News

SRN Executive Council Meeting

(via Zoom)

February 17, 2025

7am Los Angeles

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Lucian Georgescu (LG).  Clarissa Miranda (CM), Romana Turina (RT), Juan Carlos Carrillo (JC).

ECR Hugo Armando Arcinega (HA)

 

1. Apologies for any absences

Isadora, Romana

 

2. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting.

Point 4 – JC will email adjustment to Secretary. With that donem JC approves and Hugo seconds.

 

3. IG/JCC – Update on Membership email transfer and numbers of new members since SRN2024.

Tabled for March meeting

 

4. Take group zoom photo

 

5. JC: Newsletter Update –JC Thanked for all the time put on this project. ALSO, for collecting list of previous Keynote Speakers for placement on the website. JC reports that all info minus a few abstracts is in for placement on new section of website.

 

LG – can use the information gathered on previous conferences to add into edits for future Conversations.

 

6. RT: Working Groups Update – Organizing Script Reading Working Group Zoom for Feb 28 to see how many SRN members are interested.

 

7. GROUP decides to choose a month to invite Working Group Members to attend an EC meeting in the next couple of months. Maybe March or April. Also to invite Craig Batty to an EC meeting for update on SRN2025?

–Will he be free to visit?  RW will email.

 

8. JC –”Sustainable Screenwriting Working Group” within SRN

2 people answered with interest – JC will continue – not tied to current research.

 

LG – still has monies for another small conference

 

9. IGA – Update on when to post about Annual Award Nominations (Teaching, Books and Articles)

 

10. LG: SRN2024 Video production update.

 

LG – conversation with Steven Maras, keynote speaker at Copenhagen in 2010, available for uploading. Other interviews are nearly an hour long. Plans are to release Conversations with previous Chairs, EC members, then move on to full coverage of Vienna conference, then the Oxford online conference Conversation by summertime.

 

RW- Has idea about naming a Historian as new position in EC? – Group agrees it’s worth putting up for vote to add to Constitution during next AGM

 

11. CM: Conference in Brazil in the city of Florianópolis, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Fall Semester 2026?

Meeting is set up with 3 screenwriting teachers at the uni – ideas: all students could join the conference at no cost; numbers who may attend/add it as a hybrid so those who can’t pay to attend can still attend.  Will have meeting in March with uni. Cinema born 15 years ago.  For hybrid they are used to it. All agree hybrid option helps academics whose unis don’t offer travel funding and exposure to new perspectives help us all.

 

12. Formally accepted bids for sites for:

 

Oxford 2026 (in hand) / (AND Florianopolis in April – forthcoming)

Mexico City 2027

Milan 2028 (in hand along with email from Armando Fumagilli moving from 2027 to 2028)

Navarre 2029 (forthcoming)

 

13. HA: Presentation of the report of monthly results of social media –

HA – Lots of good material to post.

 

 

Date of next meeting(s):  March 17.

Future Meetings: Apr 21(Easter Monday), May 19, June 16, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 19 (in person at SRN2025).

 

EC MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES

 

Date: Monday 21st October 2024

 

 

In attendance:  Rosanne Welch (RW), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Juan Carlos Carillo (JCC), Lucien Georgescu (LG), Clarissa Miranda (CM), Romana Turina (RT), Hugo Armando Arciniegas, ERC (HA). Also in attendance, non-EC member Marius (DP responsible for recording SRN 2024).

 

1. Apologies (N/A)

 

2. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting (September, in person at SRN 2024).

(September AGM to post to YouTube Channel). Also attached History of SRN for EC members to read.

RW approves/ LG seconds.

 

Also as Election update – Fully Welcome Clarissa, Romana, and Juan Carlos. Discuss changeover of responsibilities:  Decisions during SRN2024 = Rosanne/Vice Chair,  Isadora/Secretary, Juan Carlos/Membership, Jan/Newsletter, Clarissa/Website Coordinator. Per Constitution shall we name a Treasurer?

 

3. Update on documentary about SRN2024.

 

LG – The first version of the video will be ready very soon, along with a teaser/trailer. Paolo Russo and Armando Fumagalli provided lots of pictures and materials from their respective conferences, which will be integrated into the video. LG and Marius conducted 8 interviews with previous conference organisers, and 6 of them were very long, so they have a lot of material to work with. More material than LC and Marius expected, so they need more time to edit everything.

 

RW – No need to apologize! This is volunteer work, and editing takes a lot of time.

 

LG – Hopefully by next meeting they will have a more complete version. For now, they will show the EC a brief teaser.

[Marius shares his screen and plays a draft version of the teaser.] In spite of some technical problems with the Internet connection, the teaser looks really good!

 

LG – Will send a low-resolution version of the teaser to all members of the EC via e-mail, so that we can see it better. For next meeting, LG plans to have a list of deliverables and schedule regarding the documentary.

 

4. Future SRN Conferences

 

RW – In the next few months we need to decide the upcoming conferences, from 2028 onwards. For now, the ones that have been fully confirmed are:

• 2025 – University of South Australia (org. Craig Batty)
• 2026 – Oxford Brookes University (org. Paolo Russo)

 

RW – Potential upcoming bids: Milan, Mexico City, Bucharest.

 

JCC – It would be Mexico City, at Universidad Panamericana. We also need to consider if conferences should alternate between Europe and North America every other year.

 

LG – Rector of LG’s institution in Bucharest (Universitatea Nationala de Arta Teatrala si Cinematografica “Ion Luca Caragiale” din București) is very enthusiastic about hosting an SRN conference. However, he is in his second mandate, and while he supports the project, by 2028 there might be a different rector, which might make it more difficult.

 

RW – We need to check with Armando Fumagalli, to see if he is tied to 2027. Maybe he can do it later, since Milan has hosted before?

 

LG – Maybe we can consider two universities as organisers. Bucharest + Milan. Not two venues. Just one venue, but two universities organising the conference. We would have to talk to Armando and see if this is possible.

 

IGA –  We also have a bid from the University of Navarre in Spain. They might be able to host the   between 2028 and 2030. We would have to check with them.

 

JCC – Mexico can adapt to whatever dates are more suitable for everyone.

 

RW – By the end of the year we should have 2027 and 2028 figured out.

 

CM is waiting for a final answer from her university regarding a potential conference in Brazil, in the city of Florianópolis, at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Hopefully we will have an answer by next month.

 

JC has realised, after hosting SRN 2024, that money is not a problem to organise a conference. Even with a limited budget, it can be done just with conference fees. If you have extra funding, you can get more prestigious keynotes etc, but the basics can be covered by conference fees. Also, post-SRN2024 Update –150 participants/30 countries/31 panels/budget in the green/Erasmus participation helped.

 

RW agrees. It’s not about money, it’s about having lots of volunteers, students helping out.

 

JC – Because of inflation, in future years we might consider higher conference fees.

 

5. Dates for upcoming meetings

 

RW – We will keep meeting on the third Monday of each month, at the same time (7:00 am in LA). Each person will have to consider DayLight Time Savings.

 

IGA – To confirm for the minutes: Next meeting will be on Monday, Nov. 18th. We are skipping the one in December, because of the holidays.

 

6. New roles within the EC

 

JCC and IG – Re: Membership and Inclusion Officer, the transfer of duties has been made. We are waiting on the e-mail change so that JCC can become the JISCMAIL admin.

 

CM had two long meetings with Rose Ferrell (previous webmaster) to learn everything about the website.

 

RW – Romana (RT) is a member-at-large, but since we need a treasurer, maybe she can become the treasurer, even though we don’t collect any fees. It’s a required role.

 

RT- I will help in any way that I can.

 

RW – We also need a member to liaison with working groups via the working groups leaders. Maybe this can be Romana as well?

 

RT accepts this role.

 

RW – Therefore, Romana will be both Treasurer and Working Group Liaison.

 

JC – We need a native speaker to review and proofread the newsletter, now that Rose is no longer a member of the EC.

 

RW – I have realized that we now have more people in the EC with Spanish as a first language instead of English… The SRN is truly international!

 

RW – We also need to consider who will be the next Chair. I will be staying for a year as ViceChair, but next year someone else should step up. I will be staying for an additional year to help them out, then I will leave the EC.

 

LG – I can also liaise with the working groups. And I can assist as ViceChair if necessary.

 

RW – Great. Next role would be Social Media. Where are we on Social media, Hugo?

 

LG – Excellent, he is doing excellent!

HA – Clarissa and her friend Bianca gave me great info on how to plan and programme posts on social media. I have been learning how to programme 3 posts a week across all social media, mainly on Instagram and LinkedIn. I’m now learning how to better use Instagram stories. Everything is going well.

 

 

RW – We always try to keep meetings to one hour. Any other topics?

 

JC – As per the agenda, we also needed to discuss the possibility of posting keynote speeches from conferences on the website.

 

RW – Yeah, not to give Clarissa extra work, but that is a wonderful idea.

 

JC – It could be an expandable option on the website menu, where we could upload the speeches and papers (if they have been published).

 

IGA –  Just to confirm this for the minutes, EC members will hold the following roles this year:

 

Vice Chair – RW (until new Chair next September)

Vice Chair – LG

Membership & Inclusion – JCC

Treasurer & Working Group Liaison – RT

Secretary – IGA

Website Coordinator – CM

Newsletter Editor – JC

ECR (Social Media) – HA

 

RW – See you all next month, on November 18th. And remember to read Ian McDonald’s wonderful article on the history of the SRN!

 

 

MINUTES

Monday, July 22, 2024

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Anna Weinstein (AW), Lucien Georgescu (LG).  ECR Clarissa Miranda (CM), Hugo Armando Arcinega (HA)

1. Apologies

 

2. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting (April)

   –LG approves, JC seconds.

 

3. JC: Update on SRN2024. Plus discuss things related to public transport in the Czech Republic? As well as the best ways to get from Prague to Olomouc, and other practical questions for travellers.

   –JC says it’s 2 ½ hour bus from the Prague airport to conference. Airport Express: https://www.cd.cz/dalsi-sluzby/navazna-doprava/-26856/ Three train co: RegioJet, Leo Express, České dráhy. JC recommends trains rather than buses.

 

4. JC: Newsletter Update – – Newsletter – went out in June. Compliments on completing in in the midst of conference planning. Suggestions for future issues (Announce new Working Groups and leaders)

   –JC updates that the deadline will be the first week of Sept.

 

5. AW: – Election update – applicants/deadline/will we need Scrutineers? “From then on, all proceedings (including ballots, management of the election if held, and appointment of new members of the EC) will be impartially overseen by two Scrutineers, independent from the Executive Council.” RW reminds us that someone has to be chair, and it should be someone already on the EC. She will run for this year just to support the new chair

 

6. LG/RF: SRN Conversation #4 progress: London (& Leeds?) Need one done in the next month/6 weeks. Potsdam will be in next set.

   –LG updates that he secured funds to bring a DOP with him with two cameras, working on flights tomorrow, hoping to be in on the 10^th or 11^th and staying until Sunday. They are looking to have as much material as possible from the conference so they can make a commercial for the conference as well as getting interviews with the EC. He wants to get a list of attendees from Jan. Clarissa has offered to help. He will have a small list of questions for the EC and they will do it documentary style.

 

7. RW – Book awards Update – From Carmen Sofia Brenes: “7 articles, 4 book chapters, 7 books”. A question came up about submitting a PhD monograph – the awards require the piece to have been published – but that raised the idea:  “We could have an award for PhD Monographs in the future! It is a way to incentivate the research on the field!”  Other question:  “I wonder if, in future years, we might consider a category for history and a separate one for craft. They’re such different forms…”  Could we do that this year (since there is no monetary award)?.  ALSO, “I like the idea of dividing books into craft and history.  Does this include articles and book chapters please?” BUT also “In my opinion, it is better to remain with two awards. One for books and the other for chapters/articles (without the distinction between craft and history).  At least this year. Otherwise it can be confusing. If the Council decides to give more awards, that can be included in the next call for awards.  I have a slight doubt about the distinction between craft and history: the awards were there to celebrate an outstanding piece of screenwriting research, in any field. Maybe the jurors can decide each year where to put more emphasis.

   –RW updates that they should know by the first week of September. RF recommends that the third judge decides. IGA suggests that one award is enough. Perhaps an honorable mention for the second. AW thinks there is a difference between craft and history books. LC agrees. IGA thinks it would be a good idea to give an award for a dissertation, but the problem is language. RW says that we made the decision in Vienna that the book review has to be in English. JC suggests that

 

8. AW – Teaching Awards Update.

 

9. RW: Reminds the EC to prepare individual reports for the first week of Aug so she can add to the PowerPoint for the AGM. Planning to have the AGM on the Thursday during conference week, but we can decide at our Aug EC meeting.

   –RW reminds everyone to get their updates by mid-August.

 

10. IG: Update on publishing Top 5-10 suggestions/how they are being addressed from Membership Survey to listserve and also AGM. ALSO, Discuss Responses to Call for Volunteers:

 

A.) Craig Batty’s new Working Group for PhD candidates Description:

– Working group name:

Screenwriting PhD Candidate Community

 

Working group lead and contact details:

Craig Batty, University of South Australia

craig.batty@unisa.edu.au

 

Working group outline:

This group provides a collegial, creative-critical community for currently enrolled (or about to be enrolled) PhD candidates. Whether you are working on a screenwriting thesis by creative practice, or a more traditional, theoretical thesis, this group provides a safe space for sharing ideas and work in progress, and for seeking and giving advice about the PhD journey. International in nature, the group also builds a cross-cultural, multi-perspective community of emerging scholars and leaders, helping to promote the next generation of screenwriting researchers around the world.

 

The group is informed by deep expertise in PhD supervision and examination, and a commitment to excellence in research training and researcher development. Group members are invited to come with questions about the PhD, concerns about their candidature, ideas that they want to test out, or simply to listen to where others are at on the journey. As the group establishes itself, guest speakers may be brought in to help members expand their knowledge, experience, and research horizons.

 

–IGA thinks it’s a great idea. All agree. RW will let Craig know.

B.) AW: meeting with Alessandra Bautze, Georgia State University. (See Addendum with all letters received)

–AW is meeting with her August 6 and will update the EC at the next meeting.

C.) See Addendum with all other volunteer offers – Decide on follow up emails

 

1. RF – First – thanks for posting Hugo’s bio to the website. Second, can we consider creating a FAQ on the website that includes these new strains of listserve emails (like the one on books but now there is one on writing on one-act and two-act feature films)? Better than a link to the Google drive???

 

2. CM/HA: Presentation of the report of monthly results of social media, and conference in Brazil in five years in the city of Florianópolis, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.

   –CM shares that she is thankful to Hugo for making a lot of posts. She has spoken with the professor and team at Florianópolis, and they are interested in being a part of it. She will have more updates soon. HA offers that he is available for other tasks because the social media posts don’t take a lot of time. RW wonders if he might be able to help with the website. RF says that could be very helpful, even smaller jobs like posting minutes on the website or materials from the working groups.

 

3. Take group photo

 

4. RF – Brainstorming more uses for SRN YouTube Channel…

   –JC suggests Romana’s videos could be posted on the YouTube. AW suggests that we could have interviews with the book awards winners and the teaching awards winners. LC says we can get the interviews at the Sept conference. RF thinks it’s a great idea and much more engaging.

 

5. RF – on GoogleDrive of past conferences /Create Page of Emeritus EC members????

   –All agree this is an excellent idea.

 

6. JC: Heide Philipsen project – refection letter not funded – keep on agenda for resubmission next year.

 

Date of next meeting(s):  Monday same time –Aug. 19, Sept. 12 (in person at SRN2024).

 

ADDENDUM A

 

Response from Alessandra Bautze to call for Volunteers:

Alessandra Victoria Bautze abautze@gsu.edu

 

“I’m writing to express my interest in getting involved in a service opportunity with the Screenwriting Research Network. I joined Georgia State as Assistant Professor of Screenwriting in August 2022. I’d like to get involved with SRN and am eager to meet new colleagues in our field.

 

I am particularly interested in serving as a “representative or liaison with local writers’ guilds, associations and practitioners”, as coordinator of social/networking events, or as a coordinator of an Online Script Club. I enjoyed meeting representatives of organizations such as the Authors Guild when I was living in New York and now I enjoy maintaining connections with writers residency coordinators. I’m a very social person and have experience planning meetings and meetups. I also think that a monthly script reading event would be a great way to network with colleagues and share ideas.

 

But of course I am open to serving wherever the need is greatest.

 

I’d love to speak further at your convenience. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

 

 

Response from Eugene Doyen to call for Volunteers:

e.doyen@qmul.ac.uk

Coordinator – Online Script Club (like a book club, but with scripts!)  Monthly (or bi-monthly) discussion of screenplays.

Queen Mary, University of London

 

I was fine to attend the Vienna based conference, the US and Olomouc was and is right up against the start of the academic year. I’d be absent for all the final preparations and have three production modules running in the first semester.

I will see if I can summon up the courage to take the risk to attend this fiall. Attending and meeting online to set up teaching would be bad experience. I am going to conference in Gorizia. (I know its not SRN, but I can see some overlap of people.)

In case its helpful I’m fine to convene a group, take turns.

 

 

Response from Joachim Strand to call for Volunteers

Joachim Strand <joachim.strand@uwa.edu.au>

I would like to be considered for the Online Script Club Coordinator, because reading scripts is key to becoming a better script writer.

My initial reaction is for a bi-monthly discussion, to allow enough time for people to read, and that the discussion takes the form of a chat forum. While a Zoom discussion would be better, the different time zones we are all in presents a hurdle.

Further to that, I would also like to actively engage in the syllabus development.

Let me know what you think.

Since the responses will be discussed, I thought I’d flesh it out a bit:

Reading and analysing scripts is key to becoming a better script writer, and it is something we are all already doing. But, the option of discussing and sharing our findings, questions, and reflections on the scripts we read is not something that is necessarily available to all of us. Certainly not with a world wide range of skilled professionals.

Therefore I believe that script reading club will be a great opportunity to not only actuate a habit of regular script reading but also advancing an active critical bearing on the script reading process and the on the scripts we read. Not to mention, it is a great way to network and build relationships.

To allow enough time for people to read I feel that a bi-monthly discussion is good, and that the discussion takes the form of a chat forum. While a Zoom discussion would be better, the different time zones we are all in presents a hurdle.

As a first read I would suggest ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ (1974) by John Huston and Gladys Knight. Great link here with lots of info on the film, as well as a link to the script.

Possible discussion points:

– Adaptation

– The literary ‘qualities’ of the often long and winding Action sections, often containing ‘un-filmables’

– Utilisation of sound-symbolism

– Colonial representation

– The use of Voice-Over for narrative and structural purposes (this one is particularly interesting as the VO allows the film to move across time and space, and enables the somewhat circular structure)

And, as mentioned, I would also like to actively engage in the syllabus development.

 

 

 

Response from Paolo Russo to call for Volunteers:

Paolo Russo <paolo.russo@brookes.ac.uk>

Such wonderful ideas, these are!

Given the current and future focus of my research, I will definitely join the working group on AI and screenwriting, albeit just as a member, not as a coordinator (although, once a coordinator is in place, I’d be happy to help in any way). I am presenting on AI in Olomouc and I have quite a few ambitious projects in store on this.

Moreover, I’d be happy to be the SRN liaison with the Writers Guild of Great Britain, of which I am a member. I’ll do my best in trying to get them on board with something, although in these past few years I’ve found that they are not particularly receptive. That said, I know that recently they have launched a survey to map how screenwriting is taught in UK’s higher education establishment, therefore I wanted to push for this anyway, so why not on behalf of the SRN too.

 

 

Response from Harvest Bellante to call for Volunteers:

Harvest Bellante hbellante@yahoo.com

(Will not be in Olomouc)

I received this email about service opportunities and I wanted to apply to help.  I would probably be best suited for an online role at this point simply because I just began teaching at a new university in North Carolina and am moving the full time this coming year so it will be a lot of transition.  Any of the coordinator roles that you need filled would be just fine with me. I’m always happy to jump in and help build community.

I have taught screenwriting courses as an adjunct in Norfolk, Virginia since 2013, and as I mentioned, I’ve now been full-time for the past year. Personally, I am thrilled to finally be able to devote myself full-time to the craft and as such, I’d love to connect with more of us out there.

Please let me know if there’s anything you think would be a good fit.

Thank you!

Harvest Bellante

 

Response from Krystian Ramlogan <krystian.ramlogan@gmail.com>

I would be interested in any of the following roles:

 

Coordinator – Online Script Club (like a book club, but with scripts!) Monthly (or bi-monthly) discussion of screenplays.

• I curate as many screenplays as I can yearly and read through as many as I can. I also mentor a few of my former students and we already have monthly meetups (virtually) where we discuss screenplays we’ve read (I chose the screenplay). At this point I have several 100s of screenplays in my google drive, so I could kick things off fairly easily

Coordinator – Create and coordinate a new working group on under-represented voices in Film & TV screenwriting.

• I’m a minority so I would be interested in working with others on this.

Coordinator – Developing a syllabus for schools / educational programmes on screenwriting and the role of the screenwriter.

• I do this at Dillard University, and while creating the perfect syllabus may be more aspirational than practical, I’m always seeking out new syllabi and textbooks to learn from and integrate into my practice.
• I would also love to create some OER “books” moreso handouts that can work with various syllabii – like an intro/level 1 with handouts, intermediate/level 2 with handouts, etc. so basically a comprehensive set of instructional materials that any faculty could use

I am of course interested in working with others/collaborating on any of these or anything else that may come up from the group.

 

Thank you!

 

Krystian

 

 

Response from John Weston:

John Weston <john.weston.writing@gmail.com>

I am interested in coordinating either:

— a monthly online script club, or

— underrepresented voices in film & TV screenwriting group

(or sharing both roles with other people)

I am currently working as a freelance writer, communication coach and developmental editor. I have a PhD in sociolinguistics, I’m a qualified high school science teacher, and I now also have a postgraduate diploma in comedy screenwriting with a few BBC radio sketch and joke credits.

I’m interested in reading more scripts, talking to other writers and readers and editors of screenplays, and networking at the interfaces of academia and industry.

I come from a southeast London white working class family, and I am interested in identifying and challenging barriers to diversity and inclusion in film and TV writing and research.

Thanks very much!

Best wishes,

John Weston

 

 

Alexis K’s recommendation for a group gathering female professors of screenwriting….