A recap of the 2009 Screenwriting Expo, contributed by Minnesota screenwriter Justen Overlander.

Literary agent Victoria Wisdom asked a roomful of aspiring screenwriters how many were based in the Los Angeles area.  Surprisingly, not even half the room raised their hands.  Of the numerous keyboard tappers I met at the 2009 Screenwriting Expo, only a handful called La La Land home.

At least three of us were escaping an unseasonably cool Gopher State October.  Scott LaFortune and Marcy Grams were visiting the Screenwriting Expo for the second time while the 2009 event was my first foray into the premiere gathering for screenwriters from across the globe.

I went primarily to network and, generally speaking, I think I succeeded.  While I didn’t come away with a development deal or an imminent production lead, I met many passionate screenwriters, actors, directors, producers, and teachers, all with the same goal – to make movies.  Time will tell if these new connections will grow into friendships or business pairings, but for one long weekend I was surrounded by hundreds of like-minded individuals, each with sympathetic ears and analogous battle stories of their own.

Classes and panel discussion offerings were varied in content.  From craft to business to breaking in, all aspects of screenwriting were covered.  I chose a track of business classes hoping to better equip myself for scaling the wall built to keep neophytes out of the Hollywood dominion.  Several instructors had authored books I’ve read and another hosts the best screenwriting podcast out there – On the Page with Pilar Alessandra.

Justen Overlander with “On the Page” podcast host, Pilar Alessandra

Screenwriting godfather, William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride), headlined a weekend that included discussions with Monty Python co-founder John Cleese, Transformers screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, and Shane Black, who, at age 23, sold his first screenplay, Lethal Weapon, for $250,000.  While it’s easy to be star-struck by people who have told Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Mel Gibson what to say and do, the admiration I have for these surprisingly humble, generous individuals is for their accomplishments in a field in which I hope to emulate their success.

One popular draw of the Screenwriting Expo is the Golden Pitch Event in which a writer is sold five minutes to wow a representative from Hollywood agencies and production companies including Creative Artists Agency, Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros among others.  I offered four pitches and received positive feedback from each representative to whom I pitched, though none requested any material beyond contact information on the spot.  According to instructor Michael Hauge, whose pitch class I took before pitching, nobody sells a screenplay at a pitch-fest.  Still, the chance to speak face to face instead of through a query letter is worth the price in my opinion.

Scott LaFortune had this to say about the Golden Pitch Event: “2008 was all about selling, and I failed miserably – 51 pitches in two days; nothing but blank stares in return.  This year, I didn’t pitch once.”  Scott instead focused on classes and soaking up the atmosphere and now feels better prepared to handle the tumultuous business side of screenwriting.

While Marcy Grams did not bring a project of her own to pitch, she was more than satisfied with the classes she took on the craft of screenwriting and especially directing.  She was particularly impressed with sessions led by Jim Pasternak, head of the directing program at the Los Angeles Film School.  “He teaches hands-on and has mastered constructive criticism,” Marcy applauds.  “I didn’t want his classes to end!”

While Scott, Marcy, and I had different agendas at the 2009 Screenwriting Expo, we were beyond pleased with our experiences.  As William Goldman reminded a packed auditorium, the entertainment landscape is changing now more than ever, and not necessarily for the better.  Our job as screenwriters, directors, actors, and producers is to stay ahead of the curve.  It may be more difficult than ever to break in to the industry, but it is impossible without continually educating ourselves.  If my pocketbook allows, I will continue my education at the 2010 Screenwriting Expo.

For more information about the Screenwriting Expo, visit screenwritingexpo.com or creativescreenwriting.com.

Justen Overlander can be contacted at writerjusten@yahoo.com.  Get details about each session he attended at the 2009 Screenwriting Expo at Justen’s blog: mn2la.blogspot.com.

Tags: 2009 Screenwriting Expo, Golden Pitch Event, Justen Overlander, Minnesotan screenwriters, Pilar Alessandra, Screenwriting Expo, screenwriting Minnesota, William Goldman

This post was written by Rebecca Collins, Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Events, Headlines, Screenwriting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.