SUNSET SCRIPT WEEKEND IN CHICAGO
Shane Black and Dan Decker
Palak Patel
Brett Forbes, Rebecca Green, Chris Mills
Day One
Shane Black
Trevor Wilson
Palak Patel "Do's and Don'ts of Pitching"
Chris Sablan, Trevor Wilson, Chris Mills, George Heller
Palak Patel and Chris Mills at the Screenwriter Mixer
SUNSET SCRIPT WEEKEND IN CHICAGO
This 2-day event is geared primarily for writers and idea people. Sunset Script is bringing ten top literary agents, managers, and heads of production companies to Chicago for two days of seminars, panels, and one-on-one pitch sessions. The Illinois Film Office is sponsoring the event that will take place in the State building in downtown Chicago on the corner of LaSalle and Randolph.
We will also present a top industry consultant and nationally-recognized screenplay instructor who will offer seminars on how to prepare yourself and your idea to meet with the LA speakers.
The weekend includes writing seminars that will tell how to organize and present ideas for the movies. These will include the fundamentals of movie storytelling and practice pitching. There will be a seminar on the dos and don'ts of pitching to industry professionals.
We will have a representative from the Writers Guild of America, East there to talk about how professional writing contracts work for the movies, what writers get paid, and what you can expect to encounter as a new writer.
The agents, managers, and company heads will present two panels where they will talk about who they are, what they do, what they are looking for, what they are not looking for, and so forth, to give you a chance to get to know them before you talk to them.
Sunday afternoon will be an open pitching session, where everyone in the audience will have a chance to speak individually with every guest speaker. You will be free to pitch your screenplays and ideas, ask for contact information, form relationships, and build your own LA network of industry contacts.
Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from this event will go to benefit the Writers Guild Foundation.
SPONSORS:
GUEST SPEAKERS: *
Shane Black
Writer, Director and Producer
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout
Dan Decker // Author of Anatomy of a Screenplay
Palak Patel // Spring Creek Pictures
Steve Longi // Permut Presentations
Rebecca Green // Lionsgate
Trevor Engelson // Underground Management
George Heller // Foursight
Sean Stevenson // Writers Guild of America, East
Mary Viola // Thunder Road Productions
Brett Forbes // Fortress Entertainment
Chris Mills // Magnet Management
Chris Sablan // Original Artists
SCHEDULE FOR WEEKEND: *
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11
9-9:30 Welcoming talk by the Film Office
Get your entry forms for the upcoming Illinois/Chicago Screenwriting Competition and all the information you will need to have a chance to enter and win. Learn what is coming to Chicago in the near future, courtesy of the professionals in your Film Offices.
9:30-10:30 Forming and Polishing Your Movie Idea with Dan Decker
An idea is a pile of bricks, but buyers buy houses. Learn how to structure an idea to get the most out of if for a movie; discover the most common mistakes of screenwriters; see how to conceive a story pitch based on your ideas (for you to use at tomorrow¹s pitch sessions)
10:30-12 Dos and Don¹ts of Pitching Palak Patel
The dos and don'ts of personal presentation in LA. Once you get the big meeting, make sure you don't embarrass yourself and lose your chance to make a sale by saying or doing something stupid. Practice your pitch and prepare to meet one-on-one with the guests after lunch.
BREAK
12-1:30 Lunch
An ample midday break occurs to give you time to network with other attendees and attend to needs such as lunch. Lunch is not provided; you are free to take advantage of the local restaurants.
1:30-2:30 Panel: Production Companies
Hear what the likely buyers of your work have to say about their priorities, the demands of the marketplace, how and why they buy what they buy. We bring in executives that are most likely to buy the work of new writers. Panel includes: Palak Patel, Spring Creek Pictures; Rebecca Green, Lionsgate Films; Brett Forbes, Fortress Entertainment; Mary Viola, Thunder Road Productions; Steve Longi, Permut Presentations.
BREAK
3-5 SHANE BLACK
A true legend and one of the most interesting individuals in Hollywood today, Shane Black revolutionized the action movie genre in his early twenties with his first spec script, Lethal Weapon. He has gone on to demonstrate his unique voice in films that include The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. He has particularly brilliant insights into the process of writing and the mind of the writer.
7-? Party at the Allegro Hotel
It¹s a social evening at the Allegro Hotel, around the corner at 171 W Randolph. A no-host bar will slake your thirsts and attendees and speakers will be in and around the hotel all evening. Please join us.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
9-10:30 The Writers Guild of America Sean Stevenson
You can join this Guild when you have arrived in the professional writing ranks, but what does that entail? Learn the details of how their script registration service works, how and when you can join the Guild, and how they work to protect you. The new ³low budget² contract is making membership more attainable for new screenwriters and Mr. Stevenson will explain it all for you.
BREAK
11-12 Panel: Agents and Managers
Writer Reps will discuss what they do and how they choose those for whom they do it. This panel is required knowledge for anyone who wants to get started in the professional world of screenwriting. Trevor Engelson, Underground Management; George Heller, FourSight Entertainment; Chris Mills, Magnet Management; Chris Sablan, Original Artists.
12-1 Lunch
An ample midday break occurs to give you time to network with other attendees and attend to needs such as lunch. Lunch is not provided; you are free to take advantage of the local restaurants.
1-5 Pitch Sessions and Networking
After you have listened to the speakers on the panels, you are now free to sit down one-on-one with the Industry people of your choice to ask questions, pitch movie ideas and scripts, get to know them personally, etc. We also provide an open forum for the Seminar Participants to network with each other, so you can hook up with like-minded individuals in the your area.
5 Award Presentation
³Hollywood Comes to Chicago: Screenwriters Expo 2006² will present the American Airlines Emerging Writer Award to the pitch we have determined to be the most effective. The winner will receive gifts that include one round trip ticket to Los Angeles (restrictions apply).
*subject to change
