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Background
ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATION
Since 2004, I've served as an analyst and consultant to writers and production companies from all over the world dedicated to helping them make their screenplays the best they can be. I've also served as judge and mentor for both the Humanitas Prize and UCLAx's Screenwriting Competition.
TEACHING
Cut To The Chase: Writing Feature Films With the Pros at UCLAx Writers' Program
Penguin Publishing. Authored Chapter 9 on the finer points of Scene-craft.
UCLA Extension Writers' Program. Continuing role as screenwriting instructor, teaching an extensive variety of courses covering the entire spectrum from Introductory to Advanced courses. Along with core course offerings, I created several courses based on particular expertise in the areas of Scene-craft, Revision and Structure. 2002-Present
UCLAx Writers Studio. Chosen as one of five screenwriting instructors to teach an eight-hour/four-day intensive course for one of the most prestigious educational events in screenwriting. 2007, 2008, 2018
Bazelevs Studio. Created and taught a 14-week course for this Moscow-based company headed by A-list feature director Timur Bekmambetov (Ben Hur, Wanted). Thanks to a cache of translators, twenty handpicked Russian and Kazakh professional writers in other disciplines learned the craft of screenwriting starting from the basics and ending with the advanced storytelling concepts for this medium. Spring-Summer 2010
WRITING
FEATURES:
Friedl. Original screenplay based on a true story. Flodyco Productions
Asylum. Paramount. Mace Neufeld Productions, Seven Arts. *Worldwide release in theaters 2005, starring Ian McKellen and Natasha Richardson.
Body and Soul. Fox 2000. The Zanuck Company.
The Wheat Field. Original screenplay.Leslie Weisberg, producer.
TELEVISION:
In Cold Blue Blood. USA Networks, Carlton International.
Bonnie and Clyde. CBS, Alliance Atlantis Entertainment.
Citizen Jane. CBS, Robert Greenwald Productions.
Candles on Bay Street. ABC, Von Zerneck/Sertner Productions.
The Ward. HBO, The Winer Company.
SHORT FICTION:
Valentine's Day. In the anthology The End: The Extinction Event, published by Jurassic London.
Belle Deeds. In the speculative fiction anthology: A Town Called Pandemonium, published by Pandemonium.
The Harvest. In the speculative fiction anthology: Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse, published by Pandamonium.
AWARDS AND MEMBERSHIP
Asylum was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear 2005 and won The Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas 2005 at the Berlin Film Festival.
Outstanding Online Instructor of the Year 2007
UCLA Extension Writers Program.
The Diane Thomas Award Winner for Best Screenplay, 1995. UCLA Extension in conjunction with Dreamworks, SKG for screenplay The Wheat Field.
Member: Writers’ Guild of America, since 1996.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The Groundlings Theater and School, 2023. completed the Core Track and Writing Lab. Wrote original comedy sketches and performed them on the Main Stage.
Master Degree in Professional Writing, 1996.
University of Southern California.
Certificate in Writing for Film and Television, 1995
University of California, Los Angeles.
Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1992.
Drew University, Madison, NJ. English Major/Writing Minor