SCREENWRITING WEEKEND

Screenwriting Weekend ~ September 19 & 20, 2008
Sponsored by Heritage Church & Pepperdine University

Act One, Inc. presents Act One Seminars - intensive, practical workshops for aspiring and professional writers who are serious about their Christian faith and who dream of creating culture that respects and enriches a global audience. These two-day seminars offer a fun, fast-paced overview of our renowned Writing Program, taught by Hollywood professionals.

Conference Details

September 19 ~ 1:00-10:00 pm
September 20 ~ 10:00 am-6:00 pm

Location: Heritage Church ~ 4801 44th St., Rock Island, IL 61201

Cost: $175 Early Bird Discount (ends August 1), $195 after August 1
Includes two days of instruction with Hollywood professionals, study materials, Saturday lunch, and admission to the Hollywood Insider Event.

Speakers: Dr. Thom Parham (JAG, Touched By An Angel)
Additional speakers to be confirmed

Registration open: NOW!

Website: www.actoneprogram.com


Conference Content

Our conferences were launched in response to requests from churches and individuals that we bring the content of our summer program to people who could not travel to Hollywood. Consequently, they are designed to provide an overview of our summer writing curriculum. You can visit our website for a more detailed account of course content; however, the basic conference schedule is as follows:


Weekend Workshop

*Finding Your Story - Choosing the right stories, understanding genre, the difference between a story and a character or premise, and what makes your story stand out from the others.

*The Big Structure Lecture - An overview of basic 3-act structure, illustrated through a breakdown of an epic motion picture.

*Formatting: The Basics - Industry standard script formatting, a discussion about scriptwriting software, submission do's and don’ts.

*Before Fade In: Loglines, Treatments, Beat Sheets, Outlines - An insider's look at the development process, and tips and tools for refining basic story ideas BEFORE starting to write.

*Pitching Workshop - Students learn pitching tips, work in small groups to complete a development assignment, and then participate in a pitching session with evaluation from Hollywood pros.

*Character and Dialogue - Instruction and inspiration for creating unforgettable characters and putting realistic, engaging words in their mouths.

*Haunting Moments: Truth In Film - The Act One hallmark! An intense look at storytelling from a biblical perspective, the parable approach, wrestling with good and evil on the page, the writer's responsibility to the audience, and time-tested principles for using the power of film to communicate "capital-T" Truth to the audience. Students learn by example from thought-provoking film clips, and the works of great Christian artists including Madeleine L'Engle, CS Lewis, Flannery O'Connor, JRR Tolkien - and history's greatest Storyteller, Jesus Christ. This is the cornerstone of our program.

*Breaking Into The Business - A frank dialogue between workshop participants and our faculty and staff members about the business of show business, what it takes to make it as a professional and as a Christian in Hollywood, and next steps for those who believe God is calling them to an entertainment industry career - plus, opportunities in other regions and markets, indie production, and media ministry.



Insider Event - Friday, September 19, 7:00-10:00 pm (Open to the public)

The Insider Event varies slightly in content based on current industry trends and the selection of our keynote speaker. However, audiences can anticipate the following -

*Greetings from the Church In Hollywood - A multi-media presentation about the Hollywood mission field, an introduction to various Hollywood ministries, and the surprising ways Christians can team with them to make a difference in their families, their communities, and the culture at large.

*A keynote address from a high profile Hollywood professional about the Truth in entertainment, redemptive storytelling, and the call to all Christians to positively influence popular culture.

*The Hollywood Insider Panel - a provocative, no-holds-barred, unrehearsed, "ask us anything, and we mean ANYTHING" Q&A panel about life and work on the world's most influential mission field featuring the Act One faculty and staff.