Thursday, September 23, 2004
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
My LA Screenwriting Weekend Schedule:
Friday @ 1 pm
Passion into Product
Part#: EV1222
Following the model of his UCLA screenwriting seminars that have produced such writers as Pamela Gray, (A Walk On The Moon), Nicholas Griffin, (Matchstick Men) Sacha Gervasi (Terminal, starring Tom Hanks), Hal Ackerman, author of Write Screenplays That Sell...The Ackerman Way will talk about writing what you love and making it saleable.
HAL ACKERMAN has been on the UCLA Screenwriting faculty for 18 years. As a writer he has sold material to major studios, to Academy Award winning independent producers and to the major television networks. His fiction and non-fiction writing has appeared in numerous literary journals. An award-winning playwright, his work has been performed at the National Shakespeare Company. His one-man play, Blue Sundays: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me, was recently introduced in Los Angeles.
Friday @ 3 pm
Character and the Nature of Conflict
Part#: EV1224
All drama is conflict. Without conflict you have no action. Without action you have no character. Without character you have no story. And without story, you have no screenplay. How can we integrate conflict into our character's lives to create maximum dramatic value? Using examples from The Pianist, Lord of the Rings, American Beauty, The Hours, and others, we'll explore various ways to integrate conflict into your characters throughline that will enhance your character's life within the parameters of your screenplay.
SYD FIELD has been acclaimed as "The guru of all screen writers" (CNN). He is regarded by many Hollywood professionals to be the leading authority in the art and craft of screenwriting in the world today. His internationally acclaimed best-selling books have established themselves as the "bibles" of the film industry, are used in more than 400 colleges and universities and have been translated into 20 languages. He is currently on faculty at the USC Master's of Professional Writing Program, and was the first inductee into the prestigious Screenwriting Hall of Fame in 2001.
Friday @ 5 pm
Evoking Emotion through Character: Crafting Complex Characters
Part#: EV1110
It isn't what happens to people on a page; it's what happens to a reader in his heart and mind. Expanding on the key element of all successful scripts, the reader's emotional experience, author Karl Iglesias will showcase techniques and tricks of the trade from highly successful screenwriters to instantly humanize a character, and achieve that elusive emotional connection. Topics will include character arcs and emotional courage, the emotional elements that create character, and the distinction between character emotion vs. reader emotion.
KARL IGLESIAS teaches at UCLA Extension Writers' Program, and is the best-selling author of The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters. A graduate of Cornell University, he has worked as a script analyst and development executive for various production companies. As a script consultant passionate about great storytelling, he specializes in reader emotional response. He can be reached through his website at www.writinghabits.com. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Friday @ 7 pm
Welcome to the Dark Side
Part#: EV1288
There's an old adage that says you become what you fear. One of the great functions of story is to take us to places metaphorically where we're afraid to go in real life so that we can confront our deepest fears and expose them to the healing light of day. This course is designed to help writers gain greater insight into the symbolic value of the dark, Underworld side of nature in order to expose the life-affirming values of survival, liberation and redemption. We'll also look at the use of the dreaded duo in film: violence and sexuality. What value do they really hold, and why is our culture so afraid of them?
DARA MARKS has been consistently rated by Creative Screenwriting magazine as one of the best script consultants in the film industry. She has specialized in the analysis of the modern screenplay for the past two decades, and her clients range from top studio writers and executives to beginning screenwriters. Dara has worked for major Hollywood studios and is the author of a groundbreaking new book on her innovative, new approach to story structure and character development through a technique she calls The Inner Script. She was a STAR Speaker of the 2002 Screenwriting Expo.
Saturday @ 8 am
Stories that Touch Your Soul
Part#: EV1061
Why do some stories touch you and others don't? In this seminar, we will explore the spiritual, physiological, and psychological basis for good storytelling that transcends time, place, and cultures. And then, we will cover how you can apply these rules to make your stories resonate deeply with all audiences.
RICHARD KREVOLIN has taught at UCLA and USC Film Schools and is the author of the books, Screenwriting From The Soul, Pilot Your Life, and How To Adapt Anything Into A Screenplay. Richard has several screenplays under option and in development. He was a finalist for the $500,000 Kingman Screenwriting Award, the Chesterfield Screenwriting Contest, the Klasky-Csupo Screenwriting Contest, and the Nicholl Fellowship Screenwriting Award. In addition, he has consulted and conducts writers' workshops and seminars throughout the world. His website is www.profK.com and he can be reached at rich@profK.com. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Saturday @ 10 am
Robert McKee Lecture
Part#: EV1271
Robert McKee will be presenting a new and original lecture at Screenwriting Expo 3. Details are available at www.mckeestory.com.
Saturday @ 1 pm
Writing the Dramatic Truth
Part#: EV1004
Characters come alive in stories because they seek to resolve and fulfill issues of human need as simple as good versus evil to gaining understanding and acceptance. Understanding a character's dramatic truth and creating situations that compel characters to resolve their truths offers a key to creating dynamic, passionate characters. Populating a story with characters who embody opposing dramatic truths is a natural way to create compelling conflict. This workshop is designed to help writers see into the hearts of their major characters.
BILL JOHNSON is author of A Story is a Promise, a workbook that explores how to create dramatic, engaging stories. He's web master of Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing (www.storyispromise.com). Bill leads workshops on writing around the United States. He is a produced playwright, optioned screenwriter, and has provided coverage for manuscript submissions for literary agents. He's the author of a science fiction novel, The Combat Poets of Maya. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Saturday @ 3 pm
Claiming Your Creative Life
Part#: EV1098
All the seminars, books, and techniques in the world are of no use unless you can connect to your own creative energy. This seminar will help you awaken and develop that connection.
ALLEN D. KOEHN is a Jungian analyst with over 30 years experience working with successful writers, actors, directors, and others who seek to fulfill their creative potential. He leads several popular creative workshop/support groups. He is also available for individual creative coaching sessions.
Saturday @ 5 pm
Under the Covers and Up on the Screen: How to Write Intimate Scenes for the Movies
Part#: EV1071
Romance novels account for over 54% of paperback fiction. So how come so few of them get adapted to film? Maybe because no one knows how to craft intimacy and write credible screenplay sex. Less is more" is the focus of this workshop on bringing sizzle and sensuality to the cinema.
CHRISTINA HAMLETT is a former actress/director. She's an award-winning author and script coverage consultant whose credits include 17 books, 110 plays/musicals, 3 optioned films, multiple shorts, and columns that appear throughout the world. Her second screenwriting book, Could It Be a Movie, will be released in winter 2004 by Michael Wiese Productions.
Saturday @ 7 pm
Psychology of Subtext: How Characters Say What They Don't Mean
Part#: EV1118
My dialogue is flat. Every character sounds the same. The tone should change, but I don't know why. There's no conflict in the conversation. The exposition is obvious. The actors will take care of it, right?-These statements reveal that subtext and hidden needs might be lacking in your script, your characters' dialogue and action. Learn to write what isn't written-subtext, inner monologue, psychological action and response-from an actor and screenwriter, and how to make your characters' words and actions come to life and jump off the page.
SPENCER BEGLARIAN is a graduate of USC and Yale Drama School, and an award-winning screenwriter, actor, and educator who has been profiled in The New Yorker's "The Talk of the Town," Backstage West, and the LA Times. He recently wrote, produced, and directed a series of short comedic films for cable distribution, is in pre-production with one of his feature scripts, and is completing his documentary feature debut.
Sunday @ 10 am
Secrets of Hollywood Genres
Part#: EV1033
The first rule of the entertainment business is this: it buys and sells genres. Today's most popular movies are always at least one story form, and usually a combination of two or three. Problem: almost no one is an expert at the intricate array of beats, tricks and techniques required by the eleven most popular movie genres. Hollywood's top genre expert, John Truby, will show you some of the secrets of the most popular story forms in the entertainment business.
JOHN TRUBY is a screenwriter and author of the story software, Truby's Blockbuster. He has taught his story structure and genre courses, worldwide and online at www.truby.com, to over 20,000 students, including the writers of Shrek, The Mask Of Zorro, Sleepless In Seattle, Outbreak, Beetlejuice, and Nightmare On Elm Street. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Sunday @ 1 pm
Top Ten Reasons to Write With a Partner (and Finding the Right One)
Part#: EV1059
(Qty: 1 x $4.00)
Write with a partner and double your chance for success. How? Claudia Johnson and Matt Stevens, authors of Script Partners, explore the compelling advantages of co-writing scripts. Yes, you must find the right writing partner, so Johnson and Stevens will show you how. For solo writers considering collaboration-or the merely co-curious.
Friday @ 1 pm
Passion into Product
Part#: EV1222
Following the model of his UCLA screenwriting seminars that have produced such writers as Pamela Gray, (A Walk On The Moon), Nicholas Griffin, (Matchstick Men) Sacha Gervasi (Terminal, starring Tom Hanks), Hal Ackerman, author of Write Screenplays That Sell...The Ackerman Way will talk about writing what you love and making it saleable.
HAL ACKERMAN has been on the UCLA Screenwriting faculty for 18 years. As a writer he has sold material to major studios, to Academy Award winning independent producers and to the major television networks. His fiction and non-fiction writing has appeared in numerous literary journals. An award-winning playwright, his work has been performed at the National Shakespeare Company. His one-man play, Blue Sundays: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me, was recently introduced in Los Angeles.
Friday @ 3 pm
Character and the Nature of Conflict
Part#: EV1224
All drama is conflict. Without conflict you have no action. Without action you have no character. Without character you have no story. And without story, you have no screenplay. How can we integrate conflict into our character's lives to create maximum dramatic value? Using examples from The Pianist, Lord of the Rings, American Beauty, The Hours, and others, we'll explore various ways to integrate conflict into your characters throughline that will enhance your character's life within the parameters of your screenplay.
SYD FIELD has been acclaimed as "The guru of all screen writers" (CNN). He is regarded by many Hollywood professionals to be the leading authority in the art and craft of screenwriting in the world today. His internationally acclaimed best-selling books have established themselves as the "bibles" of the film industry, are used in more than 400 colleges and universities and have been translated into 20 languages. He is currently on faculty at the USC Master's of Professional Writing Program, and was the first inductee into the prestigious Screenwriting Hall of Fame in 2001.
Friday @ 5 pm
Evoking Emotion through Character: Crafting Complex Characters
Part#: EV1110
It isn't what happens to people on a page; it's what happens to a reader in his heart and mind. Expanding on the key element of all successful scripts, the reader's emotional experience, author Karl Iglesias will showcase techniques and tricks of the trade from highly successful screenwriters to instantly humanize a character, and achieve that elusive emotional connection. Topics will include character arcs and emotional courage, the emotional elements that create character, and the distinction between character emotion vs. reader emotion.
KARL IGLESIAS teaches at UCLA Extension Writers' Program, and is the best-selling author of The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters. A graduate of Cornell University, he has worked as a script analyst and development executive for various production companies. As a script consultant passionate about great storytelling, he specializes in reader emotional response. He can be reached through his website at www.writinghabits.com. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Friday @ 7 pm
Welcome to the Dark Side
Part#: EV1288
There's an old adage that says you become what you fear. One of the great functions of story is to take us to places metaphorically where we're afraid to go in real life so that we can confront our deepest fears and expose them to the healing light of day. This course is designed to help writers gain greater insight into the symbolic value of the dark, Underworld side of nature in order to expose the life-affirming values of survival, liberation and redemption. We'll also look at the use of the dreaded duo in film: violence and sexuality. What value do they really hold, and why is our culture so afraid of them?
DARA MARKS has been consistently rated by Creative Screenwriting magazine as one of the best script consultants in the film industry. She has specialized in the analysis of the modern screenplay for the past two decades, and her clients range from top studio writers and executives to beginning screenwriters. Dara has worked for major Hollywood studios and is the author of a groundbreaking new book on her innovative, new approach to story structure and character development through a technique she calls The Inner Script. She was a STAR Speaker of the 2002 Screenwriting Expo.
Saturday @ 8 am
Stories that Touch Your Soul
Part#: EV1061
Why do some stories touch you and others don't? In this seminar, we will explore the spiritual, physiological, and psychological basis for good storytelling that transcends time, place, and cultures. And then, we will cover how you can apply these rules to make your stories resonate deeply with all audiences.
RICHARD KREVOLIN has taught at UCLA and USC Film Schools and is the author of the books, Screenwriting From The Soul, Pilot Your Life, and How To Adapt Anything Into A Screenplay. Richard has several screenplays under option and in development. He was a finalist for the $500,000 Kingman Screenwriting Award, the Chesterfield Screenwriting Contest, the Klasky-Csupo Screenwriting Contest, and the Nicholl Fellowship Screenwriting Award. In addition, he has consulted and conducts writers' workshops and seminars throughout the world. His website is www.profK.com and he can be reached at rich@profK.com. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Saturday @ 10 am
Robert McKee Lecture
Part#: EV1271
Robert McKee will be presenting a new and original lecture at Screenwriting Expo 3. Details are available at www.mckeestory.com.
Saturday @ 1 pm
Writing the Dramatic Truth
Part#: EV1004
Characters come alive in stories because they seek to resolve and fulfill issues of human need as simple as good versus evil to gaining understanding and acceptance. Understanding a character's dramatic truth and creating situations that compel characters to resolve their truths offers a key to creating dynamic, passionate characters. Populating a story with characters who embody opposing dramatic truths is a natural way to create compelling conflict. This workshop is designed to help writers see into the hearts of their major characters.
BILL JOHNSON is author of A Story is a Promise, a workbook that explores how to create dramatic, engaging stories. He's web master of Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing (www.storyispromise.com). Bill leads workshops on writing around the United States. He is a produced playwright, optioned screenwriter, and has provided coverage for manuscript submissions for literary agents. He's the author of a science fiction novel, The Combat Poets of Maya. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Saturday @ 3 pm
Claiming Your Creative Life
Part#: EV1098
All the seminars, books, and techniques in the world are of no use unless you can connect to your own creative energy. This seminar will help you awaken and develop that connection.
ALLEN D. KOEHN is a Jungian analyst with over 30 years experience working with successful writers, actors, directors, and others who seek to fulfill their creative potential. He leads several popular creative workshop/support groups. He is also available for individual creative coaching sessions.
Saturday @ 5 pm
Under the Covers and Up on the Screen: How to Write Intimate Scenes for the Movies
Part#: EV1071
Romance novels account for over 54% of paperback fiction. So how come so few of them get adapted to film? Maybe because no one knows how to craft intimacy and write credible screenplay sex. Less is more" is the focus of this workshop on bringing sizzle and sensuality to the cinema.
CHRISTINA HAMLETT is a former actress/director. She's an award-winning author and script coverage consultant whose credits include 17 books, 110 plays/musicals, 3 optioned films, multiple shorts, and columns that appear throughout the world. Her second screenwriting book, Could It Be a Movie, will be released in winter 2004 by Michael Wiese Productions.
Saturday @ 7 pm
Psychology of Subtext: How Characters Say What They Don't Mean
Part#: EV1118
My dialogue is flat. Every character sounds the same. The tone should change, but I don't know why. There's no conflict in the conversation. The exposition is obvious. The actors will take care of it, right?-These statements reveal that subtext and hidden needs might be lacking in your script, your characters' dialogue and action. Learn to write what isn't written-subtext, inner monologue, psychological action and response-from an actor and screenwriter, and how to make your characters' words and actions come to life and jump off the page.
SPENCER BEGLARIAN is a graduate of USC and Yale Drama School, and an award-winning screenwriter, actor, and educator who has been profiled in The New Yorker's "The Talk of the Town," Backstage West, and the LA Times. He recently wrote, produced, and directed a series of short comedic films for cable distribution, is in pre-production with one of his feature scripts, and is completing his documentary feature debut.
Sunday @ 10 am
Secrets of Hollywood Genres
Part#: EV1033
The first rule of the entertainment business is this: it buys and sells genres. Today's most popular movies are always at least one story form, and usually a combination of two or three. Problem: almost no one is an expert at the intricate array of beats, tricks and techniques required by the eleven most popular movie genres. Hollywood's top genre expert, John Truby, will show you some of the secrets of the most popular story forms in the entertainment business.
JOHN TRUBY is a screenwriter and author of the story software, Truby's Blockbuster. He has taught his story structure and genre courses, worldwide and online at www.truby.com, to over 20,000 students, including the writers of Shrek, The Mask Of Zorro, Sleepless In Seattle, Outbreak, Beetlejuice, and Nightmare On Elm Street. He was a STAR Speaker of Screenwriting Expo 2.
Sunday @ 1 pm
Top Ten Reasons to Write With a Partner (and Finding the Right One)
Part#: EV1059
(Qty: 1 x $4.00)
Write with a partner and double your chance for success. How? Claudia Johnson and Matt Stevens, authors of Script Partners, explore the compelling advantages of co-writing scripts. Yes, you must find the right writing partner, so Johnson and Stevens will show you how. For solo writers considering collaboration-or the merely co-curious.
It's taken me a week, but I think I finally have my schedule of classes for the Screenwriting Expo 3 in LA the weekend of November 5-7. I'm such a sucker for famous people that I've signed up for classes with all the screenwriting big honchos like Syd Field, John Truby, and of course Robert McKee. After watching McKee portrayed in "Adaptation", I just have to find out if he's as intense as the movie portrayed him. If I like McKee well enough, I'm even thinking of heading out to Vegas in December to take a three day class from him.
Some of the classes I really wanted to take are advertised as "Professional Level Seminars: appropropriate for writers who hav eat least optioned one script". And I'm like darn, I guess that's not me. Those "Pro" classes are the most intersting ones though. When I looked at my final class schedule, all of my classes are in the "Advanced Level Seminar" category, appropriate for writers who have finished at least one script.
Besides famous people, most of my classes are being taught by either people who teach screenwriting courses at UCLA or have written screenwriting books that I've heard about.
The one fun thing that I'll probably be attending instead of a class is watching Jerry Lewis receive a lifetime achievement award. I'll probably do the same thing as my roommate for the weekend, sign up for a class and then blow it off to check out Jerry Lewis. Gotta see the guy before he keels over, and besides I've always loved his movies.
My roommate warned me not to sign up for any 8 am classes, because she said last year she was up partying all night. There are some really good seminars at 8 am however, and I might just sign up for them just to see if I can make get to them. I'm sure if I don't make it, I won't be the only person missing classes that weekend.
I'm excited because it's so fun to take classes, learn new things and meet other writers who are working on their craft. I'm hoping the experience will give me perspective that the writing life isn't so lonely after all, if there's all these other people spending their nights staring at their computer screens hoping, praying, desperately pleading that the writing muse will visit them tonight.
Some of the classes I really wanted to take are advertised as "Professional Level Seminars: appropropriate for writers who hav eat least optioned one script". And I'm like darn, I guess that's not me. Those "Pro" classes are the most intersting ones though. When I looked at my final class schedule, all of my classes are in the "Advanced Level Seminar" category, appropriate for writers who have finished at least one script.
Besides famous people, most of my classes are being taught by either people who teach screenwriting courses at UCLA or have written screenwriting books that I've heard about.
The one fun thing that I'll probably be attending instead of a class is watching Jerry Lewis receive a lifetime achievement award. I'll probably do the same thing as my roommate for the weekend, sign up for a class and then blow it off to check out Jerry Lewis. Gotta see the guy before he keels over, and besides I've always loved his movies.
My roommate warned me not to sign up for any 8 am classes, because she said last year she was up partying all night. There are some really good seminars at 8 am however, and I might just sign up for them just to see if I can make get to them. I'm sure if I don't make it, I won't be the only person missing classes that weekend.
I'm excited because it's so fun to take classes, learn new things and meet other writers who are working on their craft. I'm hoping the experience will give me perspective that the writing life isn't so lonely after all, if there's all these other people spending their nights staring at their computer screens hoping, praying, desperately pleading that the writing muse will visit them tonight.
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