Raymond Urrutia, Class of 2020, was announced as a Semifinalist in the CineStory Foundation’s 2021 Original Sci-Fi/Fantasy Division, for his script RIPPED. He wrote the first drafts of RIPPED as a student here, and we’re thrilled that the amazing world he created for this pilot is being honored.
The Darkest Timeline?
Our second-year students wrote and shot “The Darkest Timeline," an anthology series that asks the question: "Yeh, we're all glad 2020 is finally over... but what if it's actually the best year we'll ever see again? How dark can life turn next?"
The M.F.A. students wrote "The Darkest Timeline" and also function as department heads on the shoot. You'll see them in action, wearing both hats.
Working professionals fill other key roles: Showrunner William Rabkin; Director Traven Rice; DP Larry Banks (who is also Chair of the LIU Media Arts Department); Executive Producer Marjorie Clarke; as well as makeup artists, recording engineers, and key grips.
As you can see, it was produced using strict COVID shooting protocols.
Kmur Hardeman, the superb Assistant Director of the program, is also a superb photographer. Every year she acts as set photographer for our shoot.
Comedy Week
We needed a laugh in January, so we brought in Marquita Robinson (BLACK-ISH), Jon Vandergriff (HOME IMPROVEMENT), David Misch from MORK & MINDY to deliver his presentation “How Comedy Works,” and comedy legend Paula Poundstone to Zoom with our students.
Langston Hughes wrote, “Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you." It was the middle of a tremendously difficult winter, but our week-long comedy intensive provided our students with the summer rain Hughes referenced.
Our first-year students spent the week as a comedy writers room, with comedy writing veteran Jon Vandergriff acting as showrunner. Taking characters from the dramatic series they developed this fall — which centers on a Black nurse in Brooklyn — they’re breaking stories about characters like Nai Nai, the Taiwanese grandmother with a fist of iron, or Artie, the trans French horn virtuoso. On Friday, a group of professional actors will read their scripts for the series they’re naming “Calling Nurse Ally.”
Writing Faith-Based Stories for TV
In December 2020, in partnership with the InterFaith Film Festival, we held a panel on writing faith-based stories for TV.
What are the challenges of writing faith-based stories for television? Can a faith-based series find a home in the ever-widening landscape of television platforms? And - can you be true to your core beliefs and still sell a show?
We talked with four television writer/producer/executives.
Ken LaZebnik, Moderator: Writer/producer for TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, ARMY WIVES, PROVIDENCE, and writer of the Christmas favorite THOMAS KINCADE’S CHRISTMAS COTTAGE, moderates the panel. He’s Director of the LIU M.F.A. in Writing and Producing for Television.
He was joined by:
Brian Bird: Co-creator of the hit series WHEN CALLS THE HEART, and writer of the films THE CASE FOR CHRIST, CAPTIVE, and THE LAST SIN EATER, as well as writer/producer on TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL.
Camille Tucker: Co-writer of Lifetime’s hit biopic, THE CLARK SISTERS: FIRST LADIES OF GOSPEL. She has optioned six screenplays and two TV pilots to major studios such as Sony, Disney, Universal and Fox TV. Her short film CELLULAR won Best Narrative Short at the Roxbury International Film Festival.
Morgan Faye Jefferson: Earned her M.F.A. in Screen and Television Writing from Pepperdine University, works as Coordinator – Scripted TV at The SpringHill Company, one of the video-production companies created by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. The SpringHill Company has partnered with ABC Studios for a first look deal, as they create entertainment that moves culture forward, telling socially conscious and purposeful stories.
Fall 2020: Recent and Upcoming Guests
Laura Brennan: The Pitch Whisperer, October 22nd @ 8 PM EST
Showrunner Nikki Toscano (Hunters, 24: Legacy) has said that “Laura teaches you to sell fire in hell.” Join writer and pitch consultant Laura Brennan for a webinar on mastering the new art of pitching on Zoom.
How does pitching on Zoom change the game? Should you build a pitch deck? How much detail should you go into? Learn to use the new normal of pitching virtually to your advantage.
Join us:
Thursday, October 22nd
8:00 PM EST
