On The Page

We check back in with writer Kris Crenwelge after her "year of going for it" earned her three writers' fellowships, staffing on an animated show and a new job on the series  True Lies  on CBS .

Brandon Childs was only a PA when he started adding jokes to the lunch order e-mail. Before long he was brought into the writers room on  Black Monday ,  Kenan  and, most recently, Netflix's new comedy  Blockbuster .

Cinematographer Sarah Whelden talks about how she holds the vision of the director, looking through the lens to help capture theme, tone and story.

As British writer Sam Benjamin discusses the release of his new film  The Payday  he's joined by Elizabeth McKenzie from Australia and Dawn Ius from Canada to discuss the challenges of writing in their home country, the lure of Los Angeles and the love of their genres. 

Andy Raymer shares writing and industry information gleaned from his experience as a writer, creative exec, independent producer and script consultant.

Actor/writer Cynthia Gravinese decided to stop feeling powerless and write a web series about the people and place she loved. When Covid hit her hard and she lost the ability to speak, she did the same thing all over again.

Pilar and her husband Pat brainstorm film and TV show premises inspired by song titles in Pat's playlist. A fun way to find your next script idea!

Vanessa Benton wrote their "F-it" script and broke through. Now they're a writer for Netflix projects  Sandman  and  Fate: The Winx Saga, writing the dark fiction that they love.

Writer and historian Gina DeAngelis talks about the balance of historical accuracy and entertainment in her scripted work and on screen in general.

Josh Staman, Executive Producer of  Weird Waters  (Peacock), talks about the unique structure of short-form animation, pushing through "analysis paralysis," and learning to be more "hare-brained" in his writing.

Pilar sits down with her 16 year old nephew, Eric Pick, to find out about the classic films he's watching as he embarks upon his journey to become a director and screenwriter. A worthy film list for any writer!

Filmmaking duo  Adamma & Adanne Ebo talk about the work and thought that went into writing, directing and producing t heir feature film  Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul  starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown.

From writer to producer to director to actor to parent, Keena Ferguson is always thinking creatively about ways to get her message and stories onto the screen and out to the world.

An informal Q&A with two students from Pilar's class, Laura Weekes and Dale Hildebrand, resulted in an in-depth discussion about the pros and cons of independent filmmaking.

Writer/director Jennifer Sharp decided to buck the system, travel to Mexico and make her movie ... which ended up being a story about a writer trying to make her movie while battling the system.

Writer Paul Bellini, "the guy in the towel," talks about what he's learned from writing with Scott Thompson and the Kids in the Hall for over thirty years.

What do you do when your dad catfishes you? Write a movie about it, of course! James Morosini talks about drawing from the truth and creating empathy for his characters as he wrote, directed and starred in his feature film,  I Love My Dad , starring Patton Oswalt.

From his critically acclaimed screenplay  Palm Springs  to his upcoming series  The Resort , writer Andy Siara likes to explore the "disappointment of time." 

William Indick, author of "Psychology for Screenwriters," discusses why screenwriters must understand human behavior to make their stories come alive.

Author Jess King talks about their new game-changing screenwriting book,  Inclusive Screenwriting for Film and Television,  which examines and challenges conventional notions of characterization, world building and three act structure.

Keith Giglio and Juliet Aires Giglio share the knowledge of screenwriting and Christmas movies that inspired their new book, "The Summer of Christmas."

Pilar's oldest child Ezra walks us through the structure and character rules of Dungeons and Dragons, emphasizing the ways in which it can work as a writing and brainstorming tool for non-D&D storytelling.

After years of assisting and learning on the job, Naomi Brodkin is a working writer with an episode of  Little America  coming out soon. She discusses what she's learned from being on set and in the writers' room and how her hard work led to the good luck of being involved in the Academy Award winning movie  Coda .

Writer Jared Pascoe shares the personal experiences and desire for story that led to his co-founding the  Pre-Rainbow Pages aimed at bringing visibility to non-writers guild LGBTQIA+ writers.

Phil Rosenthal, the creator of  Everybody Loves Raymond ,  Somebody Feed Phil  and the new podcast  Naked Lunch , talks about the ways that specificity contributes to great storytelling.