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The Pacific Screenwriting Program thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. We are committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous storytellers.

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EVENT POST TEMPLATE

EVENT POST TEMPLATE

Join us in person for a conversation with award-winning showrunning team Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (X Company, Flashpoint, Allegiance), moderated by VFS Head of Writing Kat Montagu.

Details

Wednesday, November 22nd 2022
7pm at the VFS Cafe
390 W Hastings St
Tickets $12

Participants

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern are an award-winning TV creating, writing and showrunning team.

Most recently, they were co-creators, writers, Executive Producers and showrunners of the WWII espionage drama X Company (CBC/ Ovation/Sony Television) which shot in Budapest over three seasons. It was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama, and the pair won Best Drama Writing at the Writers Guild awards. Morgenstern directed its two-part finale.

Co-Creators and Executive Producers of Flashpoint (CBS/CTV), they were designated Showrunners of the Year by the Writers’ Guild of Canada. The show received the Academy Board of Directors Tribute for Outstanding and Enduring Contribution to Canadian Television, the Canadian Screen Award and Gemini for Best Dramatic Series, and earned them the Sea to Sky Innovative Producers Award at the Banff World Media Festival. Flashpoint is licensed in over 100 territories and translated into 22 languages.

Kat Montagu

Kat is a writer, producer, script analyst, story editor, and teacher, with a BFA and an MFA in Creative Writing. She has won multiple awards and development funding grants. Previously, she wrote for the television series Alienated and is currently a writing partner on a time travel novel-to-TV series adaption with Sara B Cooper. Head of the Writing Department at Vancouver Film School and the senior story editor for Crazy 8s short filmmaking competition, Kat loves helping other writers find their own voices.

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Where We Are

The Pacific Screenwriting Program thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. We are committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous storytellers.

Legal

© 2023 Pacific Screenwriting Program

Website by YupLook

NEWS POST TEMPLATE

NEWS POST TEMPLATE

Join us in person for a conversation with award-winning showrunning team Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (X Company, Flashpoint, Allegiance), moderated by VFS Head of Writing Kat Montagu.

Participants

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern are an award-winning TV creating, writing and showrunning team.

Most recently, they were co-creators, writers, Executive Producers and showrunners of the WWII espionage drama X Company (CBC/ Ovation/Sony Television) which shot in Budapest over three seasons. It was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama, and the pair won Best Drama Writing at the Writers Guild awards. Morgenstern directed its two-part finale.

Co-Creators and Executive Producers of Flashpoint (CBS/CTV), they were designated Showrunners of the Year by the Writers’ Guild of Canada. The show received the Academy Board of Directors Tribute for Outstanding and Enduring Contribution to Canadian Television, the Canadian Screen Award and Gemini for Best Dramatic Series, and earned them the Sea to Sky Innovative Producers Award at the Banff World Media Festival. Flashpoint is licensed in over 100 territories and translated into 22 languages.

Kat Montagu

Kat is a writer, producer, script analyst, story editor, and teacher, with a BFA and an MFA in Creative Writing. She has won multiple awards and development funding grants. Previously, she wrote for the television series Alienated and is currently a writing partner on a time travel novel-to-TV series adaption with Sara B Cooper. Head of the Writing Department at Vancouver Film School and the senior story editor for Crazy 8s short filmmaking competition, Kat loves helping other writers find their own voices.

Sponsors

Join the List

Follow Us

Where We Are

The Pacific Screenwriting Program thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. We are committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous storytellers.

Legal

© 2023 Pacific Screenwriting Program

Website by YupLook

Nov 22nd: Showrunners Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern

Nov 22nd: Showrunners Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern

Join us in person for a conversation with award-winning showrunning team Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (X Company, Flashpoint, Allegiance), moderated by Vancouver Film School Head of Writing Kat Montagu.

Details

Wednesday, November 22nd 2023
7pm at the VFS Cafe (doors 6:30pm)
390 W Hastings St
Tickets $12 plus tax and fees

Participants

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern are an award-winning TV creating, writing and showrunning team, currently showrunning Allegiance (CBC/Lark).

Prior to that, they were most recently co-creators, writers, Executive Producers and showrunners of the WWII espionage drama X Company (CBC/ Ovation/Sony Television) which shot in Budapest over three seasons. It was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama, and the pair won Best Drama Writing at the Writers Guild awards. Morgenstern directed its two-part finale.

Co-Creators and Executive Producers of Flashpoint (CBS/CTV), they were designated Showrunners of the Year by the Writers’ Guild of Canada. The show received the Academy Board of Directors Tribute for Outstanding and Enduring Contribution to Canadian Television, the Canadian Screen Award and Gemini for Best Dramatic Series, and earned them the Sea to Sky Innovative Producers Award at the Banff World Media Festival. Flashpoint is licensed in over 100 territories and translated into 22 languages.

Kat Montagu

Kat is a writer, producer, script analyst, story editor, and teacher, with a BFA and an MFA in Creative Writing. She has won multiple awards and development funding grants. Previously, she wrote for the television series Alienated and is currently a writing partner on a time travel novel-to-TV series adaption with Sara B Cooper. Head of the Writing Department at Vancouver Film School and the senior story editor for Crazy 8s short filmmaking competition, Kat loves helping other writers find their own voices.

In partnership with

Join the List

Follow Us

Where We Are

The Pacific Screenwriting Program thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. We are committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous storytellers.

Legal

© 2023 Pacific Screenwriting Program

Website by YupLook

Pacific Screenwriting Program Announcement

BC Applications to the 2023 Scripted Series Lab Open July 25th, 2022

(VANCOUVER, July 18, 2022) – After the successful delivery of a completely redesigned fourth edition of the Scripted Series Lab, and the resounding success of the PSP Summit as a consultant, we are saddened to announce that Alison Fraser has decided to focus on program delivery and executive leadership with a national scope through her consultancy KAF Consulting Group.

Fraser introduced brand new story editing, script punch-up, story coordinating and revamped mentorship modules to the 15-week training program, in addition to a full roster of events. Several of the participants in the Pacific Screenwriting Program (PSP) during her yearlong tenure have earned spots in BC writers’ rooms, including Scott Button and Mostafa Shaker on FAMILY LAW; Tammy Tsang on an unannounced AAA video game in development and the web series HEY CUZZIN; and Manny Mahal is in post-production on a documentary with CBC.

Fraser is grateful to the PSP for reigniting her passion for the industry. She is actively developing national programs focused on eradicating pervasive barriers to entry for Black and Indigenous creators, continues serving on several boards in the creative industries, and returns to Executive MBA studies in the fall.

“It is absolutely crucial that we all work together to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups to ensure they have full and unencumbered access to the networks, resources and skills needed to succeed in the screen-based industries across the country,” says Fraser, the founder of KAF Consulting Group. “Inclusion and diversity are not a fleeting trend, this is our new reality.”

PSP Chair Brian Hamilton added: “We congratulate Alison on her successes and share her belief in the importance of amplifying under-represented voices, which is part of the core mission of the PSP.”

Heading into its fifth year, the Scripted Series Lab combines real-world story room experience, mentorship, workshops and information sessions to equip writers in British Columbia with the skills, experience and connections necessary to establish a sustainable career in the province’s dynamic screen-based industry. Applications for the 2023 Scripted Series Lab will open on July 25th, 2022.

About the Pacific Screenwriting Program

The Pacific Screenwriting Program was established in 2018 with the goal of building a vibrant screenwriter community in British Columbia. Based in Vancouver, the not-for-profit organization provides support and career advancement to BC-based film and television writers at all levels, while generating a deep and sustainable pool of local talent for BC-based series and films.

Spotlight on The Porter: Authentic Storytelling

The Porter (CBC, BET+) is set in the Black community of St. Antoine, Montreal in the 1920s. The series follows an ensemble of characters who hustle, dream, cross borders and pursue their ambitions on and off the railways that crossed North America. It’s a gripping story of empowerment and idealism that highlights the moment when railway workers from both Canada and the United States joined forces to create the world’s first Black union. The PSP is honoured to host Marsha Greene and Annmarie Morais on Monday February 28 for a public talk about Authentic Storytelling and being a part of Canada’s only Black-led series, with an all-Black writers’ room.

Monday, February 28, 2022

4pm PST on VIFF Connect

Attendance is free! Please register here to participate.

VIFF Talks: Yellowjackets Co-Creators Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson

Yellowjackets (Showtime, Crave) has been seen by over 4 million viewers since its November 14, 2021 debut. The show picked up a Critics’ Choice nomination for ’Best Drama Series’, and has already been renewed for a second season. We are thrilled to present Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos, Dispatches from Elsewhere) as they discuss the show’s flashback structure, character development, and cast.


Wednesday, January 26, 2022

6pm PST on VIFF Connect

Attendance is free! Please register here to participate.

First Round Notices Sent Out for Scripted Series Lab 2022

We’ve just sent word by email to each of our wonderful applicants for the 2022 Scripted Series Lab. Please note we use mailing list software. If you applied but don’t see an email from us, please check your junk mail. Regardless of your news, good or bad, we are grateful for your interest and cheer you onward in your writing. 

SSL 2022 Applications Now Closed

Thank you to all of you who sent applications in to us. We know it’s a lot of work. All applicants can expect to hear from the PSP via email in mid November. Please make sure our emails aren’t going to your junk folder!

Catching Up with Corey Liu

 

Screenwriter Corey Liu has been working steadily since finishing the Scripted Series Lab 2019 program, including a stint in the room on Susin Nielsen’s new drama, Family Law, set to premier on Global later this year. Thank goodness he’s getting good at writing in a system rather than letting adrenaline and deadlines run the schedule. Corey says he’s a fan of the Pomodoro method.  “You tell yourself you only have to feel crappy for 30m if the writing doesn’t start to flow. (But it usually does.)”

When Corey thinks back to the Scripted Series Lab, he says “learning how to break a mystery with Showrunner, Sarah Dodd, and getting experience with how to organize an episode, was an invaluable experience. In a mystery you’re trying to steer the audience’s attention. You give them enough clues but also you’re trying to manipulate the viewer into thinking certain things. So much is centered in structure. Every act is a unified thought. The same goes for episodes.” He adds, Sarah Dodd taught them that “every show leaves questions that we manipulate the audience into thinking they have the answer to to.”

Corey’s advice to this year’s participants is “don’t get attached to you or ideas in the room.” Most of his ideas don’t end up on the wall, “and that’s fine!” Also, don’t get too automatically critical of other people’s pitched ideas. He adds, “Remember when you get notes from the mentor, still just really sit with it and think about where it might be coming from. What are they identifying even if you don’t love their solution.”

Checking In with Huelah Lander

Screenwriter Huelah Lander wasted no time after leaving the Scripted Series Lab 2020 last year. She wrote one of this year’s selected Crazy8s films, iDorothy, directed by Luvia Petersen and produced by Amanda Konkin. The film premiers at the Crazy8s gala on May 1st. Tix available at: http://crazy8s.film/
The same team, (Download Joy Productions), is pleased to announce that their Harold Greenburg funded short film, hAPPiness, will be debuting in Canada on Crave and internationally through Dust in July.
Oh, and a TV movie that she wrote,  Evil Stepmom,  is in production. No biggie!
Looking back at what she learned from her time at the PSP, Huelah says, “It’s an industry built on connections which can make people feel it’s inaccessible but the PSP helped me understand you don’t know where opportunities are going to come from. It’s okay if you don’t click with everybody. If you aren’t a super connector you can still work on making real connections with people.”
To this year’s cohort, Huelah says, “Don’t be afraid to reach out with people. When this program ends you have a bit of name recognition to work with. Also keep in contact with your cohort.” Huelah’s advice to potential PSP applicants is, “Showcase yourself. Show your personality in your letter and your work and the interview. It’s better to be real and who you are and interesting so that if you get in, it’s the right fit. And be nice. Be someone people would want to spend a lot of time with.”

Checking in with Adam Hussein

Since completing the Scripted Series Lab 2020, screenwriter Adam Hussein has signed with an agent and continues to work on several projects. He’s particularly excited about a novel he’s been adapting that sounds like a perfect match for his legal background and social justice interests.

Reflecting on his time in the room, Adam thinks showrunner, Rob Cooper, was “really good about pressing us on our networking skills, on taking chances and reaching out as much as we can. This has already served me well and helped me to stay on top of it.”

His advice for future applicants? Work on a sample that is the clearest representation of who you are and what your voice is. “What’s gotten the most attention for me,” he explains, “hasn’t always been my most marketable work but it shows my voice and shows my passion. Focus on that above all else.”

Petie Chalifoux says “Never give up!”

Petie Chalifoux has a whole folder of rejections at home but she says, “you can’t give up. Accept the “no,” and keep moving forward. Never give up. Somebody out there is ready for your project, you just don’t know who until they see it.”

Petie runs a production company, Tohkapi Cinema,  with her partner, Micheal Auger. Tohkapi is a Cree word meaning “Opening Eyes” and it’s a 100% owned and operated Indigenous company. Her hard work and her dedication to putting herself out there is bearing fruit. The project she worked on at the PSP, “Disappearing Moon,” has received development money and is currently being worked into a feature and a short. Petie and her team will be filming the short this summer, “and we continue to push for it to become a TV series.” Petie’s documentary, “Bella’s Story,” recently aired on APTN.

Looking back at her time with the PSP, Petie says she’s grateful to Sarah Dodd for holding a space for her to use her voice in the way Petie was taught, in a way that was respectful to her own culture. She adds, the most useful skill she came away with was “learning how to break a story.”

 

 

 

 

Renuka Singh on Communicating in the Room

For 2020 Scripted Series Lab Alum, Renuka Singh, writing is a family affair. Her sister is also a working TV writer and the two of them have been hard at work on a new project.

For Renuka, time spent in the room was emboldening. “Near the end of the program,” she muses, “we were reflecting on our experience and Rob Cooper told me I had to get confident and throw my ideas out there. That’s how you get your ideas heard. Your ideas might get shot down but that’s part of the process – it leads to the next idea.” That advice extends to communication with the Showrunner as well. “At any point where you are bumping on something…don’t sit on it. Go to the showrunner and ask for clarification. They will tell you exactly what they are looking for, saving you from spinning your wheels and building up your relationship with the Showrunner.”

Her advice for future participants is practical. “The program is scary and uncomfortable and all encompassing at times, so set your personal affairs up first so you can take time for self-care. The room is so fun! But it’s a challenge too. Make sure you fridge is well stocked.”

 

Steve Neufeld on Throwing Spaghetti At the Wall

Scripted Series Lab 2020 alum, Steve Neufeld, has several projects on the go, but he’s especially excited to be working on his new novel. “It’s nice to really savour the language in a way that’s different from writing scripts. On the other hand, TV is so focused on structure, that I think it’s informed my novel writing in a positive way.”

Thinking back to his PSP days, Steve says, “So many lessons sound simple but you learn through the experience. For example, interrogate your first idea and dig for more ideas. Don’t just go for the first idea. The room is the perfect place to learn this and I try to remember it when I work on solo stuff.”

He thinks of the whole process from pitching to breaking as throwing spaghetti at the wall and not getting your heart broken when something doesn’t stick. “Learning not to let the ‘no’ get you down is so organic to the process,” Steve adds. “Those muscles get flexed every day in the room. I miss the camaraderie.”

Steve’s advice to this year’s participants is to keep contacting people. “Have lots of stuff that you can pitch. Try to enjoy the whole process as a process rather than looking at it as wins and losses. See the whole thing as the dream, not just getting the show green lit.”