I could see that.
SPEAKER_01:And Mary Ann. She needs warmth.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely, across different ages, too. Maybe. Sewar's Ronin for the younger years. And someone like Sewar Laura Linney for when she's older facing her illness.
SPEAKER_01:I like Seor's Ronin. Or maybe Jesse Buckley. She has that incredible emotional range.
SPEAKER_00:Jesse Buckley would be amazing. Yes. And for Buck, he needs to be charming, someone you instantly connect with, so his loss feels huge.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, crucial casting. Maybe someone like Seor is Poulter or Barry Keogan, though he might be intense for Buck.
SPEAKER_00:Maybe someone a bit warmer. Glenn Powell. He's got charisma, but can do drama too. The chemistry between him and young Johnny would be key.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely critical. Okay, so thinking beyond the casting, let's talk about why this script feels important now. And the writer, Jason Wright, his connection is well, it's incredibly personal.
SPEAKER_00:It really is. He actually started writing this back in 2018. It was an homage to his father. Right. And his father sadly passed away in 2020 from cancer that was linked to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. That adds such a layer of urgency almost.
SPEAKER_00:It does. And Jason mentioned in his notes that his dad, also a vet, stopped watching war movies after he got sick. That got Jason thinking, researching.
SPEAKER_01:And he found this insight about PTSD in older veterans, right? How it can surface or get worse when life slows down.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. When those daily distractions work, kids just life start to fade away. The smoke clears, as he puts it. It's something not often talked about, that late onset struggle.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell And the title itself comes directly from that idea. He breaks it down so clearly.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell He does. The smoke, that's the everyday business, keeping the mind occupied.
SPEAKER_01:Right, the distractions.
SPEAKER_00:Settling, that's when life slows down, retirement maybe, the distractions lesson.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell And the silence.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell That's the PTSD battle resurfacing in that quiet space when there's nothing left to keep the memories down. It's such a powerful metaphor.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell It really is. And that focus is what makes the script feel unique, I think. It's not just another war story. It's about the long, long shadow it casts decades later.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell And it handles it with such empathy. It's unflinching, but never judgmental.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell Based on true events, too. He interviewed other vets, incorporated their story. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that authenticity comes through. And speaking of Jason Wright, we should mention his studio, Playtime Studio. He co-owns it.
SPEAKER_01:Right. He's not just a writer. He's got this whole creative and technical background.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell Totally. He's from Perry, Oklahoma, written other books too. But his skills are really broad. Like he knows Autodesk, Maya, Blender, DaVinci Resolve.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell So 3D modeling, editing, sound production, the works.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell Yeah, graphic design, prop design. He's made short films, even a feature. It explains why the script feels so visually ready, you know. He understands filmmaking from the ground up.
SPEAKER_01:That makes sense. He even loves paintball and Minecraft.
SPEAKER_00:Huh. Yeah. It shows a real passion for creating worlds, telling stories.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell And another thing that stands out is how it handles the uh the political backdrop of the era, the protests back home.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell Right. It shows those news clips, anti-war protests, civil rights stuff, but only through the soldiers' reactions.
SPEAKER_01:Trevor Burrus Yeah, their frustration, feeling disconnected or misunderstood. It doesn't take a side. It just shows their reality.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell, which feels very honest. It's focusing on the human cost, the personal experience within that larger context.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell And it shows the whole life, not just the trauma, the romance, the family, the job struggles, like that detail about not mentioning being a vet to get hired.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell That was so specific and telling. It grounds the story in those everyday battles too, making the PTSD even more impactful because you see the full life it affects.
SPEAKER_01:It really does. Now, thinking about getting stories like this out there.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And if this story, Jason Wright's writing, resonates with you listening, he also has a book out called No One Can Hear the War.
SPEAKER_01:Ah, okay. Where can people find that?
SPEAKER_00:You can find it and learn more about his work at www.lulu.com forward slash slash spotlight, Jason Wright Writes.
SPEAKER_01:Lulu.com. Got it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And Lulu's great for authors, actually. They offer tons of custom printing options and help writers sell their books, even get global distribution. It's a good platform for getting unique voices heard.
SPEAKER_01:Cool. Good to know. So wrapping things up then.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:This deep dive into silence as the smoke settles really underscored its, well, its emotional weight, didn't it?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, definitely. And its importance in showing that longer view of veteran experience, the stuff that often stays hidden.
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell It's just such a cinematic script, so full of empathy, that really feels like something that needs to be made.
SPEAKER_00:I agree. And thinking about it, it does leave you with something, doesn't it? This idea that maybe our own lives have smoke distractions that keep us from facing difficult things.
SPEAKER_01:That's a thought.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it kind of makes you wonder what silence might we all be avoiding, and maybe more importantly, how can we be more aware, more supportive of those around us whose smoke might be starting to settle, leaving them alone with their silence.
SPEAKER_01:That's yeah, that's a really powerful thought to leave folks with. All right. That's all the time we have for this deep dive into Behind the Slate. Uh, thanks for joining us. Until next time, keep those curiosity muscles flexed.
SPEAKER_00:And remember, there's always more to unpack when you take the deep dive. We'll catch you on the flip side.
