Day of the Writer - How to Write Comedy for the Big Screen

Running time: 120 mins

Friday, March 5th from 10:00am to Noon at the University Theatre

Part One - How to Write Comedy for the Big Screen

This first panel opens with legendary screenwriting gurus Richard Walter, Lew Hunter, and Hal Ackerman. Known as the godfather of screenwriting, Richard Walter possesses deep knowledge and experience as the co-chair of UCLA?s Screenwriting Department. From his principles and wisdom in the industry, Walter?s protégés created ?Fight Club?, ?Spiderman?, ?Highlander?, and ?Jurassic Park?, just to name a few. Lew Hunter, a preeminent screenwriting teacher, wrote the bestselling Screenwriting 434 and spends a majority of his time molding aspiring writers. Hal Ackerman, co-chair of UCLA?s Screenwriting Department, authored ?Write Screenplays That Sell: The Ackerman Way?, a widely used textbook in the U.S., and he continually works to forge better writers. As the saying goes, great things come in threes; this rare opportunity to learn from our nation?s top screenplays? teachers and mentors is no exception.

Panelists:

Lew Hunter - Chairman Emeritus and Professor of Screenwriting at UCLA and a member of the American Screenwriters Association Hall of FameLew Hunter?s drama special ?Fallen Angel? was nominated for an Emmy. He established the Superior Screenwriting Colony in Nebraska, which spawned Alexander Payne, the Academy Award winning writer of ?Sideways.?

Richard Walter - Screenwriter and bestselling author Richard Walter is a professor at UCLA where for thirty years he has chaired the graduate screenwriting program in the film school. His students have written ?National Treasure,? ?War of the Worlds,? ?Sideways,? ?Spider Man,? ?Real Women Have Curves,? ?Gossip Girl,? ?Everybody Loves Raymond,? ?The Office,? among hundreds of other films and television productions.

Hal Ackerman - Co-Chair of the UCLA screenwriting programHal Ackerman has closely mentored Sacha Gervasi, Pamela Gray, Scott Kosar, Nicholas Griffin and many others. His book, ?Write Screenplays That Sell...The Ackerman Way,? is becoming the text of choice in a growing number of screenwriting programs around the country. His play, ?TESTOSTERONE: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me? won the William Saroyan Centennial Award for drama.

Moderated by Robert G. Phelps - Creator of Cinequest's Day of the Writer and semi-final judge for Cinequest?s Screenwriting Competition.

Robert G. Phelps is a first year screenwriting MFA candidate at UCLA in the showrunner track and a former deputy public defender in Santa Clara County. He has guest lectured at De Anza College and at Lew Hunter's Screenwriting Colony. Phelps is currently developing a legal dramedy series for television and writing a horror/black comedy feature ?The Tamer.?


The purchase of a $20 Day of the Writer ticket covers all three Day of the Writer events. To purchase a Day of the Writer ticket, please click here.