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My POV
Brian A. Wilson
Words into Pictures, Part I
I attended the Writers Guild Foundation's Words into Pictures event, and I got nothing out of it.
Nothing, that is, except 52 pages of hand-written notes, extensive insight into the craft of writing and the business of screenwriting, and enough inspiration to float my boat for the two years it takes for the Foundation to stage the next WIP event, at which time I'll be first in line.
Wow. What an incredible four days (a craft day followed by the three-day event itself). My writing can never duplicate the experience for you, obviously, but I'll do my best to convey the essence of the event to you over the course of this column and the next. And maybe the next one after that.
In addition, I'll sprinkle references, quotes and bits of inspiration throughout my columns for the foreseeable future.
THE WRITERS
The writers were truly the stars of the show. The WIP organizers brought in people from other areas of show biz-marketing, programming, studios, and all big guns at that-but this was the writers' time to shine. And shine they did.
The writers were far and away the most articulate, charming, entertaining, insightful speakers. They told the best stories, whether they were discussing the craft of writing, dealing with the studios, the debilitating effects of self-doubt or the fact that their movie was number one at the box office that weekend.
Why does this matter? Why start a discussion of four days of activity that spawned fifty pages of notes at this point?
Because writers need to recognize their place in the Hollywood food chain, and in the world at large. Writers great and small aren't a useful accessory to the creative process, they're the engine. Writers propel Hollywood. It's that simple, and it was incredibly evident at WIP.
There's a lesson in this for all writers, perhaps even more so for the less accomplished writers out there: Turn loose your creativity, unleash what's within you. Find a way to let it out. Do that, and you won't be just a writer, you'll be an artist with world-changing power.
Grandiose? Perhaps. But after sitting in the room with these dynamos for four days, I don't know how else to describe what I've learned.
I'll go into more detail in subsequent columns.
If you're already sorry you missed the event, fear not. You can buy a videotape or an audio tape of Craft Day, which was one of the best parts of the conference.
In addition, you can buy audio tapes of the remainder of the conference. And you'll be able to go to the WGA Foundation library on Fairfax and view any or all of the tapes, for free! The WGA Foundation library is open to the public. All you have to do is show up. Check them out at www.wga.org/manuals/foundation.html.
If you've got the time, you can experience virtually the entire event (sans the schmoozing and bounteous buffet lunch, of course) for free. (If you do watch the tapes, I'm the guy in the loud Hawaiian shirts, popping up and asking questions all the time!) Whether you live here in LA or just get to visit, I highly recommend a visit to the WGA Foundation's library.
Stay tuned for much more.
Keep writing.
BW
LA
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