Stories from L.A.
Jillian RobinsonSemester in LA: Adaptation, Spring 2008
If you really want to get into the business of writing, and are serious about your art, then I strongly recommend taking the Semester in LA Adaptation Course. By studying films that were made from books and their screenplays, it gives you an entire new way to not only look at a story, but a new way to approach writing one. By taking the course, I was able to write a story that I had been pondering for nearly six years, and I seriously doubt that I would have been able to complete it in two months had I not gone out to LA and done the program. Also, networking is key for anyone who wants to be a writer, and this program is definitely a good place to start.
Michael WilliamsSemester in LA: Adaptation, Spring 2008
Movie stars, fancy cars, and smug people are the images that I had when I left the freezing cold comforts of Chicago for the more temperate climates of Southern California. I wasn’t told that Los Angeles is a literary town, that people actually love talking about books, and that most movies one sees on the silver screen, at one point or another, originated from stories that had already been written in another medium (books and newspaper articles).
I think traveling is important, but it’s also important to know about residuals, and about the benefits of having one of your works adapted for TV/Film/Theatre.
All five students who went out to L.A. for the semester are eager to get back out there (if they haven’t already made the move). There are literary agents, entertainment lawyers, and a huge community of writers (both screenplay and literary) that live in Los Angeles. It is a community that loves to read and offers a ton of book stores and coffee shops for a writer to get lost in.
The teachers and speakers that our instructor, Craig brought in to talk to the students were amazing, insightful, and very encouraging. They were honest in telling you how hard it is to make it out there, but they also point out that the most unlikely people (those who diligently work hard and keep pushing themselves despite setbacks) succeed out there. What I thought was the most encouraging tidbit about Hollywood is that everyone in the industry reads. Craig’s encouragement for the students to succeed as writers was comforting. It was nice to know that two thousand miles away from the Fiction Writing Department my writing was still being encouraged.
I loved the program and had a good experience. Even if someone decided not to move out to L.A., and that the scene and town just isn’t for them—there is still something to be gained from hearing what agents, lawyers, producers, and writers have to say about what it takes to sell a story and what you need to be aware of as a writer. I’m glad the Fiction Writing Department offers this program to its students, and I hope to encourage more students to participate in it.
Latasha N. WoodsSemester in LA: Adaptation, Spring 2008
I am very grateful to have worked with and become close to many of the fellow writers and filmmakers in the program. Work doesn't feel like work when you enjoy it and know that these are rare opportunities. I have a deep appreciation for the instructors for their guidance and the speakers who take time out of their busy schedules to give us their view on what's good and what's bad in the business.
I had the opportunity to directly network with people in the film/entertainment industry. Most of the networking happens outside of the classroom and at the alumni functions. It is very important to network with Columbia alumni, many of whom are already in the business in one way or another. I'm sure every writer will find some benefit, whether they choose to actively pursue a career as a screenwriter, assistant, producer, or novelist. The advantage lies in the opportunity to experience it all here. It was a wonderful experience.
I can honestly say that this experience has brought me a lifetime of knowledge and ever-increasing motivation for what I love to do, and that is sure to resonate with others in the entertainment industry.
Vanessa AngoneSemester in LA: Adaptation, 2003
I registered for the Semester in L.A. Adaptation Program under one condition—my own—that it would be the beginning of my career in filmmaking, whether as a screenwriter or a producer.
One day author Lori Gottlieb visited our class to speak to us from a writer’s perspective. At some point during the two hours she spent with us, Lori offhandedly mentioned that Scorsese’s option had run out and Stick Figure was currently available for option.
Our major assignment in the program was to locate published works that both interested us and that we, as producers or screenwriters, deemed engaging and appropriate for film. The published works ranged from novels, short stories, and plays, to graphic novels, comic books, even magazine and newspaper articles. Once we located at least a half dozen published works, we were expected to contact the authors and inquire as to the availability of the option rights. If the option rights were available, then we were to discuss with the author his/her terms, and decide whether we wanted to proceed with the option before contacting our lawyer. When I heard Lori say that the option for her memoir was available, I knew that was my door opening. I sent Lori an e-mail. In a few words, I told her that I was fascinated by her memoir, that I was an MFA student, and that I had very little money to offer her for the option; however, I promised her that I would commit myself fully and give my best efforts to the process of bringing Stick Figure into film production. To my surprise and pure elation, Lori responded positively two days later, saying that she was “intrigued by the idea of giving someone with such enthusiasm and passion for the material the opportunity to ‘play’ and see what comes of it.” I secured the option for Stick Figure, and began to work fervently with my agent Debora Koslowsky of Working Artists Agency and with my entertainment attorney Paul Husband, both of whom I met through Craig Gore, the Adaptation Program instructor.
My relationships with Paul and Debora are examples of what I feel is one of the greatest benefits of the Semester in L.A. Program—professional contacts. Everything we learned about the entertainment field, about the business end of filmmaking, about entertainment law, about different aspects of filmmaking, and about the option and adaptation processes, came from professionals in various areas of the entertainment industry. Since leaving Los Angeles and focusing on my optioned material, I have contacted several of the speakers from my semester, and each one has responded kindly, thoughtfully, and thoroughly to whatever question I have posed or request I have made. Like the Semester in L.A. staff, their professionalism and support did not end once we left the studio.
The Adaptation Program is not strictly geared toward film students. There is a strong focus on the literary aspect of film in this program. Even if a writer is not interested in adapting material for film himself/herself, I believe that the Adaptation Program would still be unquestionably beneficial to any professional writer. A student who hopes to learn about acquiring literary property in order to adapt or produce the material will obviously benefit from the program. The same is true for students who intend to write only novels, for example, because they will be familiar with the film industry, the business end of it, and the option process, so they will be prepared when they are approached in the future by interested filmmakers who want to adapt their work for film. After a mere five weeks in the program, my classmates and I felt that we possessed a little more power as writers because we are able to represent our work as the creators, and as business-minded individuals.
In my opinion, the most important component of the program is that the students are fully immersed, beginning with classes on a studio lot, and are immediately expected to behave like industry professionals. Craig and Bob expected us to meet deadlines and demands head on, and they insisted on seeing a high level of determination and eagerness from the day we arrived until the day we departed. I truly believe that all you need in order to succeed in the Semester in L.A. Program is drive—the determination to take advantage of any and all opportunities presented to you, and the passion to keep you moving constantly forward.
Alverne BallSemester in LA: Adaptation, 2003
Semester in LA: Adaptation is a great chance to explore the possibilities of fiction outside the normal classroom semicircle, and it is a great way to get your foot in the door of such a star-studded industry as Hollywood.