You Had Me at Page One – ScriptDC
Sept. 8th @ 6:30 PM
You Had Me at Page One with Pilar Alessandra
Make the reader love you on the first page! Learn screenwriting techniques that help your script hit the ground running. Using script examples we take a hard look at word choice, character descriptions, dialogue editing and the nuances of the page.
Presenter Bio:
Pilar Alessandra is the director of the instructional writing program On The Page,® host of the On the Page Podcast and a highly sought-after speaker and script consultant who’s trained writers at Disney, DreamWorks, ABC, the AFM and around the world. She is also the author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter and The Coffee Break Screenwriter Breaks the Rules. Pilar’s greatest accomplishment is the success of her students, many of whom have won top competitions such as the Nicholl Fellowship, work on TV shows such as Homeland, The 100, Dear White People, Grey’s Anatomy, Silicon Valley and The Chi and have sold feature films and pitches to Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros. and other major studios. For more information about Pilar, her classes, consultations, book and podcast, go to www.onthepage.tv
$15 for WIFV Members (must be logged in) and students
$30 for general public
This program is sponsored by Maryland Film Office and OCTFME.
Refund Policy: Refunds are available up to 48 hours in advance of the program. No refund will be issued for a cancellation with less than 48 hours notice. If the event is cancelled or rescheduled, refunds will be issued as needed.
Register Here: https://www.wifv.org/events/#id=11090&cid=783&wid=401&type=Cal
The Dreaded 2nd Act – ScriptDC
Sept. 15th @ 6:30 PM
The Dreaded 2nd Act and How to Tame It with Dara Marks, PhD
Let’s be honest – nobody’s favorite part of screenwriting is the second act. Our inspirations begin with great ideas and can take us to amazing conclusions, but our creative juices seldom get turned on by all that cumbersome story development found in the vast, dark, empty regions that lie somewhere between the beginning and the end of a story. This part of the writing process is just plain hard work – for both you and your protagonist. But quite frankly, there’s no way around it. However, if you learn to work with the transformational arc you will discover that the 2nd act is not a barren wilderness, but a place of remarkable potential.
Presenter Bio:
Dara Marks, PhD is a leading international script consultant, seminar leader, and author of one of the top selling books on screenwriting, Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc. She has specialized in the analysis of the modern screenplay for the past three decades, and Creative Screenwriting Magazine has consistently rated her one of the top script consultants in Hollywood. Dara has worked for most major Hollywood studios and her advice has been sought on a variety of films and television programs. She has a doctorate degree in Mythological Studies and her groundbreaking work in this field continues to help writers engage more deeply.
$15 for WIFV Members (must be logged in) and students
$30 for general public
This program is sponsored by Maryland Film Office and OCTFME.
Refund Policy: Refunds are available up to 48 hours in advance of the program. No refund will be issued for a cancellation with less than 48 hours notice. If the event is cancelled or rescheduled, refunds will be issued as needed.
Register Here: https://www.wifv.org/events/#id=11092&cid=783&wid=401&type=Cal
Creating Memorable Characters – ScriptDC
Sept. 22nd @ 6:30 PM
Creating Memorable Characters with Marilyn Atlas
In this class, equally suitable for fiction writers, screenwriters, and TV writers, we will view and analyze various movie scenes and dissect them to see what makes the characters memorable. You will learn the power of subtext: how to embed details of motivation into physical behavior, speech patterns, and specific habits that echo throughout your story. Atlas will present 1-2 character exercises from Dating Your Character, the book she co-authored. Come to class with your most important characters in mind, and leave with a better understanding about how to bring them to life.
Presenter Bio:
Marilyn R Atlas is a Talent/Literary Manager and Producer. Among her credits as film producer are REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, A CERTAIN DESIRE, and ECHOES. She produced THE CHOKING GAME for Lifetime, based on a YA book. She was involved in several writers’ debut books for HarperCollins, Grand Central Publishing, and Source Books. Marilyn is currently developing a TV pilot based on the Gary Phillips series of novels High Hand and Shooter’s Point featuring strong-willed African-American protagonist Martha Chainey. She is also developing a Chinese historical epic with the Metan Development Group and CODEBUSTERS, a children’s show for TV based on a series of best-selling books. Marilyn is a member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. She is the co-author of a relationship-based, screenwriting guide called Dating Your Character, about an organic approach to character creation for Stairway Press. She is also featured in the book Write Now! from Penguin/Tarcher.
$15 for WIFV Members (must be logged in) and students
$30 for general public
This program is sponsored by Maryland Film Office and OCTFME.
Refund Policy: Refunds are available up to 48 hours in advance of the program. No refund will be issued for a cancellation with less than 48 hours notice. If the event is cancelled or rescheduled, refunds will be issued as needed.
Register Here: https://www.wifv.org/events/#id=11094&cid=783&wid=401&type=Cal
Feedback & Revisions- ScriptDC
Sept. 29nd @ 6:30 PM
Feedback & Revisions with Laurie Scheer
Feedback is often either welcomed or there’s a resistance involved – whatever the case, it is good to listen to and review the feedback one receives from peers, agents, and other industry professionals.
That feedback can translate to an improved project or a different direction for your work. That’s when revisions enter the picture – how many revisions are needed? Do you need to adhere to the feedback? Should you revise your work at all?
That’s a matter of discussion. Join us for this session featuring how to process feedback and how to navigate and apply the feedback within your revisions.
Presenter Bio:
Laurie Scheer is a former vice president of programming for WE: Women’s Entertainment. She has worked as an assistant, d-girl, and producer for ABC, Viacom, Showtime, and AMC-Cablevision. She has also been involved in producing series for the web, films for video games, and other digital based forms of entertainment. Laurie has been an instructor at numerous universities across the US from Yale to UCLA. As a professional speaker, she has appeared at annual conventions for NAB, NATPE, Realscreen, WIFV, FTX West, and the Willamette Writers Conference. Laurie has mentored many successful industry professionals throughout her career and is currently a Faculty Associate with UW-Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies. There she is the Director of UW-Madison’s annual Writers’ Institute, founding editor of the regional publication The Midwest Review, and a writing mentor to hundreds of students in-person and online. Her current interest is in exploring ways to preserve storytelling within the digital marketplace. Her book The Writer’s Advantage: A Toolkit for Mastering Your Genre is available on Amazon.
$15 for WIFV Members (must be logged in) and students
$30 for general public
This program is sponsored by Maryland Film Office and OCTFME.
Refund Policy: Refunds are available up to 48 hours in advance of the program. No refund will be issued for a cancellation with less than 48 hours notice. If the event is cancelled or rescheduled, refunds will be issued as needed.
Register Here:
https://www.wifv.org/events/#id=11104&cid=783&wid=401&type=Cal