John August

News

Summer Sundance

News, Sundance

I’m up at Sundance for the summer filmmakers’ lab, where I’ve worked as an advisor for the past seven years.

For those unfamiliar with the labs, it’s a workshop in which newer filmmakers (generally writer-directors) meet with established screenwriters in one-on-one sessions to sort out issues in their scripts. There’s a winter lab, which occurs right before the festival in January, and a summer lab, which includes a three-week directing component before the week-long screenwriting portion. Many notable films have come out of the Sundance labs, including PARADISE NOW, BOYS DON’T CRY, and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH.

This year, there are 13 projects, five of which I’m reading. This morning, I met with [James Ponsoldt](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1242054/) on his script REFRESH, REFRESH. In the afternoon, I met with [JJ Lask](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2071066/) on THIS IS NOT A PIPE. They were both challenging projects, and great meetings.

What I love about the labs is that it’s a completely safe place. There are no agendas, no secret motivations. The advisers all genuinely want to help the fellows make the best movies they choose to make, with no “shoulds” or “oughtas.” There’s not a single movie up here that I would have written, yet they’re all fascinating, original, and deeply personal. You end up learning as much about the filmmaker as the script.

I have a hunch that an unusually high percentage of the films in development at this year’s lab will make it to the screen. You can see a complete list of the projects [here](http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:rZys39YGJjUJ:www2.sundance.org/pdf/2007_FFP_June_Directors_and_Screenwriters_Lab_04_24_07_Final.pdf&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us).

Watch out for Dana

News

Hearty congrats to [Dana Fox](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1401416/), who shows up in Variety’s [Ten Screenwriters to Watch](http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117967390.html?categoryid=2607&cs=1) feature this morning. Dana was my assistant between Rawson and Chad, and has worked steadily since. Her latest script, [What Happens in Vegas](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033643/), goes into production soon.

In the picture which accompanies the article, you can see her with the SafeType vertical keyboard which looks like a joke but has saved both of our wrists. If conventional ergonomic keyboards aren’t working for you, the SafeType might be worth a try.

Screenwriters’ dinner

Film Industry, Los Angeles, News

Last week, I attended the First Annual WGAw Screenwriters’ Dinner. I’m not sure one should call a first-ever event “annual,” but it was successful enough that it merits a repeat in 52 weeks.

Since screenwriters tend to work alone, there’s not a lot of water-cooler talk on a daily basis. Message boards help to some degree, but WGA events are often the only venues for catching up in person. For example, it had been 23 months since I’d last seen [Simon Kinberg](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1334526/). I know because our kids were born the same week.

The event also gave me a chance to meet a lot of writers I’d only known by name — [Billy Ray](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0712753/) and [Jeff Nathanson](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0622288/), to pick two tablemates. Seeing my nametag, [Iris Yamashita](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2111875/) said she’d just pitched a project as being “Big Fish meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which was flattering. I wanted to point out that she has the Oscar nomination, but we were already being urged to take our seats. I introduced [Jessica Bendinger](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0070566/) to [Robert Towne](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001801/), even though I didn’t really know Mr. Towne. It felt like the kind of event you could get away with that.

I got roped into recording an interview for a video podcast. If it ever hits the inter-waves, you might notice my hands shaking. I had just arrived, and was incredibly hungry. The mini-pizzas hadn’t made their way over yet.

Chad sold a spec

News

Yesterday’s post was the first mention of New Assistant Matt, which naturally begs provokes the question: What happened to Chad?

Well, by the headline, you can probably guess he [sold a spec](http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963194.html?categoryid=13). Written by Chad and his wife Dara Resnik Creasey, B.F.F. is a high school romantic comedy, roughly Hughesian in nature. Rogue bought it, with assurances of a R-rating. Many congratulations to them on the sale, and for not messing up my master plan of ruling Hollywood with my pack of former assistants.

While the spec sale is great, that’s not why he left.

Eight weeks ago, Chad and Dara got a call to meet with Aaron Sorkin, and four hours later, they were staffed on Studio 60. That’s how Hollywood works. New Assistant Matt came to me through the Stark program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, which cranks out 25 vastly overqualified people each year.

I’d [previously mentioned](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2007/chad-sydney-white) that Chad and Dara had a movie in production. That’s still going, plus another movie they’ve signed on to write. It’s going to be a busy year.