Author turns script to film with ‘Just Jake’

BREVARD COUNTY — It can take a leap of faith to jump into a new career, but for one local author, it sure paid off.

Satellite Beach resident and local author Jaimie Engle’s first movie, “Just Jake” will air on the UPtv channel at 7 p.m. May 21 at https://uptv.com/movies/just-jake.

Ms. Engle wrote and sold the script for the movie, which stars Rob Mayes as an emerging country music singer who returns home after major writer’s block and falls back in love with his high school sweetheart, as portrayed by Brittany Bristow.

The movie was directed by Brandon Clark and shot in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Although she was not involved in the movie-making process, Ms. Engle was able to have a private viewing of the movie with her friends and family at home.

“I bought a red carpet and one of those velvet ropes and put that out front so people could walk the red carpet to watch the premiere,” Ms. Engle said. “It was really cute – I’m not a big Hallmark movie watcher but as far as rom-coms go, they nailed it.”

One of the aspects she loved most while watching the movie, Ms. Engle said, was listening to the specially recorded music for it.

The movie’s lead, Rob Mayes, is a country music singer in real life as well as an actor, and he had a hand in writing the music that can be heard in the movie.

While the story structure remains true to the original script, it’s normal that some other parts were changed.

During her screening of the movie, Ms. Engle noted some of the changes that got made were minor, like moving a scene from a diner to a coffee shop and adding characters.

“That’s what happens, they’re working on a budget and I’m working with limitless imagination,” Ms. Engle said. “Since I was probably 7 or 8 years old, I wanted to write in the movie business and see my name on the big screen. This was a made-for-tv movie, which is perfectly fine by me, I’m really excited about it.”

Also new to Ms. Engle during her transition from self-published author to screenwriter is working with a publishing house, which will publish the novelization of “Just Jake.”

The book will tell the story as it was originally envisioned by Ms. Engle, and readers can pick up their copy starting Aug. 29.

Since she completed “Just Jake,” Ms. Engle also has finished writing six feature films and three television shows, which are in various stages of development and pre-production.

When she’s not busy writing, Ms. Engle attends speaking events at local libraries and conferences.

One of her upcoming events is about graphic novel writing at 6 p.m. June 27 at the Satellite Beach Public Library, 751 Jamaica Blvd., and another will be about book to film at 1 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Eau Gallie Public Library, 1521 Pineapple Ave., Melbourne.

To follow Ms. Engle and her works, visit jaimieengle.com or email her at jaimie@jaimieengle.com.