Introduce Yourself to the Group

[Paige Macdonald]

Hi Cheryl and all!

I’m Paige Macdonald. I’ve written over a dozen first draft scripts and have elevated only 2 of the former, but not with ScreenwritingU’s process. I have learned better since then.

I am in MSC16 and I intend to write one to two contained movies there. I want to market myself with the correct types of projects from the start, i.e. low-budget that can be made, get me credits and on the map. I would like to brand myself as an action/sci-fi writer.

For the unusual, I have 371 logged skydives under my belt, though I stopped after getting married. My husband won’t even do a tandem skydive. My husband is a full-time magician (pre-COVID) and we have a pet crow amongst our coterie of pets. His name is Vincent (after Vincent Price), and he’s now 11-years-old.

Cheers,

Paige

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by  Paige Macdonald.

[Guil Parreiras]

Hello everyone, it’s very nice to meet you! My name is Guil and I’m really excited to be in this class. I’ve written five scripts in different genres.

My goal is to write at least one contained script.

As far as something unique, special, strange or unusual about me… not sure, but I’ve been involved in other showbiz/art forms over the years, directed a bunch of stage plays, I’m a guitarist, among other artsy things.

[Ron Chepesiuk]

Hi I’m Ron. I’m a SU master class grad. I’ve written about 14 scripts and have had four of them optioned. I’ve also been a full time freelance writer for 20 years. Five of my 40 books have been film and TV optioned. I’m a former university professor, a two time Fulbright scholar to Indonesia and Bangladesh and a radio host with a crime show that airs in 160 plus countries. Looking forward to the class.

[Margaret Riseley]

Hi Cheryl and everyone,

It’s nice to be back. I’m Margaret Riseley, a PS21 and MSC4 grad, have lost count of how many scripts I’ve written, feature, short and TV, my own and on assignment. This promises to be a great course so I want to get the most out of it and come up with a great low budget, high concept, very marketable and “easy” to shoot project.

Not exactly unique but exciting news I haven’t shared elsewhere, I’ve been asked by a local Aussie production company with LA and UK offices to join a writers’ room, just waiting for the COVID cobwebs to blow away and get started.

Looking forward to meeting anyone I don’t know yet.

Cheers,

Margaret

[Gabriel Oliva]

Hi All!

I’m Gabriel, based in LA. I’ve written 4 pilots, 3 features and countless shorts. I hope learn how to make my writing more produceable in regards to budget. I think contained movies are especially difficult, but if you can manage engage a reader without changing locations, that says a lot about the skills of the writer. That’s what I’d like to do.

Aside from writing, I’m a jazz vocalist and just released my latest single.

[Titika STAMOULI]

Hello everyone,

Looking forward to our class together!

I am Titika, a Screenwriter and Artist, specializing in thrillers both for film and TV!

I wrote the screenplays for four feature films, four TV pilots, one spec pilot.

I wish to be able to write contained screenplays, especially to comply with the Covid restrictions.

I have finished the Binge-Worthy Class 9 and I am presently in the MSC 15.

warm regards and keep safe!

Titika

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by  Titika STAMOULI.

[Bill]

Hello,

I am Bill. I am recently retired Physicist, now trying to write a screenplay. I have worked on one for decades, so one might say I have written a half script. My desire is to improve and finish it as a low budget, contained, product. I anticipate learning a great deal in this class and from all of you.

[Beth Bonness]

Hi Bill,

What kind of Physicist? I’m working on a screenplay about quantum entanglements 🙂

Beth

[Beth Bonness]

Hello everyone, I’m Beth Bonness. I’ve written a couple scripts, a full length and some shorts (one accepted in a contest as a quarter-finalist) and I won’t even tell you how many versions of each….I’ve enjoyed taking ScreenwritingU classes to improve them and after a hiatus from screenwriting I’m back and looking forward to adding writing a contained movie to my list of skills.

Something unusual…back in 2001 in the early days of digital-cinema, I was part of the 1st global multi-screen premiere of Jurassic Park III at Universal City Park. I headed up an incubator group at Grass Valley who built a digital-cinema server. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Universal, THX, TI, Sunset Post, and Technicolor. The night of the premiere sitting between execs from Universal and Disney my husband leans over and whispers, “I hope this works” as our engineers sat in the audience in suits with walk-talkies to the control room to report back on the critical 20 minute digital reel splicing moments. Taking those quick plane trips from Portland, Oregon to Burbank (pre 9/11 & COVID), where I knew the TSA guys by name, I picked up How to Write a Screenplay in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method by Viki King at the Burbank Airport and I’ve been writing ever since.

[Deanne]

Hi everyone. I’m Deanne. I’ve been working on the lessons, and figured I’d better get this new website figured out and post something. Number of scripts written = several, but I prefer to think of it in terms of projects in progress (about ten?) because the scripts always need more work and some have gone through from-the-ground-up major revisions. It’s like having a lot of pots of stews simmering on the stove in various stages of doneness. When I think one’s ready to serve, I taste it and realize it’s missing an ingredient. I need to learn how to follow recipes better. What I hope to get out of this class is a well-spiced stew that is ready to serve.

Something unique about me? I hate to cook, so don’t take the above metaphor too seriously.

[Cash Anthony]

Hi Cheryl and all —

I’m Cash Anthony, a ‘recovering attorney’, and I live in Houston. I’ve written seven feature scripts, four shorts (three produced), 11 published short stories, two published reference books, and have had one feature optioned. My local writers group has trusted me to edit two anthologies, and I’m working on the third; and I was recently part of a group of 10 female screenwriters who adapted their scripts to short stories for an anthology I edited (The Stories of She), which became a best-seller upon release.

I would never have gotten this far without ScreenwritingU. Each class here improves my writing overall. One of the features placed in the Top Three at Table Read my Screenplay at Sundance and two more have been finalists in other competitions. The last mystery anthology made it into the top 100 best-sellers at Amazon.

Something unusual: I was one of the first people to run a networked computer BBS back in the day, The Greenwillow Garden, which was voted among the Top Ten in the U.S. I rode motorcycles and toured the U.S. as lead rider for over 30 years, and I’m a former backyard beekeeper.

Good to see old friends here — I hope to make new ones and write a terrific new script!