Screenwriters Guild - Emily Robyn Clark
Meeting times: The third Thursday of the month at 8 pm EST / 6 pm MST / 5 pm PST
Our chapter's email address: thescreenwritersguild14@gmail.com
Meeting Details/What to Expect:
We typically meet on Thursdays for 2 hours on Skype, but on occasion we’ll meet at varying days and update members accordingly.
Hello and welcome to the Screenwriter's Guild! I started this chapter because I have a passion for screenwriting and for teaching and collaborating with others. You might've guessed, but above all, professionally, I'm a filmmaker.
I've been screenwriting since 2011 and began working in film in LA in 2013. As of this date, I've written and directed two short films of my own and have worked as a paid screenwriter and worked pro bono on multiple scripts, as well as a film critic and entertainment writer/journalist at Sundance and Mill Valley Film Festival, a script reader for Slamdance Film Festival and Female Voices Rock, and a festival judge for Red Rock Film Festival. I've received awards and recognition for my work and have judged screenplays and films that went on to win in festivals. I've also worked in other roles such as actor, script supervisor, director of photography, producer, and production designer along with many below the line roles such as production assistant and second assistant camera.
Firstly, filmmaking is an extremely collaborative art. While writing can be quite lonely, screenwriting, on the other hand, is somewhat different in that the script is merely a blueprint for the final piece of art--the completed film, and is therefore, perhaps, a less lonely experience for writers in this way.
Robert Bresson, the French filmmaker once said that there are three different versions of a film, the screenplay, the film that is shot, and lastly, the story the editor tells. At The Screenwriter's Guild, you will find a dynamic, excited group of writers who are passionate about cinema and storytelling and want to grow in the craft and develop a deeper relationship with the art itself.
Secondly, you can expect our meetings to be dynamic and participatory. We read aloud award-winning screenplays from the great canon of American and world cinema and we break them down and discuss them together. This is called a table read and is an important part of the filmmaking process. Secondly, we read each other's work, provide helpful feedback, and offer suggestions.
As several of the individuals in the group are budding filmmakers, I plan to include workshops and discussions on the filmmaking process from script writing to marketing work, pitching and networking in the industry while inviting some of my industry friends to give talks on screenwriting, filmmaking, and pursuing a career in film.
Because this is a dynamic group and not for the faint of heart, we will have active live brainstorming and writing/pitching sessions every so often to give everyone the opportunity to unlock new ideas, work together in a collaborative way, and get and give feedback on loglines and new ideas for screenplays.
The Focus of The Screenwriter's Guild:
To foster and build a dynamic, collaborative, and supportive community of screenwriters and filmmakers. To assist up-and-coming screenwriters with the opportunity to grow their knowledge and skills in the craft of screenwriting. To encourage enrichment by watching films, reading scripts, and studying the art of filmmaking from script to screen. To provide opportunities and encouragement for healthy competition in a cutthroat and challenging industry by way of introducing various writing and filmmaking competitions with weekly/monthly benchmarks and goals to submit writing and films to these as a group effort.
Above all, I want to help nurture a love of cinema and encourage everyone to write and to unleash their creative potential.
The industry can be harsh and difficult to break into, but this group will be a safe place for writers to nurture their passion and grow in the craft and art of cinematic storytelling within a group of likeminded individuals.
