Screenwriting Now! Stage 32 Online Screenwriting Conference

Screenwriting Conference Schedule

Conference Sessions At-A-Glance 

All times are PDT (Los Angeles, CA Time), but sessions will be recorded and you can watch later on-demand.

DAY 1: SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 

• 9:15am - 9:45am PDT- OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER, Oscar Nominated screenwriter Meg LeFauve (INSIDE OUT, CAPTAIN MARVEL, THE GOOD DINOSAUR)

• 10am - 11:30am PDT - Screenwriting Structure Rules – Save or Shoot the Cat?

• 11:45am - 12:45pm PDT- Every Act Has A Pitfall 

• 1pm - 2pm PDT Break

• 2pm - 3:30pm PDT - Writing Compelling Characters 

• 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT - Writing & Selling TV Scripts in a New World – Writing a Hit Amazon, Netflix, Hulu or Cable Show

DAY 2: SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017

• 9:15am-10:15am PDT - Got Story? Pitch Like a Pro!

• 10:30am-12:00pm PDT - Getting Legal – What You Should Know Before You Dot the “I’s” and cross the “T’s”

• 12:00pm - 1:15pm PDT - Break 

• 1:15pm - 2:45pm PDT - How to Get Your Foot in the Door: Networking, Etiquette & Branding Yourself as a Writer 

• 3pm-4:30pm PDT - What’s Happening in the Market Now – The Manager/Writer Relationship in 2017 

• 4:45pm - 6:15pm PDT - Stage 32 Script Pitch Tank!

Conference Sessions In Detail

DAY 1: SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017

• 9:15am - 9:45am

OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Meg LeFauve

Meg LeFauve was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for co-writing the script for Pixar's Inside Out. She was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards in 1999 for producing The Baby Dance. She also produced the 2002 film The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. She also wrote the script for The Good Dinosaur (and also co-wrote the story). LeFauve is currently writing the script for the live-action Captain Marvel movie alongside Nicole Perlman and is attached to co-direct Disney’s Gigantic.

• 10am - 11:30am

Screenwriting Structure Rules – Save or Shoot the Cat?

Over the past few years, due to the rise of a number of popular screenwriting “How to” books, writers have been trained to structure their screenplays in a paint by number fashion. Your inciting incident happens here. Your first act break must happen on a certain page. Flashbacks are taboo. Voiceover is worse. What’s the real deal? What is truly a deal breaker for a manager, agent, development exec, producer or anyone else you’re targeting with your material? Aren’t rules made to be broken? Our esteemed panel will tell you what’s tolerable and what’s taboo in today’s marketplace.

Moderator: Richard Botto

Panelists: Rachel Crouch, Spencer Robinson, Tiegen Kosiak

• 11:45am - 12:45pm

Every Act Has A Pitfall

Ask three writers which act proves the most difficult for them and you very well may get three different answers. That’s because nothing about a screenplay is easy. Get your 1st act off to a slow start and you may lose your reader before the 1st act break. Wander too far in your 2nd, so-called Fun and Games Act, and you could obliterate your narrative. And even if you nail Acts I & II, closing the deal requires a balancing act of finesse and prowess. Fortunately, many of these pitfalls are not only common, they’re easy to avoid. We’ll take you through the jungle of all three Acts and get you to safe passage.

Speaker: Jason Mirch

• 1pm - 2pm Break

• 2pm - 3:30pm

Writing Compelling Characters

All writers obsess over their main character. They hear him or her speaking to them from the moment they wake up to the moment they fall asleep, and sometimes even in their dreams. But what makes a character compelling? What makes an audience want to follow that character? As important, writers spend so much time on their main character, they forget about their secondary characters, allowing them to fall into caricature. Why do some characters work in outline and fail on the page? Why do so many writers struggle with secondary character? This panel will explore ways to make your characters pull the reader along for a page turning ride.

Moderator: Kelly Jo Brick

Panelists: Sarah Cornelius, David Paterson

• 3:45pm - 5:15pm

Writing & Selling TV Scripts in a New World – Writing a Hit Amazon, Netflix, Hulu or Cable Show

It’s no secret that there are more television scripts being purchased now than at any time in history. More and more feature writers are looking to cash in on the gold rush happening in paid TV and streaming. And with over 500 original shows planned for 2017 (and those are only the ones making it to air!), who can blame them? But it’s not enough to have an original idea. You must understand what goes into writing a hit TV show in this new world of the “golden age” of TV.

Moderator: Richard Botto

Panelists: Daniel Kendrick, Joaquin F. Palma, Amanda Toye

DAY 2: SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 2017

• 9:15am-10:15am

Got Story? Pitch Like a Pro!

Pitching. Some love it, some hate it. All must know how to do it. Whether it’s an elevator pitch, a 30-60 second pitch, a 5, 10 or 30 minute pitch or a general meeting lunch, you have to know how to pitch your idea from McNugget to full world. Similarly, you have to know who you are pitching. What they are looking for? What projects have they done in the past? Pitching is not only an art, it’s about knowledge – knowledge of you, your brand, your story, the story of your script and the story of the person or people you to whom you are pitching. Scary? Nah. We got you covered.

Speaker: Bradley Gallo

• 10:30am-12:00pm

Getting Legal – What You Should Know Before You Dot the “I’s” and cross the “T’s”

Copyrights, securing intellectual property, writing someone’s life story without rights, stories that are public domain, option agreements, purchase agreements, exclusive rights agreements. These are just some of the legal issues you’ll face as a writer. But not every move you make requires an attorney. And not every offer you receive might be the best move for your career. This panel will demystify some of the most common questions and conundrums you’ll face as writer in an effort to assure that you protect yourself, your career, and your work.

Moderator: Adam Finer

Panelists: Jordan Barel, Jaia Thomas

• 12pm - 1:15pm Break

• 1:15pm - 2:45pm

How to Get Your Foot in the Door: Networking, Etiquette & Branding Yourself as a Writer

Many writers believe that their only job is to write. Wrong. A thousand times, wrong. In today’s competitive climate, writers need to be more visible than ever. This means creating an online persona, treating networking as a job, and conducting yourself in a way that makes people want to help, champion or work with you. If you are serious about becoming a successful writer, networking, proper etiquette (online and offline) and branding are to be ignored at your own peril. And no one likes peril. Allow our expert panelists to guide you toward success in these growing areas of importance.

Moderator: Amanda Toney

Panelists: Lee Jessup, Kelly Jo Brick, Richard Botto 

• 3pm-4:30pm

What’s Happening in the Market Now – The Manager/Writer Relationship in 2017

You found representation, now what? What meetings do you take? Will you get staffed on a show? What percentage do you cut to your manager when you sell your script? In this industry panel, you’ll learn the in’s-and-out’s of what you as a writer need to bring to the table on a daily basis to your manager and in turn, what your manager should be doing for you, in order for you to succeed.

Moderator: Richard Botto

Panelists: Tyler Ruggeri, Seth Jaret, Shamil Erfanian, Erik Grossman

• 4:45pm - 6:15pm

Do you have what it takes to survive the Stage 32 Pitch Tank? We're bringing in 4 judges - a manager, an agent, a producer and a development executive to listen LIVE to up to 5 screenwriter's pitches. All conference attendees are invited to join! Watch and learn from each of the panelists perspectives what makes a good pitch. Are you ready to pitch? Bring it on during the Stage 32 PITCH TANK!

THE TANK JUDGES

Shamil Erfanian, Manager, Infinity Group International

Sarah Cornelius, Creative Development & Production Executive, Whitewater Films

Bradley Gallo, Producer, Amasia Entertainment

(times & panelists subject to change)