Writer/Director Coley Sohn talks about the fun and frustration of writing and directing her independent movie “Mudkey,” which satirizes the right/left divide during one miserable day on a Florida island.
Writer/Publicists Alexandra Grizinski and Jenny Beres talk about ways that screenwriters can mine their personal story to get interest in their scripts as well as the ways they can expand to different media to help them get work and get noticed.
It’s time for the annual On the Page logline competition! Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.
Filmmaker Pooja Parvati Gupta’s experience in reality shows turned out to be excellent narrative training for creating compelling scripted stories. Hear how she made the choice to move from one to the other and how personal experience impacts her storytelling.
Writer Alan Jenkins created 1/6 , a comic book based on the “what-ifs” of a successful insurrection. Now, he’s seeing many of those imagined scenarios play out in real time. Here he talks about the ways that comic books have taken political stands over the years and gives guidelines for writers to help them be more empathetic in their writing and creative workplace.
Writer Aaron Kozak was a winner at the Austin Screenwriting Festival this year and a finalist in two other categories! Here he talks about the many ideas he’s put on the page, his ability to write a lot of material very fast and how moving away from Los Angeles has made him a better writer.
Virgil Williams, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Mudbound , talks about his latest feature film, an adaptation of the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson , produced by Denzel Washington and directed by Malcolm Washington.
When actor/writer Mia Serafino was given the opportunity to audition for the Netflix show Beef, she knew this was a script worthy of changing her Christmas plans. Here she talks about what speaks to her in scripts and how this has informed her own journey as a writer.
Lynn Renee Maxcy, writer for The Handmaid’s Tale and The Complex talks about her love of sci-fi and speculative fiction where, no matter how dark it seems, a story can always provide hope.
Screenwriters Rafael Aguilo and Neal Thibedeau have written more than ten projects over the past four years and Pilar thinks they need their big break! Here they talk about their favorite projects and their style of collaboration.
Producer Kim Zubick ( Togo, The Zookeepers Wife ) emphasizes the need for emotion in verbal pitches, pitch-decks and sizzle reels.
Filmmaker and marketing specialist Chris Brennan discusses ways that screenwriters can market themselves and their work by creating a new mindset, thinking about how they can “add value” and strategizing their social media and e-mails in more effective ways.
Writer/Director/Professor Shahari Moore draws from her “well" of experience and knowledge as she writes personal stories that grab the attention of industry and writers labs.
Adrian Colón Jr went from being a Wayans fan to working in the writers room with them on the new CBS show Poppa’s House . Hear what he learned as he went from Writers PA to CBS Fellow to working writer.
Actress, director, writer Tiffany Yvonne Cox ( Reasonable Doubt, Napa Ever After ) talks about the work she does on screen, on the page and behind the scenes to improve artists' lives and "expose the world one story at a time."
How do you write a character over 50? By writing them as a superhero. From their secret lair to their Kryptonite, Pilar gives a tip-packed lesson in writing mature characters.
From working in development for Ivan Reitman to writing short stories and making the Love List with her feature film, Victoria Male has done it all. Here she shares a wealth of information including her unique take on IP and the secret skills that come with being a “fan girl."
Director Elliott Lester returns to talk about how a gender swap and involvement by Peter Dinklage brought him to his latest project, The Thicket .
Career coach Lee Jessup discusses Hollywood’s current “contraction” and suggests that it might ultimately result in a positive outcome.
Writer/Director Tracie Laymon turned a painful truth into an award-winning independent feature. Hear how she conceived, wrote, directed and produced Bob Trevino Likes It , earning the jury prize for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival .
Writer James “Doc” Mason digs into the elements of the logline as discussed in his book, Mastering the Logline: How To Excite Hollywood in a Single Sentence.
From getting stuck in a Zoom room to working in hospice, everything that writer Lauren Glover ( Chicago Med, Fight Night ) thought was an obstacle, came full circle to help her in her writing career.
Barbara Stepansky, writer/producer on Outlander and head writer on Woman of the Dead , talks about how the rules of the shows she writes on present creative challenges that make her job even more interesting.
Writer/Director Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness comes from a personal place in her work and asks the same of her students at Emerson College.
Writer and “good witch,” Glenda L. Richardson describes her process for capturing voices and crafting stories for celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Taraji P. Henson.
Entertainment attorney and composer Corey Field sees his work as helping writers and creators achieve their dreams. Here he explains the difference between sales, options and work-for-hire and discusses potential gains and traps along the way.
Writer Delondra Mesa ( American Rust, Pretty Little Liars) talks about her approach to discovering story and creating content even as the industry experiences “The Great Contraction.”
Director Dans Karagannis and Writer Liz Renner discuss their journey meeting in an On the Page class and joining together to make their short film Damned If You Do, currently screening in major festivals.
Writer Suha AL Khalifa is a senior writer at the Saudi Giant MBC Studios ( Rashash, Devil’s Promise ) and also wrote the region's first female super-hero film. She talks about how her experience as a psychotherapist and as a "cultural hybrid" (Bahrain, UK, and US) has informed her writing and storytelling.
Joe Gold’s “Shakespeare Inc.” offers sixteen variations of a story. Hear how he wrote it, how “choose your own adventure” storytelling is structured and how this approach can work for video-game and screenwriting.
