The annual fall Courier 12 Screenwriting Conference will be held on the Loop Campus Sept. 29. (Image courtesy of Courier 12)Entertainers, producers and screenwriters will join the DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts for the annual Courier 12 Screenwriting Conference Sept. 29. Held on the Loop Campus, Courier 12 is the premier screenwriting event in the Midwest and will feature panel discussions from leading writing talent in the entertainment industry.
“There are many conferences and festivals that feature actors, directors and producers, but very few that exist solely to serve screenwriters,” says Brad Riddell, an associate professor in DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts. “Our faculty and students work hard every year to draw A-list talent to Chicago so that our burgeoning creative community can benefit from the experience and insight of those who have achieved great success as professional content creators. I count our faculty moderators among them, as each has an impressive record of writing for film and television.
“We’re proud to be one of the nation’s most prominent venues for discussing the art and craft of screenwriting,” Riddell adds.
The conference will take place Saturday, Sept. 29, from 12 - 7 p.m. in DePaul’s Daley Building, 247 S. State St. Admission to the event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to reserve a seat. Panels include:
Second City Legends
Noon
Producer Trevor Albert (Groundhog Day) and writer Dick Blasucci (SCTV Mad TV) discuss their adventures in the world of comedy. Particularly the benefits of embracing improvisation in all aspects of one’s professional life.
The YouTube Launchpad
1:30 p.m.
Allison Raskin is a screenwriter, podcast innovator, New York Times best-selling novelist, and co-creator of “Just Between Us,” a YouTube comedy channel with 750,000 subscribers. She will delve into the process behind self-distributing content, exploiting your voice and how streaming platforms can help writers build a career. School of Cinematic Arts faculty member Brad Riddell will moderate.
Culture of the Writer’s Room
3 p.m.
Rafael Agustín is a writer on “Jane the Virgin,” a 2016 Sundance Fellow, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Latino Film Institute, for which he was named one of the 50 most essential people in Los Angeles. As an alumnus of the CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase, he will discuss culture and television writing with School of Cinematic Arts faculty member, José Soto.
How to Win an Emmy
4:30 p.m.
Megan Amram currently writes for “The Good Place,” and has written for “Parks and Rec,” “The Simpsons,” “Transparent,” Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital,” and “Silicon Valley.” Amram is a 2018 Emmy Award Nominee for her web series, “An Emmy for Megan,” which is about her quest to win an Emmy. She will discuss writing for television, creating a web series and her Emmy aspirations with School of Cinematic Arts faculty member Anna Maria Hozian.
Finding A Quiet Place
6 p.m.
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods are the writing team behind 2018’s smash-hit horror/thriller film, “A Quiet Place.” Their screenplay has proven to be revolutionary in many ways, and they will discuss its inspiration, evolution and execution with “Go Into the Story” blogger and School of Cinematic Arts faculty member Scott Myers.
DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts was recently ranked No. 13 on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of America’s Top 25 Film Schools. Starting this fall, DePaul is offering comedy filmmaking degrees with The Second City, Chicago’s iconic center for improvisational comedy. DePaul’s 35,000-square-foot facilities at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios on the city’s west side include three professional soundstages, green screen cycloramas, a 3-ton grip truck and high-end editing suites and mixing studios. For more information, visit http://cdm.depaul.edu/film.