SPECIAL EVENTSTo schedule a delivery or drop-off of your children’s books, contact: Adam Huss or (323) 782-4692.
The Writers Guild Foundation is looking for children’s books to distribute to needy parents and children in the Los Angeles area through organizations such as Sojourn Services for Battered Women & Children, The Children's Bureau of Southern California, Prototypes (Domestic Violence Shelter), and School On Wheels. Pick-ups may be possible for large donations. Visit
www.wgfoundation.org for more information about Writers Guild Foundation programs.
Tuesday, 8/31, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. WGA and Caucus members in good standing only. RSVP: Diversity with “AAWC Salon” in the subject line. Info: (323) 782-4589.
You've written your masterpiece, and now it is landing on desks across town. What happens next? Professional readers and analysts will discuss the evaluation process that determines whether your script gets a "recommend" or "pass." The Asian-American Writers Committee presents this informal discussion to provide a fresh perspective on creating salable scripts in today's increasingly tough market. Guests include Diana Mar (New Regency Productions, Radiant Pictures, First Light) and Kai Wu (Gersh, Josephson Entertainment, Burn Notice). Q&A to follow. Light refreshments will be served. Attendance is limited.
Tuesday, 9/7, 6 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. Current-Active voting-eligible members only; no guests. RSVP by Wednesday, 9/1: Communications Department Events or (323) 782-4602.
Join us for a Q&A with this year’s candidates for the WGAW Board of Directors. Drinks and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Board Candidates forum takes place 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Get to know your fellow writers who are willing to serve the membership and represent your interests.
Friday, 9/10, 7 p.m. – Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills 90211. Hosted parking in theater building. Info/RSVP: Richard Baxter, (310) 244-6957.
Colleagues and family remember the life and times of Emmy-winning writer and WGAW member Allan Manings. A former WGAW Vice President and Board of Directors member, Manings co-created the long-running hit series One Day at a Time and developed and wrote the Norman Lear-Bud Yorkin classic Good Times. Manings was a writer and script supervisor on the breakthrough comedy series Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. He received the Guild’s Morgan Cox Award in 1997 for longtime service to the Guild. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Writers Guild Foundation’s “Blacklist Archives Project” at www.wgfoundation.org.
Sunday, 9/26, 4:15 p.m. Pacific Palisades. RSVP: Activities with “Sullivan” in subject line, or call (323) 782-4605 (please include your email address in voicemail). Meet at 4:15 for a 4:30 p.m. departure.
Join your fellow Guild members for this moderate sunset hike in Pacific Palisades. Sullivan Ridge rises between Rustic Canyon and Sullivan Canyon east of Will Rogers State Park. This trail passes the Camp Josepho boy scout camp and what was once Murphy’s Ranch, a compound run by Nazi sympathizers in the 1930s. Optional dinner at a local eatery after the hike. “Like” the WGAW Activities Committee Facebook page for updates. Directions: From Sunset Boulevard, 3 miles west of the 405, turn north at the light onto Capri Drive. After 1/3 mile continue through the traffic circle, remaining on Capri Drive for another 1/3 mile until it comes to an end at Casale Road. Sullivan Ridge Fire road begins to the left. Find street parking to the right or on an adjacent road. Sponsored by the WGAW Activities Committee. Rain cancels.
Monday, 9/27, 7 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. RSVP: Diversity with “Wild Sky” in subject line. Info: (323) 782-4589.
In Syrie James’ screenplay Tame The Wild Sky, a teen-age boy in a small mountain town with his single mom finds new direction when, with the help of a reclusive veterinarian, he rescues and rehabilitates an injured falcon. The extraordinary relationship that develops between the boy and bird of prey changes the lives of everyone close to him. Presented by the WGAW Career Longevity Committee.
Thursday, 9/30, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. Info/RSVP: www.wgfoundation.org or (800) 838-3006. WGA member cost: $15 (general admission $20, students and military veterans with ID $10).
Speakers include (subject to availability): Marcy Brown and Dennis Haley (Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Zula Patrol), Philip Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), Anna Sandor (Felicity: An American Girl Adventure and Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front), and Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland). Moderated by Stan Berkowitz. Proceeds benefit the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library and other Foundation programs. Dessert reception to follow. Prices exclusive of online booking fees.
Wednesday, 10/13, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. RSVP: Sharline Liu with “Animé” in subject line. Guild and Caucus members in good standing only.
In recent years, the highly successful Japanese entertainment genres of animé (animation) and manga (comics) have leaped across the seas to a new market in Hollywood with films such as Speed Racer and James Cameron's in-development FX-heavy project Battle Angel. Now Hollywood live-action movie releases are even being adapted back into those forms, beginning with The Animatrix and soon Iron Man. How might one get into this writing niche with Guild-covered work? The WGAW Writers Education Committee invites Guild and Caucus members to an evening with international industry players, including Jason Hoffs (VIZ Media, formerly DreamWorks; current project All You Need Is Kill with attached director Doug Liman), Nobuo Masuda (Sunrise USA; Cowboy Bebop with FOX/Keanu Reeves), Joshua Long (producer, Cowboy Bebop), Maki Terashima-Furuta (IG America, DreamWorks remake of Ghost in the Shell).
Thursdays, 10/14-11/18 and Wednesday, 10/20, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. Info/Registration: www.wgfoundation.org or (800) 838-3006. Discounts for full series and advance online sales; see below.
Seminar series on the writer’s craft led by Academy-nominated writer Dan Petrie, Jr. Oct. 14: concept and premise; Oct. 20: story and structure; Oct. 28: character; Nov. 4: mood, tone and voice; Nov. 11: dialogue and scene; and Nov. 18: rewriting and polishing. Guest speakers to be announced (updates at www.wgfoundation.org). Proceeds go to the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library and other Foundation programs. WGA member cost: $80 full series or $15 per evening ($20 at door). General public: $100 full series or $20 per evening ($25 at door); full-time students and military veterans with ID: $50 full series or $10 per evening ($15 at door). All prices exclusive of online booking fees.
Thursday–Sunday, 10/21-10/24 – Various venues in Austin, Texas. Schedule released early September: www.austinfilmfestival.com.
Known as THE Writers film festival and conference, AFF spotlights screen and TV writers on panels, at events and at screenings. WGAW members and a guest are invited to the Late Night Kick-Off Reception, 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Oct. 21. Members with a Conference or Producers Badge will be admitted without an RSVP; all other WGAW Members planning to attend the reception should contact Kay Schaber Wolf at Indie Program or (323) 782-4731 by Oct. 13. Badgeholders are encouraged to attend the WGAW- and WGAE-sponsored panel “The Creative Career: What You Need to Know,” featuring members Shane Black and Jennifer Salt and moderated by Jim Hart, 3:15-4:30 p.m. Oct. 22, and a to-be-scheduled Oct. 24 panel on writers’ agreements.
Sunday, 10/24, 3 p.m. – Sam Merrill Trail, Altadena. RSVP: Activities with “White City” in subject line, or call (323) 782-4605 (please include your email address in voicemail). RSVP required.
Join your fellow writers for this Altadena hike on the Sam Merrill trail in the Las Flores Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains. At the top of the trail you will find the ruins of the White City, a resort built in 1896 that functioned for four years before it was destroyed by fire. From the top you get a magnificent view of Los Angeles. Directions: Take Lake Avenue exit from the 210 Freeway and drive north toward the mountain until the road dead ends. Meet at the gate of the Cobb Estate at the top of Lake Avenue in Altadena. After the hike, enjoy an optional barbecue at our trail leader’s nearby home (contribute your own side dishes). Check for updates on the WGAW Activities Committee Facebook page. Sponsored by the WGAW Activities Committee.
Tuesday, 11/2, 7:30-9:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. Guild and Caucus members in good standing. RSVP: Sharline Liu with “Transmedia” in subject line.
The WGAW Writers Education Committee invites members to a panel discussion with top industry professionals about the emerging realm of multiplatform media content, developing material, and the proliferation of film and television ideas into webisodes, comic books, videogames, etc. WEC will examine creative considerations for writers within this realm, as well as discuss rights and compensation regarding the various platforms. Save the date and RSVP now.
The Diversity Department is creating online directories of writers from diverse backgrounds to be used as a resource for producers, executives, directors and other industry professionals. To be included in these directories, you must update your member information and grant permission for publication of your information. The online form is available on your MyWGAW Account on www.wga.org. Use the Member Sign-in link on the main page to sign in or create an account. Go to Account Details and the "change attributes" link on the left of your myWGAW homepage. For technical support with your My WGAW Account, call (323) 782-4885, M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
ONGOING EVENTS
Wednesday, 9/15, 7:30-9 p.m. – WGAW Room 4A. RSVP: Activities.The Activities Committee is responsible for organizing social and networking events that bring Guild members together in a fun setting. Past events include Texas hold ’em poker, putt-putt golf, bowling, screenwriting marathons, beach BBQ, scavenger hunt, speed “collabormating,” as well as motivational talks and numerous hikes. We are open to new members, so please come and brainstorm with us! RSVP requested.
Thursday, 9/16, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Room 3A. Info: (323) 782-4589.The Asian-American Writers Committee represents the professional and creative interests of Asian-American Guild members. Its mandate is to be dedicated to the encouragement, empowerment and employment of writers of Asian heritage. Join us for an informative and fun evening in a relaxed environment. Snacks will be provided. WGA and Caucus members in good standing only.
Thursday, 9/16, 7:30-10 p.m. – WGAW Room 2B. RSVP: Membership or (323) 782-4532.Presented eight times a year, these informal get-togethers offer new members a chance to interact with veteran New Members Committee writers. The atmosphere is casual, friendly, and geared toward helping new members succeed both as writers and as members of the Guild. There are no set speeches, just talk among people with common interests and aspirations. Attendees set the agenda. Each session is different. All WGA and Caucus members in good standing are welcome. Refreshments are served. RSVP required.
Thursday, 9/16, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW, room TBA. RSVP: Videogames.The Videogame Steering Committee is a committee of videogame writers who are working to improve standards in the gaming industry – fair pay, writing credits, portable healthcare and pension, format standards, and more. This group meets monthly to plan and develop strategies to ensure videogame writers get what they deserve. Open to Videogame Writers Caucus members only.
Tuesday, 9/21, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW 4th Floor Boardroom. Info: (323) 782-4589.The Gay and Lesbian Writers Committee seeks to provide a resource to writers portraying lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders in their work, nurture an understanding of how sexual orientation affects the lives of writers, provide committee members with networking and social activities, create a greater awareness within the Guild of sexual orientation as a minority, articulate instances of homophobia and/or discrimination within the industry, and encourage all LGBT members to become more active in the Guild. WGA and Caucus members in good standing only.
Wednesday, 9/22, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Room 3A. Info: (323) 782-4589.This committee works to enhance the opportunities, advance the careers, and highlight the accomplishments of women in the Guild, to end discrimination against women writers in the industry and to improve the image of women in film, television, and radio. The group sponsors events designed to increase knowledge of the craft and the marketplace. WGA and Caucus members in good standing only.
Friday, 9/24, 2 p.m. – WGAW Room 2B. Info: (323) 782-4589.The Writers with Disabilities Committee is looking for ways to aid disabled writers in pursuing their careers in Hollywood and to encourage accurate portrayals of the disabled in film and television. Please come, shake hands and talk about expanding opportunities for all of us. WGA and Caucus members in good standing only.
Monday, 9/27, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Room 3A. Info: (323) 782-4589.This committee represents the professional and creative interests of American Indian writers. It works to mentor, encourage, empower and increase the visibility and employment of writers of American Indian heritage, and serves as a cultural and educational resource for all Guild member-writers seeking to portray American Indians in their work. WGA and Caucus members in good standing only.
Wednesday, 10/20, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Room 2B. RSVP: Sharline Liu.This committee develops programs that provide WGA members with practical, inside knowledge about how the industry works and how it is changing, emphasizing tips and tools to help writers succeed. We strive to provide "working knowledge for writers" and invite you to contribute your ideas. WGAW and Caucus members in good standing only.
BUZZ
The WGA does not endorse any particular method or approach to screenwriting. Classes listed below are not Guild-sponsored events.France-bound screenwriters should contact
Martin Copeland who is teaching screenwriting as a head professor at an international film school in Paris. If you are a WGA-credited feature film writer passing through Paris anytime after October 2010 and might like to share your insights, experience and anecdotes with students from the film school, contact Copeland at
martin.copeland@eicar.me or Head Professor/Production Design Virginia Field at
virginia.field@eicar.me.
The Stanley Dyrector Show presents an interview with Bernie West, writer-producer and Broadway actor (Bells Are Ringing), whom the entertainment community unfortunately recently
lost, on Thursday, Sept.r 2 at 11 p.m. on the City of Los Angeles's Channel 36 and streaming on www.la36.org. Bernie's work lives on through his wonderful shows and his generous philanthropic works.
The California Writers Coalition presents screenwriter, writing instructor and author John Vorhaus on Saturday, Sept. 4, 5-7 p.m. for a free writing workshop at Borders Bookstore in Sherman Oaks. Learn tricks and tips for beating writer's block, finding your narrative voice, building the writing habit, injecting comedy into prose, and more. Vorhaus has taught writing in 25 countries on four continents and helped thousands of writers. Bring a notebook and a friend, and be prepared to write better than you ever have before. More information at johnvorhaus.com.