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August 8-9: Dan Nguyen (Donners' Co.) and
Jake Kurily (Mosaic Media Group)

Friday, August 8, Join NWSG President, Aadip Desai, as he sits down for a candid conversation and Q&A with execs, Dan Nguyen (pronounced WIN), The Donners' Company and Jake Kurily of Mosaic Media Group.

Saturday, August 9, Dan and Jake will hear pitches from Compendium Members only.

Donners' Company is looking to develop high-concept and character driven action, thriller, horror and comedies. Budget is not an issue, as both companies are shooting or actively developing projects that range from $10 million to $200 million.

Mosaic Media Group is looking for tentpole films--films that have a big concept or hook and movies that would have broad commercial appeal. They are not interested in low-budget films, small-concept films, and small movies with limited and/or no set pieces. No horrors.

dantram nguyen

DANTRAM "DAN" NGUYEN is the Creative Executive at The Donners’ Company, run by esteemed producer Lauren Shuler Donner and legendary director Richard Donner.

Richard's credits include: 16 BLOCKS, the LETHAL WEAPON series, SUPERMAN, THE GOONIES, CONSPIRACY THEORY, MAVERICK, RADIO FLYER, SCROOGED.

Lauren’s credits include: X-MEN 1-3, SHE’S THE MAN, CONSTANTINE, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, YOU’VE GOT MAIL. Donners' is currently in production or post-production on HOTEL FOR DOGS (Dreamworks), WOLVERINE (Fox), THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (Fox 2000) and CIRQUE DU FREAK (Universal).

JAKE KURILY is the Creative Executive at Mosaic Media Group. He has been with the company for about 1.5 years. Mosaic has produced films such as THE DARK NIGHT, GET SMART, BATMAN BEGINS and the upcoming film THE INTERNATIONAL. A few other feature projects that are in development include Sony’s blockbuster video game GOD OF WAR and the graphic novel THE FLASH. Prior to working at Mosaic, Jake was the Story Editor at ECHO LAKE PRODUCTIONS. He graduated from The University of Michigan.

General Meeting:

Date: Friday, August 8th

Time:
Doors: 6:45PM
Schmooze: 7PM
Meeting: 7:30-9:30PM

Location:
Clear Channel Building
351 Elliott Ave West
Seattle, WA 98119

Cost:
NWSG Members: FREE
Partner Film Org Members: $10
General Public/Non-Members: $15

Compendium Pitch Sessions:

Date: Saturday, August 9th

Time: 10AM-4PM

Location:
Clear Channel Building
351 Elliott Ave West
Seattle, WA 98119

July 25-26: Blake Snyder 15 Beat Workshop (SOLD OUT!)

Blake Snyder, author of the best-selling Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need and Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, returns to help you hone that new movie idea, or improve a script that’s already in progress.

blake snyder

Team up with Blake to lock down your title, logline, and the 15 Beats that will become the backbone of your screenplay.

This event is open to the General Public and NWSG Members.

Workshop: 15 Beats

Date: Sat, July 26 and Sun, July 27, 2008

Time: 9AM-6PM

Location:
Clear Channel Building
351 Elliot Ave N
Seattle WA 98109

Price: $495.00

Class Size: Limited to 12 writers

Interested in signing up, contact:

Rich Kaplan: rich@blakesnyder.com

BLAKE SNYDER (www.blakesnyder.com): In his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, Blake Snyder has sold dozens of scripts, including co-writing Blank Check, which became a hit for Disney, and Nuclear Family for Steven Spielberg — both million-dollar sales. Named “one of Hollywood’s most successful spec screenwriters,” Blake continues to write and sell screenplays, most recently a 2006 sale of a horror-comedy. His book, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need, was published in May, 2005, and is now in its twelfth printing. It has prompted “standing room only” appearances by Blake in New York, London, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, and Barcelona — along with numerous sold-out workshops in Los Angeles, where he was also a STAR Speaker at Screenwriting Expos 6 & 7.

Apparently it is not quite the last book on screenwriting you’ll ever need, as the eagerly awaited sequel, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Every Story Ever Told, was published in October, 2007 — shooting to #1 in the Screenwriting, Screenplay, and Movies History and Criticism categories on Amazon.com.

Blake’s method has become the “secret weapon” of many development executives, managers, and producers for its precise, easy, and honest appraisal of what it takes to write and develop stories that resonate. Save the Cat! The Last Story Structure Software You’ll Ever Need has codified this method in an easy to use CD-Rom.

Blake has taught at Chapman, UCLA, Vanderbilt, and Rockport College. His book is the basis of screenwriting classes at many major universities in the U.S. and Canada.

Blake has a B.A. in English from Georgetown University and lives in Beverly Hills, California. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, west.

July 11-12: Pilar Alessandra, Script Consultant and Director of "On The Page"

Friday, July 11th - NWSG is proud to host Pilar Alessandra, Script Consultant and Director of "On The Page." On Friday, she'll sit down with NWSG President, Aadip Desai, to discuss her experience in the film industry as a highly-regarded script consultant and instructor. 

Pilar Alessandra

Saturday, July 12th, Pilar will conduct her "On The Page" Workshop. Pilar is a highly regarded and sought after instructor at UCLA, Screenwriters Expo, and now at the NWSG. This is not to be missed.

For those who want to get a taste of what this weekend will be like, check out her extremely instructive and humorous podcast (FREE) on itunes, called On The Page with Pilar Alessandra.

Come in with an idea...leave with a script! In this day-long writing intensive, Pilar Alessandra, director of the popular writing program and podcast "On the Page," guides screenwriters and television writers through her proven ten-minute writing tools that take screenwriters from premise into polish. Learn new ways to brainstorm effectively, outline quickly, approach the pages with confidence and, ultimately, craft your screenplay! 

For those who want to get a taste of what this weekend will be like, check out her extremely instructive and humorous podcast (FREE) on itunes, called On The Page with Pilar Alessandra.

Her DVD: "On the Page" will be offered for a discounted rate to writers who sign up for the class.

PILAR ALESSANDRA is a script consultant and director of the popular writing program "On The Page." She's trained writers and story analysts at Nickelodeon, MTV, and ABC/Disney. She's taught at numerous conferences including The ASA Festival, FTX West Conference, Great American Pitch Fest and is an annual Star Speaker at the Los Angeles Screenwriting Expo.

Pilar was a movie geek selling sandwiches out of a cart when she was hired as a script reader by Amblin Entertainment. With the formation of DreamWorks, she became Senior Story Analyst and a reader liaison between the studio and Robert Zemeckis's company, ImageMovers. Work at Interscope Communications then led her to become Senior Story Analyst for Scott Kroopf's production company, Radar Pictures. She's also read for The Robert Evans Company, Cineville Entertainment, and Saturday Night Live Studios.

Pilar was later bitten by the "teaching bug" when she began teaching screenwriting and story analysis at UCLA Extension. In 2001 she started her own company, "On the Page," where she's helped hundreds of writers create, refine and sell their screenplays.

ON THE PAGE Script Consultation and Screenwriting Classes provides ongoing classes, workshops and private consultations for screenwriters at all levels. Classes take a "dig into pages" approach, inspiring students to write or rewrite their stories in a matter of weeks. Students and clients have sold to Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers and Sony and have won prestigious contests such as the Nicholl Fellowship, Open Door and Slamdance Competition.

In the interest of greater accessibility, Pilar has created a new "On the Page" DVD and presents weekly "On the Page" podcasts with guest hosts from within the industry. The shows regularly appear in the Top 100 list of film and TV podcasts.

June 14: Pitch Slam 2008: http://www.ifpseattle.org/events.htm

Organized by IFP/Seattle and The Northwest Screenwriters Guild and hosted by the Seattle International Film Festival, Pitch Slam is a staged representation of the process of screenwriters and filmmakers pitching to producers.

Leading up to the event, screenwriters submit 75-word loglines, which are judged locally, and the surviving entries are sent to three producers who each select four. The day of the event, three teams of writer/filmmaker finalists are chosen to pitch in a simulated producer’s office in front of professional producer/executive judges and a live audience. Both audience and producers vote on their favorites, and the winners are presented the Greenlight Award.

Pitch Slam is an opportunity for movie lovers to catch a glimpse of one of the early steps in the filmmaking process. Screenwriters and filmmakers receive lessons in pitching and there is always the chance that one of the producers will like what they hear and ask for the script.

Dates –
May 19 last day to send loglines
May 23 Quarter-Finalists selected
May 31 Pitch Workshop
June 7 Semi-Finalist selected and notifications sent
June 14 Pitch Slam 2008 @ SIFF

Location – NW Film Forum at 4pm

Eligibility – Pitching at Pitch Slam is open to anyone interested.

Training – The NWSG is holding a Pitch Workshop presented by Hollywood pitchmen Bill True and Dean Hyers. Interview and Q&A on Friday, May 31; Pitch Workshop on Saturday May 3. Attendance is not required for participation in Pitch Slam but participation is highly encouraged.

Loglines (submit to loglines@ifpseattle.org)– Participants may enter an unlimited number of loglines for $7 per logline, $5 per logline if you are a member of IFP/Seattle, NWSG or SIFF; pay via the Paypal buttons on the left sidebar*. Loglines should be no more than 75 words. Loglines should be electronically submitted to loglines@ifpseattle.org. Loglines will be reviewed by a selection committee who will select 30 loglines to forward to the guest producers.

Payment - *IFP/Seattle is set up for PayPal, if paying by check; the check must be received at IFP/Seattle offices at 1001 Lenora Street, Seattle,WA 98121by May 16, 2008.

Filmmakers – Through the NW Production Summit mentorship program, three filmmakers (directors and/or producers) will participate in the Pitch Slam and help the writers pitch their projects to the panel of visiting executives/judges.

Producer Selection – Guest producers will select their top four loglines and two alternates, and notify the PitchSlam coordinators of their selections via e-mail. In the event that a logline is selected by more than one producer, the logline will be granted to the producer whose e-mail arrived earliest. In such event, the remaining producer will then select from the alternates.

Pitches – Prior to Pitch Slam, the filmmakers will be paired with their respective producer. The producer/filmmaker teams take pitches from their selected loglines. Screenwriters have 15 minutes to make their pitch and answer questions. At the conclusion of the pitches, each producer/filmmaker team selects their favorite pitch of the four.

The Pitch Slam Event

The three filmmakers and the three writers pitch to the three guest producers in front of a live audience. Each writer/filmmaker team has 15 minutes to make their pitch and answer producer questions. Following the three pitches, the three guest producers take five minutes to select their choice for the top pitch. A moderator conducts an audience vote for which writer/filmmaker team the audience felt had the best pitch. Then the producers announce their choice of best pitch. That team is awarded the “Greenlight Award.”

Contact: Questions about the Pitch Slam should be directed to lacey@ifpseattle.org

NWSG PitchFest Weekend Results

Bill True and Dean Hyers were very impressed with the quality of the story ideas and the pitches. This highly informative and entertaining experience was invaluable to all those who attended. Congrats to everyone who got up there and pitched. It can be extremely nerve-wracking, but more so with an audience.

23 people pitched. Here is the top 10 of the brave souls, all prize-winners:

  1. Betty Ryan - The Guy's Girl
  2. Randy Webb - Ordinary Joe
  3. Danny Walter and Leilani Moreau - Alien Baby
  4. Bill Murray - Stone Soup
  5. Marcella Guerriero - Boy Toy
  6. Aadip Desai - Bridesmaids
  7. Kevin Sterling - Tailing the Tiger
  8. Cheryl Cassaday - Pirating 101
  9. Deborah Froula - Caffeine Karma
  10. Michael DiMartino - Little Bandits

May 30-31: PitchFest Weekend with Bill True, Screenwriter/Producer and Dean Hyers, Director/Actor

bill truedean hyers

Friday, May 30th - You've finished your script, and it's a great one. Now you're looking for your first break. How do you make that happen? Meet one guy who did it!

Join NWSG President, Aadip Desai, as he sits down for a candid conversation and Q&A with screenwriter, Bill True about his award-winning debut feature, RUNAWAY (2005, top prize at Austin Film Festival), from FADE In to distribution.

A Minnesota native, Bill True has two feature films and a cable network mini-series in development. For the last two years, Bill was voted a favorite juror by competitors at the Austin Screenwriters' Conference Pitch Competition. We'll get the straight story from this charismatic, enthusiastic, and motivated filmmaker.

You'll laugh, you'll cry! You'll learn as Bill shares how he sold his script, stayed with the movie through production and distribution, and leveraged the experience to take his screenwriting career to the next level.

You'lll find out what it's like to be a working screenwriting while living outside of Hollywood. You'll hear how to best present yourself as a serious screenwriter, the importance of self-promotion and marketing, and how to plan your career.

Whether you're an aspiring screenwriting or simply a movie buff, this promises to be an entertaining and informative experience you won't want to miss!

Saturday, May 31st - Join award-winning filmmakers, screenwriter Bill True and director, Dean Lincoln Hyers (of Sagepresence), as they show you how to turn your story into a great pitch and deliver it with winning form.

Learn tools to help you easily formulate pitches, generate powerful connections, and neutralize anxiety to maintain your professional presence.

Following a lunch break, Bill and Dean will conduct a free PitchFest contest for active NWSG Members (Compendium and Associate). Put your pitch to the test! Every participant will receive helfpul feedback form the pros to help them improve their pitch and performance, so they can be prepared for any interaction or industry meeting. 

BILL TRUE studied under Oscar-nominated screenwriter/playwright Mark Medoff at New Mexico State University, and in 1991 was named one of New Mexico's premiere new playwrights for his play Hell is a Diner. For the next seven years, he worked as a writer, dramaturg, and director for various community and professional theatre companies, including the American Southwest Theatre Company, Desert Playwrights, and the Guthrie Theatre Lab. He was hand-picked by Tony-winner Tim Rice to play the title role in the American Premiere of his rock opera, Blondel.

In the mid-90s, Bill worked on a number of local and national TV projects. He wrote and produced two weekly news programs for St. Cloud, Minnesota's Main Street TV Network affiliate. He served as a production intern on Let's Bowl, which subsequently aired for two seasons on Comedy Central. He also partnered with The Starlog Group to develop a national cable program based on the company's revered Starlog fanzine.

In 2000, Bill shifted gears and began focusing on movie projects. In 2002 he placed in the top 2% (out of 6050 entries) in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ renowned Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship competition. In 2003, he was a finalist for the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship.

In 2005, Runaway, written and co-produced by Bill, and starring Aaron Stanford (X-Men, The Hills Have Eyes) and Robin Tunney (The Craft, TV's Prison Break), premiered to universal accolades at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. Since then, the movie has gathered an impressive bouquet of laurels, including screenings at Toronto, Woodstock, Vail, Avignon, Florida, and Tel-Aviv. In October of 2005, Bill won the "Best Feature Narrative" screenwriting award at the prestigious Austin Film Festival and Screenwriters’ Conference.

Bill is currently in development with a number of high-profile film and TV projects. Through his production company, DeBill Pictures, he is working to bring his adaptation of Jon Hassler's beloved novel, Staggerford, to the screen. He was recently hired to script and produce the hockey drama, Breakaway, for Moxie Entertainment. Finally, he is partnering with award-winning indie film director Dean Hyers (Bill's Gun Shop) to produce Incarnation, scripted by Bill from the duo's original story.

Bill also has nearly a decade of experience in Corporate America as a Project Manager, Business Director, and Director of Communications for Fortune 100 companies. In 1996, Bill headed up the team of pioneers that facilitated the first "mega-migration" in the managed pharmacy industry, successfully consolidating membership from four different pharmacy benefit managers to a single system. He was tapped by SmithKline Beecham in 1996 and 1997 to spearhead an effort to help define the value equation and operations requirements to propagate managed pharmacy throughout Europe. Later, Bill oversaw the division that managed pharmacy benefits for the largest segment of UnitedHealth Group's pharmacy business, managing implementation, operations, and benefits for nearly 4 million lives worldwide.

In 2000, Bill was recruited to be Director of Communications for Express Scripts, Inc.'s Site Operations Division. In this capacity, Bill was responsible for the information flow for the company's eight call centers and six mail order pharmacies, representing 10,000 employees. In this role, Bill also became a bleeding-edge visionary in integrating knowledge management principles into corporate culture, as well as designing and implementing proprietary, complementary web-based applications to support the enhanced workflows.

Since leaving Corporate America, Bill has also worked as a freelance writer, editor, and consultant. In 2005, he was commissioned to edit the critically acclaimed memoir, A Hunt for Justice: The True Story of Woman Undercover Wildlife Agent, by Lucinda Schroeder. He has done writing and consulting, yielding impressive results for national companies including Land 'O Lakes, Cannon Solutions, Deluxe Checks, and LifeTouch Studios.

DEAN HYERS was a teenage filmmaker, directing feature-length science fictions films, getting into festivals, and running shows on local television. He worked after school to buy film, rented space above the grocery store to build sets, and transcribed piano notes to orchestral instruments for the college orchestra to perform his title music.

As an adult, Dean launched his own interactive media company, Digital Café, a pioneering leader in the dotcom heyday. Dean directed electronic promotions for mainstream Hollywood films like GODZILLA and DIE HARD III. He also put the first CD-ROM in Rolling Stone Magazine—a teaser trailer for the movie, STRANGE DAYS.

During this time, Dean also created the first computer game ever distributed in a cereal box. ChexQuest helped to increase Chex Cereal sales by 248% and enjoys a loyal cult following even today.

In 1998, Digital Café was acquired by international ad powerhouse Campbell Mithun.

Returning to film, Dean directed and produced his award-winning debut feature, BILL’S GUN SHOP, which was acquired by Waner Bros. Home Entertainment in 2006. He is currently in development on two feature films, while also serving a directing gun for hire for commercial and feature work.

Dean is also a professional speaker and trainer, with an emphasis on emotional authenticity and specializing in developing female performers. Through his company, SagePresence, he has brought professional “stage presence” to thousands of people and national organizations such as Target, Prudential, 3M, and the Department of Homeland Defense.

May 2-4 with Marilyn Atlas, Award-Winning Producer and Personal Manager

marilyn atlas

Marilyn is equally at home in the worlds of film, television, and live theater. Among her credits as a film producer are Real Women Have Curves for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, A Certain Desire, starring Sam Waterson, and Echoes, which won the Gold Award at the 1991 Texas International Film Festival.

This weekend was a great opportunity for members to get the real scoop on representation, production, pitching, writing roles that actors will love to play, tripartite theming, and much more. Marilyn was so excited to meet our members, hear pitches, and spend time with folks, especially answering any questions.

On Friday, May 2nd, she was interviewed by our very own President, Aadip Desai, with a Q&A to follow (@ Clear Channel bldg). 

Saturday, May 3rd she presented two back-to-back workshops - Creating Non-Stereotypical Characters and Tripartite Theming (Dialogue, Subtext, Direction) (@ Northwest Film Forum's Small Cinema).

MARILYN ATLAS: An award-winning producer and personal manager, Marilyn is equally at home in the worlds of film, television, and live theater. Among her credits as a film producer are Real Women Have Curves for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, A Certain Desire, starring Sam Waterson, and Echoes, which won the Gold Award at the 1991 Texas International Film Festival. Marilyn served as a production consultant on the film Call Me. She was a producer in the development of the MOW Nightwalker and Playing for Keeps. In live theater, Marilyn co-produced the West Coast premiere of the musical God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Ashman and Menken, writers of both Little Shop of Horrors and Beauty and the Beast. She also co-produced the award winning play To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.

Her additional credits as a producer in live theater include Today's Special and As I Sing. She served as casting director for feature films, including John Frankenheimer's The Equals and The Wiz. She is a founding member of Women in Film's Luminas Committee, which supports the portrayal of women in non-stereotypical roles in film and television. Marilyn is a member of NALIP, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, and will be participating in the Santa Fe Screenwriters conference.

April 11-12 with Catherine Ann Jones, Author of "The Way of Story", Award-Winning Writer, Featured Lecturer, and Actress

Catherine Ann Jones

On Friday, April 11th Catherine Ann Jones presenting a hybrid lecture/presentation/Q&A about creating socially responsible films - meaning films that do not us sex and violence in a gratuitous manner.  She also gave a preview of the next day's workshop www.wayofstory.com

On Saturday, April 12th, she conducted The Way of Story Workshop - The Craft and Soul of Writing. The Way of Story offers an integrative approach to writing narrative, combining solid craft with experiential inner discovery. No other writing workshop offers the solid craft to guarantee a good story along with the intangible inner dimensions of writing.

The Way of Story

She led us through several 5-10 minute writing exercises, challenging our writing and performance chops (people nearly in tears, pushing on one another, yelling, screaming, and all kinds of contritely things). We read monologues, dialogue, wrote bios of people we know, icons we idolized, and covered her seven steps of story structure.  This was a truly amazing experience for all 15 writers in attendance.

CATHERINE ANN JONES: Catherine has played major roles in over fifty productions on and off-Broadway, as well as television and film. Disappointed by the lack of good roles for women, she wrote a play about Virginia Woolf (On the Edge) which won a National Endowment for the Arts Award. Ten of her plays, including Calamity Jane (both play and musical) and The Women of Cedar Creek, have won several awards and are produced both in and out of New York.

Catherine is an award-winning screenwriter whose films include The Christmas Wife (Jason Robards), Unlikely Angel (Dolly Parton), Angel Passing (Hume Cronyn, Calista Flockhart) which screened at Sundance and went on to win fifteen awards, and the TV series, Touched by an Angel.

A Fulbright Scholar to India, she has taught writing at The New School University (New York), University of Southern California (Los Angeles), Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the Esalen Institute. Ms. Jones lives in Ojai, California, leads The Way of Story workshops throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her recent book on writing and memoir, The Way of Story is used by many schools, including NYU writing programs. www.wayofstory.com

March 21-22 with Kevin Chang (Misher Films) and Matt Skiena (Village Roadshow Pictures Group), Creative Executives

On Friday, March 21st, Creative Executives, Kevin Chang (Misher Films) and Matt Skiena (Village Roadshow Pictures Group), came up from Los Angeles to speak at our monthly meeting about what their companies do, how the production system works, what they're looking for, how best to present yourself and your concepts, and how to pitch. They were extremely forthcoming and generous during our extensive interview/Q&A session.

On Saturday, March 22nd, Matt and Kevin heard 30 pitches from our Compendium Members, with some very positive results.

KEVIN CHANG is currently the Production Executive for Paramount Pictures based Misher Films. Misher Films is run by former head of Universal Pictures, Kevin Misher and is credited with THE INTERPRETER, THE RUNDOWN and THE SCORPION KING. Kevin Misher is currently producing PUBLIC ENEMIES, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, and directed by Michael Mann, for Universal Pictures and has most recently produced FIGHTING, an action film about underground street fighting in New York City, for release by Universal Pictures in 2008. Dito Montiel directs and Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard star. Previously, Misher produced CASE 39, a suspense horror film starring Renee Zellweger, for release by Paramount in April of 2009. Misher has a myriad of projects set up at all of the studios. These include the comedy THE DAY I TURNED UNCOOL, with Adam Sandler attached; SUBMARINER, the original Marvel Comics superhero to be directed by Jonathan Mostow; IT TAKES A THIEF, starring Will Smith; an adaptation of Frank Herbert�s DUNE to be directed by Pete Berg; and THE LAST DUEL to be directed by Martin Scorsese.

At Misher, Chang works to develop feature films and focuses on opportunities in interactive entertainment and new media. Previously, Chang worked in development at Kopelson Entertainment (PLATOON, THE FUGITIVE, SEVEN). Chang came to Kopelson from DreamWorks where he worked as the assistant to the head of the story department during which the studio released CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, MINORITY REPORT, THE RING and THE ROAD TO PERDITION. Chang began his career at Pixar Animation Studios working in their creative resources group and illustrating artwork for MONSTERS, INC.

Chang was born and raised in Texas, earned a degree in business administration from the Haas School of Business at The University of California, Berkeley and a masters in film producing from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California. Chang also has three dogs, loves to surf & ski, and spends his free time playing CALL OF DUTY 4 and rocking out on GUITAR HERO.

MATT SKIENA is currently the Creative Executive for Village Roadshow Pictures Group (VRPG). At VRPG, Skiena works to develop feature films and bring them to the shooting phase of production. In the coming months, VRPG will release several highly anticipated films including SPEED RACER, starring Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox; and the action comedy GET SMART, starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and Alan Arkin.

Previously, Skiena worked as Executive Assistant to the President of Production at Dimension Films on the production and release of GRINDHOUSE, 1408, HALLOWEEN and THE MIST, by Stephen King, among others. Skiena came to Dimension from the Feature Department of John Wells Productions where he was Story Editor. At Wells Productions, he worked on the development and production of several projects, including DOOM and A MILLION LITTLE PIECES. Skiena began his career as an Agent-Trainee at United Talent Agency.

VRPG is a leading independent co-producer and co-financier of major Hollywood motion pictures, having produced in excess of 57 films since its establishment in 1997 including, as co-productions with Warner Bros., THE MATRIX trilogy, I AM LEGEND, the OCEAN�S series, HAPPY FEET, MYSTIC RIVER, ANALYZE THIS, MISS CONGENIALITY, TWO WEEKS� NOTICE and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. VRPG continues its success across many genres, grossing worldwide box office receipts of more than $8.2 billion to date.

Feb 22 - Walter "Wally" Dalton, Writer

Wally gave us his insights into the business by way of some amazing and hilarious industry stories. You could easily see both sides of Wally -- writer and actor. Wally, the screenwriter, has written for Benson, Barney Miller, Laverne and Shirley, and The Tim Conway Comedy Hour. Wally, the actor, has appeared in numerous TV shows (The Fugitive, Northern Exposure, Mork and Mindy, Rhoda, The Outer Limits, The Thorn Birds), films, and even lent his voice to video games.

On Saturday, Wally gave us tips on pitching and coached quite a few of us on our pitches. Again, spiced with funny, almost impossible, industry stories. Wally provides coaching on writing and pitching. Contact him for details.

Jan 30 - Washington Lawyers for the Arts Film Panel

We hosted a film panel with the Washington Lawyers for the Arts starring Attorneys Lance Rosen, Theresa Simpson and Steve Edmiston were joined by Amy Lillard Dee of WashingtonFilmWorks and Suzy Kellett, formerly of the Washington State Film Office. They discussed Film Fundraising, The Art of Low and Micro-budget Films, Screenplay and Story Acquisition Rights, Selling a Screenplay, Resources and Pitfalls of Distribution

About Washington Lawyers for the Arts:
Washington Lawyers for the Arts (WLA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts in Washington State by making legal resources available to artists and arts organizations. WLA serves individual artists and arts organizations working in all disciplines including the performing, literary, media, visual and interdisciplinary arts, by helping these individuals and groups obtain or find legal services they may not be able to otherwise afford. In addition, WLA seeks to help artists and arts organizations obtain specialized legal expertise on topics not available through other legal clinics. Washington Lawyers for the Arts offers three programs, the Arts Legal Clinic, Speakers Bureau and Brown Bag Seminars; each available to artists at very low costs throughout the year. Washington Lawyers for the Arts is online at http://www.TheWLA.org/.

Nov 9-10 - Wally Lane's "Writing to Industry Standard"

Screenplay

Wally provided a seminar on screenplay formatting. He showed us how good formatting not only keeps your screenplay out of the garbage, it helps you tell your story more clearly, directly, and visually. In the ever-changing, often back and forth, world of screenplay formatting, it is hard to keep up with the times. Wally showed us the current standard. 

As Chairman of the NWSG's Compendium committee, Wally mentors many new writers who join the Guild, helping them write to “Industry Standard.” He has been screenwriting for the past fifteen years, and is an alumnus of the University of Washington Extension Screenwriting Program and The Film School, a Pacific Northwest institution of national repute. He is also a sought-after screenwriting panelist at the annual PNWA Writing Conference.

Oct 12-13 - Michael Hauge

At our Friday, October 12th meeting, Michael Hauge, story consultant and script coach on projects for Warner Bros, Paramount and Disney, talked about about techniques fohow to write great openings, the character arch, and the common mistakes that screenwriters make.

On Saturday, October 13th, Michael presented his Story mastery workshop. During this special, all-day seminar, Hollywood script andstory consultant Michael Hauge, best-selling author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read, presented his unique approach to creating compelling fiction, and eliciting emotion in your readers.

Topics covered included:

Michael Hauge is a story consultant, author and lecturer. He works with writers, editors, producers and development executives their screenplays, novels, film projects and development skills, and has coached writers or consulted on projects for Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, Columbia, New Line, Joel Silver Prods., CBS, Lifetime, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lopez, Val Kilmer and Julia Roberts.

Michael also consults with attorneys, psychologists, corporations and individuals on employing story principles in their projects, their presentations, and their work with clients and patients.

More than 35,000 writers and filmmakers have attended his writing seminars and lectures throughout the world. He is on the Board of Directors of the American Screenwriters Association and the Advisory Board for Scriptwriter Magazine in London.

Oct 6-7 - Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet Workshop

The Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet Workshop at the Freehold Theatre was a great success. All twelve of of the participants started with either a germ of in idea, a concept, or even a solid premise for three separate stories. They pitched the ideas to the group and together they chose the strongest piece for each writer.

Every one of the writers walked away with a completed BSBS with 15 major plot points, and the nerve-wracking experience of pitching their stories numerous times and having them broken down. Those of you who are attending Blake's sold out workshop in two weeks, you are in for a real treat.  Those who missed out on both opportunities, Blake said he's coming back to see us soon, possibly to do his 40 scene workshop.

Sep 15-16 - King of the Hill's Sanjay Shah

On Sep. 15th, Sanjay Shah, writer and story Editor for FOX's “King of the Hill” conducted a question and answer session covering...

On Sep. 16th, Sanjay met with Compendium Members and gave valuable one-on-one career advice.

Sanjay is also the creator of “Beep”, an animated pilot for the Disney Channel, and co-founder of comic strip and animation website, BADMASH. He is a stand up comic who performs semi-regularly at the Hollywood Improv, where he recently shared the stage with Norm MacDonald, Drew Carey, and Jeffrey Ross. When first breaking into Hollywood, he was thrilled to provide Roger Corman hours of free, demeaning slave labor.

Previously, he created and wrote for a popular website, Badmash.org, which was prominently featured in Newsweek (Jan 9, 2006) alongside Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg's TheLonelyIsland.com. The website featured animated sketches and comics, and had over 100,000 email list subscribers.

He worked for several years as a legislative aide, speechwriter, and ethnic staff member for Democrats in the California Legislature. Prior to that, he was a stockbroker with Charles Schwab where he worked on the options floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange and wondered why people should have to yell at each other to buy things in this age of computers. He attended UC Berkeley, where he boxed competitively for three years, and sucked at it.

July 20 - Advice from SoCal Film Group's Tina Anderson and Steve Barr

Tina Anderson and Steve Barr recently became full-time screenwriters when Walt Disney Pictures offered them a feature development deal for their spec screenplay "Plant Life." Produced by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the phenomenal writer/producer team behind "Shrek," "Deja Vu," and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, "Plant Life" is a combination live action / CGI story described as "Rear Window ... with a philodendron."

Steve and Tina are also founding members of SoCal Film Group, a creative collective of filmmakers based in the greater Los Angeles area, who have produced over 50 short films in the last 5 years. SoCal Film Group's shorts have been official selections in dozens of film festivals, and their "Quiet" was named one of the ten best short films of 2006 by Film Threat.

Tina and Steve talked about what it takes to break into the business these days, how to navigate the perils of the development process, and why screenwriters should stop waiting for permission to make movies.

 

June 15 - NWSG meeting with Blake Snyder

Blake Snyder, author of Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, presented his much-lauded story outlining process: the "Blake Snyder Beat Sheet."

In his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, Blake Snyder has sold dozens of scripts, including co-writing Blank Check, which became a hit for Disney, and Nuclear Family for Steven Spielberg -- both million-dollar sales. Named "one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters," Blake continues to write and sell screenplays, most recently a 2006 sale of a horror-comedy that will be in theatres in 2007.

Blake's method has become the "secret weapon" of many development executives, managers, and producers for its precise, easy, and honest appraisal of what it takes to write and develop stories that resonate. And the release of Save the Cat! The Last Story Structure Software You'll Ever Need has codified this method into an easy to use format that has been selling out at the Writers Store in Los Angeles since its debut in November 2006 and is also available online.

 

June 1 -"Crash" team Mark R. Harris and Bobby Moresco

Producer Mark R. Harris ("Crash," "Gods and Monsters," "The Black Donnellys") and writer/producer/director Bobby Moresco ("Crash," "Million Dollar Baby" "Millenium") visited with the NWSG June 1, peppering their lively talk with great screenwriting advice that has helped lead them onto many "A" lists.

With their collective stage and television experience, both agreed scripts for stage rely heavily on words to carry the story while scripts for film should rely more on visual images, with scripts for television being a hybrid of the two.

Regardless of your destination medium, both stressed the importance of a well-crafted script. "Everybody has a good script," Harris said. "Not everybody has a great script."

Added Moresco, success can come only with passion for the craft and your project. "If you just want to make money, do something else."

In late 2001 Harris began his latest endeavor, The Harris Company, in order to produce larger budget films. Amongst others, he produced the 2005 Academy Award winner for Best Picture; "Crash" which also won for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. In addition, the highly acclaimed film was awarded the 2005 Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature Film, the 2005 A.F.I. Award, the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Ensemble, the 2005 NAACP Image Award for Best Picture and numerous others for writing, directing and acting. And while filmmaking is where Harris devotes the majority of his time these days, he is currently Co-Executive Producer for the new 2006 NBC series, "The Black Donnellys" along with Academy Award winning writers of "Crash," Paul Haggis and Moresco.

In 1981 Harris started his own agency, where he represented writers and directors. Among his clients was Emmy-winning writer Paul Haggis (Thirty-Something). By 1983, he formed The Artist Group, where he pioneered the concept of representing independent producers to form their own television production companies in owning the negatives in their movies to create film libraries for companies. Harris also initiated U.S. syndication and foreign sales for the most successful television series of all time, Baywatch.

Harris sold his company to Metropolitan Talent Agency, where he launched vast output deals with Showtime to produce and distribute programs internationally. Among his clients were the Neufeld/Rehme Company (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, The Saint, and Clear and Present Danger) and IRS World Media (Tom and Viv, One False Move, and My New Gun). The latter association led to his partnership at Regent Entertainment.

While under Mark’s auspices, Regent launched several successful films including the Academy Award winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, Gods and Monsters. Maintaining his partnership with Paul Haggis, Harris Co-Executive Produced two critically acclaimed series for CBS: EZ Streets and Family Law.

 

May 4 - "Everybody Loves Raymond" producer Ellen Sandler

Producer Ellen Sandler was in Seattle the weekend of May 4 to address the Northwest Screenwriters Guild and to conduct two workshops:

Ellen Sandler received an Emmy nomination for her work as Co-Executive Producer for the CBS hit Everybody Loves Raymond. She has worked as a writer/producer on more than 25 network television comedies, including ABC's long-running series, Coach. She has created original pilots for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox Family, Oxygen, The Disney Channel, and the Australian Children's Television Foundation.

Her consulting company, Sandler Ink, provides script development and career coaching for professionals and emerging writers in the entertainment industry. She is also a popular seminar leader at conferences and universities both in the U.S. and abroad and is the author of The TV Writer's Workbook, A Creative Approach to Television Scripts, published by Bantam/Dell.

 

Apr 13 - Robert Morgan Fisher of The Writers Boot Camp

At our April meeting Robert Morgan Fisher presented A Practical Approach to Full Development, or How to write Two Scripts a year working only 10 hours per week. It was a sort of Mini-Camp introducing the writing philosophy of the renowned Writers Boot Camp. Robert is a Washington State Film Office Competition winner and Oak Harbor High graduate.

Writers Boot Camp, the Industry's Creative Training Ground, has offered education in Los Angeles, New York and Online for more than 18 years. In that time, WBC's process and coursework have helped transition countless writers to professional careers. WBC alumni have sold screenplays that have generated more than half-a-billion dollars in box office revenue, with others staffed on every major TV network, as well as HBO and Showtime, some with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Fisher, a successful radio, TV and film writer, is also an administrator with Writers Boot Camp. In this candid, comprehensive and entertaining discussion revolving around some of the most challenging aspects of working in the entertainment industry, Fisher will shed light on commonly held fallacies about writing for film and television. This insightful event is empowering to individuals already working professionally, as well as those who are aspiring to transition into a career.

 

Mar 23 - Indie filmmaker Ferde Grofé

Ferde Grofé, a noted writer, producer, and director, discussed his movie making techniques on Friday, March 23rd. His feature film credits include: The Steel Claw, Samar, From Hell to Borneo, Guerrillas in Pink Lace, The Walls of Hell, Fortress of The Dead, Warkill, Proud, Damned & Dead, Ride The Tiger, The Day of The Wolves, The Hell Raiders, The 3rd Hand. In addition to films distributed by Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, CBS, American International Pictures, Gold Key Entertainment, Four Star/New World Pictures, he has produced of more than 100 documentaries and short films including award winning programs for Time Magazine, Readers Digest, A & E Cable Television, The History Channel, Vid America and Columbia House.

 

Feb 28 - Washington Laywers for the Arts Film Panel

 

Feb 23 - Tom Skerritt

Many thanks to Tom Skerritt, Best Actor Emmy winner, for getting the crowd pumped about grassroots film production in Seattle at our February meeting. While excelling as an actor, Tom's passion clearly lies in screenwriting and directing. He constantly reminded us of the importance of our writing great screenplays and making them into movies. For quite a few years Tom has championed this goal by teaching at the school he help found, the Seattle Film School. In between teaching us a lot about movie making with some very funny and poignant stories about his career as a screenwriter, director, and actor, Tom reminded us of the depth and breadth of movie making talent in the Seattle area. He pointed out that Seattle has the people, talent, and money to fill the under $10 million movie chasm left open by the large corporations that constantly shuffle Hollywood production companies. Organizations like the NWSG can play a big part in connecting those three elements.

 

Jan 12 - Palak Patel, Producer at Spring Creek

 

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