How far would you go to follow a dream you buried under years of logic, safety, and practicality?
In From Blueprints to Screenplays, filmmaker and engineer Piotr Toczynski takes readers on a deeply personal journey from designing bridges to directing award-winning films. What begins as a reflection on fear, loss, and courage evolves into a rare behind-the-scenes chronicle of making his acclaimed short film Yellow Ticket, a project endorsed by the International Dostoevsky Society and celebrated at festivals worldwide.
Part memoir, part filmmaking manual, and part creative manifesto, this book pulls back the curtain on the entire process of turning an idea into a finished film, warts and all.
You'll follow every stage of production, including:
Pre-production and Crewing Up - Finding collaborators, securing locations, and learning to trust your team.
Crowdfunding and Risk - How Piotr successfully raised funds for Yellow Ticket and what really happens behind film campaigns.
Casting and Directing - From the first audition to building trust with actors like René Zagger (EastEnders, Prime Suspect).
Editing and Postproduction - Lessons from thousands of edits and feedback from top editors like Simon Smith (Chernobyl, Andor).
Festivals and Distribution - What it takes to get into international film festivals and build a lasting audience.
But From Blueprints to Screenplays is more than a making-of story. It is a testament to creative reinvention. It explores how a background in engineering can shape a filmmaker's mindset: structured thinking meeting unstructured emotion. It is about fear transformed into purpose and how every obstacle can become part of your story.
Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker, a creative professional stuck in the wrong career, or simply someone chasing a long-postponed dream, this book offers both practical guidance and emotional fuel.
Featuring insights from Piotr's YouTube channel Cut to the Point, known for interviews with Walter Murch, Eddie Hamilton, Alex Gibney, and Jim Cummings, this is a book for anyone who believes that cinema is not just an art form but a calling.
