DWRI Masterclass Recap: Industry advice
Written by Daniella Garcia. Photo by Daniella Garcia.
Savannah experienced one of its busiest and most exciting weeks of the year with the SCAD Savannah 25th Annual Film Festival gathering people from around the country. Along with a fully loaded schedule of screenings, panels and Q&As, the Dramatic Writing department managed to host a total of 17 masterclasses with industry professionals. A series of coffee talks hosted by Professor Michael Chaney was also a highlight. All masterclasses and talks were held in the lobby of the Drayton Hotel early in the morning throughout the week. During these talks, students got to hear from a mix of writers, directors and producers speak on their experiences in the industry and offer invaluable advice. In this series of recaps, I’ll touch on some key points and takeaways from these masterclasses.
Early in the lineup, students learned from the iconic Aline Brosh McKenna, writer, director and producer of works such as “The Devil Wears Prada,” “27 Dresses” and “Crazy Ex-girlfriend” to name a few. Her extensive career in the industry in film and television has been nothing short of iconic achievements. Viewing her own work as “writing portraits of people,” Brosh described herself as being less genre-driven and more focused on writing how people actually live their lives.
In a question on how to pitch, Brosh provided her personal run down and process for pitching. In 5 minutes, she pitches the theme, making it a conversation, then the characters (up to 4), and then is quick to whip through the story. She stressed the key to pitching is to find the “You know when…” scenario of your story and lead with that. “Try to find what speaks to everyone, and ask yourself ‘Why does this need to exist?’” said Brosh.
When reflecting on her work, Brosh explained why thematically some works didn’t excel as well as others. With “Morning Glory,” she believed the film wasn’t as successful because it had a less relatable “You know when…” She noted, “A good movie idea is finding something personal, yet universal that you think you and your friends can relate to.” With that, I walked away with a clearer pitching strategy, and the brilliant method of “You know when…”
