Event Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 || Speakers: Steve Kaplan, Bob Fisher, Mike Werb, David Mandel, Richard Whitley, Joe Farrell and Jason Stone || Check-in: 7:00 PM ||

ScreenCraft and The Scriptwriters Network have teamed up to bring you this exclusive live event at the LA Film School.  Come hear from the creative minds behind WEDDING CRASHERS, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE MASK, THE DICTATOR, EUROTRIP and many more!

What are the secrets to getting laughs from your screenplay?  What comedy scripts are selling these days?  These top Hollywood screenwriters and consultants will share their knowledge of the unique comedy entertainment industry based on years of professional experience working on all shapes and sizes of projects (feature film and television). 

Our esteemed panelists are: 

Steve Kaplan

Mr. Kaplan has been the industry’s most sought-after expert on comedy writing, consulting for companies such as HBO, DreamWorks Animation, Disney, Aardman Animation and others. In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other top universities, he created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan’s Punch Line Theatre. 

Bob Fisher

Bob Fisher is a writer and producer, known for his hit comedy WEDDING CRASHERS starring Owen Wilson. His most recent project WE’RE THE MILLERS starring Jennifer Aniston for Warner Brothers has grossed more than $100 million at the box office.  His first screenwriting job came in 1995 for The Bonnie Hunt Show.

Mike Werb 

Mike Werb received his undergraduate degrees from Stanford and began a burlesque climb up the well-greased Hollywood ladder by entering the UCLA Master’s program in screenwriting. He has since worked for every major studio. His big break was writing the screenplay for the Jim Carrey comedy THE MASK, but he also embraces his other produced credits, including “Darkman 3: Die, Darkman, Die!,” and the giant-rats-attack-a-college-campus epic “Gnaw: The Food of the Gods, Part 2.” Mike co-wrote and co-produced (with Michael Colleary) the action-thriller FACE/OFF, directed by John Woo and starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage.  21st century accomplishments include being one of six credited screenwriters on LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER starring Angelina Jolie, and the WB’s flashy flop TV series TARZAN starring Travis Fimmel’s abs. Werb and Colleary also worked intimately with Arnold Schwarzenegger on “Collateral Damage,” his penultimate film before becoming Governor of California. Recent film credits include the well-reviewed animated hit CURIOUS GEORGE (Universal/Imagine), the family comedy FIREHOUSE DOG (New Regency/Fox) and “Unnatural History” — a live-action-adventure series for Warner Horizon and the Cartoon Network.

David Mandel 

David H. Mandel is a graduate of Harvard University.  He is an executive producer and director of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, and one of the producers and writers of the hit comedy EUROTRIP. He’s also one of the writers of THE DICTATOR.  He was a writer for SEINFELD during its seventh, eighth, and ninth seasons. He also has written for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. 

Richard Whitley

Richard Whitley began his career by co-writing the cult classic ROCK ‘n ROLL HIGH SCHOOL for drive-in movie legend Roger Corman. This lead to writing screenplays for Tri-Star, Universal, Warner Bros., United Artists, MGM and 20th Century Fox, as well as scripts for producer Joel Silver and directors Amy Heckerling and Joel Schumacher. In television, Richard has written on the dramas, SPACE: ABOVE & BEYOND, MILLENNIUM, ROSWELL, THE OTHERS,CANTERBURY’s LAW, and ABC’s Emmy nominated HOMEFRONT, as well writing pilots for CBS, Showtime and NBC/DREAMWORKS. He’s also written on ROSEANNE, ARLI$$, THE DAILY SHOW and was a writer/producer on Michael Moore’s Emmy nominated TV NATION. He’s written articles for the WGA’s Written By, contributed to NATIONAL LAMPOON magazine and has written episodes of Disney’s highly acclaimed animated series’ RECESS and LLOYD IN SPACE and the Hub Channel’s POUND PUPPIES. Richard is an accomplished teacher of both film and TV. He also spent one Christmas with the Ramones and is more than happy to talk about it.

Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell is the Director of Development for television and film at Funny or Die. He is a Co-Executive Producer on Comedy Central’s @Midnight and the upcoming Discovery Channel series American Muscle.

Jason Stone

Jason Stone grew up in Toronto, Ontario directing short films and music videos until moving to Los Angeles to attend USC’s school of Cinematic Arts. Over one weekend while at school,  Jason made the short film, JAY AND SETH VS THE APOCALYPSE that would grow up to become THIS IS THE END. He co-wrote the upcoming film TEEN LUST starring Carey Elwes and is developing a half-hour dark comedy series called LET IT RIDE for EOne. He most recently directed THE CALLING for Sony Pictures with Susan Sarandon, Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace and Donald Sutherland which will be released this August.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet some of the brightest comedy screenwriters working today!

Join us on Wednesday, May 28th at:

La Film School
6353 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

As this is a professional event, we ask that you please arrive prior to the event start time.

Meeting Timeframe:  7:30 pm to approximately 9:30 pm

SWN members, please remember to bring a picture ID and your SWN Membership Card!

Any questions, email us at [email protected].

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