In the Spotlight: Jacobo Fe
Every successful person has achieved their status by first having a dream. They envisioned what could be, even when others told them it was impossible. Breaking through those disbelievers and conquering their own self-doubts resulted in manifesting that dream into reality. This is how legends are born. Jacobo has a very particular vision and goal for his future. Every day he works hard to take one step further towards achieving it. I for one believe he will get there. Jacobo’s dedication, determination, and passion is why I am excited to introduce you to him.
This is Jacobo Fe…
Mini-Bio:
Currently, I’m a UCLA graduate student in Screenwriting & TV writing, and one of the youngest published Spanish authors in the historical novel genre (at the age of 19). My childhood dream is obtaining an Oscar by the Academy for one of my scripts, so I’m immensely happy to be writing in LA, the land where my dream remains.
Fortunately, I arrived in LA thanks to my effort combined with the support of my country, Spain. In that sense, in last years, I’ve been awarded with three of the top Artistic/Writing Scholarships from my homeland: Faro Program by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Education (2017), the singular national prize in Film Studies & Cinematic Arts by the US-Spain Fulbright Commission (2018), and the Madrilenian Mutua Foundation Prize, the highest recognition at province level in Madrid (2019).
My international studies and experience have been greatly inspiring during my life. At the age of 25, I’ve completed three fields of studies: Film, Business Administration & Law, and I’ve lived in five countries: Spain, Italy, India, Thailand & the U.S. Besides my facet as a writer and student, I’ve developed varied professions: legal intern, business trainee, illustrator, and, especially, modeling (experience in 10+ countries).
Q: How did you stumble upon screenwriting?
Since I was a kid, I love to tell stories in order to empathize with different people and make new friends. The use of language is one of the key aspects that characterize humans as prosocial beings, a way to build synergies and reach common aims. When memory is not enough to remember some life passages or when talking doesn’t let us entirely express our feelings, we write. It’s a way to free your imagination and spirit.
That’s why, avid to narrate, I started to write as a daily routine, perfectionating my writing skills through a reiterative practice and constant learning… Then, writing became a habit. The habit mutated into a hobby. The hobby turned into a passion... And now I’m doing my best to convert my passion to my profession.
Submit to the Script Summit
Screenwriting Contest or join our Facebook Writers Group
Q: Who/what inspired you into taking this path?
Regarding the film industry, if I had to choose one icon, I find Steven Spielberg deeply inspiring, since he is able to create memorable characters in a big variety of movies.
Additionally, “Life is beautiful” is a movie that marked my goal and style as a writer, and “Pirates of the Caribbean” showed me the genre that I feel more attached to.
Q: Who was the first person who believed in you?
I’ve been always involved in creative activities thanks to the excellent educational labor and constant support of my parents. My father is a dreaming man; my mother, an ingenious woman. They don’t belong to the film industry, but they know how to feed the ambition of a dreaming bird. They pushed me until I learned to fly on my own!
Q: When was the moment you knew you wanted to be a screenwriter?
When I was 12, a certain cute girl told me that I should be a writer; that she could clearly see my stories when I was describing them. It didn’t take long to discover that the figure who is able to transform words set in a piece of paper into vivid images receives the name of screenwriter. That same day I came back home and said to my parents - like a tiny Martin Luther King - that I had a dream, a dream that I wanted to make real! I wanted to get an Oscar! And I’m still clasped to that great goal.
Q: How do you define success for yourself?
An intense and ardent sense of self-satisfaction, fulfillment, that is a result of doing what you love, your passion, while counting on the support of those you love, your people.
Q: Give us a typical day in your life:
My routine consists of two stages. Firstly, what I call duty activities, linked to my professional development and healthy habits: writing, working out & studying. The second group is formed by the diverse activities I do with the people I love.
Going out and hiking in California with my dear friends has a privileged place in my preferences. Also, I find very interesting reading history, looking for inspiration to recreate new plots, I deeply love traveling around the world, when I have the opportunity, to discover new places and cultures.
Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl?
I try to adopt good sleeping habits (my mother is an expert in sleeping therapy), but it’s true that, sometimes, when I feel very inspired, I cheat on myself. Some great ideas are whimsical and appear between vigil and slumber.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual?
I do! As soon as I wake up and go to wash my face, I smile to the mirror for a few seconds and state my vow: “I’m going to win the Oscar”.
What do you do during the day?
I write, work out, and study almost every single day. Those are the main activities that feed my dream, awaken my interest, and generate my incomes. Besides that, I love reading, watching movies, traveling, and meeting people.
What do you do at night?
If I feel satisfied enough with the work I have done during the day, then I reward myself with relaxing activities that don’t require me a big intellectual or physical effort, like watching a movie or reading in bed.
How do you define a successful day?
A successful day… I guess it’s that day you have learned something valuable for you when your body feels exhausted after training hard and your heart beats reveal that you are loved. All of this shows that you are in the right direction to chase your dream.
Q: What’s been the most important skill you've developed on your path to screenwriting?
The ability to make a person laugh and cry with my written words, and how to reveal history through a story in a balanced way.
Q: What’s been the greatest challenge in your writing so far?
It’s hard to be sure that you have something valuable, deserving a chance to be shown, to be filmed, but not having the tools and contacts to make it. I’m still looking for that opportunity, the moment that an agent or producer says: “This is good. Let’s make it!”
Q: What’s been the greatest reward in the choices you've made?
The mere fact of being in LA, chasing my dream, surrounded by a nice environment… That makes me feel alive and glad of my existence.
Q: What do you want to learn from a community of your peers?
I’d be thrilled to find a mentor who would like to walk by my side during this long journey…
