Every First Tuesday
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Roy Street Coffee & Tea
700 Broadway E Seattle, WA
Free parking at the north end of the
building & along Broadway after 6pm.
If you’d like an email reminder about First Tuesday events, subscribe to our newsletter.
Please join us for these fun and inspiring evenings!
2012 Schedule
Upcoming Events
previous events
March 6 - The Stories Inside Stories
Lyall Bush, executive director of Northwest Film Forum, discusses Synecdoche, NY and the eccentric storytelling craft of Charlie Kaufman. Kaufman revels in loose ends and lack of neatness, and the film is a virtuoso display of stories that veer and branch into other stories that branch again (and don’t resolve). That is part of his point, and part of the pleasure of this mesmerizing film.
April 3 - The Female Filmmaking Force in Seattle
Hosted by indie director and FilmSchool alum, Sue Corcoran
Experience the momentum and strength of some of the strongest and most prolific filmmakers in Seattle. They will discuss their creative inspiration, from scriptwriting & producing, to financing their indie films. Panelists include award-winning women filmmakers: Sue Corcoran (Writer/Directer: IRA FINKLESTEIN’S CHRISTMAS), LYNN SHELTON (Writer/Director: HUMPDAY), Jennifer Roth (Executive Producer: BLACK SWAN, THE WRESTLER), Megan Griffiths (Writer/Director: THE OFF HOURS) and Lacey Leavitt (Producer: THE CATECHISM CATACLYSM). Learn More.
May 1 - Constructing Documentaries and the new FilmSchool Documentary Camp
Previous Events
February 7 - Open House /Script Clinic
Meet the TFS Faculty and Get Their Ideas on How to Solve Problems in Your Script
TheFilmSchool faculty will be present to talk about what our school is and does, and the state of filmmaking in Seattle and the world today. We’re also make time to hear the first ten writers ask us how to solve a key problem in your writing or script and do our best to offer possible solutions.
December 6 – Networking and White Elephant DVD party
Gift-wrap a no-longer-cherished DVD from your home collection–everyone who brings one will receive someone else’s cast-off. And remember to bring your business cards–this is going to be a great opportunity to make new contacts, meet local filmmakers, talk about your projects and find out what’s going on in Seattle’s film community. Grab an espresso or a glass of wine and let’s mingle!
November 1 - Narrative Storytelling in Animation
We’ll screen some excellent examples of narrative in animated shorts, and meet those involved and get a glimpse into their creative process. With guests like THE THOMAS BEALE CIPHER co-producer Jason Sondhi, and short filmmaker Zachary Gore (HERE AND GONE).
October 4 – PITCH NIGHT
Bring your best movie ideas — sign up from 6:00-6:30pm, then wind down
with a glass of wine or rev up with a double espresso — whatever works
for you to deliver your best pitch!
Sign Up – 6:00pm
PITCH! – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Hosted by professional screenwriters/coaches John Jacobsen, Lisa Loop & Andrew Chapman, this is a great chance to hone your sell! This evening is for the purpose of practice and improving on your pitches.
This is a fun and casual way to improve your game!
For anyone who is at any point in creating a story for film, this is a great night to see how story unfolds, what works, what doesn’t work, and to network with local filmmakers. For observers and participants alike! Pitches should be limited to 3 minutes, afterwards, the pitch will be discussed for 5-10 minutes.
January 4 – Happy New Year! No event this month.
February 1 – 2011 Kick-off: Meet Faculty, Alumni
Meet TheFilmSchool faculty Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, Warren Etheredge, John Jacobsen and Rick Stevenson, as well as alumni. We’ll also screen a couple of shorts, and have door prizes!
April 5 – The Importance of Score in Storytelling
Join us for this evening led by special guest, two-time Emmy Award-winner Hummie Mann (ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS, YEAR OF THE COMET).
May 3 – Comedy Night for TV and Film Writing: What Makes Funny?
Help TheFilmSchool welcome special guest, screenwriter and producer George Wing (50 FIRST DATES, OUTSOURCED), who has said “Pain! Pain is the secret of comedy!” Wing will expound on the secret to successful comedy writing.
June 7 – Pitch Night: Bring Your Best Film Ideas
Bring your best movie ideas — sign up from 6:00-6:30pm, then wind down with a glass of wine or rev up with a double espresso — whatever works for you to deliver your best pitch!
Sign Up – 6:00pm
PITCH! – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Hosted by professional screenwriters/coaches John Jacobsen, Lisa Loop & Andrew Chapman, this is a great chance to hone your sell! This evening is for the purpose of practice and improving on your pitches. This is a fun and casual way to improve your game!
For anyone who is at any point in creating a story for film, this is a great night to see how story unfolds, what works, what doesn’t work, and to network with local filmmakers. For observers and participants alike! Pitches should be limited to 3 minutes, afterwards, the pitch will be discussed for 5-10 minutes.
September 6 – The Artist’s Way in Writing
Led by Gin Hammond, an award-winning actor and director, a playwright, and an educator, who loves The Artist’s Way’s approach to inspiring greater risks, and greater joy, in both art and life. She received her MFA from the A.R.T. at Harvard University/Moscow Art Theatre and has performed nationally at theatres such The Guthrie, Arena Stage, The Longwharf Theatre, Seattle’s ACT, The Pasadena Playhouse, the ART, The Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Studio Theatre in Washington D.C., where she won a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance of The Syringa Tree. Internationally, she has performed in Russia, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and England. Ms. Hammond also received New York’s Kathleen Cornell award, an AUDELCO nomination, and WA state grants from Allied Arts, The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Artist Trust, 4 Culture, as well as from the NEA. Her voice(s) can be heard on Jim French’s Imagination Theatre, World of Warcraft, Halo 3 ODST, Super Granny, Cake Mania, Westward, and Nancy Drew video games, a wide range of industrials, audiobooks produced by Redwood and Cedar House Audio. Last year she wrote and performed a 28-character one-woman show both here and at L.A.’s Skirball Center, and its companion piece, a Footlight Award-winning play which she directed, just returned from a successful tour of the Netherlands. She is an Associate Partner atFreehold Theatre in Seattle and is active in leadership roles at The Sandbox Artists Collective.
HOSTS / COACHES:
JOHN JACOBSEN – Writer, Director, TV Host
John Jacobsen is a director and host of The Artist Toolbox. He served as the Vice President of ACT Theatre, is co-founder and faculty member of TheFilmSchool and teaches acting, directing and writing all around the world.
LISA LOOP – Writing Coach
“Lisa Loop is one of the most kick-ass, perceptive, fun and motivating people I’ve ever met. Every writer needs a coach like Lisa. She’s like a secret weapon I would prefer other people not know about.”
- Evan Dunsky, Television Producer, CSI; Co-Creator, Nurse Jackie
ANDREW CHAPMAN – Writer
An accomplished film and TV writer, lives in Seattle but works full time in LA. He has written for Universal, Fox, Disney, Hollywood Pictures, Amblin and a number of indies.
July 5 – How to Recognize and Create Quality Story
PILAR ALESSANDRA is the director of the popular writing program “On The
Page.” A sought after teacher and lecturer, she’s traveled the world teaching screenwriting and is in high demand at major writing conferences and film festivals. As a consultant, she’s helped thousands of writers create, refine and sell their screenplays. Her students and clients have sold to Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers and Sony and have won prestigious competitions such as the Austin Film Festival, Open Door Competition, Fade-In Competition and Nicholl Fellowship.
August 2 – All Writing and No Whining: The Writing Group of your Dreams
with Priscilla Long, Waverly Fitzgerald, David Margolis and Sonya Lea
Are you struggling with finding the discipline to write? Do you need motivation to complete that project? Are you wrestling with rejection? Trying to discover why that piece just isn’t working? Many successful writers have mastered their craft with a simple tool — the support of a functioning and well-organized writing group. If the writing group of your dreams remains an illusive fiction, this is the gathering for you! In this powerful panel discussion with several established, professional writers, we will look at how to create writing groups for producing work, for critique and for sending out material. With fifty-plus years of writing group experience collectively, we will offer you tried-and-true methods to find your group’s writers, establish the group process, keep people on track, define goals and more. In the presentation and Q & A following, learn how to deal with problems with attendance, skill level, workload, professional development, and feedback. Book signing, door prizes, and a chance to form your own writing group after the presentation!