Screenwriters' Retreat
How to Write Movies That Will Grab and Hold Audiences

See You at the EIFF in 2010
Scroll Down to review the '09 Retreat Schedule.

Another unique feature of the Eugene International Film Festival, is this intensive 3-day course where you will learn, one-on-one, from Hollywood professionals, how to

In this exciting course, Hollywood Literary Agent Ken Sherman and Screenwriter/TV Showrunner/Novelist Tom Sawyer will answer your questions, and share with you their firsthand knowledge of how the Movie/TV Business works, and how you can break into it!

Read what former attendees say about this remarkable course:

TOM SAWYER BIOGRAPHYPhoto of Tom Sawyer

Novelist, screenwriter, playwright Thomas B. Sawyer was Head Writer/Showrunner of the classic CBS series, Murder, She Wrote, for which he wrote 24 episodes.  Tom has written 9 network TV pilots, 100 episodes, both comedy and drama, and was Head Writer/Showrunner or Story Editor on 15 network TV series.  Tom wrote/directed/produced the feature-film cult comedy, Alice Goodbody.  His documentary film, Reunion, was honored by the New York Film Festival, and received national theatrical release.  Tom is co-librettist/lyricist of Jack, an opera about John F. Kennedy, backed by the Shuberts, that has been performed to acclaim in the US and Europe. He is publisher of Storybase 2.0 writer's software. Tom's book, Fiction Writing Demystified, and Storybase, are Writer's Digest Book Club Selections. He's taught writing at UCLA, at other colleges and universities, and currently, online at Writers University.  Mr. Sawyer has been nominated for an Edgar and an Emmy.  His latest novel is the best-selling thriller, No Place to Run.  www.ThomasBSawyer.com

KEN SHERMAN BIOGRAPHYPhoto of Ken Sherman

President of Ken Sherman and Associates, a Beverly Hills-based literary agency representing screen, TV and book writers.  Ken's clients include, to name a few, John Updike, David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars, Tawni O'Dell, whose first novel, Back Roads, became an international best seller and Oprah Book Club selection, Starhawk, considered the best-known witch in the world, Anne Perry, the world's best Victorian murder mystery writer and author of 50 books, plus the estates of Luis Buñuel and John Hersey.

Ken teaches at major colleges and universities, and at numerous writers conferences, from Maui to Santa Fe and elsewhere.  His course, "The Business of Writing for Screen, Television and Publishing," has been featured at both USC and UCLA for more than six years.  He serves as an Arts and Cultural Affairs Commissioner in the City of West Hollywood, is a founding member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA) and is a member of both the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the International Advisory Board of the Christopher Isherwood Foundation.

If you have a script worthy of a Hollywood agent, this is the Screenwriters' Retreat you must attend.  Ken will be looking for exciting new talent at the festival.

A student from Cincinnati at the RetreatZak from Cincinnati works on a class assignment.  He has been a returning Screenwriters' Retreat student and now resides in Los Angeles.


EIFF SCREENWRITERS’ RETREAT

2009 CLASS SCHEDULE – Oct 9 - Oct 11

PRESENTED BY TOM SAWYER & KEN SHERMAN

SESSION #1 – Friday Evening – Oct 9 – 6 – 8 PM

First Period 6 – 6:50 PM
INTRODUCTION/ORIENTATION:
A. Introduction of students & instructors
B. Course goals.

1. Learn basics – the need to pitch well.
2.The changing realities of the marketplace.
3. Get a LOCK on your screenplay, on what it is you’re writing.

Second Period 7 – 8 PM
WORKSHOP:
A. In class, students write one 1-3 sentence story idea/logline.
B. Students expand each into one paragraph.
C. Both the single sentence and paragraph will be discussed in this and/or next class meeting.
ASSIGNMENT:
Students who have presented the above write a one or two-page synopsis – and/or one-paragraph descriptions of each of your major characters.

SESSION #2 – Saturday Morning – Oct 10 – 9 AM – Noon
First Period – 9 – 9:40 AM
PRESENT/CRITIQUE ASSIGNMENTS: Ken & Tom
Second Period – 9:50 – 10:40 AM
Tom:
STORY STRUCTURE – BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES & ENDINGS:
A. Basic three-act structure.
 B. First act:
1. Setting up your story
2. The importance of grabbing the audience
3. Characterization - introduction - exposition - peeling the onion
4. Conflict
5. Where to start - don't begin too early
6. The "what-is-it?"C. Scene structure1. Length
2. Dynamic
3. Button
Third Period – 10:50 – 11:40 AM

Ken:

FINDING AN AGENT

Pitching your work – and yourself.

Fourth Period – 11:40 – Noon
Personal Meetings with Ken or Tom
ASSIGNMENT:
Write a two-three page dialogue scene.

SESSION #3 – Sunday Morning – Oct 11 – 9 AM – Noon

First Period – 9 – 9:40 AM
PRESENT/CRITIQUE ASSIGNMENTS (roles played by students): Ken & Tom
Second Period – 9:50 – 10:40 AM
Tom:
CHARACTERS
A. Character creation1. Arc
2. Goals/motivationa. What do they need?
b. What do they want?3. Color
4. Exposition
5. IntroductionB. Motivating the plot by building conflict into character mix
C. Protagonist
D. Antagonist
E. Secondary characters
F. Minor characters

Third Period – 10:50 – 11:40 AM

Ken:

THE BUSINESS of Writing for Publishing, Film and TelevisionWhat you need to break in and stay in! 
Fourth Period – 11:40 – Noon
Ken or Tom:
Summation/Questions/Discussion
No Host Lunch with Ken & Tom


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