I Finished My Script—Now What?
Congratulations on finishing the first draft! Now it’s time to take the vital steps that separate decent drafts from the ones that actually break through and take your career to the next level.
In "I Finished My Script—Now What?” Timothy Michael Cooper shares the insights earned during his decades-long career, teaching you how to interpret and incorporate feedback, find the true heart of the story, focus your rewrites,cut away characters and scenes that aren’t pulling their weight, and build strategic relationships to get your script into the right hands.
You’ll learn:
- Top 10 differences between scripts that break through and those that don’t
- Step-by-step tools to ready your screenplay for demanding executives/judges
- High-concept principles to make your story an undeniable page-turner, no matter what the budget or genre
- Introduce your lead in a way that immediately grabs readers’ attention
- Give readers exactly what they want (but never expected)
- When and how to use The Black List and similar contests, fellowships, and sites
- Expand your industry network and get amazing meetings—organically
After this class, you’ll have all the tools to transform your script into its most compelling version, as well as a clear strategy to get your work seen by those who can actually move it forward.
Finding the Ritual That Will Get You Writing
You want to write but you haven’t actually started. You write for a few days or even weeks but can’t keep it consistent. You’ve written in the past, fell off the writing-train, and can’t figure out why it’s so darn hard to get back on track. You’d love to get writing but you don’t have the time. (Spoiler alert… you do.)
In this symposium, Script Pipeline winning filmmaker and meditation teacher, Erin Cantelo, will guide you through a variety of habit-forming tools to find your own personal ritual to get writing consistently.
As someone who once hated the writing process herself, she will help you discover ways to get past the discomfort and even fall in love with the process in a way that works for you and your schedule.
Come with an open mind, ready to explore, reflect, and get curious in order to unlock your inherent potential as a writer, creator, and captain of your own life.
Your stories deserve to be told. And you deserve the opportunity to create a routine to do just that.
What you’ll get:
- Specific tools to help get your writing habit started.
- Ways to keep your writing momentum going.
- Tools to get unstuck. (For when you inevitably do. Don’t worry it’s a part of the process!)
- Practices to be kind, gentle, and loving to yourself throughout the whole process.
One-on-One: Explore Historical Fiction Writing with Adam Sikes
Writing historical fiction requires great amounts of research, understanding when to toss the facts in favor of fiction, and how to organize all of the voluminous files you'll collect.
Then there's the question every historical fiction writer asks ... When is it okay to fictionalize real, historical figures?
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman chats with novelist (and former CIA) Adam Sikes to dissect the processes they each use when writing their historical novels.
Join us for a casual conversation, including your questions, as they dive into the strategies that have helped them as well as the challenges of bringing history to life in a dynamic, and fictional way.
One-on-One with Professional Screenwriter Corey Mandell
Corey Mandell has long been considered one of the best screenwriting instructors in the industry. Jeanne should know ... she's taken his classes.
She will chat with Corey, diving into essentials that every screenwriter needs to know, including what it takes to launch your career in the current marketplace. Plus, we'll sprinkle your questions into the conversation.
As always, our events are recorded for all who register, but if you want a shot at getting your question answered, please attend the live event!
About Corey:
Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written projects for Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Family, Working Title, Paramount, Live Planet, Beacon Films, Touchstone, Trilogy, Radiant, Kopelson Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures.
Corey is also a distinguished instructor at UCLA and teaches highly sought-after Zoom workshops offering cutting edge training to writers across the world.
Over 3,500 of his graduates have launched careers by selling spec scripts, getting staffed on top TV shows, writing hit movies, even winning Academy Awards.
Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting for Writers
To get what you want, you need to know what you want. Setting the foundation for your writing goals is key. Whether you’re starting a new project, finishing a manuscript, building your author platform, or figuring out your next steps, having clarity and a game plan will help you move forward.
Hosted by goal strategist, author, and The Book Proposal Expert Debra Eckerling, this session will introduce you to The DEB Method®, her system for goal-setting simplified. DEB stands for Determine Your Mission, Explore Your Options, and Brainstorm Your Path. Writers will define their goals, prioritize projects, and create a plan to turn their vision into reality.
During this session, you will:
- Create a targeted visualization for your goals
- Write current and future bios
- Create a mission statement and motto
- Set - and prioritize - personal and professional goals
- Discover strategies for focus, productivity, boundaries, wellbeing, and more.
Whether you are just starting out, working on a current project, or planning your next chapter, this workshop will set you up for success for the new year and beyond.
How a Book Becomes a Movie: What Authors and Screenwriters Need to Know
The filmmaking business is complex and baffles many—even those working in it. The reality is, there is no single way to get a film made. But there’s no question that Hollywood loves adapting intellectual property. The more authors and screenwriters understand the different adaptation paths, the better their odds of success.
One major hurdle is the overabundance of scammers looking to exploit an author's dream of getting their work published or produced—making them a perfect target. But the best way to protect yourself is to understand how the book-to-film process works and how to identify a scam when you see one.
As a screenwriter, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman has adapted other author’s work, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, and she’s also worked closely with authors, guiding them on how to navigate Hollywood. She’ll dive deep into the processes to help writers come to the negotiation table well-informed.
What we'll cover:
- The common paths of book-to-film
- A checklist of pitch materials an author actually needs
- How to recognize a scam when you see one
- The differences between option and shopping agreements
- How book-to-film rights get sold
- How the process works if you’re self-published or unagented
- A case study and other out-of-the-box paths
- Benefits (and warning signs) of book contests
- Tips for authors and screenwriters collaborating together
- How writing partnerships work
- Writing tips on how to adapt a book to screenplay
Who would benefit from this session?
- Authors who are looking to sell their book-to-film rights.
- Screenwriters who want to adapt books.
- Authors who want to understand the filmmaking process.
- Authors who are afraid of getting scammed.
- Writers looking for resources to learn the business.
- Authors wanting to maximize the success of their novels.
- Screenwriters and authors who want to challenge themselves to write in a different medium.
Professional Screenplay Formatting and Structure
Formatting and structure are vital to every screenplay because they instantly announce your readiness to be taken seriously as a screenwriter. Whether you’re writing a feature, short, or TV pilot, nailing these crucial elements dramatically increases your chances of getting your script read and sold.
In “Professional Screenplay Formatting & Structure,” Timothy Cooper will walk you through everything he wishes he’d known when he started: the principles behind why formatting matters, his tried-and-true steps to building your story from logline to outline to script, and exactly what differentiates professional pages from amateur ones.
You’ll learn:
- The 5 vital templates you need to outline every film or TV show
- Write an unforgettable introduction to your protagonist
- Top new formatting conventions and changes you need to know
- 7 first-page red flags to avoid at all costs
- Surprising pitfalls of using flashbacks, flash-forwards, and V.O.
- The simple naming trick to make any character stick in our minds
- Why the emotional journey is all-important—and how formatting can take us there
After this class, you’ll understand what you can and can’t mess with when it comes to professional script formatting, solid structure for pilots and features, writing clear yet subtextual dialogue, and creating propulsively powerful scenes that'll get you past the gatekeepers.
Screenwriting Essentials: Improving the Read
Professional screenwriter Tom Vaughan (Winchester, starring Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren) shares critical advice to elevate your writing to a more pro level.
It’s called “A good read.”
It’s when a reader’s eyes glide down the page of a screenplay in an easy, emotional flow.
It’s when a reader sits down to read a screenplay and doesn’t get up until they’re finished.
It’s when the screenplay focuses on the emotional experience rather than the technical one.
And it’s the difference between a good story being easier to identify and one that gets buried in an avalanche of text.
Every screenwriter makes two choices. First, what actually happens in the story. And next, how to transfer those sounds and images to the reader through text.
"Improving The Read" focuses on that second one.
This presentation will cover:
- The actual goal of today’s spec screenplay.
- How to evoke shots without ever mentioning the camera.
- What writing “vertically” means and how to do it.
- What bad habits are strangling your reader’s experience.
- A rewrite of a scene in real-time.
- Q&A
What attendees have said ...
"It's given me a new way of thinking about how to write my action lines now I can see what I'm doing wrong and how I can improve. I'm energized!"
"This is such great screenwriting teaching! I just graduated from an MFA Creative Writing/Screenwriting program. What Tom is teaches is so much more than what I received in some of my classes."
"This was an amazing webinar. I learned so much. I need to really work on this to get rid of some of the bad habits that I've picked up over the years. Very sound advice. Thank you!"
"Excellent discussion and great examples. It became so clear and obvious after Tom explained and gave examples."
"Chock full of actionable advice. Presentation well organized."
"I really enjoyed and got a lot out of this. One of the better sessions I’ve attended."
Mistakes Comedy Writers Make and How to Fix Them
Comedy writers make a lot of mistakes. Like, they start writing before their lives are messed up just enough to begin. Or not using comedy writing for what it’s really intended—revenge. Or … heaven forbid, they start dating comedians.
This isn’t about that. We can talk about that over beer afterwards.
This session’s about the craft. The biggest mistakes in comedy scripts and how YOU can avoid them. For new and seasoned writers.
Some of the mistakes we’ll talk about…
1. Underdeveloped storyworld: Weak storyworld = weak jokes. We’ll learn to build a solid world that’ll cradle your characters, theme, and storylines.
2. Not character-led: Ignore your characters at your peril. We’ll go through the evil ways you can squeeze out all the juicy goodness and belly laughs from them.
3. They stop before it gets funny—Ouch. Yeah, this one hurts. But it’s true. We'll help you make your scripts one-jillion* percent funnier.
Want to know more? And hear the rest of the list? Come to the session.
You'll be able to avoid the mistakes that drive competition readers, development producers, script editors, and directors batshit crazy. And you'll make your writing a lot stronger.
*One jillion is not a guarantee.
Finding Your Niche: Buck Trends to Build a Career with Purpose
Most filmmakers are told to “stay open”: to write anything, direct anything, be everything. But in today’s industry, that approach often leads to a pile of scripts with nowhere to go.
In this Pipeline Symposium, writer/director Zach Bandler challenges the myth of the generalist filmmaker and makes the case for something far more effective: finding your niche. Drawing from his own shift into storytelling at the intersection of healthcare, empathy, and neuroscience, Zach will share how this evolution led to partnerships with medical institutions, an artist residency, and new pathways for funding and distribution outside traditional industry channels.
Zach will offer a practical framework for identifying the thematic lane you’re uniquely positioned to explore, and connecting that work to communities, institutions, and ecosystems that are actively seeking those stories.
Attendees will learn how to move beyond chasing traditional industry pathways and instead build a personal storytelling identity that attracts collaborators, funding, and audiences.
Because the goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to do something that only you can do, and build a career around it.
What attendees have said ...
"Substantive recommendations and specific advice. Very helpful, thanks so much!"
"I like Zach's approach and perspectives on establishing one's creative identity. It's helpful to me right now in solidifying mine."