SPECIAL EVENTS
Current – Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills. Questions: Film Society or call (323) 782-4508.
The 49th Film Society season just started Oct. 1. The annual membership fee for Guild and Caucus members is $80. You may join/renew any time during the year. Membership rates are prorated based on when you join. The Film Society program provides a great opportunity for Guild members and a guest to watch more than 80 currently released theatrical films through Sept. 30, 2010. To see a list of upcoming Film Society screenings, please visit the Film Society calendar.
Tuesdays, 11/3-11/17, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. Info/Registration: www.wgfoundation.org or (323) 782-4692.
Continuing seminar series on the writer’s craft led by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Dan Petrie, Jr. Topics still to be covered: 11/3: mood, tone and voice; 11/10: dialogue and scene; 11/17: rewriting and polishing. Guest speakers include John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish), Scott Z. Burns (The Informant), Jack Epps, Jr. (Dick Tracy, Top Gun), Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon (Mr. Brooks, Stand by Me), Winnie Holzman (Wicked, My So-Called Life), Robert Nelson Jacobs (Waterhorse: Legend of the Deep, Chocolat), Nicholas Kazan (Fallen, Reversal of Fortune), Nicholas Meyer (Elegy, Star Trek IV and VI), Margaret Nagle (A Side Order of Life, Warm Springs), and more. Updates at www.wgfoundation.org. Proceeds go to the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library and other Foundation programs. WGA member cost: $15 per evening ($20 at door). General public: $20 per evening ($25 at door). Full-time students with ID: $10 per evening ($15 at door). All prices exclusive of booking fees.
Monday,
11/9, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Le Merigot Hotel (Pacific Room), 1740 Ocean
Ave., Santa Monica. Individual tickets are $40. For more information,
visit www.ifta-online.org/afm/seminar.asp.
“Writing for the Genre World” panel presented by WGAW Independent Film.
Screenwriters are often asked to enlist elements from past films, while
embracing originality. No easy feat. How can creativity truly set a
genre film apart (or can it)? And where does marketing take over to
reach those built-in audiences? Moderator: Mick Garris (Riding the Bullet, Fear Itself, The Fly II, Critters 2, Hocus Pocus, Masters of Horror). Panelists: Larry Cohen (Phone Booth, Guilty As Sin, I The Jury, It’s Alive, Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover, Black Caesar, The Ambulance); Howard A. Rodman (Joe Gould’s Secret, Savage Grace, Takedown); Juliet Snowden & Stiles White (Boogeyman, Knowing); and Stephen Susco (The Grudge 1 & 2; Red).
Monday,
11/9, 6:30-9:30 p.m. – Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, 5200
Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Space is limited and reservations
are required. RSVP: Diversity with subject line: “American Indian 101.”
A panel discussion for entertainment industry professionals about
contemporary American Indian life and its current and future media
representation. A joint presentation of the American Indian Writers
Committee of the WGAW and the Diversity Committee of the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences. Panelists include Jason Gavin (writer, WGA member, Friday Night Lights, Royal Pains);
Gregory Cruz, (actor, SAG member, Saving Grace); Nancy Miller, (writer, WGA member, creator/executive producer, Saving Grace); Angela Riley, UCLA American Indian Studies Center; and moderated by Brian Westcott (WGA member).
Thursday, 11/12, 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m. – Mission Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco. Register with exclusive 10% discount for WGA members at this link (be prepared to show Guild card for materials pickup): http://newteeveelive.eventbrite.com/?discount=MPWGA10
The NewTeeVee conference is dedicated to the online video industry’s hottest topics, features talented video producers and promising technologies, and draws together leading personalities, investors and innovators. This is the year of "TV Everywhere" and NewTeeVee will unite 500 creators and enablers of the next generation of TV. The event will bring together the people who drive the adoption of products, technologies and brands in online video’s rapidly expanding market. Anyone who develops, distributes, invests in or sells online media products and services should attend the NewTeeVee conference.
Thursday, 11/12, 7 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. RSVP required by Monday, 11/9: Animation.
Please join us as we announce this year's recipient of the WGAW-AWC Animation Writing Award. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 7 p.m. Award Presentation and Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Open to Animation Writers Caucus members in good standing only.
Monday, 11/16, 7-9:30p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. RSVP: Diversity with subject line “Made on the Moon.” Info: (323) 782-4589.
The Seasoned Readings program promotes and celebrates the work of writers age 50 and over. It is presented by the WGAW Career Longevity Committee (formerly the Age Awareness Committee).
Tuesday, 11/17, 8:45 a.m. panel start – Goldenson Theatre at Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Plaza, North Hollywood. Discount registration for WGA members ($50 instead of $75): http://www.broadcastingcable.com/freestreaming. Enter promotion code “WGA” for discount. Please be prepared to show your WGAW ID at door.
Broadcasting & Cable and MultiChannel News present “Free Streaming: Killing or Saving the Television Business,” a breakfast panel event that will look at what the new business models mean for producing and monetizing your content, and the biggest issues facing the television model in 2010. Will Hulu and other video sites start charging? What does that mean for writers, producers and content owners? Joining WGA, West, President John Wells on the panel to discuss this and more will be NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios Chairman Marc Graboff, Warner Bros. Television Group President Bruce Rosenblum and CBS TV Studios Entertainment Group President Nancy Tellem. Networking breakfast starts at 8 a.m., panel discussion begins at 8:45 a.m.
Wednesday, 11/18, 11 a.m. – Holy Cross Mortuary, 5835 W. Slauson Ave., Culver City.
Colleagues, family, and friends are invited to honor the life and legacy of late WGAW member and Emmy-winning television writer David Lloyd, whose writing credits included The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Lou Grant, Taxi, Cheers, and Frasier. In 2001, Lloyd received the WGAW’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television for lifetime achievement. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center, 8900 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
Wednesday, 11/18, 7:30-10 p.m. WGAW Second Floor. RSVP: Diversity with subject line “The Gay Scene 5.” Info: (323) 782-4589.
A staged reading of 11 pre-selected scenes from produced/or unproduced stage plays and unproduced film and TV scripts written by WGAW members.
Thursday, 11/19, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Second Floor. Info/RSVP: www.wgfoundation.org or (800) 838-3006.
Academy Award-nominated for Gorillas in the Mist and writer or co-writer of films such as Mask, In Love and War, Girl, Interrupted, and this year’s Amelia, Anna Hamilton Phelan will discuss her long career and field questions on the art of writing adaptations and biopics. Proceeds go to the Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library and other Foundation programs. WGA member cost: $15 (general public $20). Dessert reception to follow.
Sunday, 11/29, 3:30p.m. – Los Liones Trail. RSVP: Activities or (323) 782-4605. WGA and Caucus members in good standing and their guests.
Too much stuffing? Work off that second piece of pumpkin pie by joining your fellow writers in a post-Thanksgiving sunset hike, Sunday Nov. 29, at the Los Liones Trail in Pacific Palisades. This trail, with a 1,300-foot gain, is moderately strenuous with panoramic ocean views at the overlook. The nearly full moon should grace our return. Please RSVP and leave your email address for directions and notification in the case of last-minute changes.
Monday, 11/30, 6:00 p.m. – Deadline for submissions. Visit the Writer Access Project page for details.
The Writer Access Project will continue this year. Inaugurated last season, this project is designed to identify excellent diverse writers with television experience and to bring these writers’ scripts to the attention of showrunners, creative executives and agents for consideration during staffing season. Guidelines (which have been modified somewhat from last year) and application forms are now available on the Writer Access Project page. Current and Post-Current members in good standing only may submit.
Friday, 12/4, 6:30 p.m. – Linwood Dunn Theatre, Pickford Center, 1313 N. Vine. Open to Foundation donors ($50 or more) only. Info/Donations: www.wgfoundation.org or (323) 782-4692.
Wine and cheese reception and Q & A with Academy Award-nominated Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, director of Juno, and writer/director of this year’s Up in the Air), followed by a screening of Up in the Air. Donations assist Writers Guild Foundation Shavelson-Webb Library and other Foundation programs. To donate and receive an invitation for you and a guest, go to www.wgfoundation.org.
Sunday, 12/6, 7-10 p.m. – Venue to be announced, Hollywood. RSVP: Events or (323) 782-4602. Members in good standing and a guest. Space is limited.
Catch up with your fellow members and friends at this year’s holiday gathering. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. First drink is hosted, followed by cash bar. Discounted valet parking fee of $5. Look out for your member email invitation in the coming weeks and join us for the festivities!
Thursday, 12/10, 7 p.m. – Samuel Goldwyn Theater (AMPAS), 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills 90211. RSVP with your full name and number in your party: larrygelbarttribute@gmail.com. Free parking in structures located at 8920 Wilshire Blvd. and 9025 Wilshire Blvd.
Fellow writers, family, friends, and fans of WGAW member Larry Gelbart, one of television’s most prolific comedy writers, will unite on Thursday, Dec. 10, to celebrate the life and times of the beloved writer and producer. Gelbart, who passed away in September, developed the long-running television series M*A*S*H, receiving several Writers Guild Awards, an Emmy, a Humanitas, and a Peabody award for his work on the acclaimed show. Additional television credits include The Bob Hope Show, Caesar’s Hour, the “Art Carney” specials, and The Danny Kaye Show. His WGA award-winning films include Oh, God! (Oscar-nominated for “Best Writing” for an adaptation), and Tootsie (co-written with Murray Schisgal; also Oscar- and British Academy award-nominated for writing). Gelbart was a recipient of the Tony and numerous other awards for penning the book of Broadway’s City of Angels, receiving his first Tony Award for co-authoring A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Burt Shevelove. In 2008, Gelbart was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and was honored with the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made payable to SHARE! (www.shareselfhelp.org, (310) 305-8878), Attn: Libby Hartigan, 5521 Grosvenor Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066.
Wednesdays, 1/20/10-2/10/10. Info/Registration: http://www.marshall.usc.edu/execed/programs/media-and-entertainment/digital-media-technology-management-program.htm. Cost: $975 (WGA members receive a 15% discount on all RUI/USC programs, use discount code MEWGA).
Gain a competitive advantage by focusing on four major components of creating and implementing a successful digital strategy. This three-session program provided by the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and Really Useful Information, Inc., focuses on four major components of creating and implementing a successful digital strategy: 1. Digital media & technology – the process of monetization; 2. Streaming media – how to use it effectively; 3. Distribution platforms – which work best and why; and 4. Social media marketing campaigns.
The WGAW Membership Department and the Diversity Department have been working with the IT Department to create an online form which will enable members to provide updated information to the WGAW for informational and statistical purposes. The online form is now available on your MyWGAW Account. To fill out the form, log in to your account and go to the "change attributes" link at the bottom of your myWGAW homepage. For help with your MyWGAW Account, call (323) 782-4885, M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
We encourage each of you to provide this information, and if you feel comfortable, allow for publication. The Diversity Department will create a series of online directories of writers from diverse backgrounds including: American Indian Writers, Asian American Writers, Black Writers, Gay and Lesbian Writers, Latino Writers, Women Writers and Writers with Disabilities. The committee formerly known as “Age Awareness” has been retooled as the “Career Longevity Committee,” designed to help writers continue a productive career past the infamous age of 40. Why is this information important? Because we do receive calls from producers looking for writers of a particular background – and we would like to be able to refer them (accurately) to you. Please take the time to fill out this information – it will not take long – and help us help you!
ONGOING EVENTS
Thursday, 11/19, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Room 2B. RSVP: Membership or (323) 782-4532.
Held 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, 11/19, 7:30 p.m. – WGAW Room 3A. RSVP: Videogames.
The Videogame Steering Committee is a committee of videogame writers that 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.
Friday, 11/20, 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. All WGA and Caucus members in good standing welcome.
BUZZSyrie James is thrilled to report that her novel The Secret Diaries Of Charlotte Brontë, the dramatic true story of the life and romance of the authoress of
Jane Eyre, has been chosen by the Women's National Book Association as
a Great Group Read of 2009. James's next novel, Dracula, My Love, a romantic action adventure which reveals the untold love story between Mina Harker and the charismatic, fascinating Count Dracula, will be published in 2010.
Lyle Kessler along with actor Martin Landau and director Mark Rydell are conducting "The Total Picture Seminar," a two-day immersion into the collaborative experience of filmmaking. Writers can submit five-minute scenes and those selected will be directed and staged for the camera by Rydell working with a renowned cinematographer. Actors will be cast from the audience and coached by Landau. The scene content will be analyzed and discussed by Kessler. The seminar will take place Nov. 14 and 15 at UCLA. For more detailed information as to what will take place, the cost and how to register, please visit www.thetotalpictureseminar.com.
Peter Lefcourt’s new play, La Ronde de Lunch – a rollicking adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's classic chestnut, La Ronde, which scandalized Vienna at the turn of the century – continues performances through mid-November. Set in a trendy, overpriced Melrose Avenue trattoria, 10 self-absorbed, anxious, archetypal Los Angeles characters have a series of 10 lunches, during which they cajole, con, seduce and manipulate one another in a circular daisy chain. The fun and games are supervised by a singing and dancing Greek chorus of five waiters, all named, fortuitously, Bruce. In the end, nobody learns anything about life or themselves. There is a brief moment of entirely gratuitous nudity, but no strobe effects. Directed masterfully by Terri Hanauer, and starring Kathryn Harrold, Gina Hecht, Jay Huguley, and Brynn Thayer, among others. Runs through Nov. 15, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 7 p.m. Skylight Theater, 1816 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz (between Hollywood and Franklin). Tickets: (310) 358-9936 or www.katselastheatre.org.
Devra Maza has written her annual baseball highlights article for USA TODAY. This year's feature, "Curtain Calls: Ten Season Highlights" celebrates the ovation-inducing milestones and magical moments of the 2009 regular season. The article, which can be read online, includes an interactive ballot where fans of the game can vote for their favorite achievements by clicking a star over expandable photos. To read the article, vote for a player, or to follow the contest, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-10-11-curtain-calls-10-season-highlights_N.htm.