The Writers Hangout

Tèlman kontan ou isit la!

We’re talking with Haitian-born writer and showrunner  Mike Gauyo, one of Hollywood’s top emerging creatives best known for his writing roles on HBO’s hit series INSECURE and Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA,  about his new series SEND HELP, a coming-of-age dark comedy, premiering August 11th on AMC'S ALLBLK  network.

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I was thinking about how screenwriters spend a lot of time coming up with a backstory for their characters, so I thought it would be fun to turn the tables and delve into the backstory of a screenwriter. 

Bruce Joel Rubin is an American screenwriter, meditation teacher, and photographer. His films often explore themes of life and death with metaphysical and science fiction elements. Jacob's Ladder, My Life, and Ghost are prominent among them, for which he received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

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Hang out with us as we dive into the Mamet Memo.

In 2005, playwright, film director, screenwriter, and producer David Mamet wrote a memo to the writing staff of his CBS show The Unit. The memo surfaced online after the series was canceled and has been passed around writers’ room ever since.  This doc is filled with wisdom that works for both television and film. 

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 I was going to tell you the remarkable story of the unjustly overlooked screenwriter, but I had a strange week and needed to share it with you. 

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As a writer, you will have to deal with rejection. 
First, do not beat yourself up emotionally. 
Second, hit play and hang out with us as we talk about hit movies and television shows rejected by Hollywood's best. Including BACK TO THE FUTURE, PULP FICTION, and STRANGER THINGS.  

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In this episode, we have Kristin Overn the Founder and Executive Director of the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards competition.  She began her film career as a producer's assistant and script reader at companies like Davis Entertainment, Bonneville Worldwide, and 20th Century Fox, and since that time, she has consulted, collaborated, and developed screenplays with dozens of writers, producers, and production companies. Kristin also has extensive experience in production, and she has served as a Producer, Line Producer, and UPM on various independent features, original sitcom pilots, several award-winning short films, TV commercials, and videos. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.

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We continue our conversation on how PAGE Awards Judges evaluate your screenplay with Karen Craig and Scott Barkan.  Next week to wrap up this four-part series we’ll be talking to Kristin Overn, the Founder and Executive Director of the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.  

 Karen Craig is a professional screenwriter and script doctor whose credits include such films as AMERICAN PSYCHO II, starring Mila Kunis and William Shatner, and FORBIDDEN SECRETS, starring Kristy Swanson. Karen has served as a judge for the PAGE Awards for the past 12 years, reviewing both Thriller/Horror scripts and Family Films.

 Scott Barkan is a professional screenwriter with several produced films and sold scripts to his name. He has worked with Blumhouse and Lionsgate and is repped by Mainstay Entertainment and CAA. Scott is also a university professor, teaching music and communications. As a PAGE judge, he primarily reads Action/Adventure, Thriller/Horror and Science Fiction scripts.

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Two more PAGE Awards Judges, David Portlock, and John Evans continue our conversation on how they evaluate your screenplay. These two Judges drop a lot of helpful info in this interview.

 ✰ David Portlock has worked as a script reader for United Talent Agency and currently works for Bassett Vance Productions. Over the past 15 years, David has consulted and assisted dozens of writers in the development of their films. Also a screenwriter himself, David wrote and directed a feature film that was picked up by HBO, Cinemax, and Starz, a short film that premiered at Sundance, and a horror script that topped the Bloodlist. As a PAGE judge, David evaluates screenplays in the Science Fiction, Thriller/Horror, Comedy, and Drama categories.

✰ John Evans received his MFA in Screenwriting from Boston University, and since moving to LA he has worked in the development departments at ABC Studios, The Donners Company, Kopelson Entertainment, and AEI. John has also taught writing at the college level, authored six educational books, and worked as a copywriter and editor for several film distribution companies.  John is the editor of our PAGE Awards ezine, and as a contest judge, he primarily reads Thriller/Horror scripts and TV Drama Pilots.

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 Two more PAGE Awards Judges, Dwayne Smith, and Mike Kuciak continue the conversation on how they evaluate your screenplay.

Mike Kuciak has two movies coming out in 2022; he’s the writer-director and writer-producer of the other. He’s a producer on a third film scheduled to begin production in late 2022. He has served as a producer and executive producer on several independent films. He was the senior vice president of development for a literary management-production company and, after that, the founder/CEO of his own company before hanging that up to focus on writing/directing/producing.

Dwayne Smith has been working as a professional screenwriter since 1999 and has written scripts for Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Intermedia, and Gold Circle. His urban thriller PAY THE LADY is currently in post-production, and his sci-fi feature IMPLANT is now in pre-production. Representing the management firm Circle of Confusion at numerous screenwriting conferences and festivals, Dwayne has listened to hundreds of pitches and read countless screenplays in search of new writing talent. As a judge for the PAGE Awards, he reads Comedies, Thriller/Horror, Science Fiction, and Action/Adventure scripts.

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Two PAGE Awards Judges, Victoria Lucas and Laurie Ashbourne, talk about how they evaluate your screenplays, whether you're just starting or have a script in the competition. You do not want to miss this inside talk.

⭐️ Laurie Ashbourne began her film career in Disney animation, and over the past 20 years, she has worked as a story consultant, writer, and producer for Disney, Amazon, and many independent producers. She has over 30 features and short films to her credit, including her new family feature CHRISTMAS TIME, which is currently in post-production. As a PAGE judge, Laurie reviews scripts in several different genre categories, including Family Films, Comedies, Dramas, and Shorts.

⭐️ Victoria Lucas is an independent producer who has developed scripts for projects starring Antonio Banderas, Scarlett Johansson, Wesley Snipes, and Hilary Swank. Among her favorite projects is the highly acclaimed coming-of-age film, The Island on Bird Street, awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Victoria is also a Judge for the PAGE Awards contest, in a variety of genres including Drama and Historical Films

👍 If you enjoy the show please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 

📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to make a comment please contact us @[email protected] 

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer/Engineer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller