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Curious About Screenwriting Network

Welcome to the Curious About Screenwriting Network where you'll enjoy listening to fascinating film and writing industry guests who share insights from their careers and how you can take your screenwriting skills to the next level.
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Now displaying: April, 2018
Apr 30, 2018

Should you make a short film? Should you create a sizzle of your project? What's the difference between the two? The industry continues to change at a rapid rate, and industry professionals like producers, managers, and agents, have even less time to consider new projects or up and coming writers. It's the sad truth. But there are so many opportunities for writers in this industry, so how do you get the attention of the people who can help develop your career? Short films and sizzles are a great way to quickly get the attention of industry pro's, but there is a lot to consider before heading out with your camera and shooting something. Felicity and Max talk about how shorts and sizzles can help (and even hinder) a writer's career. So tune in and find out!

Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.

This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.

You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.

Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.

Apr 30, 2018

What makes you laugh and why? What can we do as writers to help translate comedy to the page? On this September 2017 episode of the ISA's Wine Wednesdays, our development executives talk all things comedy, including the business of writing comedy and how to get noticed around town. Tune in, enjoy some (hopefully) laughs, some good wine, and insight into the wild world of comedy writing.

Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.

This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.

You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.

Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.

Apr 24, 2018

You've heard us say it before, but it's because it's all the rage - TV is where the work is! The irony is that even though there are more options for writers in the television space, the competition has become that much more fierce. With opportunity comes responsibility (if that is a saying - we'll coin it anyway). We urge all writers to invest in themselves in as many ways as they can and as often as possible. If it's signing up with Max's Story Farm coaching service, taking classes, or even just making sure you listen to these podcasts and/or tune in regularly to our Facebook Live broadcasts. Keep working hard, and let Felicity and Max help you on your TV writing journey. This broadcast of our September 13, 2017 recording is our first with Steele Wines, our wonderful wine sponsor. Check them out as often as you can - some of the yummiest California wine you'll find.

Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.

This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.

You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.

Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.

Apr 24, 2018

One of the primary reasons the ISA was founded was for the sole purpose to inspire and motivate writers; to inform, educate, and allow access to every opportunity in the marketplace and around the industry. Day in and day out, the entire ISA team is devoted to helping as many screenwriters as we can, one writer at a time if necessary. When Felicity Wren and Max Timm came up with the idea to launch their Wine Wednesday Facebook Live Broadcasts, it was based on this simple idea of inspire and motivate...with some wine and comedy. This podcast recording of a September 6, 2017 taping of Wine Wednesday does just that, and we hope that you all stay tuned for more broadcasts, live or recorded, in the future.

Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.

This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.

You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.

Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.

Apr 18, 2018

The reboot of “Lost in Space” looks out of this world but lacks fun.

As reboots go, the new version of “Lost in Space” is light years beyond the original series from the 1960’s in many ways. The production values, costume design, and special effects are all state-of-the-art. Netflix’ new take on the Robinson clan’s intergalactic adventures get a lot right.  Mollie Parker makes a strong lead, the kids are sharp, and the robot is modern and complex. Still, the new Dr. Smith (Parker Posey) is menacing but not as fun as Jonathan Harris’ original. And the show’s first 10 episodes are too landlocked on one planet. As the show progresses, it will need to incorporate more planets, better monsters, and a lot more fun - just like the original series did in its sophomore year.

Apr 16, 2018

How to Break Down & Story Map Your Screenplay with Daniel Calvisi

Today’s guest is author Daniel Calvisi. Dan wrote the book Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay. He breaks down stories and shows you how to map out your own by analyzing how the masters construct their screenplays. Here’s a bit more on today’s guest.

Daniel Calvisi is a story analyst, speaker, screenwriter and the author of Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay, Story Maps: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot, Story Maps: 12 Great Screenplays and Story Maps: The Films of Christopher Nolan. He is a former Story Analyst for major studios like Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax

He is a former Story Analyst for major studios like Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax Films, and New Line Cinema. He coaches writers, teaches webinars on writing for film and television with The Writers Store and speaks at writing conferences and book signings. He holds a degree in Film and Television from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. 

Apr 13, 2018

“Chappaquiddick” paints a tragic portrait of politics and entitlement.

Historical movies tend to have good intentions. Whether they make good movies or not is often dependent upon how they illuminate historical events. “Chappaquiddick” certainly strives to accurately portray the 1969 events of Senator Ted Kennedy’s single-vehicle car accident on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts that resulted in the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Unfortunately, a lot of that mystery is left unanswered. Kennedy comes off as too enigmatic, and Kopechne is more symbol than character. Where the film is most successful is in showcasing the cover-up that took place to protect the politician’s presidential ambitions. The movie also paints a scathing portrait of entitlement and the very different set of rules for the rich and powerful.

Apr 11, 2018

“A Quiet Place” speaks volumes with what it doesn’t say or show.

The horror genre is often most successful when it doesn’t show too much of its monsters. Better to let the audience fill in the blanks of the bogeyman hiding in the shadows. It worked in “Jaws”, “Alien”, “The Babadook”, and now “A Quiet Place.” The alien monsters are revealed ever-so-slowly by director John Krasinski. These creatures that hunt by sound force the family in the story, headed by Krasinski and real-life wife Emily Blunt, to keep quiet as to not summon the beasts. Such silence also forces the audience to sit still, pinned to their seats for this 90-minute chiller. The effect is so disquieting and terrifying, “A Quiet Place” is sure to be the word-of-mouth frightener all season long.

Apr 6, 2018

The adaptation of “Ready Player One” has Steven Spielberg written all over it.

The new tentpole movie “Ready Player One” may boast its author Ernest Cline as one of the screenplay adaptors, along with Zak Penn, but the greatest influence on the material is director Steven Spielberg. The 2011 bestseller’s plotting, characters, and 1980’s pop culture references already had a Spielberg vibe and the movie makes the most of it. The director runs with the material, incorporating his affection for nostalgia, kid empowerment, and state-of-the-art special effects. Spielberg also makes this a ‘movie-movie’ with dozens upon dozens of in-joke film references, including many from his oeuvre, as well as a show-stopping parody of Stanley Kubrick. “Ready Player One” is a rollicking VR ride set in a dystopian future, but it’s really a tour of the director’s avid imagination.

Apr 5, 2018

Excerpt from Podcast:

"...This week we are going to be talking about BoJack Horseman. But we aren't just going to be talking about the series. We are going to be talking about one very particular episode, and doing a really deep breakdown of Season 4, Episode 9, entitled Ruthie...

And what is interesting about this episode is that it is breaking all the rules of structure, in order to control the tone of the episode in a way that isn't supposed to work!

This episode is about Princess Carolyn’s terrible, awful, awful day. It is so freaking dark! This episode is about a woman whose only desire is to have a baby, and, guess what? She is not going to have it.

This is about as dark a topic as you can handle. And this is a comedy! You aren't supposed to be doing this.

So, how do the writers keep the tone from getting so dark that we would lose the fun and the laughter that brings us to a series like this? How are we supposed to laugh at Princess Carolyn’s miscarriage?

Well, the magic is actually in that structural game the writers are playing..."

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