EDUCATION, EVENTS & WORKSHOPS


Flash Forward
A 6 week career intensive program that will drop kick you out of your comfort zone to do the things you need to do to advance your career.
Networking, obtaining mentors, pitching your project, pitching yourself, making cold calls, and much more.

Advanced Team (A.K.A. A-team)
A 3 month career intensive that is the next step beyond Flash Forward. See the website for more info.

Writers Guild Foundation
Hosts many of the Writers Guild events, panels, speakers...
Sign up on their email list for periodic updates on events.

Screenplay Lab
Holds frequent events with execs, producers, agents, etc. Most of the events are short intros and tons of time for the Q&A.
They typically use theatres when they aren't in use, so the location varies by the week.

Independent Television Festival (ITV Fest)
The TV version of independent film, the first annual festival kicked off in 2006. Attend to see the best independently produced television, or produce and enter a piece of your own.

LA TV Festival
An expansion of NATPE TV Producers Boot Camp

Learning Annex
Courses and panels covering all aspects of Hollywood.

Screenwriters Expo
Occurs every October, this is not to be missed. If you don't live in LA, it's worth a trip. You can fly in for a long weekend and cram a ton of education and networking into 4 days. The price is cheap and the value is high, more than 20 seminars to pick from in each time slot. Panels, speakers, workshops, pitching, and a trade show with discounts on industry books from The Writers Store.

Scriptwriters Network
Networking, a script competition, panels and seminars, and smaller writers groups that meet in different parts of Los Angeles.

Sherwood Oaks College
Not a college with a campus, Sherwood Oaks organizes panels and other events with industry professionals, often holding events at the studios. Meet writers, agents, execs, producers...

UCLA Extension
Some extension classes can be hot-or-miss and the lower level classes tend to get a lot of dabblers. The higher level classes tend to get more serious writers. Some of the upper level classes indicate a script submission is required, but it isn't always enforced. Check the instructor's credits -- the instructor and his/her background is just as important as the class content. This is another good way to make contacts in the industry.

UCLA Professional Program
An evening program similar to the MFA program but without the critical studies, and you can hold down a day job instead of going to school full time. The focus is entirely on feature writing or producing. There is also an online version of the writing program, so you don't need to be in LA to participate.
The Producing Program offers a 10 week summer program, 4 nights a week. This is an excellent program that brings in professionals from various aspects of the entertainment industry for one week each. In this program, you will create relationships with your peers, "up and coming" future execs, producers, etc.

Word Player
Articles on screenwriting and breaking in.

Writers Store
Occasionally has seminars and speakers on different topics, some are free.
Sign up for their mailing list to receive updates.