Category: Film

Stephens College MFA Alumni Chase Thompson and Michael Burke Talk About Their MFA Experience on the Starcatcher Podcast [Audio Except]

In this clip from a recent Starcatcher podcast film professor (and MFA alum) and host – Chase Thompson – interviews Tech Theatre professor (and MFA alum) Michael Blake about their time as MFA candidates in our Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting program. 

They both mention the great feedback they received from their writing mentors, which made me thankful for the dedication of the many marvelous mentors in our program. Then the part that made me smile the most… They each reflected on how important it was in the History of Screenwriting courses to learn about all the female screenwriters who founded Hollywood and how often those women were left out of mainstream histories of the era.

It’s a very powerful example of how history takes time — and deep research — or someone(s) will be left out.

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Stephens College MFA Alumni Chase Thompson and Michael Burke Talk About Their MFA Experience on the Starcatcher Podcast [Audio Except]

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Join me for a conversation with Stephens College’s Director of Production, Michael Burke. A former graduate of the Stephens Theatre program, Michael talks about his path to production, his background, why Theatre majors are so good at saying thank you, and his predictions on where the road Theater is heading after the pandemic is over.

Listen to this excerpt

Listen to the entire Starcatcher Podcast Episode

Related posts:

  1. Listen to “Between the Sheets: Writing About Sex on TV” from the Writers Guild Foundation and Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting [Audio]
  2. Listen to the latest “How I Wrote That” Podcast with Screenwriter Laura Brennan from Most Likely to Die, and Faux Baby. [Audio]
  3. Screenwriter Jennifer Maisel from The March Sisters at Christmas, and Tempting Fate from the How I Wrote That Podcast [Audio]
  4. Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Alumni, Sahar Jahani, Interviewed in Voyage LA Magazine
  5. Listen to the latest “How I Wrote That” Podcast with Screenwriter Julie Hébert from ‘American Crime’ and ‘Man in the High Castle’

Directing on the page…On Screenwriting – 7 in a series

Directing on the page...On Screenwriting - 7 in a series

 

Some like to teach that writers shouldn’t “direct on the page.”

But in fact, most of the screenwriters who sell and win Oscars are people whose voice on the page is recognizable.

Those are the screenplays that sell because a person at a studio has to read the script and envision the movie. If they don’t see it, they don’t buy it.

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Related posts:

  1. 48 Directing On The Page from Why Researching Screenwriters Has Always Mattered [Video] (1 minute 3 seconds)
  2. 46 Screenplays As Literature from Why Researching Screenwriters Has Always Mattered [Video] (1 minute)
  3. 35 Subtitles Are No Longer Scary from Why Researching Screenwriters Has Always Mattered [Video] (1 minute 5 seconds)
  4. 24 Studios and “Work For Hire” from Why Researching Screenwriters (has Always) Mattered [Video] (1 minute 10 seconds)
  5. Text of Rosanne’s Keynote at 10th Screenwriter Stories Seminar: Screenplay-X at the Université Presbytériènne Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil.

A Woman Wrote That – 14 in a series – The Birdcage (1996) Wr: Elaine May

This new “A Woman Wrote That” post is an echo of the Writers Guild campaign of a few years ago (“A Writer Wrote That”) where they noted famous movie quotes and credited the screenwriter rather than the director.  The difference here being that we will be posting lines from films written by female screenwriters.  Feel free to share! — Rosanne

AGADOR

“My guatemalaness. My natural heat. You’re afraid I’m too primitive to perform with your little estrogen Rockettes.”

Related posts:

  1. A Woman Wrote That – 11 in a series – Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
  2. A Woman Wrote That – 10 in a series – When Harry Met Sally (1989) by Nora Ephron
  3. A Woman Wrote That – 13 in a series – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  4. A Woman Wrote That – 12 in a series – Private Benjamin (1980) by Nancy Meyers
  5. A Woman Wrote That – 9 in a series – Klondike Annie by Mae West (1936)

Event: ScriptChat with Dr. Rosanne Welch – Sunday, February 14, 2021 – 4PM PDT

I’m pleased to have been invited to be the guest on the weekly Twitter show #Scriptchat, hosted by editor Jeanne Veillette Bowerman.

On Sunday Februrary 14th at 4pm PDT we’ll be talking about behavior in a writers room, and the benefits of having an MFA in TV and Screenwriting.

If you haven’t checked in with their shows you should know that #Scriptchat brings the guests to the party so you can learn in a free, unbiased and respectful platform. Their #1 goal is to thoroughly enjoy spending an hour together every Sunday with writers working hard to improve and succeed, and they’re proud to have accomplished that time and time again, since 2009! – Rosanne

Event: ScriptChat with Dr. Rosanne Welch – Sunday, February 14, 2021 - 4PM PDT

ScriptChat with Dr. Rosanne Welch – Sunday, February 14, 2021

Wednesday, February 10, 2021
At 4 PM PDT – 5 PM PDT
TOPIC: Working in / behavior in a writers room, & benefits of having an MFA #WritingCommunity

@RosanneWelch – ##screenwriter, TV writer, novelist & Exec Dir, @stephenscollege MFA In TV & #Screenwriting

Engage via TwChat

Engage via TChat.io

Related posts:

  1. Event: Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Open House – Wednesday, February 10, 2021
  2. Panel Discussion: Act Two: Transitioning to TV Writing from Other Careers – Wed, January 13, 2021 – 4pm PST – RSVP Today!
  3. Event: Stephens MFA in TV and Screenwriting Online Open House – Wednesday, November 18, 2020 – 4pm PST
  4. 02 About Dr. Rosanne Welch from Why Researching Screenwriters (has Always) Mattered – Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (1 minute 12 seconds)
  5. Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival Script Breakdown Session with Dr. Rosanne Welch and Dawn Comer Jefferson – Sunday, October 25, 2020

Event: Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Open House – Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Wednesday, February 10, 2021
At 4 PM PDT – 5 PM PDT
 
Register Now

Explore the low-residency MFA in TV + Screenwriting with Executive Director Dr. Rosanne Welch. Our mission is to increase the impact of women and other under-represented voices in television and film. Our faculty and mentors include some of the best working writers in Hollywood, and our curriculum includes an in-depth look at the business side of TV and screenwriting.

Register Now

Related posts:

  1. Event: Stephens MFA in TV and Screenwriting Online Open House – Wednesday, November 18, 2020 – 4pm PST
  2. Event: Stephens MFA in TV and Screenwriting Online Open House – Thursday, April 23, 2020
  3. Learn More About the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting with this Open House Session [Video]
  4. Master Class On Writing with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Mentor, Valerie Woods
  5. A Photographic February for Stephens MFA in TV and Screenwriting

A Woman Wrote That – 13 in a series – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

This new “A Woman Wrote That” post is an echo of the Writers Guild campaign of a few years ago (“A Writer Wrote That”) where they noted famous movie quotes and credited the screenwriter rather than the director.  The difference here being that we will be posting lines from films written by female screenwriters.  Feel free to share! — Rosanne

A Woman Wrote That - 13 in a series - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

PRINCESS LEIA

Why, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking… nerf-herder.

Related posts:

  1. A Woman Wrote That – 12 in a series – Private Benjamin (1980) by Nancy Meyers
  2. A Woman Wrote That – 11 in a series – Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
  3. A Woman Wrote That – 10 in a series – When Harry Met Sally (1989) by Nora Ephron
  4. A Woman Wrote That – 9 in a series – Klondike Annie by Mae West (1936)
  5. A Woman Wrote That: “It’s A Wonderful Life”, Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett – 1 in a series

People are beginning to read screenplays as literature…

People are beginning to read screenplays as literature...

 

One of the biggest things that makes me so excited is people are beginning to read screenplays as literature.

The script isn’t just a blueprint. We’re going to read the action lines, the dialogue, and we’re going to hear the voice of the writer in a way that we can’t on screen.

 

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Related posts:

  1. 46 Screenplays As Literature from Why Researching Screenwriters Has Always Mattered [Video] (1 minute)
  2. At the ‘She Called Action’ 35 Pilot Table Read Contest
  3. Table read of “Kismet” by Amelia Phillips by A Table Read with Greenhouse Theater Project via Instagram
  4. Table read of “Kismet” by Amelia Phillips by A Table Read with Greenhouse Theater Project via Instagram
  5. Good crowd table read of “Kismet” by Amelia Phillips by A Table Read with Greenhouse Theater Project via Instagram

The Civil War On Film – 16 in a series – As a producer interested in maximizing his profits, Selznick worked hard to head off any possible protest.

The Civil War On Film - 16 in a series - As a producer interested in maximizing his profits, Selznick worked hard to head off any possible protest.

As a producer interested in maximizing his profits, Selznick worked hard to head off any possible protest. The NAACP took issue with the use of the n-word in the book, so the script used the word “freedmen” instead. Selznick also conceded to veterans of the Union army. In the book, Scarlett shoots one of Sherman’s soldiers after he menaces her with rape. In the film the soldier becomes a deserter who was going against Sherman’s orders to not harm citizens on the March to the Sea.

Movies profiled in this book:

Related posts:

  1. The Civil War On Film – 5 in a series – “In our Civil War we didn’t fight outsiders…”
  2. The Civil War On Film – 14 in a series – “Yet Mitchell created a heroine who never glorified the “Lost Cause” the way other characters in the movie did”
  3. The Civil War On Film – 12 in a series – Reformer Jane Addams condemned the film as ahistorical and prejudiced…
  4. The Civil War On Film – 6 in a series – “…the so-called Irrepressible Conflict.”
  5. The Civil War On Film – 15 in a series – “…a Civilization gone with the wind.”

A Woman Wrote That – 12 in a series – Private Benjamin (1980) by Nancy Meyers

This new “A Woman Wrote That” post is an echo of the Writers Guild campaign of a few years ago (“A Writer Wrote That”) where they noted famous movie quotes and credited the screenwriter rather than the director.  The difference here being that we will be posting lines from films written by female screenwriters.  Feel free to share! — Rosanne

A Woman Wrote That - 12 in a series - Private Benjamin (1980) by Nancy Meyers

JUDY

Look at this place. The army couldn’t afford drapes?

Related posts:

  1. A Woman Wrote That – 8 in a series – Something’s Gotta Give by Nancy Meyers (2003)
  2. A Woman Wrote That – 9 in a series – Klondike Annie by Mae West (1936)
  3. A Woman Wrote That – 11 in a series – Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
  4. A Woman Wrote That – 10 in a series – When Harry Met Sally (1989) by Nora Ephron
  5. A Woman Wrote That: “It’s A Wonderful Life”, Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett – 1 in a series

Dr. Rosanne Welch Speaks On “An Introduction to the Women of Early TV: There are More Women than Lucy to Love“ for the American Women Writers National Museum [Virtual via Zoom]

I’m thrilled to have been asked to make a presentation for the American Women Writers National Museum (AWWNM) on the topic of “An Introduction to the Women of Early TV: There are More Women than Lucy to Love“.  I’ll be discussing the groundbreaking work of women from Gertrude Berg (one of the first women to create, write, produce and star in a long-running hit — The Goldbergs) to D.C. Fontana (Star Trek).    — RMW Rosanne Signature for Web

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RSVP Today! 
Email AWWNM1@gmail.com

Wed Feb 10, 2021 noon-12:45 EDT

“An Introduction to the Women of Early TV: There are More Women than Lucy to Love“

Sponsored by: American Women Writers National Museum

Time & Place: noon-12:45 p.m. EDT / 9 AM PDT via Zoom

All AWWNM programs are now via Zoom until further notice. Invitations are sent via email to AWWNM’s mailing list. RSVPS are REQUIRED in order to receive a link to a specific program. If you would like an invitation, email request to AWWNM1@gmail.com.

Dr. Rosanne Welch, Executive Director of the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting, Author, Historian and Book Reviews editor of the Journal of Screenwriting will profile pioneer women who created, produced and worked on many of America’s most wildly popular early TV Programs. 

“My goal is to rescue these talented women from historical oblivion”, she said.

Some of the women writers she will discuss are:

  • Lucille Ball (1911-1989) of “I Love Lucy” fame, who also ran Desilu production company and greenlighted the blockbuster Star Trek productions.
  • Treva Silverman (1936- ) winner of two Emmy awards for the brilliant comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
  • D.C. Fontana (Dorothy Catherine) Fontana (1939-2019) a story editor of Star Trek
  • Leigh Brackett (1915-1878) known as “Queen of the Space Opera” who wrote on or worked on timeless films: The Big Sleep (1946), Rio Bravo (1959), The Long Goodbye (1973) and The Empire Strike Back (1980).
  • Peg Lynch (1915-2015) She wrote about 11,000 scripts for radio and TV

Related posts:

  1. Watch Dr. Rosanne Welch on What Is a Western? Interview Series: When Women Wrote Westerns from the Autry Museum of the American West [Video] (27 minutes)
  2. 40 Madelyn Pugh and I Love Lucy from “When Women Wrote Hollywood” with Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (54 seconds)
  3. 07 African-American Writers In History from When Women Write Horror with Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (53 seconds)
  4. 01 Introduction from There And Back Again: Writing and Developing for American Television]: from Freelancing to Writers Rooms [Video] (1 minute)
  5. 01 Introduction from When Women Write Horror with Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (1 minute 18 seconds)