Introduce Yourself : My introduction by J Nathaniel Berke

I have been a professional writer-producer for the past twelve years. I have written and developed both narrative and non-narrative projects for film and television and am especially well versed in all things geek culture. I learned to read from Marvel Comics and my life was changed by seeing Star Wars for the first time, but it was the gift of Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles"​ that made me want to become a writer. No matter the format or genre, my mission statement is "character is king."​ Compelling, engaging characters are the bedrock upon which everything else is built. Structure matters, pacing matters, tone matters, but creating relatable yet unforgettable characters is the hook upon which a successful franchise is hung. I've had quite a bit of success in the US/China co-production market and it is not an easy market to navigate. Being fluent in Mandarin is far less important that being fluent in Chinese culture and people and I've had my finger on the pulse of the rapidly changing filmmaking and pop culture world in China since 1992. Right now we are at the ground floor of an exciting time in China for genre (science fiction, fantasy, comic book) entertainment with huge franchise and transmedia potential. My experience in writing for film and television coupled with my development to post production network in both countries and my "geek encyclopedia"​ knowledge make me the perfect partner for developing great content that can entertain and inspire the next generation the way I was inspired by Marvel, Star Wars and Ray Bradbury.