Austin Film Festival

2008 WRITERS RANCH UPDATE!

The Writers' Ranch seeks to advance the careers of aspiring screenwriters through intensive study with industry professionals, increase public awareness of screenwriting and filmmaking through unique workshops with working artists, and serve as an inspirational catalyst for emerging and established participants alike.

The first week of the 2007 Writers Ranch took place this past week at Studio Estates in Buda, Texas just south of Austin. The 2008 Writers' Ranch participants, as selected by a committee of various producers and executives associated with the Festival, included 2007 screenplay competition Sci-Fi Semi-finalists Kathy Garcia (The Kingdom), Adult/Family Semi-finalist Keith Davidson (When Lanterns Dim), and Adult/Family Finalist Sean Minogue (Son of No Man). They were joined this year by James V. Hart (Hook, Dracula, and upcoming Atlas Shrugged and Cat’s Cradle), Alma Kuttruff (Dazed and Confused, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Hitcher) and Herschel Weingrod (Trading Places, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Falling Down). Hart worked with the writers for three days developing the structure of each screenplay and introducing them to the ”Hart Chart." Jim and the writers charted their stories, which illustrated the lifelines of their main and secondary characters. This process helped each writer develop their characters‚ progress and plot lines. When Herschel arrived, each writer met individually with him to discuss in detail the ins and outs of their scripts. They were given the opportunity to look at what worked and what could be revised scene by scene.

By the end of the week, writers had participated in intensive workshops, group discussions and prepared for the their meetings that will take place during the second week of the ranch in Los Angeles, how to network, film budget considerations, etc. The intensive workshops gave the writers a chance to get down to the nitty-gritty of their individual screenplays. The second week of the 2008 Writers Ranch will take place in Los Angeles in either late May or early June, which will include meetings scheduled for them with producers and agents with the hopes of selling their scripts.

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