Harvard Square Script Writers

04/14/2024

Went to see a few films from the Boston International Film Festival today and met up with my friends Bob Tremblay and Merna Victor from Harvard Square Script Writers. We saw a very cute animated cartoon about a cross dressing pirate who befriends a mermaid, An Indian American guy losses it on a job interview and ( Both shorts ) and a feature film produced by my friend Judith Richland about a fictional "Art Thief" who takes down the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. It featured some great supporting work from Lenny Clarke and Keith Szarabajka and I look forward to seeing their next project.

10/18/2023

On Monday 10/23/23 we will meet up in a our FIRST EVER hybrid setup to review the feature biopic FRIEDL by Genine Tillotson at the Foundry in Cambridge.

Logline: When brilliant designer and painter Friedl Dicker Brandeis is transported to the “model” concentration Camp Theresienstadt in 1942, she must find a way to keep children’s spirits alive through the art program she volunteers to create.

Anyone interested in attending in-person should let us know by signing up at www.hsswriters.com and including a note - "in person." Or write to [email protected]. We will be meeting in one of the first floor conference rooms at the Foundry.

You can also attend virtually simply by signing up and you'll be added to our list.

The meeting will be held on Monday, October 23rd from 6:00 - 8:00. Please note the time change from our previous mtg time.

If you aren't a member of HSSW but want to read this script and participate, please also write to [email protected] to join our org. Since we offer virtual attendance, you can be anywhere in the world.

Cost is $10.00 per meeting to attend in-person or virtually via Zoom.

10/08/2023

The Premiere and talk back for Genine Tillotson's "NEXT GREAT HIRE" TV Pilot/Proof of Concept

10/03/2023

You’re Invited to Our First Screening of 2023 – A Look at the Comedy Pilot NEXT GREAT HIRE

October 7 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm at the Foundry Arts Center in Cambridge, MA

Only $5.00 and includes refreshments.

This year (and next) Harvard Square Script Writers hopes to sponsor a series of screenings and talk-backs at the wonderful Foundry Arts Center in Cambridge, MA.

Meet and mingle with other writers, crew, and actors. New creatives of all ages and backgrounds are always welcome!

For more details and tickets -

This year (and next) Harvard Square Script Writers hopes to sponsor a series of screenings and talk-backs at the wonderful Foundry Arts Center in Cambridge, MA. Our first event will be on Saturday, October 7th from 3:00 - 6:00 PM. More

05/22/2023

Hope to see you at the final script review of the Spring '23 semester tonight!

You still have time to sign up -- just pay meeting dues (just 10 bucks!) via Zelle to [email protected] before noon.

See you soon...!

05/17/2023

We’re wrapping up HSSW Spring 2023! Join us virtually for a review of Eafat Newton’s SHE’S GOT TO BE KIDDING on Monday, May 22nd at 7-9pm EST.

-- Logline --
An aspiring teenaged comedian and her estranged father end up on a week-long road trip, each keeping a life-changing secret from the other.

Genre: Young Adult Novel

-- About the Author --
Eafat has been a member of HSSW since 2013. She has a film certificate from Emerson College and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. She is co-producer of Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival.

Eafat wrote SHE’S GOT TO BE KIDDING when she found herself pinned between parenting two teenagers and watching her own father make difficult end-of-life decisions. Comedy provided her–and her characters–a way to cope, completing the familiar equation of tragedy plus time.

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SAVE THE DATE & SIGN UP!
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If you're ready to join now you can:
• Simply pay $10 via Zelle to the account: "[email protected]"
• Or sign up at hsswriters.com using PayPal/your Credit Card
Please indicate "5/22/23 review" and include your email if you are new to HSSW.
Deadline for sign-ups is noon on Monday, May 22nd EST.
The Zoom link will be sent out on the afternoon of the event.

Contact [email protected] if you'd like more info.

Hope you’ll join us for a discussion of character, story, and motivation in the first chapters of her young adult novel.

05/15/2023

Hope to see you at tonight's Theme Workshop. Coz it's going to be fun -- and informative! ;)

You still have time to sign up -- just pay meeting dues (just 10 bucks!) via Zelle to [email protected] before noon.

See you soon...!

05/08/2023

And for our final meeting of the semester... a fun, interactive workshop!

Theme Workshop: Finding the Universal Idea at the Core of Your Story
Monday, May 15th • 7pm via Zoom

---ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP---
Most unproduced scripts detail what happens. They’re a slice of life, a chronicling of events. It’s all about who’s doing what, when, and where. But without the Why behind the script, stories fall flat. They’re the scripts you read and say, “Okay, that happened. But... so what?” You don’t connect.

What if instead of simply telling the audience what happens, a writer shares an underlying idea of why it’s happening? Then, they give it that extra something that brings in a broad audience because they connect with the story. That “extra something” is Theme — and that is what turns a great Situation into a sellable Story.

For example, very few people are Children of Deaf Adults. But many people watched and connected with CODA -- because writer-director Sian Heder infused it with two very specific themes. She found broad ideas that universally connected with the audience and wove them into her story.

In this workshop, we will arm you with everything you need to bring a universal Theme to your scripts.

• What Theme Is NOT: Busting the myth that Theme is a single word, like “Love" or “Family"
• What Theme IS: We’ll define a universal Core Idea, with examples from different genres (including CODA)
• Learn how: Find your theme with 3 Easy Steps
• Workshop: Bring your story ideas!* Together we’ll do a series of exercises to discover your themes.
*Participation is optional — you can just sit back, relax, and watch if you prefer.

This is a Live Event only. It will not be recorded, so mark your calendars for May 15th!

--- SAVE THE DATE AND SIGN UP! ---
• Pay $10 via Zelle using the [email protected] account
• Or, sign up on PayPal with [email protected] or 978-505-5652.
• Indicate "5/15/23 Workshop" and include your email if you are new to HSSW
• Deadline for sign-ups is Monday, May 15th at noon EST. The Zoom link will be sent out on the afternoon of the event.

Hope to come and learn how to use this powerful, underused screenwriting tool to make your scripts sing!

04/24/2023

Hope to see you at tonight's script review!

You still have time to sign up -- just pay meeting dues (just 10 bucks!) via Zelle to [email protected] before noon.

See you soon...!

04/18/2023

Be sure to catch this virtual review of the latest installment of JON, an audioplay by Paul Falcone on Monday, April 24th. We hope you can join us!

JON Episode 9 Logline: Jon takes his mother on a trip down memory lane and Route 6 to Provincetown where she is being honored for her early work running an art gallery with her deceased husband Val. Joining the fun is Jon’s young protégé Anna.

About the Author: Paul Falcone has been making movies since he was a child at his parents’ school of animation: The Yellow Ball Workshop. He later went to the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in Film/Video/Animation.

Since then, he has worked in all phases of video production and is a long-time member of the Harvard Square Script Writers and serves on its board.
-----------------
SAVE THE DATE & SIGN UP!
-----------------
Contact [email protected] if you'd like more info.
Or, if you're ready to join now you can:
• Simply pay $10 via Zelle to the account: "[email protected]"
• Or sign up at hsswriters.com using PayPal/your Credit Card
Please indicate "4/24/23 review" and include your email if you are new to HSSW.
Deadline for sign-ups is noon on Monday, April 24th EST.
The Zoom link will be sent out on the afternoon of the event.
Hope to see you then!