Meet Pat Bradley: a Queens-born storyteller, filmmaker, and the founder of Always Write Productions. With a career that spans screenwriting, directing, cinematography, and producing, Pat has carved out a path that’s equal parts gritty, inventive, and honest. He’s a creator who doesn’t wait around for permission—he builds the kind of stories he wants to see on screen, and he does it with the kind of passion that makes you want to root for him.
Pat’s creative journey began in the backseat of a car, scribbling down stories to pass the time during family moves across the country. That habit turned into a creative lifeline, leading to music production, music video treatments, and eventually, film. After years of uncredited work and seeing his scripts reshaped into stories he no longer recognized, Pat launched Always Write Productions in 2014—what he calls a form of “creative self-defense.” He wasn’t out to build an empire. He just wanted to protect the work, own the voice, and make space for flawed, complicated characters who live in the grey areas of life.
Since then, Pat and Always Write Productions have brought several projects to life, including their first short film Addicts Abuse (2015), Weight of the Pen (2016), and the 2018 feature Into the Valli. More recently, he’s been making waves with upcoming projects like Exit 17, Long Stories Short, and a Stephen King Dollar Baby adaptation titled Flowers.
Q&A with Pat Bradley
Let’s talk about your recent projects—what’s been keeping you busy?
I’ve got a few I’m really excited about, and all of them, in some way or another, were built or shaped in Celtx.
The first is LONG STORIES SHORT VOLUME 1: THE PITCH, an anthology made up of four short films I shot between 2021 and 2023. Two are proof of concepts tied to bigger projects, and two were just for fun. I found a way to connect them into a single narrative—kind of weird, but it works. That one’s set to stream later this fall.
Next is EXIT 17, a survival horror/thriller set in 1980s New York. We shot about 65% with a full crew, but a good chunk of Act 2 was just me and one actor in a vintage cabin. It was raw and stripped down, but that gave it a really cool energy. We’re hoping to release it in 2026.
There’s also LONG STORIES SHORT VOLUME 2: THE PROCESS, a follow-up anthology that leans even more into genre blending. All six shorts are written, one is shot, and that’s moving ahead. And then there’s FLOWERS, based on Stephen King’s The Man Who Loved Flowers. That’ll be up on my YouTube channel around Halloween.
You wear a lot of hats on set—how does that influence your workflow?
It forces me to be flexible. Every project is different. Sometimes I’m just the writer, sometimes I’m directing or producing. So I’ve built a kind of modular system that lets me pivot based on the needs of each job.
Where does Celtx fit into that system?
Mostly on the writing side—that’s where it fits best into my process. I use it to build out structure, tighten pacing, and manage the 19,000 versions of every rewrite. I also use it for breakdowns and organizing elements that feed into shot lists later.
Celtx plays well with how I like to work. When things are moving fast, that flexibility matters.
“It’s not about fancy features, it’s about tools that give you honest feedback on the writing.”
You’ve been a Celtx user for a long time. What first drew you to the platform?
I actually checked—my first Celtx script is from 2015. Back then, I was using Final Draft, but I had a desk job that wouldn’t let me install software. The fact that Celtx worked in a browser was a game changer. It let me write without needing admin permissions or sketchy workarounds.
Since then, it’s grown with me. Real-time syncing, collaboration tools, built-in production features—it’s all gotten tighter. It started as a way to write anywhere, and now it’s part of my regular workflow.
What about collaboration? How does Celtx support you when you’re working with a team?
That’s actually one of the reasons I’ve stuck with it. I work with a lot of people who aren’t full-time screenwriters, and being able to loop them in without the formatting going sideways is huge. The collaboration tools are simple and clean—markups, notes, edits, all in one place.
If I’m working with someone new, I can walk them through how Celtx works in a few minutes and we’re good to go.
Celtx makes collaboration feel less like tech support and more like storytelling.
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Any favorite features you recommend to other writers?
If I had to pick one, it’s the Read Through feature. Not because it’s perfect, but because it lets you hear your script. Even with the robotic voices, it helps you catch awkward pacing or flat dialogue you wouldn’t notice just reading silently. I tell people all the time—it’s not about how fancy a feature is. It’s whether it helps you write better.
Let’s get back to you – what kinds of stories are you most drawn to?
I like character-driven stories with messy, flawed people. I’m not interested in preaching or spoon-feeding a message. There’s always meaning, but it’s worked in so it can be interpreted in different ways.
I also don’t stick to one genre. Real life doesn’t stay in one lane, so I let my stories blend tones—funny, tense, dramatic, whatever feels honest.
Where can people see your work or stay updated?
The best way to keep up is through my YouTube channel and my socials. My feature INTO THE VALLI is up there now, and FLOWERS will be releasing this Halloween.
Conclusion
Pat Bradley is a creator who knows what he wants his work to say—and he’s willing to do the heavy lifting to make sure it says it.
He’s not just a filmmaker—he’s a multi-hyphenate with a DIY spirit and a sharp eye for story. Celtx is one tool in his kit, but it’s a meaningful one: supporting him from rewrites to shot lists, and helping him stay agile when every second counts.
Follow Pat’s journey at alwayswritepat.com, Instagram, or @AlwaysWritePat on YouTube.
Get inspired with more stories from Celtx users:
- Celtx User Spotlight: Alex Reinhard of Malix Media
- Celtx User Spotlight: Sean & Taylor King of New Zealand Son Films
- Celtx User Spotlight: Wendy Appelbaum
