Stephens College – Page 40 – On Screenwriting and Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch

Power Of The Pack: Women Who Support Women Are More Successful via Forbes

Here’s a great Forbes article by Shelley Zalis that our Dean recently shared about the power of women supporting women in their professional worlds.

It illustrates ideas already in place within the alumni and current students in our Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting from “Finding your Squad” to “Amplifying other Women” to “Taking the ‘work’ our of ‘Networking’”. — Rosanne

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“When Women Wrote Hollywood” Book Signing, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Missouri

Credit: Chase Thompson (shot on real, black and white film)

How Women Wrote Hollywood Book Reading and Signing, Skylark Bookshop @skylarkbookshop , Columbia, Missouri during the Citizen Jane Film Festival

When Women Wrote Hollywood Book Reading and Signing, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Missouri

On Saturday, November 3rd, 2018 several of the contributors to When Women Wrote Hollywood gathered at the Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, Missouri for a signing and launch party that functioned like a mini-reunion of the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Class of 2017.

Many thanks to all who came to hear them each speak with passion about the research subjects who became whole chapters in this book of essays on female screenwriters from the Silent Era into the 1940s.

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The Big Bang Theory Writer/Producers Eric Kaplan and Tara Hernandez visit with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting students

It was a double-header for the 2nd year MFA candidates when they were visited by two writers from The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon on consecutive nights this week. On the first night, Eric Kaplan (also a former David Letterman staff writer) came at the invitation of student CJ Ehrlich.

On the second night, producer Tara Hernandez sat for an interview with Khanisha Foster for our How I Wrote That podcast.

We thank them both for sharing their expertise (and their humor) with the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting.

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Dr. Marissa Stevens consults on Egyptian History with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting students

On Saturday both Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting cohorts had the chance to work in teams on the concept of rebooting a show from the 1970s that involved the Egyptian goddess.

As any writer does, we invited a technical consultant – Dr. Marissa Stevens – to give the teams some historical background in the culture of ancient Egypt before they broke into groups to brainstorm their new ideas.

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Producer/Screenwriter Cindy Chupack on the “How I Wrote That” Podcast from the Stephens MFA in TV and Screenwriting Program [Podcast]

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Producer/Screenwriter Cindy Chupack on the “How I Wrote That” Podcast from the Stephens MFA in TV and Screenwriting Program [Podcast]

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Cindy Chupack has won two Emmys and three Golden Globes as TV writer/producer whose credits include “Sex and the City,” “Better Things,” “Divorce,” “Modern Family,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and most recently Showtime’s darkly comic hour “I’m Dying Up Here.” She is the author of two comic memoirs: the New York Times bestseller The Between Boyfriends Book: A Collection of Cautiously Hopeful Essays, and The Longest Date: Life as a Wife. Last year she directed her first episode of television for “I’m Dying Up Here,” and her first feature, OTHERHOOD, starring Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette, and Felicity Huffman. OTHERHOOD is a comedy Chupack co-wrote that premiered this week in select theaters and on Netflix.

“Write Like A Mother” Panel with the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting and hosted by the Writers Guild Foundation

On Friday, August 9th, I had the great pleasure of moderating a panel on working mom screenwriters for the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting and hosted by Writers Guild Foundation.

I thank them for being so honest and real about describing the way they balance the lives they love and the work they love. It’s never easy for any of us and sometimes that’s the best lesson of all. Though each of the writers talked about how the skills of being a mother are so perfectly attuned to the nurturing and multitasking required of showrunners in television.

We also learned about offices that have nurseries provided for their writing staff and the fact that, as with all things in life, moms have to make tough decisions between being on set when your pilot is filming or catching your 2nd grader’s talent show… But we also all admitted that it’s a privilege to make the stories that are watched by other people’s children – and to share stories with your own children all their lives. — Rosanne

From the Writers Guild Foundation…

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Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Workshop visits producer/writer Rob LaZebnik and The Simpsons writer’s room

A field trip to the writers room of The Simpsons served as yesterday’s highlight for the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Class of 2021.

Thanks to producer/writer Rob Lazebnik for showing our students around and explaining what makes a good Simpsons script – a story that involves the whole family, which is hard to come by after being on the air so many wonderful years…

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Alumni Screenwriter Sahar Jahani returns to share her screenwriting journey with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Workshop

Last night the Class of 2021 shared a treat – a visit by alum Sahar Jahani (Class of 2018)

Since graduation she has written episodes for Ramy on Hulu and landed on the staff of season 4 of 13 Reasons Why, while also adapting a YA novel into a film.

She credited the spec script she wrote under the mentorship of Jon Vandergriff for helping open doors.

Thanks, Sahar, for sharing your journey with us!

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Screenwriter/Producer Cindy Chupack Interviewed at Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Workshop for “How I Wrote That” Podcast

How much would you love to learn about the writing of an iconic episode of “Sex and the City”?

The Class of 2021 was treated to just that when guest Cindy Chupack, who has won two Emmys and three Golden Globes as a TV writer/producer, was interviewed in front of our students for the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting program’s “How I Wrote That” podcast, hosted by Khanisha Foster. (Episode coming soon!)

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Cari Beauchamp, Author of “Without Lying Down” at Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting

Can you name the first woman to win two Oscars for her writing?

The students of the newest cohort of our Stephens College MFA know the answer – Frances Marion – because the highlight of Day 2 of the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting workshop August Workshop was a visit by Cari Beauchamp, who wrote Marion’s biography: “Without Lying Down” and graciously contributed the Forward to “When Women Wrote Hollywood”.

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library