“From First Draft to Feature”
From our good friends at the Writers Guild Foundation and the Austin Film Festival, this exciting event:
Sat, April 12, 2014
10:00 AM — 6:15 PM
Remember last year, when you got all those emails from us about how we were going to the Austin Film Festival? And you thought, “Well, that’d be great, if I had the time and money for a trip to the AFF. But here I am stuck in dumb ol’ Los Angeles.”
So for this year’s spring craft symposium, we’re bringing Austin to you. Much like Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise, the friendship between the WGF and the AFF is eternal and without peer. And like a mighty oak whose branches fruit with opportunity, our friendship affords you the unique chance to hear from a series of creative and executive luminaries, from seasoned producers and writers with long careers to those who just broke in.
It’s an unparalleled chance to learn how to navigate the entertainment industry, from getting your script read to getting your script made. We’ll have four separate panels full of experts, hosted in an atmosphere of genial and spirited harmony you don’t find at other screenwriting conferences.
And! And! Tickets are a slim 65 bucks — the lowest price we’ve ever offered for a day-long event.
Here’s what the day will look like:
FROM CONCEPT TO FIRST DRAFT. Moderator Kirsten Kiwi Smith (Writer, LEGALLY BLONDE, EXPENDABELLES) chats with panelsts Katie Dippold (Writer, THE HEAT, PARKS AND RECREATION) and Ron Yerxa (Academy Award-nominated producer of NEBRASKA and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) about turning that idea into a solid first draft you can read, be frustrated by, and rework into something better.
FROM FIRST DRAFT TO FINAL DRAFT. John August (Writer, BIG FISH; co-host, SCRIPTNOTES podcast) brings his hosting prowess to a discussion with Linda Woolverton (Writer, THE LION KING, MALEFICENT) and Kelly Marcel (Writer, SAVING MR. BANKS, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) about what it takes to hone that first draft into something better — and how you know when you’re done.
LAUNCHING YOUR WRITING CAREER: COMPETITIONS. In the first of two panels curated by the brains behind the Austin Film Festival, moderator Daniel Petrie, Jr. (Writer, BEVERLY HILLS COP, THE BIG EASY) chats with panelists how writing competitions can be a lucrative venue to break into the industry. have yielded countless success stories and provide insider tips on what it takes to catch a reader’s attention. Matt Dy (Screenplay Competition Director, Austin Film Festival) and Greg Beal (Director, Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting) will discuss how their contests have yielded countless success stories, and provide insider tips on how to catch — and keep — a reader’s attention. They’ll be joined by Andrew Lanham (2011 AFF and Nicholl winner for THE JUMPER OF MAINE) and Andrew Sodroski (2012 AFF finalist; writer, HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, #1 on the 2013 Black List).
LAUNCHING YOUR WRITING CAREER, PART 2: THE WRITER’S PRODUCER. Austin Film Festival Executive Director Barbara Morgan moderates this exploration of what happens between the last page of your screenplay and the beginning of its life as a noteworthy and talked-about work. She’ll be joined by Barry Josephson (Producer, BONES, ENCHANTED) and Mark Johnson (Producer, BREAKING BAD, RAIN MAN).
Click here for a complete listing of the day’s events.
We may bring more panelists on board, so keep checking back!
Looks like a terrific event featuring some terrific writing talent. If you’re in the L.A. area, be sure to check it out. If not, but you know folks who do live in So Cal, spread the word.
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