There are some stories that just need to be spread. On Thursday, movies.com reported on a short film called Writer’s Block that had a rather unique genesis. Here’s the story abridged: last year, the shooting of a film, Cold Comes the Night, was interrupted thanks to a hurricane by the name of Sandy. Shooting was put on hold, but the malaise was broken thanks to an actor by the name of Bryan Cranston. The Malcolm in the Middle, Drive, and Breaking Bad star asked for scripts from the production assistants, and they got to writing. One script by a young man named Brandon Polanco caught Cranston’s eye, so together they made a thirteen minute short film called Writer’s Block starring Cranston, and directed by Polanco. In the short, Cranston plays a writer suffering from (what else) writer’s block as he grapples with finishing a screenplay (autobiographical, perhaps?) and his mind drifts between fantasy and fiction.

The ‘Writer’s Block’ cast and crew (Polanco is the second from the left).

Lela Edgar co-stars with Cranston. Along with directing, Polanco co-wrote and co-produced the film with Spenser Granese. The other credited producer Chaz Rose also appears in the film – as does Granese. Writer’s Block can currently be found on iTunes.

It goes to show how much of film making is being in the right place at the right time.