Eric J. Seidman is not your average Penn State junior or film major. Sure he goes to the movies, shuffles to class and watches basketball games like most college-aged males.

Except Seidman does one other hobby in his spare time that sets him apart from most of his peers -- he writes scripts for famous directors.

Seidman, although he is still a student, has been sending his scripts across the country and around the world.

"When I was a senior in high school, I was at a crossroads," Seidman said, "I wanted to be involved with movies my whole life, but I was going to be a doctor."

Still not sure whether to pursue his life-long dream or take the more practical path, he showed one of his high school teachers a screenplay he had written in his spare time called It's Go Time.

The teacher was so impressed with Seidman's work that she submitted it to a film festival, where the 18-year-old's script won best overall screenplay.

"I took it as a sign," Seidman said.

From that point, he knew he wanted to be a professional screenwriter and worked to make it a reality.

Primarily using the Internet, Seidman said he was able to make connections with Hollywood heavyweights and have his work read by some talented and influential people.

"At first I just wanted to get my work out there," Seidman said. "I didn't mind taking deferred payment."

An independent filmmakers' network called withoutabox.com proved to be a very helpful starting place for Seidman.

"I started talking to people on message boards," he said. "They couldn't believe how young I was and how much I had done."

He caught the eye of writer/director Miriam Shalit, a cousin of famed film critic Gene Shalit. Together they co-wrote Phoenix Rising, which was sent to the Sundance Film Festival.

"Eric has a great ability to digest an idea and then make it sing in script form," Shalit said.

His work also impressed director Robert Kelly, who hired him to write a screenplay for a horror movie set in Ireland, possibly starring actors Ruth Negga (Breakfast on Pluto) and Brendan Gleeson (Braveheart, Mission: Impossible II, Cold Mountain).

"That was the first time I started writing a screenplay for someone else to direct," Seidman said.

Of Seidman, Kelly said in an e-mail message, "His ability to bring characters to life through his dialogue is a talent that I can only hope to try to emulate."

As his connections began to grow, Seidman was able to receive more and more opportunities to showcase his talents.

Currently, he is in the production stage of several projects, including a psychological thriller titled 5:57 with producer Fred C. Caruso (The Godfather).

He's also involved with a short film called All the Wrong Moves, which is debuting Nov. 23, and a full-length Lucky Dog Entertainment film he is writing and directing called 4^th and Forever, due out this summer.

He has also written and is currently starring in a film called Euth for a Penn State class.

Although he said he enjoys the acting aspect of show business, Seidman said he has no aspirations to be Hollywood's newest leading man.

"I just want to be the guy who comes out as a small character," he said.

Seidman said he is excited about the opportunities he has been given.

"This past year was most successful in terms of getting my stuff out," he said.

Although writing is a natural ability for Seidman, he said he has worked hard and done a lot of research to get where he is today.

He is largely self-educated, learning by example what works and what doesn't.

"I have seen pretty much every movie ever," he said, adding that his favorite movies are Twelve Angry Men and Forrest Gump.

He has found the work of his idol -- writer and director David Mamet (Hannibal, The Untouchables) -- to be especially influential.

"He has a balance," Seidman said, "He writes and directs the projects that he really wants to do, but takes jobs like Hannibal that will make the money."

Seidman said he loves screenwriting but understands that the movie business can be extremely cutthroat.

In terms of the future, Seidman said he will finish his education at Penn State and then he hopes to move to Los Angeles or his hometown of Philadelphia to continue his career in screenwriting, directing and acting.

Just don't call him a director or an actor.

"I wouldn't call myself a writer/director because I will never direct someone else's movie," he said. "Writing is what I really love."