On The Page

It’s time for the annual On the Page logline competition!  Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.

Filmmaker Pooja Parvati Gupta’s experience in reality shows turned out to be excellent narrative training for creating compelling scripted stories. Hear how she made the choice to move from one to the other and how personal experience impacts her storytelling.

Writer Alan Jenkins created 1/6, a comic book based on the “what-ifs” of a successful insurrection. Now, he’s seeing many of those imagined scenarios play out in real time. Here he talks about the ways that comic books have taken political stands over the years and gives guidelines for writers to help them be more empathetic in their writing and creative workplace. 

Writer Aaron Kozak was a winner at the Austin Screenwriting Festival this year and a finalist in two other categories! Here he talks about the many ideas he’s put on the page, his ability to write a lot of material very fast and how moving away from Los Angeles has made him a better writer.

Virgil Williams, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Mudbound, talks about his latest feature film, an adaptation of the August Wilson playThe Piano Lesson, produced by Denzel Washington and directed by Malcolm Washington.

When actor/writer Mia Serafino was given the opportunity to audition for the Netflix show Beef, she knew this was a script worthy of changing her Christmas plans. Here she talks about what speaks to her in scripts and how this has informed her own journey as a writer.

Lynn Renee Maxcy, writer for The Handmaid’s Tale and The Complex talks about her love of sci-fi and speculative fiction where, no matter how dark it seems, a story can always provide hope.

Screenwriters Rafael Aguilo and Neal Thibedeau have written more than ten projects over the past four years and Pilar thinks they need their big break! Here they talk about their favorite projects and their style of collaboration.

Producer Kim Zubick (Togo, The Zookeepers Wife) emphasizes the need for emotion in verbal pitches, pitch-decks and sizzle reels.

Filmmaker and marketing specialist Chris Brennan discusses ways that screenwriters can market themselves and their work by creating a new mindset, thinking about how they can “add value” and strategizing their social media and e-mails in more effective ways.

Writer/Director/Professor Shahari Moore draws from her “well" of experience and knowledge as she writes personal stories that grab the attention of industry and writers labs.

Adrian Colón Jr went from being a Wayans fan to working in the writers room with them on the new CBS show Poppa’s House. Hear what he learned as he went from Writers PA to CBS Fellow to working writer.

Actress, director, writer Tiffany Yvonne Cox (Reasonable Doubt, Napa Ever After) talks about the work she does on screen, on the page and behind the scenes to improve artists' lives and "expose the world one story at a time."

How do you write a character over 50? By writing them as a superhero. From their secret lair to their Kryptonite, Pilar gives a tip-packed lesson in writing mature characters.

From working in development for Ivan Reitman to writing short stories and making the Love List with her feature film, Victoria Male has done it all. Here she shares a wealth of information including her unique take on IP and the secret skills that come with being a “fan girl." 

Director Elliott Lester returns to talk about how a gender swap and involvement by Peter Dinklage brought him to his latest project, The Thicket. 

Career coach Lee Jessup discusses Hollywood’s current “contraction” and suggests that it might ultimately result in a positive outcome.

Writer/Director Tracie Laymon turned a painful truth into an award-winning independent feature. Hear how she conceived, wrote, directed and produced Bob Trevino Likes It, earning the jury prize for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival. 

Writer James “Doc” Mason digs into the elements of the logline as discussed in his book, Mastering the Logline: How To Excite Hollywood in a Single Sentence.

From getting stuck in a Zoom room to working in hospice, everything that writer Lauren Glover (Chicago Med, Fight Night) thought was an obstacle, came full circle to help her in her writing career.