Report from the Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference

Observations from an event I describe as “Woodstock for screenwriters.”

I spent the last week of October in Austin, Texas at the most recent Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference. It was my 9th conference and one of the most enjoyable events yet. Here are some thoughts.

The Nuts and Bolts of Development
12:30pm — 1:45pm (Omni / Mansfield)

Join these development executives to learn what they look for in a script, how they source and work with new voices, and how to get your script ready for production.

Featured guests: Kyle Castellanet (Vice President, Development and Production — Echo Lake Entertainment); Jade-Addon Hall (Vice President of Drama Development at 20th Television); Vanessa Johnston (Head of Television, Mandalay Entertainment)

I moderated this panel featuring a group of television execs. We had an informative and entertaining conversation.

Screenwriting Takeaway: When pitching a television series, the writer MUST know their characters, Why? Because among other things, that’s how the execs can determine if the seris has “legs” or not (i.e., is the series sustainable for multiple seasons). The more complex and multidimensional the characters, the more likely the show’s writers can explore that depth for multiple episodes.

What Managers Want
11:30–12:45 (Omni / Pennybacker Room

Join us to hear literary managers discuss how they evaluate potential new clients, what attracts their attention in a script, and how they help clients to reach their career goals.

Featured guests: Glenn Cockburn (President/Literary Manager, Meridian Artists); Andrea Dimity (Andrea Dimity, producer/literary manager); Jason Lubin (Jason Lubin Literary, Manager/Producer, First Story Entertainment); Corey Simon (Executive Vice President/Talent Manager, Cultivate Entertainment Partners)

I also moderated this panel and the room was packed. Makes sense given the subject, basically responding to the question, “How do I get representaion?”

Screenwriting Takeaway: Develop your writer’s voice. Create pages which convey something of who you are, your distinctive way with words on the page. How to do that? Each manager cited the importance of reading contemporary scripts. Also, the sheer act of writing day after day will shape your voice.

I interfaced with 40+ writers in a pair of roundtables. One piece of advice I shared with all of them: When writing on spec, absolutely work on a strong story concept. Now more than ever, original material must have a narrative element which hooks a reader’s attention straightaway in the read.

I got to see a bunch of my writer friends including Justin Marks (Top Gun, The Jungle Book, Shōgun) and one of my favorite managers Adam Kolbrenner.

Oh yeah … this happened.

I’ve already been invited to return to Austin for next year’s event. It’s something always look forward to. Hope to see you there in October!