Free Mini-Camp: “Academy Awards Show Recap: Winning Screenplays & Celebrated Stories”

Mon., March 18th, 4:30pm-6pm (LA Time) via zoom

with Founder Jeffrey Gordon (JG)

PLEASE RSVP HERE FOR ZOOM (zoom controls your access)

LA-Based Professional Members are welcome to attend in-person by emailing JG directly

Let’s Remember that the Academy is a Trade Organization

This Mini-Camp Will Apply Our Unique Tools of the Writing Trade

Please join us as Writers Boot Camp Founder Jeffrey Gordon (JG) moderates a conversation about this year’s Oscar telecast and the movies nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

In the brief time allotted we will focus on key insights and highlights pertaining to the creative process, as well as the more apparent factors that may have contributed to varying degrees of success and recognition.

Read More Below About the Focus of This Mini-Camp

It’s always exciting for Writers Boot Camp’s staff to see what may arise each year during the show relating to our alumni community.

–For example, we didn’t realize as late as August 2021, when CODA was released, that staff alumnus, Sian Heder, had written and directed the eventual Best Picture.

–Last year, the winning actors, Brendan Fraser (THE WHALE) and Ke Huy Quan (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE), shared the synchronicity that both were in the first produced movie by a Writers Boot Camp alumnus, ENCINO MAN by Shawn Schepps, which was virtually written in JG’s living room.

–During the pandemic in 2021, one of our most dynamic alumni, Regina Hall, co-hosted with Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, showing her own comedic chops toe-to-toe alongside the two stand-up veterans.

And last night, highlights included two past Oscar wins by alumni:

–Long-time Writers Boot Camp Pro Member, Octavia Spencer (winner of Best Supporting Actress for THE HELP in 2012), presented with Melissa McCarthy the two awards for Best Screenplay, appropriately.

—And 2015 Best Original Screenplay Oscar-winner, Josh Singer (co-writer, SPOTLIGHT), whose Basic Training spec script of The West Wing landed him on staff of, well, The West Wing, was nominated again, this time for co-writing, MAESTRO.

More About the Mini-Camp Focus

This Mini-Camp will reflect on the big categories, as well as touch on the conceptual distinctions of these presumably profound and important scripts and stories.

Winner of Best Original Screenplay, ANATOMY OF A FALL (Justine Triet, Arthur Harari) presents a challenging vehicle of a Main Character who may be less evidently identifiable to create an audience experience of wondering. Perhaps a trademark of many European films, the character’s humanity is not necessarily conveniently contrived. And the story behind the screen story–that of an inspired couple creating opportunity together during the pandemic–illustrates the wisdom of committing to goals and of utilizing passion while being agnostic about the outcome. Of session, it can help if you are writing to also direct yourself.

A different strength of AMERICAN FICTION, winner of Best Adapted Screenplay (Cord Jefferson), is the expression of a cynical view of a certain kind of success while still grounding the Main Character in his own personal conundrum. It seems bewilderment can give way to capitulation while still providing the free will of making everything right. Unless the title alludes to and contradicts the classic seamlessness in American movies of the Main Character making the right choice and the story working out at the end.

While no surprise that OPPENHEIMER took home seven awards of its 13 nominations–did anyone’s Oscar pool not have it for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture?–writers and artists can benefit from a candid discussion of the factors of adaptation, the filmic style, and the handling of perhaps the most existential subject of invention ever.

And speaking of invention, we can go beyond the potential slights perceived by the lack of nominations for Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, there is much to gain from reviewing the vision and style expressed in the story and commercialism cultivated from a classic doll. And creative writers can learn a lot from the pop-culture trending and seasonal phrase Barbenheimer.

We have modest space for about 20 in-person guests at our new space. While in-person seating is reserved initially for current and past LA Pro Members, the event is one week from today.

LA Pro Members, please email JG directly to RSVP.