On The Page

Writer-director Nathalie Biancheri discusses the preparation, script-work and directorial vision that went into creating her new psychological drama,  Wolf .

'Tis the season for the annual  On the Page   logline competition! Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.

Emerson film student Kat Poole's passion is to rediscover and celebrate female film pioneers. Here, she educates us about three of them: filmmaker Alice-Guy Blache  screenwriter Jeanie MacPherson and editor Margaret Booth.

George Stevens Jr. the founder of the American Film Institute, talks about the passion for film that inspired him to preserve and archive great movies, establish the Kennedy Center Honors and serve as a voice for the arts in Washington DC. as Co-chair of the Presidential Committee on the Arts & Humanities.

Director Philip Barantini shot his independent feature film Boiling Point in one take and lived to tell the tale. Hear how he kept the camera moving while also telling a rich story of an intense night in a restaurant.

Writer Celia Finkelstein talks about the projects she has in development, her pitch style on Zoom and how her acting experience has taught her not to judge a character.

Canadian writer Lindsay Gossling reveals the work and effort that went into writing and directing her disaster movie Thirteen Minutes . She also talks about the challenges of making her film  Un Traductor  which went on to become Cuba's submission for the Academy Awards.

Sean S. Cunningham, director and producer of the original Friday the 13th  movie, talks about the film's humble beginnings, Jason's evolvement as an "anti-hero" and the need for great story above all.

What makes us afraid and how do we write that on the page? Writer Neal Marshall Stevens provides answers as he gives a preview of his book,  A Sense of Dread: Getting Under the Skin of Horror Writing . 

Shelley Dennis grew up loving the TV show  Roseanne  and now  she has a staff writing position on  The Conners!  Hear how hard work, attention to story and a little mindfulness paid off.

Veteran producer and creative executive Kelly Edwards worked with every major studio in Hollywood and is now pursuing her dream of being a television writer on the Fox Drama  Our Kind of People .  Here she talks openly about her career pivot and also offers nuggets from her new book  The Executive Chair: A Writer's Guide To TV Series Development .

Writer Jo Rochelle was just about to call it quits when her writing career caught fire. Hear how she got the attention of a manager, became staffed on her favorite show  Good Troubl e, and filmed her own independent movie - all while continuing to "ride the rollercoaster."

Actor/writer Danielle Pinnock had a crazy year full of ups and downs but she kept writing, found inspiration in her underwear drawer and set up her animated series  Unmentionables  with  Taraji P. Henson! 

Michael-Leon Wooley's search for depth in his singing and performing has informed his writing as well, leading to major attention on his very first feature-film script! Hear how he did it and why "fine is not enough."

Pilar Alessandra's teaching and consulting business  On the Page  celebrates a 20 year anniversary! Alex Troxler interviews Pilar about her program, its humble beginnings and the way her teachings and the industry have changed.

Richie Siegel and Marissa Torelli-Pedevska, co-founders of the Inevitable Foundation, talk about the need to hire and produce the work of disabled screenwriters. 

Writer Matt Foss talks about how he went from being "terrible and earnest" to "consciously competent" as an award winning playwright and how he uses "given circumstances" to ground his stories and adaptations.

Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon, co-founders of  The Writers Lab,  talk about their efforts to highlight the voices of women over 40 on the screen and on the page.

Writer/producer Emily Fox ( Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Daybreak, Girlfriends Guide to Divorce ) shines a light for writers as she describes how she comes up with story and runs a writers room.

Writer and director Dan Mazer talks about his long collaboration with Sacha Baron Cohen and the complex storytelling that goes into writing movies with a number of possibilities and outcomes.

Eric Pearson, the writer of  Black Widow  and  Thor: Ragnarok  talks about his and Marvel's approach to storytelling, including "every scene needs to do two things" and "that's a long way to go for salami." 

Tim Long's nerdy beginnings inspired his new movie  The Exchange , and his story sense and comedy chops earned him head writer status at  Letterman  and a 20 year run on  The Simpsons.  

Ted Campbell talks about how his experience as a second unit director and assistant director helped him develop the writing and directing skills he needed to be hired as a writer and director for three projects for MarVista Entertainment.

Glenn Sanders, Senior Creative Director at Amazon Prime Video, talks about entertainment marketing and how it can impact choices a writer makes early on in terms of concept, story and character.

Writer Kris Crenwelge turned a lockdown low to an end of the year high when she set her mind to treating her writing passion as a TV business. Hear her take on applying to labs, interviewing for "entertainment adjacent" jobs and doing the hard work that eventually landed her her first paid writing gig.