On The Page

Pilar sits down with her 16 year old nephew, Eric Pick, to find out about the classic films he’s watching as he embarks upon his journey to become a director and screenwriter. A worthy film list for any writer!

Filmmaking duo Adamma & Adanne Ebo talk about the work and thought that went into writing, directing and producing their feature film Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown.

From writer to producer to director to actor to parent, Keena Ferguson is always thinking creatively about ways to get her message and stories onto the screen and out to the world.

An informal Q&A with two students from Pilar’s class, Laura Weekes and Dale Hildebrand, resulted in an in-depth discussion about the pros and cons of independent filmmaking.

Writer/director Jennifer Sharp decided to buck the system, travel to Mexico and make her movie ... which ended up being a story about a writer trying to make her movie while battling the system.

Writer Paul Bellini, “the guy in the towel,” talks about what he’s learned from writing with Scott Thompson and the Kids in the Hall for over thirty years.

What do you do when your dad catfishes you? Write a movie about it, of course! James Morosini talks about drawing from the truth and creating empathy for his characters as he wrote, directed and starred in his feature film, I Love My Dad, starring Patton Oswalt.

From his critically acclaimed screenplay Palm Springs to his upcoming series The Resort, writer Andy Siara likes to explore the “disappointment of time.” 

William Indick, author of “Psychology for Screenwriters,” discusses why screenwriters must understand human behavior to make their stories come alive.

Author Jess King talks about their new game-changing screenwriting book, Inclusive Screenwriting for Film and Television, which examines and challenges conventional notions of characterization, world building and three act structure.

Keith Giglio and Juliet Aires Giglio share the knowledge of screenwriting and Christmas movies that inspired their new book, “The Summer of Christmas."

Pilar’s oldest chid Ezra Dodson walks us through the structure and character rules of Dungeons and Dragons, emphasizing the ways in which it can work as a writing and brainstorming tool for non-D&D storytelling.

After years of assisting and learning on the job, Naomi Brodkin is a working writer with an episode of Little America coming out soon. She discusses what she’s learned from being on set and in the writers’ room and how her hard work led to the good luck of being involved in the Academy Award winning movie Coda.

Writer Jared Pascoe shares the personal experiences and desire for story that led to his co-founding the Pre-Rainbow Pages aimed at bringing visibility to non-writers guild LGBTQIA+ writers.

Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, Somebody Feed Phil and the new podcast Naked Lunch, talks about the ways that specificity contributes to great storytelling.

Writer Gigi Rios New discusses writing for The Garcias on HBO Max and for the need for Latin-driven content in TV and film.

Writer / director Chris Derrick discusses writing for Star Trek: Picard and how it’s taught him to write to the emotional arc first and bring the cool stuff in later.

What takes eight years, sixty-seven writers, thirty-six directors and one actual apocalypse? Hear how filmmaker Chris Jones produced the crowd-created feature film, The Impact, connecting 50 short films into one narrative.

Actor, writer Beverly Mickins, creator of Los Angeles’s longest running storytelling venue Story Salon, talks about the elements that make up a well told, personal story.

Screenwriter Agnieszka Kruk talks about the ways that her creative community in Poland is helping filmmakers in Ukraine affected by the war, and suggests ways that writers worldwide can support their cause.