Ten of Hollywood’s best known, busiest and emerging screenwriters, whose credits appear shows like “Scandal,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The Pirates of the Caribbean” will speak Saturday, May 3 at DePaul’s third annual Page One Entertainment Writing Conference.
Hosted by DePaul’s School of Cinema and Interactive Media, and originated in 2011 by Kristyn Jo Benedyk, chair of DePaul’s screenwriting program, Page One is “aimed at helping writers become better at their craft to further cultivate Chicago’s film and television community,” Benedyk says.
The event takes place at DePaul, 14 E. Jackson, from noon until 6:30 p.m. and it’s free and open to all.
A pair of writers =speak at each of five sessions moderated by successful DePaul instructors, who have had their TV and movie scripts.
Topics covered will be: Writing the Franchise, Genre Writing and Writing with a Partner; The Business of Writing: The People Who Represent and Hire Writers; Multiple Hats: Writers Who Produce, Direct, Act and More; Breaking In – Landing That First Writing Job and Writing The Hollywood Blockbuster.
The speakers are:
Steve Conrad, writer of such blockbuster films such as “Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “Pursuit of Happyness” and “The Weather Man,” and writer/director of the John Belushi biopic.
Lenny Nathanson has written numerous films for Steven Spielberg including “Catch Me If You Can” and “The Terminal” and is working on the latest installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.
Partners Pete Goldfinger & Josh Stolberg, have written TV shows, the writers behind “Sorority Row” and “Piranha 3D,” currently writing the next installment of “Halloween.”
Writer-actor David Dastmalchian, of “Prisoners,” winner of SXSW’s Special Jury Prize for Courage in Storytelling, for “Animals,” his feature script debut. Dastmalchian is an alum of DePaul’s Theatre School.
Daniel Willis, who worked in development at Disney Pictures, currently on staff at “Grey’s Anatomy.” A Digital Cinema graduate.
Lenny Beckerman, head of film and television at Hello and Company, where he reps screenwriters and a former manager at Anonymous Content.
Severiano Canales, a regular staff writer on “Scandal.”
Actor-turned-comedy writer Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal, a Second City alum, has written for “South Park” and “How I Met Your Mother.
Guinevere Turner co-writer of “American Psycho and “The Notorious Bettie Page.” She was also a story editor for Showtime’s “The L Word.”
See the entire program here.
