“Craft Your Future: Surviving and Thriving as a Screenwriter”

Co-sponored by the Black List, the Writers Guild Foundation has put together an excellent 1-day event: “Craft Your Future: Surviving and Thriving as a Screenwriter” to take place at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills.

Sat, June 29, 2013
10:00 AM — 6:00 PM

This year, we’re going all out for our Screenwriting Craft Symposium, with an entire day’s worth of panels full of exciting guests:

• John August and Craig Mazin, who will record an episode of their SCRIPTNOTES podcast at the event — and take questions from all of you;
• Travis Beacham (writer, PACIFIC RIM);
• Karl Gajdusek (writer, OBLIVION);
• Evan Daugherty (writer, the upcoming KILLING SEASON starring Robert De Niro)
• Edward Ricourt (writer, NOW YOU SEE ME);
• Marti Noxon (writer, the upcoming LARA CROFT and THE GLASS CASTLE)
• Franklin Leonard (founder, The Black List);
• Greg Beal (director, Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting);
• Matt Dy (Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director, Austin Film Festival);
• Jeb Brody (President of Production, Focus Features)
• Lia Buman (Executive VP, Production & Acquisitions, FilmDistrict);
• Bill Horberg (producer, MILK, COLD MOUNTAIN);
• Tony Safford (Executive VP, Acquisitions, 20th Century Fox)
• And more!

We’re still bringing more panelists on board, so check back here for updates.The Early Bird discount is still available. So get your tickets now!

Quite a lineup! Also note the event is sponsored by the Black List.

Tickets cost $85 and you can purchase them here.

We ran a contest the last two weeks: In comments, post a question you would want asked to any of the participants on the panels during the event.

Come up with a great question, post it in comments, and if Franklin likes your question, 10 lucky people will not only win a free ticket to the event, Franklin will make sure your questions are raised at the session.

You can see the first set of five winners and their questions here.

And here are the next set of winners with their questions:

JakeLasker says:
June 14, 2013 at 6:06 PM

How do you handle being rewritten? It’s a part of the business but it’s still got to be tough on many levels. Have you ever reached out to the person rewriting you? On the other hand, if you’ve rewritten someone, have you tried to communicate with them?

Mark Twain says:
June 15, 2013 at 12:11 AM

This question is for any panelist. Do you recall the first time you were paid for writing anything and do you remember what you did with the money?

Blake Kuehn says:
June 12, 2013 at 12:41 AM

A newbie, non-WGA screenwriter, through fortunate circumstance and tremendous luck, sells an original feature screenplay to a WGA designatory company. Would the writer be afforded the protections of a WGA member, i.e. WGA membership, minimum payment (assuming the lack of a writer’s quote), etc.? Or, do those benefits apply only to future work once said writer has been accepted to the WGA thanks to their first sale?

Dane Reade Wilson says:
June 12, 2013 at 10:40 PM

You attend a panel of the screenwriters you most admire. What question would you ask and who would be on the panel?

Christina Sekeris says:
June 13, 2013 at 3:24 AM

I recently read an article “It’s Money (Not Sexism) Keeping Women Down in Hollywood” where it more specifically quoted the following:

“Put simply: the male-to-female ratio among studio filmmakers is 15.24:1. The stats are about as bleak for female screenwriters, so there’s your first problem — there aren’t enough women given opportunities to create complex roles for women…”

This is my greatest concern as a female filmmaker myself hoping to get a chance in the “big boy’s club” (referenced in the article).

The article is long and delves into the subject on a many fronts, but I’d like to know what are some of your experiences and thoughts on this issue. Do you think that female screenwriters are treated unfairly in Hollywood?

You may download a schedule for the event here.

You can find out more about the Writers Guild Foundation here.

You may follow the Writers Guild Foundation on Twitter: @WritersGuildF.

Would the 5 winners from last week’s contest please contact me via email? I will tell you what to do to get your ticket!

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