On The Page

When his day job was threatened, writer Jeff Bonnett decided that he wasn’t going to write a resume; he was going to write a screenplay. The end result is “Falling for Christmas,” a Netflix movie starring Lindsay Lohan.

Linda Klein, co-editor of the new book Loss and Grief, discusses the visual, sensory and emotional realities of the dying and grieving experience and how writers can use this knowledge to create more truthful depictions on screen.

Ready to submit for the annual On the Page logline competition? Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.

Screenwriting teacher and author John Truby reveals how to master and transcend genre by understanding their unique story systems and philosophies.

The writer of the Oscar winning film Inside Out talks about her new movie My Father’s Dragon and how she builds story from theme and emotion.

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 their 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.