Damnit, I Need Work!

Have you already got a drawer full of scripts? Are you ready to just get out there and sell something, option something, develop something... ANYTHING. You're ready to work and get paid now. Ready to finally become a professional screenwriter or filmmaker.

Well, then, here's the schedule for you.

THURSDAY, 10/21

12:00pm-12:30pm
Opening Remarks
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
The Austin Film Festival welcomes you to its 17th year of panels, films, parties and conversation. Find out about this year’s special events, last-minute additions and special guests.

1:00pm-2:15pm
AFF Conference: How to Work it
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Join these writers who have attended the AFF Conference over the years and made the most of their time here – from networking to the competitions. They have made countless industry contacts, optioned and sold their scripts, and launched their film careers. Find out how to maximize your Badge and your time here at the AFF.
Martina Broner, Jimmy Miller, Pamela Ribon
Moderated by Fred Strype

The Business of Screenwriting
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
The ins and outs (and ups and downs) of sustaining a screenwriting career.
John August, Edward Burns, Franklin Leonard, Craig Mazin

2:45pm-4:00pm
How to Take a Meeting
(Semi-Finalists and Above)
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
Don’t wait until after you’ve booked a meeting to panic. From honing your pitch to following up, learn now what to expect and how you – and your script – can best be prepared.
Richard Bever, Mary Coleman, Craig Mazin

Breaking In and Staying In
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
Live outside LA/NY with no plans to move anytime soon? Don’t yet have close friends at the studios? How to get a foothold in the industry – and stay there.
Gayla Nethercott, Dan Petrie, Jr., PJ Raval, Alex Smith
Moderated by Fred Strype

FRIDAY, 10/22

9:00am-10:15am
Writing RX
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Have you lost momentum with your story? Are you spending more time re-writing and thinking of character names and titles than writing? Is the structure dictating your story to the extent that it’s lost its heart? Struggling to remember that you're a writer while holding down your day job? How to get your story and script back on track.
Jeff Lowell, Malcolm Spellman, Tim Talbott, John Turman

How to Take a Meeting
(2nd Rounders and Above Only)
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Don’t wait until after you’ve booked a meeting to panic. From honing your pitch to following up, learn now what to expect and how you – and your script – can best be prepared.
Melissa Breaux, Larry Doyle, Lisa Fragner
Moderated by Steven Arvanites

Using Improv to Improve Your Script
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
Improv and table reads can be incredibly useful for hearing your dialogue spoken aloud and punching up the comedy quotient. How to invigorate your script through improvisation.
Amanda Austin, Owen Egerton, Dan French, Peter Murrieta, Chuck Sklar

10:45am-12:00pm
Roundtable: Agents & Managers
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and film making. This session offers registrants exclusive access to agents and managers in an informal setting.
Melissa Breaux, Bryan Brucks, Rebecca Ewing, Jeff Gorin, Brent Lilley, Gayla Nethercott, Tiffany Ward

The Film Festival: How to Work it
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
The camera stopped rolling and the editor finished cutting but your job as a filmmaker is far from over. Get insider secrets on how to work the festival circuit, develop a marketing strategy and corresponding press kit, and what to consider when determining your best distribution options.
Todd Berger, Matt Dentler, Sarah Harris, Kelly Williams
Moderated by John Merriman

Demystifying the Development Process
Stephen F. Austin, Assembly Room
We frequently read about scripts being ‘in development’, but what does that mean for the writer? What goes on in the development process? And how can you maintain the integrity of your story and characters while meeting the demands of the producer?
Diane Drake, Joyce San Pedro, Matt Summers, Herschel Weingrod
Moderated by Aadip Desai

1:45pm-3:00pm
Roundtable: Screenwriters
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and film making. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional writers in an informal setting.
Todd Berger, Greg Carter, Diane Drake, Jason Eaton, Dan French, Phil Hay, Jimmy Miller, Chris Mass, Craig Mazin, Pamela Ribon, Alex Smith, Herschel Weingrod, Jorge Zamacona

Make it Legal: What You Need to Know about Entertainment Rights
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
A discussion on issues dealing with libel, privacy, right of publicity, copyright and trademark, and how to become more aware when writing and creating films. Can you say disparaging things about real products or people? Can you use paintings, posters and photographs to decorate the sets? If you're making a documentary, what news clips can you use without paying for them? Questions like these and more will be answered. In a nutshell, what can you get sued for and how to avoid it.
Kathleen Conkey, Esq., Deena Kalai, Esq.

The Black List
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
The Black List: what is it, how to get on it, and what it can mean for your career.
Matthew Cook, Kyle Killen, Franklin Leonard, Malcolm Spellman, Tim Talbott
Moderated by Andy Langer

Writing for Animation
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
Where do the ideas for animated features come from? How do animation studios find writers? How do they work with them? Take a look inside the process with Development Execs from Blue Sky Studios, Disney Animation, and Pixar Animation Studios. They will step through the elements of their creative process (pitching, research, treatment, outline, script, and reels) using examples from great animated movies.
Mary Coleman, Lisa Fragner, Maggie Malone

Breaking into the Business
(2nd Rounders and Above)
Stephen F. Austin, Assembly Room
While seeing your work produced is the ultimate goal, optioning or selling the script is a great first step. Many scripts are bought and never produced. But your script can serve as a sample to secure other work. Much of a professional screenwriters’ income lies in script doctoring and assignments, not movies produced from their spec scripts. A discussion on how to break into the business.
Bryan Brucks, Jen Grisanti, Nancy Pimental, Dawn Wolfrom
Moderated by Drew Yanno

3:15pm-4:30pm
Roundtable: Executives & Producers
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and film making. This session offers registrants exclusive access to executives and producers in an informal setting.
Adrienne Biddle, Martina Broner, Curtis Burch, Mary Coleman, Rick Dugdale, Lisa Fragner, Barry Josephson, Signe Olynyk, Joyce San Pedro, Matt Summers, Dawn Wolfrom

The Teleplay
(2nd Rounders and Above)
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
Get in-depth answers to all of your questions about writing a teleplay - from writing specs of existing shows, to writing original pilots, and what to do with it once you have it.
Sterling Anderson, Jen Grisanti
Moderated by Stuart Kelban

The Creative Career: What You Need to Know
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
A panel of successful professional writers will discuss what you need to know when setting out on your career as a writer; common pitfalls to avoid and what the Writers Guilds East and West can do for you.
Shane Black, Michael Elliot, Rita Hsiao, Jennifer Salt
Moderated by James V. Hart

SATURDAY, 10/23

9:00am-10:15am
How to Take a Meeting
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
Don’t wait until after you’ve booked a meeting to panic. From honing your pitch to following up, learn now what to expect and how you – and your script – can best be prepared.
William Akers, Matthew Cook, Maggie Malone
Moderated by Aadip Desai

Creating a TV Bible & Pilot to Get You in the Room
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Top show creators and producers discuss what goes into creating a TV bible that will get you in the door. How much information should you include? Writing the pilot, character breakdowns, establishing worlds and how many episodes, if any, to include.
Sterling Anderson, Kyle Killen, Jorge Zamacona
Moderated by Monte Williams

Agents
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
This is the panel to get the answers to all of your questions about finding and working with an agent. At one point do you need one? What if your co-writer has a different agent? If agents don’t accept unsolicited material, how can you get them to solicit your script?
Rebecca Ewing, Jeff Gorin
Moderated by Barry Josephson

10:45am-12:00pm
Outlines, Treatments and Log Lines
(Semi-Finalists and Above Only)
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
How do you write a succinct and effective outline? How much information do potential buyers want in the treatment? A discussion on writing strong and engaging pitches for your story that will guarantee producers asking to read your script.
Martina Broner, Michael Elliot, Chris Huntley
Moderated by Drew Yanno

The Business of Writing for Television
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
A conversation on the changing landscape of television. How do spec pilots become successful primetime TV shows? Discuss with an agent, manager, producer and the writers the business of television. And how to get your foot in the door.
Bryan Brucks, Noah Hawley, Pamela Ribon, Tiffany Ward
Moderated by Stuart Kelban

2:15pm-3:30pm
Managers
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
This is the panel to get the answers to all of your questions about finding and working with a manager. At one point do you need one? What is their role as opposed to an agent?
Melissa Breaux, Brent Lilley
Moderated by Steven Arvanites

3:45pm-5:00pm
Short Films, Webisodes and Other Outlets to Launch Your Career
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
The popularity of short films has exploded thanks to dwindling attention spans, YouTube, and the omnipresence of mobile, small screen broadcast outlets, like cell phones. How do shorts and features differ in concept and execution? Will the cinema of the future be a hybrid of both? How can you use your short film or web series as a calling card and use it to launch your filmmaking career?
Tom Copeland, Mike Fry, Mark Potts
Moderated by Dano Johnson

SUNDAY, 10/24

11:30am-12:45pm
Making the Deal: “Slugger”
(Semi-Finalists and Above Only)
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
Making the deal, the development process and how all the elements work together. A case study of the relationship between the writer, the agent and the producer on “Slugger,” winner of the Adult/Family Screenplay Competition category of the 2007 AFF.
Richard Bever, Jimmy Miller, Gayla Nethercott
Moderated by Warren Etheredge

Writing for Kids
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
Whether writing for young children, teens, or the whole family, conceiving a quality script is a challenge. It has to be (somewhat) innocent, topical, entertaining and interesting. Writing for teens or the whole family can also be a great and lucrative way to start – or re-start – your career.
Todd Berger, Rita Hsiao, Pamela Ribon
Moderated by Alison Macor

Making the Deal: “The Matarese Circle”
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Making the deal, the development process and how all the elements work together. A case study of the relationship between the writers, the agent, and the producer.
Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Jeff Gorin, Mark Vahradian
Moderated by Steven Arvanites

Writers Agreements: What to Keep In, What to Take Out
(Second Rounders and Above Only)
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Attorneys working in entertainment provide an overview of screenwriters’ agreements - advice on securing the best deal, avoiding common mistakes, and what a Writers Guild agreement has to offer.
Lise Anderson, Esq., Deena Kalai, Esq.

1:15pm-2:30pm
Roundtable: Executives & Producers
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and film making. This session offers registrants exclusive access to executives and producers in an informal setting.
Joyce San Pedro, Matt Summers, Richard Bever, Rick Dugdale, Lisa Fragner, Angela Lee, Maggie Biggar, Franklin Leonard

3:00pm-4:15pm
Inside the Writers Room
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
What goes on inside a television shows’ writers room? What’s the schedule, the writing process as a team, and most important, how do you get break in?
Jen Grisanti, Jennifer Salt, Jorge Zamacona
Moderated by Monte Williams