The Writers' Hangout

One of our most listened to episodes.  Two PAGE Awards Judges, Victoria Lucas and Laurie Ashbourne, talk about how they evaluate your screenplays, whether you're just starting or have a script in the competition. You do not want to miss this inside talk.⭐️ Laurie Ashbourne began her film career in Disney animation, and over the past 20 years, she has worked as a story consultant, writer, and producer for Disney, Amazon, and many independent producers. She has over 30 features and short films to her credit, including her new family feature CHRISTMAS TIME, which is currently in post-production. As a PAGE judge, Laurie reviews scripts in several different genre categories, including Family Films, Comedies, Dramas, and Shorts.⭐️ Victoria Lucas is an independent producer who has developed scripts for projects starring Antonio Banderas, Scarlett Johansson, Wesley Snipes, and Hilary Swank. Among her favorite projects is the highly acclaimed coming-of-age film, The Island on Bird Street, awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Victoria is also a Judge for the PAGE Awards contest, in a variety of genres including Drama and Historical Films👍 If you enjoy the show please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to make a comment please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer/Engineer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerPAGE International Screenwriting Awards Hollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

Our guest is screenwriter Matias Caruso who lives in Argentina.  Matias taught himself English and how to write screenplays — and after writing and working hard to develop his craft, he wrote an absolutely stunning script called CARNIVAL that won our Grand Prize in 2014.  After his win, Carnival was optioned by a PAGE judge and signed by an agent.  Matias continues to live in Argentina, and he never moved to the States; he has since had a couple of movies (MAYHEM and WITCH) produced.  WORDPLAY: Pro screenwriting secrets from working screenwriters Terry Rossio & Ted Elliott -- wordplayer.com If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Hollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

We continue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our sponsor, The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, with our guest Angela Bourassa. Angela won the Gold Prize in the Science Fiction category for her script EVERYTHING IS RIGHT UNTIL IT'S WRONG, and under its new title, TURN ME ON; the movie was filmed last year, produced by Truant Pictures and Blue Creek Pictures, directed by Michael Tyburski, and starring Bel Powley and Nick Robinson. It's now in post-production.   In addition, Angela's movies IF YOU WERE THE LAST and BLACK BAGS have also recently been produced, and IF YOU WERE THE LAST is premiering at SXSW next month. If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsHollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

We're going to pause on interviewing the PAGE Award-winning screenwriter series to bring you the latest on the Thelma Todd murder mystery we talked about last December.  If you haven't listened to the two-part episode called Thelma Todd's Inexplicable Death In Hollywood's Golden Age, I highly recommend you go back and listen.  The episodes aired on December 4th and 11th of 2022.  Of all the screenwriter crime stories we have discussed on The Writers' Hangout, the Thelma Todd story is the one people comment about most.  So, we put together a panel, including a Forensic death investigator, Kyle Finney, a True Crime fanatic JudyTrueCrime, and co-host Terry Sampson.  We discuss the case through the lens of modern-day forensics and give our opinions on what happened.  👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsHollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

It is Super Bowl LVII weekend, and we have a treat for you. Our guest is television writer Jason Gavin, who got his big break when he got staffed on a show called Friday Night Lights. Kristin Iversen of Nylon wrote, "Friday Night Lights had achieved a rare trifecta in the world of prestige television: critical acclaim, cultishly adoring fans, and a genuinely wide audience (which, sadly, it didn't have when it aired on network television, but what are you going to do).' Jason's other credits include ROYAL PAINS, HAWAII FIVE-O, and ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO. Jason is a co-executive producer on the much-anticipated return of DARK WINDS, the number-one show on AMC+, and one of the executive producers on MARVEL's ECHO, out this summer.Jason talks about his first time in a writers' room; a fender-bender he got into as a writers' PA on NASH BRIDES and more.  

We continue celebrating the 20th anniversary of the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards with Davah Avena. Davah took home the 2006 Silver Prize for Best TV Drama Pilot and has risen in television from staff writer to Co-Executive Producer on shows like FIREFLY LANE and ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST.Plus Davah Avena plays YOU WROTE THE EPISODE BUT DO YOU REMEMBER THE EPISODE and might just become our Queen Quiz.  👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Hollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

We continue to celebrate our sponsor, The PAGE INTERNATIONAL Screenwriting awards 20 Anniversary Celebration, I spoke with our Grand Prize winner Alexandra Qin an independent filmmaker based in New York City with a background in technology, social justice, and visual/ performance art. Her first screenplay, ThirstyGirl, won the 2022 PAGE Grand Prize. A raw, intimate story about addiction, sisterhood, and Asian-American identity, it was heavily inspired by Alexandra's own journey of addiction and recovery.  👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsHollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

We continue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our sponsors, The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, by interviewing past winners. Today we have Larry Postel, who took home the PAGE Awards Grand Prize in 2005. Since then, Larry has written four original spec screenplays that have made. Including The Main Event, a Netflix Original; High Holiday, a Peacock Original; Flip Turn, an indie drama available on Amazon; and Sony's 5000 Blankets. 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting AwardsHollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

In honor of our sponsors, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards , celebrating their 20th anniversary, I'm interviewing some of the competition's winners. Today's guest is Nardeep Khurmi, who won the PAGE 2021' Silver Prize in drama for his screenplay, LAND OF GOLD. LAND OF GOLD also received AT&T's 2021 Untold Stories award, which provides a grant of $1 million to underrepresented filmmakers to make their first feature film. We talk to Nardeep about the making of LAND OF GOLD, how growing up in Philly by way of Switzerland and England shaped him, and how being an actor helps his writing.👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Hollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent. 

We have a terrific show for you today.  As promised, for January 2023, we are doing a series of interviews with PAGE Awards winners. First up is R. Scott Shields who won the PAGE Bronze Prize in 2009 for his beautiful family drama STRAWBERRY MANSION and then won our Grand Prize in 2010 for his animated feature SUPERCAT!  Since then, sometimes with representation and sometimes without, Scott went on to write a sci-fi fantasy for Hydraulx Entertainment called JASON AND THE ASTRONAUTS and was hired to write two sports biopics.   Scott discusses getting a writing assignment without representation, what makes a good bio-pic, and why you never say no when your next-door neighbor asks you to write a short film that will get shot.  

Sandy tells the strange story of Netflix reportedly paying director Carl Rinsch $55 million for a sci-fi series that he failed to complete and spent most of the money on crypto investments, five Rolls Royces, and a $380K watch. Now, Carl Rinsch is demanding an additional payment of $14 million from Netflix.Plus, does Terry get a visit from Black-eyed kids!!!!!!!!Research for the story includes:The New York Times article by John Carreyrou entitled, The Strange $55 Million Saga of a Netflix Series You’ll Never Seehttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/22/business/carl-rinsch-netflix-conquest.htmlWikipediaIMDBTHE WRAP article by Mike Roe entitled Netflix Director Spent Millions of the Streamer’s Money on Crypto and Rolls-Royces in $55 Million Sci-Fi Writeoffhttps://www.thewrap.com/carl-erik-rinsch-conquest-netflix-writeoff-crypto/The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan Stoller👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to make a comment please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

In this rewind episode, we talk with Kristin Overn, the Founder and Executive Director of the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards competition. Kristin began her film career as a producer's assistant and script reader at companies like Davis Entertainment, Bonneville Worldwide, and 20th Century Fox. Since then, she has consulted, collaborated, and developed screenplays with dozens of writers, producers, and production companies. Kristin also has extensive experience in production and has served as a producer, line producer, and UPM on various independent features, original sitcom pilots, and several award-winning short films, TV commercials, and videos. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan Stoller👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to make a comment please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

Sandy and Terry delve into the latest plagiarism controversy. The Alexander Payne-directed film The Holdovers didn’t win for the Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Oscars, but Da’Vine Joy Randolph did take home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film is highly regarded by critics and audiences alike. In early March 2024, reporter Tatiana Siegel at Variety published a report on allegations made by Simon Stephenson, a screenwriter who worked on films such as Luca and Paddington 2. In a 33-page document, Simon claims that The Holdovers, written by David Hemingson, was transposed from his unproduced script, Frisco and that the similarities are “line-by-line” and have been routinely described as “brazen.” Research for this episode includes: Variety’s Tatiana Siegel article, Alexander Payne’s ‘The Holdovers’ Accused of Plagiarism by ‘Luca’ Writer (EXCLUSIVE)https://variety.com/2024/film/news/the-holdovers-accused-plagiarism-luca-writer-1235935605/ The Wrap’s Mike Roe article, Prominent Screenwriters Skeptical of Claims ‘The Holdovers’ Was Plagiarized https://www.thewrap.com/the-holdovers-plagiarized-luca-writer-claims-robert-king/The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

After watching "Quiet On Set," the Max documentary about allegations against producer Dan Schneider, who is accused of creating a toxic work environment on his Nickelodeon shows and engaging in inappropriate behavior, Sandy can't stop thinking about it. It reminds her of the story she shared with you in Episode 86, about her time writing for ABC/Disney's RECCES entitled "Harassed and Pitching," a Humanities Prize-nominated script.The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

Sandy and Terry delve into 4 impactful quotes by screenwriter, producer and director, John Hughes. One of the most successful and influential filmmakers in Hollywood history, John has helped launch the careers of Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Macaulay Culkin, Judd Nelson, and John Candy.The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com

Sandy hangs out with the award-winning actress, musician, and screenwriter Lucy Walsh. When Lucy was seventeen, she was given sixty-three of the love letters her Grandfather Dale wrote her Grandmother Wanda while he was in World War II. A dozen years later, life-changing events compelled Lucy to fly from Los Angeles to tiny Newman, Illinois, to spend three days talking with Wanda, which ended up being their final conversations. Lucy transformed her journey into a masterclass on humanity, chronicled in her new book Remember Me As Human: What Three Final Days with My Grandmother Wanda Taught Me About Truly LivingRemember Me As Human is available for pre-order now and everywhere else on March 12th: https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Me-As-Human-Grandmother/dp/B0CT9PZ88L/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2V59GXX3GWBQ0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NfoI3cOAS6ut7cmEyM0Lfw.dJX3Q_AVWZreCyfC3V70dueQZHy8a9JuL4jD0OJSH1o&dib_tag=se&keywords=remember+me+as+human+lucy+walsh&qid=1710072024&sprefix=Remember+me+as+human%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

Terry recently received a phone call from a childhood friend who asked for help. The friend, has a friend, who was offered a huge deal for something they had written, and would Terry get him up to speed on "Hollywood" deal making. However, as Terry spoke with the friend, he began to suspect that the whole thing might be a scam. Unfortunately, this is not a new problem. Scammers often prey on vulnerable artists, especially screenwriters, by making false promises to them.The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com

We are thrilled to have a special guest, Stan Zimmerman, who is a renowned film and television writer. He has been nominated for two WGA Awards for Best Comedy Episodic Writing for his work on The Golden Girls and Roseanne. Stan talks about his new book, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore.https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+girls+stan+zimmerman&crid=2D56CM0FL6JH2&sprefix=stan+zimmer%2Caps%2C415&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_11 We loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in writing for television or what happens behind the scenes.  The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

One of the biggest challenges for new and seasoned writers is to sit down and start writing their screenplay. It's common for writers to have an excellent idea for a script for months but not put anything down on paper. To make matters worse, they might see a movie trailer that looks exactly like the movie they have in their head, causing them to feel discouraged and frustrated.In this episode, Sandy and Terry Writers focus on "how to begin" with tips by Dean Orion. He wrote the book Live To Write Another Day, A Survival Guide for Screenwriters and Creative Storytellers. You can find Dean's book on Amazon. We pick a card from the Woracle Deck, created by writers for writers; the Woracle Cards are an essential tool to help writers generate ideas for new or existing stories. The cards aim to inspire and rejuvenate the creative juices to get the words flowing back on the page.The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com

For screenwriters, the Public Domain can be a treasure trove of inspiration and material. Hollywood is obsessed with Intellectual Property (IP) and buying the rights to the latest hit book or graphic novel can be expensive and out of reach for most screenwriters. By tapping into the public domain, screenwriters can find stories, characters, and themes that are already known and loved, and put their own spin on them. On January 1, 2024, a version of Mickey Mouse will enter the public domain in the United States, after almost a century of copyright protection. The public domain refers to all creative works for which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply, either due to copyright expiration, copyright loss because of loopholes and mistakes, death of the copyright owner, or failure of the copyright owner to file for the rights or extension to those rights. Since no one holds exclusive rights, anyone can legally use or reference those works without permission. For example, starting in 2024, the Steam Boat version of Mickey Mouse can be utilized.REARCH INCLUDED:WikipediaIMDB http://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/mickey/ https://historydaily.org/steamboat-willie-facts-stories-trivia-mickey/3The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.Executive Producer Kristin OvernProducer Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerContact us at the writershangoutpodcast@gmail.com