SRN Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award 2023

Our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to Screenwriting Research goes to Dr Tom Stempel, Professor Emeritus at Los Angeles City College, presented at the Annual General Meeting at the 15th Annual Conference held in Columbia, Missouri, USA. Presented on 22nd September, 2023.

Screenwriting Labour Organizations Internationally

The Screenwriting Research Network has recently conducted a survey of its members to gather information about their local professional screenwriting organization. The following list is compiled from the answers given. If your organization is not listed, please feel free to contact the Website Coordinator within the Executive Council to request that it is added.

 

Country or Region Name  of Screenwriting Labour Organization
Australia Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) Link here.
Belgium, Flanders Scenaristengilde ( Link here) & Association des Scénaristes de l’Audiovisuel (ASA) Link here.
Brazil Associação Brasileira de Autores Roteiristas (ABRA) Link here.
Canada Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Link here.
China China Central Academy of Drama (through the academic journal) Link here.
Czech Republic Association of Czech Film Directors, Screenwriters and Script Editors Link here.
Denmark Dramatiker Forbundet – Dramatist’s Union Link here.
England Writer’s Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) Link here.
France la Guilde française des scénaristes Link here.
Germany Deutscher Drehbuch Verband/DDV Link here.
India The Screenwriters Association (SWA) Link here.
Ireland Writers Guild of Ireland Link here.
Israel Screenwriters Guild of Israel Link here.
New Zealand New Zealand Writers Guild Link here.
Portugal APAD – Associação Portuguesa de Argumentistas e Dramaturgos Link here.
South Africa Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA) Link here.
Spain Sindicato de guionistas ALMA  Link here.    | Foro de Asociaciones de Guionistas Audio Link here.
Sweden Dramatikerförbundet – Writers Guild of Sweden Link here.
USA WGAW (Writers Guild of America West)  Link here. | WGAE (Writers Guild of America East) Link here.
International International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) Link here.
Europe Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE) Link here.

SRN Executive Minutes – July 2023

SRN Executive Council Meeting

MINUTES

Monday, July 17, 2023

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Anna Weinstein (AW).  ECR Clarissa Miranda (CM)

 

  1. Apologies / Take group photo

JC, AW, CM, RF

 

  1. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting – await more members in next meeting

 

  1. Strike Statement discussion: SRN statement approved by members via emailed responses. Now, the question of the wording…?  “The Screenwriting Research Network, along with writers guilds around the world, stands in solidarity with the WGA (Writers Guild of America) in their strike action for fair compensation for writers. The SRN would also like to extend our support to SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild + American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) as they begin their work stoppage. We hope for a swift and fair resolution for all workers in these industries.”

–on website, newsletter, and listserve

 

  1. JC –Newsletter question – Group suggestions for inclusion? Take Twitter logo off bottom of newsletter as we don’t use it anymore.

JC – Done via email

 

  1. RW: Update on bids for future conferences: 2024 Palaky, 2025 South Australia, 2026 Oxford Brookes. Armando in Milan sent bid on 7-8-2023 for Milan 2027)- other expressions of interest via email are: Ruth Gutiérrez Delgado rgutierrez@unav.es,

 

  1. Update on Book/Monograph Awards. 5 articles, two books as of 7-23. ACTION: We will need a new judge for next year as Eva will step down.

JC recommends:  Last year I nominated Dina Lordanova. I think she would be suitable candidate this year too. (via email)

 

  1. IG/RF – Any further updates on membership/new survey response / Update on Google Analytics report and upgrade w/Leeds

 

  1. RW: SRN 2023 Conference Update – Registrations coming in/list of presentations posted to website/ Costume Exhibition planned to coincide/ moved as many Europeans to Friday as possible for jet lag.

 

  1. Other business

 

Date of next meeting(s): August 21 (Isadora on holiday), September 19 or 20 (In person at SRN2023 – Time TBD)

 

 

SRN Executive Minutes – June 2023

MINUTES

Monday 19th June via Zoom

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Anna Weinstein (AW).  ECR Clarissa Miranda (CM)

 

  1. Apologies / Take group photo

 

–CM and IGA running late

 

  1. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting

 

–JC approves, RF seconds

 

  1. JC –Newsletter question – Next one scheduled before or after SRN2023? Group suggestions for inclusion? – update on WGA strike? Updates on SRN2023?

 

–JC confirms the next newsletter will be in Sept. RW asks whether we want to include info/update on the writers’ strike. RF suggests it could be helpful for international SRN members to learn more about the strike, little coverage in other countries. RW gives overview and history of strike. JC suggests we email listserve to ask for comments from international guilds. RF says she’ll email listserve to ask for the names of international guilds as this information can be challenging for researchers to acquire. RW agrees this will be helpful to include in the repository for researchers.

 

  1. RW: Update on bids for future conferences: 2024 Palaky, 2025 South Australia, 2026 Oxford Brookes. Can we solidify one more this year? (Spain, Brazil, Milan?)

 

–RW updates that 2024-2026 conference locations are confirmed. IG reports that she spoke to Armando re Milan for 2027, and he has confirmed interest. RW will correspond with Armando so he can put forward a formal bid/proposal.

 

  1. Update on Book/Monograph Awards. Move to 2 year submission cycles?

 

–RW updates that she spoke the Tom, Eva, and Carmen and there have been only three article nominations and no book nominations to date. Suggestion to move the deadline to mid-July. All agree this makes sense. RF suggests we add a FB post re the book nominations to encourage submissions. RF also points out new page on the website, could be wise to direct traffic to the new page; book award winners will be commemorated online going forward. Open discussion about English language books having an advantage over books written in other languages. RW will email judges to ask whether they are open to guest judges who can read in other languages to encourage more submissions. If judges agree, RW will email listserve to request volunteer readers in other languages to serve as guest judges in years to come.

 

  1. IG/RF – Any further updates on membership/new survey response

 

  1. RW – Update on Google Analytics report and upgrade

 

–RF reports large base of U.S. subscribers but few who are active members. Also reports significant interest and engagement from subscribers in China. RW reminds RF and all that EC member will draft a few paragraphs to share the AGM meeting in Sept.

 

  1. Working Group Update: CM Report on middle year online meeting between working groups and Early Career Researchers to be held in June.

 

–CM reports she was happy to get Kate on board to present at the workshop, date still TBD, but looking at the first two weeks of August. Kate was mentored by Margaret McVeigh in Australia for her PhD, currently living in Australia and working with Disney but originally from Brazil. No new updates about working groups, but she will have more to report for the next meeting.

 

  1. RW/ALL: Update on elections during SRN.

 

–AW reports that she hasn’t received any interest about new EC members. She will put out another call to the listserve in early July.

 

  1. RF: Update: spot on website to post all award winners (books, articles, Tom’s award) permanently.

 

–RF directs EC members to new page on website. All agree it looks great!

 

  1. RF: Update on SRN Conversation planning

 

  1. RW: SRN 2023 Conference Update – RW – Registrations coming in/panels being constituted to post on website/Costume Exhibition planned to coincide/Jeff Melvoin Showrunner training added

 

–RW reports few registrations to date, expects this is due to availability of travel funding, expecting more later in the summer. RW has already started scheduling, will post the presentation/presenter titles on the website shortly. JC suggests international presenters are scheduled for days 2 and 3 to accommodate for jetlag. RW will revisit the schedule with this in mind.

 

  1. CM: Status on other forms of social media connection – reviving Instagram/need login password

 

–RW updates CM that we would like to put out a call on FB for SRN members to self-nominate recent books for book award.

 

  1. RW – Requesting more book reviews for JOS.

 

  1. Other business: Any vacations to consider in planning next meetings?

 

Date of next meeting(s): July 17 (Anna on holiday), August 21 (Isadora on holiday), September 19 or 20 (In person at SRN2023 – Time TBD)

Statement of Support for Screenwriters during current Strike action

The Executive Council of the Screenwriting Research Network would like to make the following public statement in support of screenwriters and creators with regard to fair remuneration from streaming services worldwide:

The Screenwriting Research Network, along with writers guilds around the world, stands in solidarity with the WGA (Writers Guild of America) in their strike action for fair compensation for writers. The SRN would also like to extend our support to SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild + American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) as they begin their work stoppage. We hope for a swift and fair resolution for all workers in these industries.

SRN Executive Minutes – May 2023

MINUTES

Monday, May 15, 2023 via Zoom

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Anna Weinstein (AW).  ECR Clarissa Miranda (CM)

 

  1. Apologies / Take group photo

 

–NA

 

  1. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting

 

–JC approves, RW seconds

 

  1. JC – Update on newsletter

 

–RW will send JC recent FB post so he can include in the newsletter. JC reports that he will also include information about the upcoming conference, book awards, recent survey data, and the call for nominations for the EC. AW asks whether we can include a cfp for volumes for the new Screen Storytellers series with Bloomsbury. RW and JC agree. RW asks about JC’s deadline for the next newsletter: May 31.

 

  1. IG/RF – Update on membership/new survey response

 

–IGA reports that we now have 250 respondents, which she shared with the EC via Google Drive. Just a few more new responses since our last meeting. IGA suggests we include a reminder in the next newsletter. JC suggests they include a short interview with IGA about the survey; he will reach out to her.

 

  1. Working Group Update: CM Reports on middle year online meeting between working groups and Early Career Researchers to be held in June.

 

–CM will organize the first meeting for August, Margaret McVeigh has already agreed to present (how to do applied research with students studying screenwriting). RF and RW agree that August sounds good, though RW won’t be able to attend. RW suggests CM record the Zoom meeting so anyone who can’t attend can access it later.

 

  1. RW/ALL: Plan time to post about elections during SRN: “Pursuant to Section 5.7 of our Constitution: “The Secretary will make all nominations and statements available to the Membership by no later than 14 days before the date of the election – by Monday 8 September 2023.” So nomination deadline is Aug. 11, 2023.

 

–AW shares the updated call. IGA and RW approve. AW will send out through the SRN listserve now. Asks whether we should resend closer to Aug deadline as a reminder. RF agrees this would be helpful.

 

  1. RF: Update: YouTube/Creating password repository (YouTube channel, login required being sent a one-time code to Rafael’s phone number, -change the setting to new Website coordinator’s phone number) / Institutional memory.– NEW NEED spot on website to post all award winners (books, articles, Tom’s award) permanently.

 

–RF shares that she will create the spot on the website for previous award winners before the next EC meeting. RF gives CM what she thinks is the login/password for FB and said she will search correspondence with Raphael and Paolo to see if she can find it.

  1. RF: Update on SRN Conversation planning

 

–RF updates that she hasn’t received a response from Davinia Thornley and will look to find new contact information.

 

  1. RW: SRN 2023 Conference Update – RW – Registrations coming in/panels being constituted to post on website/Costume Exhibition planned to coincide

–RW updates that everything is coming together for the conference, though few registrations to date. She expects this has to do with when travel funding becomes available for faculty. Since SRN members have expressed a desire for more professional panels, she is considering inviting showrunner Jeff Melvoin to do a presentation on showrunning. (He has a new book out.) She is still deciding, however, since the focus of the conference is women in screenwriting. RW updates that there will be an opening night gala, a joint production of screenwriting and fashion program at Stephen’s College, with exhibits of film costumes. Her students are helping to develop the exhibit.

 

  1. CM: Status on other forms of social media connection – reviving Instagram

–CM reports that she can create a new Instagram account, but it won’t be connected to FB. She doesn’t have the login and password for FB and would like to have it so she can connect the two accounts. She will try the new login RF suggests. RW and IGA discuss existing Instagram account, not an official account but rather through hashtags. CM will create the new Instagram account through FB. IGA suggests that we have a shorter handle.

 

  1. RW – Requesting more book reviews for JOS.

RW reports that it’s challenging to get book reviews for JOS. Shares that she makes a book review assignment for her MFA students and publishes the top two or three in JOS, which gives students their first publication. Students must find their own book to review, looking for international publications (in English). AW says this is a terrific idea, she will plan to do the same.

 

  1. Other business: Any vacations to consider in planning next meetings?

 

Date of next meeting(s): June 19, same time