Screenwriter-Producer-Director Pen Densham joins MWP's Ken Lee to discuss his upcoming movie PHANTOM starring Ed Harris, David Duchovny, and William Fichtner (opening nationwide in theaters March 1st). Pen will talk about producing Phantom with his Trilogy Entertainment Group partner John Watson. He will also talk about being a working filmmaker, his best selling book about screenplay writing, Riding the Alligator, and collaborating with Phantom writer-director, Todd Robinson, (who is also one of the Hollywood writers included in Pen's book), about being on the set together, helping to realize Todd's spec script on board a real Russian submarine with major Hollywood actors. -- Pen Densham is a successful award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director, with an extensive track-record in film and television. Pen is responsible for writing and producing some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, along with some of its longest-running television series including The Outer Limits. Pen wrote Riding the Alligator with one clear goal in mind: to write the kind of book he would have loved to have read when he was starting out as a writer-filmmaker.
Join Jeffrey Alan Schechter as he discusses his book My Story Can Beat Up Your Story: Ten Ways to Toughen Up Your Screenplay from Opening Hook to Knockout Punch and his upcoming workshops at the Screenwriter's World Summit. CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up for this conference on October 19-21st. My Story Can Beat Up Your Story is the same powerful, easy-to-learn system that industry insiders have used to generate millions of dollars in script sales and assignments. In a clear, step-by-step fashion, this book is a fun, eye-opening, brain-expanding, and often irreverent guide to writing stories that sell. JEFFREY ALAN SCHECHTER has been beating up stories for more than twenty years. He is a WGA, WGC, Emmy, and BAFTA-nominated writer, producer, and director, a million-dollar spec screenplay writer, a Gemini award winning producer, and the developer of the underlying story principles behind Mariner Software’s Contour Story Development program.
Got ten minutes? Write your screenplay. Leading Hollywood screenwriting instructor and MWP author Pilar Alessandra shows everyone who’s ever wanted to write a screenplay how to do it — without quitting their jobs or leaving their families. In this episode, Pilar Alessandra, author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter, will discuss her classes on "The Pitch" and "Dynamic Dialogue" to be held at the London Screenwriters Festival on October 25 and 26. Learn about why her pitch class is like an "imaginary 3-hour conversation with an agent or producer." And hear why she thinks the best kind of dialogue is often no dialogue at all.
You've written a great script. Now what?! Do I need an agent? A manager? An entertainment attorney? How do I get them? These and many other questions are answered in this interview that grabs you, the writer, away from your computer and shoves you into the real world of SELLING your screenplay. Los Angeles-based Ken Rotcop, is the author of The Perfect Pitch: How to Sell Yourself and Your Movie Idea to Hollywood and served as creative head of Embassy Pictures, Hanna Barbera, Transworld Pictures and Canon Films and produces Pitchmart, Hollywood’s biggest screenplay pitch event. Ken will be appearing at the Great American Pitchfest in June 2012.
Todd Klick is the author of SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know (Michael Wiese Productions, Oct. '11). Screenwriter and producer, Todd Klick, is also the author of The Screenwriter's Fairy Tale. Todd's screenplays have earned him recognition with the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship and the PAGE International screenwriting competitions. In addition to optioning 5 scripts, he recently sold a full-length screenplay and inked two deals to develop stories for the London and Broadway stages. Todd has published articles in MovieMaker Magazine and The Huffington Post, and has also appeared on Dateline NBC and NPR. Todd will be appearing at the Great American Pitchfest in June 2012, presenting "Something Startling Happens: Beating Out the Blockbuster," where you can discover the minute-by-minute story beats that unite all successful movies, and learn how you can apply them to your screenplay. Learn more about Todd at WriterWrench.com.
Jennifer Dornbush is the daughter of a medical examiner. She literally grew up around the dead and often accompanied her father on cases. In addition to a few nightmares and therapy sessions, her childhood has given her some very uncanny experiences for storytelling. To round out her knowledge of death investigation Jennifer completed over 360 hours of CSI training. In this episode, join Jennifer Dornbush as she discusses her new book Forensic Speak (be released by MWP in 2013) and her upcoming workshop Writing the Killer Procedural at the Great American Pitchfest in June 2012.
Got ten minutes? Write your screenplay. Leading Hollywood screenwriting instructor and MWP author Pilar Alessandra shows everyone who’s ever wanted to write a screenplay how to do it — without quitting their jobs or leaving their families. In this episode, join Pilar Alessandra as she discusses her book, The Coffee Break Screenwriter: Writing Your Script Ten Minutes at a Time and her upcoming workshop at the Great American Pitchfest in June 2012.
Join Carole Kirschner (author of the new book, Hollywood Game Plan) as she discusses her work as a Hollywood career coach and her upcoming workshop at The Great American Pitchfest on June 2012. Hollywood Game Plan won’t just teach you how to get a foot in the Hollywood door — it will teach you how to bust that door down. Receive insider’s insights from a former senior-level Hollywood executive who’s worked for CBS and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and has hired, mentored, and inspired hundreds of entertainment professionals. Carole Kirschner The Great American PitchFest
Join Pamela Jaye Smith (Author of The Power of the Dark Side) and Kathie Fong Yoneda (Author of The Script Selling Game) as they discuss their upcoming workshop at the Great American Pitchfest, "Let's Sell Your Script." Join this free panel at the GAPF with a distinguished lineup of industry insiders who will teach you how to give your best pitch. What is a logline? How long should your pitch be? What information do you need to convey to best express your story in a short pitch meeting? This panel takes the guess work out of pitching by providing the tools and advice needed to get you AND your project on Hollywood’s radar screen! Let's Sell Your Script. Radioblog is hosted by Ken Lee, VP Michael Wiese Productions. KATHIE FONG YONEDA is a script consultant, international workshop leader and author. Learn more at www.kathiefongyoneda.com or www.facebook.com/TheScriptSellingGame. PAMELA JAYE SMITH is a mythologist, author, international consultant/speaker, and award-winning producer/director with thirty years in features, TV, commercials, documentaries, music videos, corporate and military films, and webseries. She helps people use Mythic Themes, Archetypes, and Symbols in their stories, projects, and presentations. Founder MYTHWORKS / co-founder Alpha Babe Academy.
Steve Kaplan, author of the upcoming The Hidden Tools of Comedy: A Users Manual for Writers, Directors and Actors (Pub date 2013), will chat about his upcoming workshop at The Great American Pitchfest (June 1-3, 2012). For almost 20 years, Steve Kaplan has been the industry's most sought-after expert on comedy writing and production. In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other top universities, Steve Kaplan created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan's Punch Line Theatre. Kaplan has served as a consultant to such companies as Dreamworks, Disney, Aardman Animation, HBO, and has worked with producers and production companies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, London, Ireland and Sweden. Steve Kaplan The Great American PitchFest
Tom Lazarus, screenwriter of seven features including Stigmata and 100 hours of television will be speaking at the Great American Pitchfest (June 1-3, 2012) in Burbank, CA. Tom's new book, The Last Word: Definitive Answers to All Your Screenwriting Questions, will be published by Michael Wiese Productions in August 2012. The Great American PitchFest is an annual event where screenwriters can meet with producers, agents, development executives, managers, and other industry professionals to pitch their tv show and movie scripts. It's like 'speed-dating' for writers! Tom Lazarus The Great American PitchFest
Tom Malloy, author of Bankroll: A New Approach for Financing Feature Films (2nd Ed. coming May 2012), will chat about his upcoming workshop at The Great American Pitchfest (June 1-3, 2012). Malloy has raised millions of dollars for his productions and will chat about his proven techniques that can take independent filmmakers to the next level. The Great American PitchFest is an annual event where screenwriters can meet with producers, agents, development executives, managers, and other industry professionals to pitch their tv show and movie scripts. It's like 'speed-dating' for writers! About Bankroll Tom Malloy The Great American PitchFest