ACT ONE COMING TO WASHINGTON, DC

Act One: Writing for Hollywood presents

Writing a Great Movie: Story, Theme, Values

Saturday, April 26, 2003

Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
3900 Harewood Road, NE
Washington, DC 20017
202-319-4100
www.jp2culturalcenter.org

Conference and Lunch - $85.00
Register online at: www.actoneprogram.com

Story is one of the most vital components of a screenplay. Without a good one, even fantastic characters have no world in which to exist. While many people can cite a list of favorite movies, very few people can identify the qualities that make those movies "work." Too many writers start beating out pages before they’ve answered fundamental questions:

What makes a good story?
What does Hollywood look for in a story pitch?
What is the relationship between story and theme?
What makes a story commercial?
Are you the one to tell your story?
Is there such a thing as an immoral story?

Geared to writers, filmmakers, and culture watchers, this one-day event will be an intense, practical and inspirational multi-media workshop for those interested in creating new and effective stories to engage the modern world.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
8:45 am.…........Registration/ Continental Breakfast

9:30 am………..Opening Prayer and Greeting - Jack Gilbert

9:45 am………..“Hollywood and Story, Pt. I” - Lee and Janet Batchler

12:00 pm……….Lunch Break

1:00 pm………..“Hollywood and Story, Pt. II” - Lee and Janet Batchler

3:00 pm………..Coffee Break

3:15 pm………..“Hollywood and Story, Pt. III” - Lee and Janet Batchler

4:15……...........Question and Answer Open Forum

5:00…………….Closing - Jack Gilbert



WRITING A GREAT STORY Conference Faculty

- Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler are the writers of SMOKE AND MIRRORS, BATMAN FOREVER, and SHORES OF TRIPOLI. They made their mark with SMOKE AND MIRRORS, originally the biggest spec script sale of 1993. The big-budget adventure epic is based on the true-life exploits of famed magician Robert-Houdin in North Africa. The film is currently owned by Initial Entertainment Group, with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones attached.

The Batchlers wrote BATMAN FOREVER for Warner Brothers, the third installment in the hit series about the Dark Knight of Gotham City. BATMAN FOREVER opened June 16, 1995 with a world record opening weekend gross of $52.8 million. Directed by Joel Schumacher, BATMAN FOREVER stars Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones and Nicole Kidman. The film became the number one box office feature for 1995, with a domestic gross of $184 million and a worldwide gross of over $700 million.

Currently, Lee and Janet are adapting and updating MODESTY BLAISE for Miramax. Often thought of as a "female James Bond," MODESTY BLAISE has a 40 year history as a comic strip (still a hit internationally), and as a series of books, both by Peter O'Donnell. Although more well-known in Europe and Asia than in the U.S., MODESTY BLAISE is a cult favorite here as well (take a look at the book John Travolta is reading when he gets blown away in PULP FICTION). MODESTY BLAISE is intended to be the first of an action franchise for Miramax.

Lee and Janet are in high demand as guest speakers and teachers. They have taught seminars on writing and the industry for USC Film School, Act One, UC San Diego, Women in Film, the Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, Biola University, Premise, the Scriptwriters Network, the Writers Connection, and others. Lee and Janet live in Pacific Palisades with their son Corin and their daughter Sabrina.

- Jack Gilbert is the Coordinator of the TV Track Studies for the Act One: Writing for Hollywood program. Jack was formerly the Director of the prestigious Warner Bros. Writers Workshop. He has served as a script and story consultant on innumerable feature and television projects.

ABOUT ACT ONE:
Now in its fourth year, Act One: Writing for Hollywood is a month long comprehensive training program for scriptwriters from the Christian community. The goal of the program is to foster and instill in entertainment writers, artistry, professionalism and concern for moral content. Act One also offers a Script Critique Service.