SRN Minutes of Meeting – September 2022

Date Thursday 22 Sept Conference lunch break

Venue: TBA

1. Apologies

RF not in attendance

1. Minutes of previous meeting

Approval proposed / Seconded / Approved

1. Conference executive activités – previous minutes action,  report, action plan, élections, forthcoming conferences, awards etc

MM discussed format of AGM presentation, suggestions for order of presentations of upcoming conferences, announcement of which award judge would announce awards.

1. Newsletter

Ready to go post conference.

1. ERC nominations and other positions vacant action

MM announced she is stepping down from EC for family reasons.  RL also stepping down.  EC will need to recruit a new ECR (as we do every year) and MM has someone in mind to ask here at conference.  Discussion of changes in duties. IG will take on Membership, RF will take on Website, RW will take on Chair.  JC is fine managing newsletter alone.  RW proposes Anna Weinstein for Secretary.  Approval unanimous. Answer pending.

1. Other business

(From email from Rosanne Welch, of 14^th November 2022 to rosieglow@westnet.com.au)

MINUTES

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Anna Weinstein (AW), Indranil Chakravarty (IC).

ECR Clarissa Miranda (CM)

 

1. ApologiesRose F.

 

2. Minutes of previous meeting

 

Approved and seconded.

 

3. Discuss Meeting Dates/Times – rotate each month?Some members would be away from home on Saturday/don’t want to infringe on weekends.

IG – every 3^rd Monday works best/stability in schedule makes it easier to plan.

 

Decided to meet Nov 21 @:

 

Rosanne: 7am

Anna W, Clarissa:  10am

Jan, Isadora: 5pm

Indranil: 7:30pm

Rose: 11pm

 

4. Reorganizing EC member titles and duties/Update Website

 

Current language in the constitution:

 

5.1 The Association shall be managed by an Executive of a minimum of five persons, and a maximum of nine persons aged 18 or over, and who have been members for one year or more. The current Executive shall decide on the total number of Executive members for the following year.

 

5.2. The Officers of the Executive Council shall be Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer and Membership Secretary. One office may be combined with another office, if this is deemed appropriate by the Executive

 

Members new duties for 2022-2023 =

Chairperson – Rosanne

Deputy Chairperson – Indranil

Secretary – Anna

Webmaster – Rose

Membership – Isadora

Newsletter – Jan

ECR – Clarissa

 

Rosanne suggests we consider new titles for committee members. Jan is happy to change his title to Newsletter Editor, which is more specific. Rosanne suggests Webmaster for Rose’s position, rather than Communications Officer. Rosanne will write something up so we can put it to a vote for the network.

 

5. ADD ECR to Constitution

 

–ECR definition to be written

 

6. Updating Social Media/YouTube/Creating password repository-Institutional memory/Creating a Discord site/Support Working Groups more…Rosanne mentions creating a Google Drive folder for SRN-related passwords for institutional memory.

 

7. Put out new Call for Hosts to follow 2024 Palacký University in the Czech Republic

 

8. JC: Build a platform within the SRN for early career researchers and PhD candidates to build on our experience with online lectures and encourage international cooperation.

 

Jan discusses this briefly. Everyone thinks it would be a good idea. Jan will bring a more formal presentation to the next meeting to discuss.

 

9. IC: Creating Repository of Screenwriting Curricula developed by SRN members

 

Indranil suggests creating a repository of curricula. Everyone seems to like the idea. This leads to a discussion about exchanging ideas and classroom visits. Isadora discusses COIL program where screenwriting educators can collaborate/have students collaborate on projects with students from other countries. She suggests that this curricula repository will be useful to facilitate these discussions.

IC – Different countries/cultures – we have all designed special courses/redesign our courses every year so we could learn so much from each other. Limited to members/not open to all to avoid plagiarism since curriculum is IP. Declaration about IP and its ownership.

 

RW – How can the university own the distinctive lectures I create/clips I show to a class.

 

IC- But a curriculum can’t be monetized.

 

CM – Brazil docs on curriculum are private, but they put them online for students.  I can ask colleagues to share. I think it’s a good idea to share.

 

IG – Question is up to how to keep the database – our college has it all online.  But my curriculum is all basic info. The daily details are only known to the professors.

 

IC – We don’t need the lesson plan, but perhaps sharing assignments. I started “Who are you?” All these should be typed so I can’t identify their handwriting, submitted anonymously.

 

RW – I do the History of Your name as an introductory activity.

 

IC – It will help us keep our courses fresh.

 

IG – The question is, how do we share these things? Also, interesting to know name of course and year of student. If Indranil can design the template for people to fill in, we can use that to send it out.

 

IC – Semester (?) /Course title /  Course Objective / List of topics / Credit hours? / Assignments / Filmography / Bibliography

 

IG – A shared folder on GoogleDrive can have a password – JISCmail can share the folder. Then all the pdfs country.

 

JC – A good idea to share such things. How many members in SRN?

 

IG – 700-800 members

 

JC – Would it be just about sharing assignments or offering to participation in others courses? COIL – shared online learning – is it like that?

 

IC – One issue with GoogleDrive is needing to give permission…

 

IG- It allows access to those with the link to avoid too many permission requests to one person’s email.

 

10. RF: Record 2-3 SRN Conversations this year to catch up so we can do new ones only a year after a new conference has been held…

 

11. RW: Website brainstorm – other info of interest to include (Add info on where members come from to the About section of the website/make map of the world with numbers in each country showing who is from where/-put the cute animation on the front of the website or as the first thing when you click “Conferences” tab

 

12. Lifetime achievement award to Tom Stempel at SRN 2023?

 

Rosanne suggests this addition to the awards. Everyone thinks it’s a good idea. Indranil suggests teaching awards as well. Anna gives explanation of how it was organized for UFVA when she was on the committee. Everyone agrees it could be a nice addition to the awards, particularly if we offer three teaching awards. Anna will gather materials as examples from UFVA for the next meeting.

 

13. Other business

 

Discussion of possibility of raising money for various projects, whether shared curricular projects, teaching awards, etc. Rosanne says it will be difficult to organize intake of money and where to hold the funds. Isadora reminds us that the network is not set up like an association. It’s currently in the constitution not to charge membership fees.

 

Date of next meeting:  Nov 21

Rosanne 7am

Anna W, Clarissa  10am

Jan, Isadora 5pm

Indranil 7:30pm

Rose 11pm

 

 

MINUTES SRN Executive Meeting

 

Tuesday 23 August 2022 3.00 pm GEST 

Tuesday 23 August 2022 9.00 pm AWST 

Tuesday 23 August 6.00am PST (via Teams)

 

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM),

 

1. Apologies

Rose F, Jan C., Rafael L.

 

2. Minutes of previous meeting

IG proposes acceptance / RW seconds.

 

3. SRN AGM 

MM – Action plan and report posted, announcement of next meeting posted.  Link to Minutes from last year to be posted for approval.  Will plan one general email with further information.

MM- per Schedule from Claus – one hour for us including the election. Need to make sure in AGM we present Minutes from last minute.

SC – cannot attend Vienna because of quarantining issues when I return to China. 

IG – I was at a conference recently that set up some people to attend online so we can do that as well if we ask Claus. 

 

4. SRN 2022 Awards Update (Margaret)

Eva N has contacted with names of winners – Claus is making certificate.  Eva will present.

 

5. SRN Elections Update (Rosanne)

RR – Only 2 nominations – so Rose Ferrell and Rosanne Welch automatically reelected.

-Need to ask for someone to step forward and take Rafael Leal’s place as web master

-Need to thank Rafael for his work on the web, especially he and Paolo’s securing the Leeds server for another few years.

IG – We should announce it out loud at the AGM so we can reach as many as posible.  

 

6. SRN ERC Nominations (All)

MM – I can add that to the next email along with the next Early Career Representative.

IG – We need ask folks members in letter for being Early Career Representative.

 

7. SRN Newsletter (Jan & Isadora)

IG – Next newsletter after AGM – interviewing Claus about the conference.

 

8. SRN Exec Sept Meeting Vienna conference confirmation – date, time, place (Isadora)  

IG- meeting Friday at lunchtime (12:50) – need to check with Claus about a location. 

MM – It should be Thursday the 22nd at lunchtime so we have the date ahead.

 

9. Other business 

Monday 25 July 2022 10 pm GMT/UTC 

Tuesday 26 July 2022 7.00 am AEST (via Teams)

 

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM),

• Apologies

Rafael Leal,  Isadora Garcia

• Minutes of previous meeting

RF – Motion to approve. 

RW – Seconded.

• SRN Annual Report Confirmation

JC – Need to update the Working Group section?  

MM – Maxine replied with her group’s update. Syri replied that her group was on pause but about to catch up.

RF – Maxine’s group is doing a reading at this year’s conference.  She has a call out for more leaders to join the Practice Lead Working Group.

MM – As per last year’s Report we can approve by today and be done before the Summer holidays in Europe.  Then we have 1 hour to present at the AGM in Vienna.

JC – I can do the graphics for the presentation covering new member countries and other graphs.

• SRN Action Plan Confirmation 

Ratified by full EC present.

• SRN Newsletter (Jan & Isadora)

• SRN 2022 Conferences & Awards (Margaret)

MM – Jury will short list at beginning of August.  

RW – How do we manage telling the winners?  And shortlisted people? Did the winners have time to plan remarks?  

MM – I believe all  3 shortlisted plan something and when the announcement is given the winners speak.  There is ½ an hour given for this – it might end early which will give member the chance to rest before the dinner.

• SRN Exec meetings August & September 

MM – Who will be on holidays in August?

JC – I can join from break.

MM – We might need to change our 8/29 date to the 22nd if that works with all EC members.  Due to internet access issues, I will have to use the university offices so the time will change to 3pm (Spain), 6am (Los Angeles). Next month’s meeting will discuss Elections, final meeting at the Vienna conference, other issues? Final meeting 1pm Vienna Thursday the 22nd.

• Other business 

JC – 2024 conference dates chosen – Sept 12-14th, 2024

RW – Can we fit in one more SRN Conversation before the conference?

MM – We should show a clip of it at the AGM.

RF – We’d need to find and cut a clip to make it easier.

RW – I can do that.

 

Meeting adjourned at 2:53pm PDT.

 

The SRN Executive Council 2021-22 Activities Report can be accessed here.

As well the Action Plan approved for the next term can be accessed here.

MINUTES SRN Executive Meeting – MAY 2022

 

Monday 16 May 2022 10 pm GMT/UTC 

Tuesday 17 May 2022 7.00 am AEST (via Teams)

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM),

Meeting begun :02 after the hour

 

Apologies

All present.

 

Minutes of April meeting

RF proposed/MM seconded. Accepted.

 

SRN Conversations (Rose)

RF – Here are some notes on the SRN Conversations for discussion at our meeting tomorrow. They are made after considering ideas put forward by others, and rewatching the youtube clips “SRN Conversations #1 – Memories from SRN Conferences (2008 – 2011). In summary, after looking at the recording of the first Conversation I think it has a robust framework. We should continue with the same.

The theme of the Conversations as ‘Memories from SRN Conferences’ is a strong identifying factor. I think we should continue to honour that endeavour – make it historical, to build a picture of the developing SRN

Points which were repeated by different speakers: 

• the sense of being alone as a scholar of screenwriting in the early 2000s (which led Kirsi, Ian and then Eva to reach out to others);
• the way that the colleagues who came from other parts of the world to join in a conference became strong friends; it was a welcoming place to be;
• historical moments – the first JoS coming out; Adam Ganz dealing with a Mac Computer no one could work; technology not up to online meetings until Covid etc.
• putting names to faces –  Steven Maras’ book led to theme of Copenhagen conference/Steven as Keynote; Ian’s welcome to Eva at his 2008 conference led her to organise the 2010 conference; Eva was encouraged by Ian and thus wrote her book – now English language best seller;
• Online is better than nothing
• POINT OF INTEREST – that the Conversation itself was created in the midst of Covid. Occurred prior to the first SRN Online Seminar Series (ie annual conference online).

 

Issues we still grapple with:

language – doing everything in English (its practical!) – Ronald Geerts conference was bilingual (Fr, Eng). Didn’t work for everyone!

DIVERSITY in all things – Encourage greater diversity of all sorts!! Esp’ly nations whose filmmaking tradition / history is non-European..

Things to follow up on: the ongoing development of the field;

its relationship to new technologies;

its breakthrough moments – important scholarly arguments, works, introduction of new streams of inquiry

To consider: – a slideshow of photos to follow on from the world map animation.

NB – we should publicise the animation (link in newsletter; post on facebook)

 

PROPOSE Next Conversation: 

TO DISCUSS – 2,3  or 4 conferences per session? Ask coordinators whether they have synergy with other coordinators / speakers eg. to put Davinia NZ and Carmen Santiago together? Set questions / topics, issues to discuss.

 

Chair – Rosanne / Rose

Coordinator – Rose

Tech support – Rafael

 

2012 – (Sydney) Alex Munt; Kathryn Millard;

2013 – (Madison) Kellie Conway, J.J. Murphy

2014 – (Germany) Kerstin Stutterheim 

 

2015 – (Santiago) Carmen Sofia Brenes

2015 – (London) Steven Price; Rosamund Davies; ??

2016 – (Leeds) Ian McDonald; ??

 

2017 – (Dunedin) Davinia Thornley; Amie Taua

2018 – (Milano) Armando Fumagalli, Paolo Brassa

2019 – (Porto) Maria-Guillhermina 

 

2021 – ONLINE Paolo Russo

 

RW – I could see doing 2 organizers at a time – Sydney/Dunedin from one part of the world and Madison/Santiago from the Americas.

RF – Would like them to continue showing the way the previous conversations highlighted the friendships and memories noted.

MM – 3 is a good number to get the conversation going/4 is too much and 2 is too little.

Chronological is more important than geographical because we are all writing and teaching the writing of universal stories so why recognize borders.

RF – I prefer chronological but recognize scheduling might require other mixes. It would still highlight the friendships.  

 

SRN Collective Sites/Archive (Rose)

RF – Wondering if we could have links to the photographs from various conferences with the YouTube Conversations so people could see them when they are interested.

RL – I sent the link to the GoogleDrive but others need be editors to post photos.

Can we share such a link to all members to post photos during and after confernces…?

We can discuss this next meeting after some technical research.

ACTION ITEM:  ADD to next month’s AGENDA 

MM – Wonderful to have all this on the web as a history of the Network.  Connecting them could be a full project for someone to take on in the future.

 

SRN Elections & Pitches (Rosanne & Rose)

RW – What’s the process since I’m Secretary?

MM – Rose, Rosanne and Rafael are up for election this year.  SC is an invited emerging scholar for one year.

RW – Is the process for Re-election the same as election in that you need a letter of nomination and a second – and then a statement.

MM – Yes. And it is a real election from the floor.  We’ll run this in Vienna at the AGM.  

As we will be in person this time voting will be open to those present.

RF – If you run uncontested you still need those letters.

MM – In person we vote on paper handed to the Secretary and a Scrutineer.

RW – We’ll need to choose the Scrutineer and have them in place since I’m the Secretary.  

MM – Will the 3 not up for election be in Vienna?

SC – I won’t be able to attend due to Covid restrictions.  

RF – We should send letters 

RW – Put the call for nominations in the newsletter and on FB – deadline July 15. 

Then we’d send out via email by top of August.  Voting during Vienna conference.

MM – Requirements proposer/2nd-er and word count for statement.  Members need to be in place over one year in the Network.  

RW – I’ll put out the Call for Elections – email to Council to put in newsletter/on FB, post to Jiscmail.

RF – We can add a sentence about “if you’re new to the org and want to understand the process” they can contact Membership Rep.  

ACTiON ITEM – Gathering data for Chair’s annual report next meeting.

 

RF – Should we describe each role?  In video for YouTube or in writing in the Call for Nominations?

MM – Another point is that in the Chairman’s report I’d rather not be just the Chair since we are a collaborative industry – screenwriters and academics alike – so I would like you each to tell your own accomplishments in that report.

RW – Great idea!

MM – We can discuss practicalities of that next meeting.

 

SRN Asia Pacific Story Patterns ASPERA Panel link (Margaret)

MM – Been interested in this idea for a while – started this conversation with RL and Nadia in Milan.  Part of my platform – and now it is going to happen.  As part of ASPERA we will have Asia Pacific Story Patterns. Tue July 12 – 4:30-6pm Australian Eastern Standard Time — a good time for people in Asia Pacific to engage online.  Panel of AP cinema experts including CAPA (International Assoc of Film School – CILECT), rep from NePac – (Promotion of AP), Anthony Mullens wrote book about patterns from AP films.  In process of inviting filmmakers from AP to add to panel.  My head of school and member of CAPA will moderate.  

Looking to open a call for papers on AP story patterns.  One panel won’t answer the question but will start the conversation.  Panel will be open to members of SRN, CAPA, etc.  Not all panelists will be academics.  Part of our work is to educate practical filmmakers from areas where there are not schools of cinema.  Will be live but might record (based on permissions).   

We can do an alert in all our social media/newsletter.

 

SRN Exec Meeting prior to conference (Isadora)

MM – Preliminary program shows registration at 8:30 on first day.  

JC – Should we meet on Wednesday the day before?

IG – Cocktail hour is 9pm – we could meet 5:30-6:30/17:30-18:30. 

MM – We could meet close to the Town Hall so we could walk over afterwards.

Can I ask IG to organize with Stephanie of a place to meet?

SRN Newsletter – ideas for June? (Isadora)

IG – Will send out beginning of June.  We are looking for next newsletter – can we ask Claus as the organizer of the next conference?

JC – Others could be members of awards committee first in June – then Claus in September to welcome members to the conference.

MM – Call for nominations next – then notice of Asia Pacific Story Patterns Panel, then interviews.

JC – Note that conference reg is open.  

RF – We could add the cute gif of where all the conferences have been.  

 

Other business 

RF – Anything new with the FB page?  Can we help in any way?

RW – Sept. 20-24, 2023 – Columbia, Missouri

 

Adjourned – On the hour 3:00pm PDT

June 20/21 next meeting 

MINUTES SRN Executive Meeting

Monday 25 April  2022 10 pm GMT/UTC 

Tuesday 26 April 2022 7.00 am AEST (via Teams)

 

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM),

 

1. Apologies

• JC
• SC

 

2. Minutes of February 2022 meeting

• Approved – unanimous

 

3. SRN Conference 2022 

• Carmen Sofia new member of SRN Awards committee – confirmed; Eva attending Conference; Tom Stempel & CSB may not be in attendance.
• Claus says registrations are opening soon.
• Lifetime achievements  award (a surprise) organized by Claus Tieber;
• Information about flights on website; SRN EC meeting at conference, time will be Thurs am coffee/breakfast 9am before the conference at University.

 

4. SRN Conversations

• RF – Confirming that we’re happy with list of next interviewees.  RL will be tech person.  Need Coordinator role, Chair to do interviews/coordinator of discussions.  Looking to make the session run faster/reconsider format.
• IG – We can use quick prompts – to get quick responses.  

 

5. Other business

• RF – Still discussing ways to change banner on website – RL recommended using animated GIF for ‘Welcoming’ banner.
• IG – Newsletter running smoothly over email with Jan. We have to decide who will be our interviewee for the next one. We want to include quick questions for others in the network. Editors find it easy to work together on line and on drive. 
• MM – Need to send reminder that awards close.  Will do on 3rd of May. 
• INCLUSION – RF to send out new reminder on asking members to invite colleagues;
• SRN EC Elections – Submit EOI by date? End of July; Next agenda item pls 
• IG – Won’t be another newsletter until June.  
• MM – In Vienna – 9am Exec meeting Thursday of that week – conference starts at 10am.  Next meeting is May 16/17th – relatively soon to this date but due to members not being free the 23/24th.
• RW – Elections for three of us – 
• MM – Expression of interest needs to be sent by end of July? Will double check.
• RF – Do we have a provision for voting online? Have we done that in the past pre-Covid?

 

Meeting adjourned 2:33pm PDT

May 17th – next meeting

 

MINUTES – SRN Executive Meeting February 2022

 

Monday 21 February 2022 10 pm GMT/UTC 

Tuesday 22 February 2022 7.04 am AEST (via Teams)

 

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM),

• Apologies

• Minutes of previous meeting

IG – nominates acceptance

JC – seconded

Minutes approved

• SRN Action Plan 2022 Review

 

MM – JC sent CV for possible judge of SRN book/article award 2022. Dina Iordanova.  Now she is one of the keynote speakers for the Vienna conference.

JC – I did not know that would happen when I sent in her CV.  We had talked about choosing someone from a non-Western country and she is from Eastern Europe but teaches in Scotland.

IG – my PhD professor had worked with her and she was impressive. I second the nomination.

MM – Thank JC for that nomination.  She is quite suitable.  Let us all offer up names by next meeting and discuss them.  Focus on people with closer focus on screenwriting studies (as creative practice) more than film studies.  We have many esteemed elders who were instrumental in our SRN who drove the network and maybe we should approach some of them.  The prize is meant for best practices in screenwriting as an art form.  

RW – I’m all for asking those folks for their interest – some near retirement might not want more work or others might find this just the right kind of retired contribution to make.

JC – What are our conceptions of the requirements for judges?  

IG – Last meeting notes mention an attempt to replace the female who is leaving with another female. 

 

Action Item – Add choosing to next month’s agenda.

 

JC – We can put the new call in the next newsletter – it is coming out after one more interview is completed.

IG – Newsletter will go out first week of March so we can include this reminder for submissions for the prize.  Deadlines are May 31 each year.

IG – I remember receiving a call for the submissions – did it include the awards?

MM – Let’s put out our reminder in the newsletter.  

RL – One person on the Executive Council can receive the submissions…?

MM – So next month we will decide who to approach and do it one at a time.

IG – Suggestion:  Let’s ask Carmen Sofia Brenes now. 

RF – We had 3 judges – Eva is who we are replacing.  Kristin is staying and Tom Stempel.

MM – I will also confirm the returning judges.  

• Membership and Diversity

 

RF – Steven Maras has asked for suggestions for some new editors and reviewers for the JOS.  We agreed to pool a number of names for him to peruse. We sent some and agreed to add more when they come to us. Ian MacDonald and Claus Tieber suggested some names as well.  We could use a central point to gather those names – I can do that so if you have names send them on to me and I’ll send them on to Steven.

IG – Do they all have to be in Screenwriting Studies?

RW – Just checked Steven’s email and he wants:  “As Co-editor of Palgrave Studies in Screenwriting we have been seeking ways to make our editorial advisory board more diverse and inclusive. The pool of people we draw on is very similar so it makes sense to collaborate and continuing to build bridges into South America, Asia and Africa, especially.” 

MM- Let’s move to the Action Plan.

RF – Now that we have the YouTube Channel I’m motivated to record another conversation with former conference organizers. It was motivated to help future organizers but also as an oral history of the founding of the SRN and the casual friendships that have come from joining.  We’ve been following chronology using the first 4 conferences so now we’re ready to do the next 4: Sydney, Wisconsin, Chile, Potsdam.  We need a coordinator to figure out times to suggest, then a technical back up (Rafael in the first one), someone to do the introduction – an anchor who then also formulates a set of questions to keep the conversation going and moderating between speakers.  I coordinated the last one and will happily repeat that.  I would like some feedback on the last one as we prepare for the next one.

RL – I’m happy to be tech on that again.  I think one-to-one interviews or smaller round tables might be smoother.  To record the memories of our organization we can do smaller ones every other month.

MM – Good idea.  Putting a time limit on each speaker can be good.  If you had fewer people we could go for shorter times as well.  A tight set of questions can help. 

RF – Speakers were primed with questions ahead of time. 

We can do just two right now.  Sydney and Wisconsin. 

MM – I can moderate Wisconsin and whichever other one.  I didn’t attend Sydney. I had not Heard of the network yet.

RF – Also I wonder if there’s a difference betwwen recording how to organize a conference and what the cultural aspects of the SRN is – the fact that we don’t charge a fee so we can be as welcoming as posible.  So we could do 2 kinds of interviews  – one with organizers and another on memories of specific conferences.  

Action Item – RF will send out synopsis of ideas.

 

RF – Then by next meeting we will have something scheduled.  And I don’t have to be the coordinator of all of these – I’m more than happy to open up the opportunity to whoever is interested.

MM – JC and IG will have the newsletter ready next week.

SC – I have been posting to social media and am working on being as regular as possible with them.

RF – I wanted to repost another message about diversity in newsletter and on FB if there’s space.

• Other business 

 

MM – I have been planning an event to bring together Asian-Pacific screenwriter academics.  I have meetings next week with my Herman Van Eyken is Head of Griffith Film School – he is president of CILECT – The International Association of Film and TV School so we hope to be able to make these connections.  Many emerging countries want to study screenwriting and we want to expand this to those academics and filmmakers.  Our film school has a focus on Asia and one of our key mission statements is to connect with Asia.  We have other colleagues who are specialists in Asia-Pacific film who will help me with this. Perhaps we can organize a master class online.  

RW – When will your conference happen?

MM – ASPERA (Australian Screen Education production and research association) conference is in July (11-13th) and this might be connected to that so we can open a bit of it to SRN in some way.

Meeting Adjourned 12 past the hour.

 

SRN Executive Meeting

Monday 22 November October 2021 10 pm GMT/UTC 

Tuesday 23 November 2021 7.00 am AEST (via Teams)

 

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM),

• Apologies

RL, SC

• Minutes of previous meeting

RF – proposes accepting.

IG – Seconded. 

• SRN Conference Vienna 2022 (Guests: Conference Hosts: Claus Tieber & Stephanie Schwarz Uni of Vienna)

 

CT gives information on planning stages. Funding in process. One has come through. Fee for conference will be similar to past (in vicinity 100 Euro). Special rates for ECRs.  Keynote speakers invited. Discussion of narrative new perspectives, one on Cinema in Diaspora and practical keynote – masterclass at film academy by (female director nominated for Oscar 2 years ago).

• Elefteria Thanouli, University of Thessaloniki, Greece

https://www.film.auth.gr/en/eleftheria-thanouli/

• Jigna Desai, University of Minnesota (not yet confirmed)

https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/desai003

• Götz Spielmann, writer-director 

https://www.filmakademie.wien/de/author/goetz-spielmann/

https://www.prismafilm.at/en/film/revanche

 

CFP reminder will go out in early December on old website. Plus FB site. Awaiting new graphic logo.

Reception at City Hall on night before – Wed 21st.  Outdoor event in the works. 

3 day conference, a few rooms available, will affect how many can present.  Round Tables in the works.

AGM on middle day – Friday – to collect more members will start with Round Table as happened online for Oxford conference to bring in Austrian screenwriters with members of Network.

Presentation for next conference will be near the end.  Close with award ceremony.  

EC organizes members of jury for awards. Which jury member will be in person in Vienna? 

EC will make graphic design certificates for the book and article award winners. 

Sponsored by Tom Stempel at first. 

Last EC I was part of we decided to give away a lifetime achievement from time to time – to someone who had done a lot for screenwriting studies and to the SRN.  We had intended to give it in Oxford.  We should prepare a video of colleagues congratulating him. 

Framing the AGM with all these events should bring in more attendees.

Planning room for work groups to meet in person.

Asks for suggestions of anything else needed for the program.

Print program or only online?  

 

MM – I’ve attended conferences with apps that held programs and other info.  Those who want can print their own copy. Might use a billboard display for everyone to check. 

CT – Room events will be posted on the doors. Registration will have a full list.  Internet access from the university.  

MM – Final meeting of this EC before conference. Chance to let the chairperson explain what will be in the AGM meeting.  

CT – Will find a room on Wednesday for that. Perhaps during lunch. 

MM – So we need to find a new judge for the awards. Possible sponsorship for monetary award.

CT – Due to Covid we should set a date for deciding if this conference should go online.  Much depends on if members can find funding from their universities.  

RW – For travelers across the ocean we should settle the date by May/June. Revisit this question in April.

MM – In Otago they had to pay to rent the rooms at their uni – do you have to do that?

CT – One room only.  But if we cancel we don’t have to pay.  

JC – Are you considering limitations such as requiring vaccinations?

CT – You have to be currently.  Some colleagues in the UK aren’t given funds to travel to the EU right now.

RF – Is there a minimum number you need to attend?

CT – We can have a small number but what happens to those who can’t come?

RW – How many attended the South American regional conference?

RF – 20 or so – wonderful for meeting and getting to know each other but not planned as the full, annual conference.  

CT – When we have questions for EC to organize a conference do we email the whole EC or is there a contact person?

MM – I will do that but then CC all others if they need to know.  Thanks to Claus and Stephanie for their report today.  We are looking forward to meeting you both in person in Vienna in September.

• SRN Digital Marketing updates (Newsletter, Facebook etc)

MM – Congratulations to Jan and Isadora on a wonderful first newsletter.

JC – It will come out quarterly.

MM – Constitution doesn’t say the ECR has to do FB posts so we should look for a new plan.

RF – Perhaps ECR assembles material – sends to other member to do posting.  Or ask newsletter person to do FB.  

MM – Table this for next month agenda. 

JC – We could have call with ECR to think about sharing communication duties.

MM – Excellent.

• SRN Executive proposed dates for meetings 2022

 

All good – just moved Aug. 22 to 29 for Spanish holidays.

• SRN Action Plan 2022

MM – Going over Action Plan.  What should we prioriticize. Covering topics in Action Plan – we can look into any website business next meeting.

–Approach Jill Nelmes or Jule Selbo?  

RF – We should research all the top academics in the field now. We could all have a list at the next meeting. Might find someone who isn’t an English-first speaker.

MM – Action item – we will all come with a list of a few people to approach. Bring a short bio.  

JC – Warren Buckland?

RW – He works with Paolo so he could be asked.  But we are replacing a female academic so we should keep that in mind.

IG – I can look at non-English speakers and bring a list. 

RF – Great way to keep it international.

MM – Need to check the publication dates required for entrants.

MM – Point #7 – how to attract international membership beyond current members.

RF – Ongoing – I’m about to put out a new post about asking colleagues to join the network. It’s always worth adding a sentence to communications with non-members to see if they know about the Network. I just met on the ECR Symposium a dual-language screenwriter and asked him about other colleagues.

MM – Points 10 and 11 have to do with posting short videos and continuing the online oral history.  Ongoing.   #12 is to support working groups.  Has that become so normalized that we can’t add much to that?

RF – Our role is to encourage them but not necessarily to motivate them.  They may be stumbling a bit but they have to live in their own worlds and manage themselves. The script reading from the online conference worked well as a way to show how the practice-based working group works.  Such groups have their own lives but not sure the EC has a place in pushing them on.

MM – I wonder how many new members we have who might not know about the working groups – we could post about them in the newsletter with contacts.

IG – If we coordinate the marketing strategy and do something like ‘The Month of the Working Group” – we can discuss that at the next meeting to establish.

RF – We should check in with the coordinators to see if they are still in existence and want the support.

IG – We can do that closer to the time we plan the next newsletter. 

• SRN Academic Papers Database

 

RF – A new member said she joined in order to Access our database. She wasn’t yet a student and needed articles for study. As I understand it we only have the bibliography list – we need to find who set that up to see what state it is in. If it’s a going concern we can post more about it. Meant to offer everyone a growing list of new materials worth using.

MM – There are certain key pieces that have advanced our discipline so it’s worth collecting them for new members to learn.  

• Other business 

 

RF – We need to add coordinating the next oral history interview to get that done this year.

           –  Screen Industries Growth Network email plus other business 

MM – Meeting adjourned 2:18pm PST.

 

SRN EC Meeting – October Minutes

Monday 18 October 2021 10 pm GMT/UTC 

Tuesday 19 October 2021 7.00 am AEST (via Teams)

 

Circulation list: Rosanne Welch (RW), Rose Ferrell (RF), Rafael Leal (RL), Jan Cernik (JC), Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA), Shaopeng Chen (SC), Margaret McVeigh (MM), 

 

Agenda

 

1. Apologies for absence

Isadora Garcia Avis (IGA

 

2. Minutes of previous EC Meeting for approval

RF – Proposes approval.

RW – Seconds

 

2021 SRN Conference Follow up (All)

MM – General response?  And request to send a thank you to Paolo Russo.

RW – Very much appreciated the way online let many more members take part.

RF – Agree – need to thank Paolo for meeting the challenge.  Also, we should find a way to incorporate some of the advantages of these online events.

MM – Claus Tieber would like to meet with us next month to address upcoming conference plans.  As to online being part of in person events – we did try this for ASPERA in Australia but they wanted in person people to confirm to pay for keynote speakers and their lodging/travel.

 

RF – upcoming conference in Australia is offering one day online and 2 days in person. Also, online doesn’t have to be free.  It can attract more people to take part.

 

MM – Recent online event I attended was 350 Euros in person / 150 Euros online.  In regards to thanking Paolo shall I write thank you letter from me as Executive or mention in the newsletter?  

RW – Yes in the newsletter as some newer members might not know his complete involvement.

RF – And he had planned 2 conferences actually, with the first being cancelled due to the pandemic.

 

2021 Early Career Researchers Online Symposium  

MM – Anne has been away on school holidays but sent message – things moving along well.  RF will be morning co-chair host/Rosamund co-chair host afternoon.  Anne will send more info and would like it posted to FB as well.

RF – Will be hosted on the 2021 conference site so it should go as smoothly as the SRN conference.

JC- It’s already up on the conference site.

 

2022 SRN Conference (All)

MM – Claus will speak with us next November.  Call for Papers went out yesterday – time to plan your abstract/paper.  We expect to all be present in person.  

 

EC roles and planning (All)

1. Inductions
2. Status update
3. Collaborations

MM – Time to plan for new roles in the new year and advise new members about roles and responsibilities.

RF – We could have each older member explain their role…

MM – Elections are 2 year periods. I’m starting again a second term. We agreed that I would be Chair this year through the Vienna conference – then Rosanne will take the 2nd year leading up to her conference in the U.S. in 2023.  As an Australian member I want to build on our membership from this part of the world.  Happy to have Shaopeng here to represent that part of the world and thanks to RF for all of her work as Membership member to build that.  I plan to set up a small regional conference during ASPERA this year to engage the Asian world.

RW – As Secretary I type the Minutes and sometimes ask for clarification for some of what has been said.

RF – As Membership and Inclusion Officer I help people who want to join who find us online and click the link that leads to JISCMAIL, hosted by Leeds for a few more years thanks to RL’s work on all things tech.  Then I’m listed as an administrator of JISCMAIL so I can accept the membership and then send a personal letter of welcome to new members that explains the SRN.  Then I send the form that asks for further data to get more data on who are our members. I’m the first person in contact with them.  I read all the forms and learn who the person is so I can understand what level they are at their university and what interests them in the SRN.  I want to be able to use the forms to create stronger connections between members.  I like to be in contact with academics around the world to encourage us to join – just like when MM and RL and I met in Chile and here we are involved deeply with the organization.

RW – It was RF who made sure that our JOS Special Issue on Women in Screenwriting was as international as possible so that there are now 4 people on this EC that had articles in that issue.

MM – And you were instrumental to the online interview series with past conference organizers to begin our oral history of the SRN.

RF – Which reminds me to tell SP and JC that the EC is a chance to bring any of your own new ideas to the table.

RL –  Extending SRN into underrepresented areas such as Latin America where the challenge is to make people go to in person conferences which can be very expensive considering universities don’t cover such expenses.  I have to do it on my own funds, which I have because I am also a screenwriter.  So we should look to ways to help there.  Then we need better membership in Asia and Africa.  We are woefully underrepresented there.  

Also I think we should continue the oral histories because history matters so that our information won’t disappear into a data hole.  We need to interview them while the have photos and fresh memories. Those are my 2 most important goals.  We talked last term about revamping the website but the more I use it, the more I think it’s fine.  It suits us now.

RW – I agree. Why revamp what looks fine? Better to build up the YouTube Channel and other social media areas (TikTok) to keep us connected to newer and younger members.  

RF – Can we share the Google password for us all to access?  

RL – The security alerts make that difficult because it requests the SCMS confirmation which makes it difficult.

JC – Does the Google Drive allow us to share files anyway?  

RL – You don’t have to log in to upload to the GoogleDrive.

MM – And you upload the Minutes after each meeting…

RL – Yes.

MM- From last meeting Jan and Isadora will do the newsletter together.  I forwarded them the templates which came to me form Carmen, using Pages.  Then SC as ECR will look after the social media.  Also, you both have new ideas to share – but first I wanted to put on the table that we have a bunch of communications channels but they don’t always talk to each other.  A marketing master I know offered some advice on what she thought – she saw a newsletter as a permanent consolidation of information and social media as updates.  Would you both like to address that going forward?

JC – We discussed newsletter with Isadora and proposal to update it.  We don’t use Pages and aren’t graphic designers so we want to create a new version. We are thinking of using MailChimp.

RW – Yes I use that in my MFA.

RL – Yes it is good.  But I also suggest Canva. I use it for my presentations.

JC – We will try Canva.  I prepared a draft newsletter for this meeting. I will share now.  We want to include more images/less text and have it branded so it matches our social media as well.  This edition is about the past conference – highlights, winners of SRN awards, news from the Council, etc.  Then there can be permanent sections on Call for Papers and such.  We wanted to keep those older sections and maybe a new permanent section – a short interview or a Q&A we found from older newsletters.

ALL MEMBERS – Much approval of new design/new ideas.

JC – As non-native speakers we’d need proofreaders so if MM, RF or RW will help that will be great.

RW – That’s another reason that more photos/less text is a great idea.

RF – More than happy to proofread.

MM- It should appear 4 times a year.  All it needs is Issue # to separate them out.  One issue with images – in Australia we are very big on trademarks – we’d need official permission for use of images in emails. 

JC – So everyone will receive this in an email – we can make it a pdf for posting. More people will click on links in their inbox.

RL – Pdf can also have clickable links but it’s friendlier in email.  To post to the website HTML is easier and more friendly.

MM – So it will be permanently on the site for new members to see. 

JC/RL – Yes it can be done.

RF – Question – Where will the original document live?  I’m wondering about the long term if Leeds stops being our host?

RL – Then we will move the entire website to another server and copy all the media that is stored.  But it would also be wise to save sensitive stuff in the GoogleDrive. I’ll investigate that.

MM – All approve new newsletter set up.

JC- As to sharing info for the newsletter I can share it and you all can propose what should be in the newsletter.  We can have it ready in beginning November.  

SC – First, apologies for missing the last meeting due to technical difficulties. I worked with RF during my article in the JOS and read the one written by MM and it was indeed wonderful.  So it’s a great honor to serve as a member of the EC.  

As to social media Anne sent an email handover guide on what to do about ECR – very comprehensive, detailed document.  I read it all. The biggest work of posting on FB and Twitter I have the question about the fact that those are banned in China. I can access them but software can be unstable. 

Second question, same as Jan, I’m not a native speaker of English so if I need some copyediting. 

MM – I want you to be comfortable in this role.

SC – Yes, I believe it is possible.

RF – We don’t use Twitter very much at all.  FB is more important.

RL – I just posted to Twitter because when I post Minutes it automatically posts to Twitter so it’s not dormant.

1. Admin matters

I plan to send out a call for new Agenda items the Monday the week before our Monday/Tuesday meetings and would hope for added items by Friday so I can send out the full Agenda.

 

Other business

MM – We are asked to have 9 meetings across the year – we need to think about the Christmas and summer holidays – and have the last meeting pre-conference (which will be in Vienna). I will send out a list of proposed dates for the year before our next meeting.

 

Date of next meeting: TBD 

November 22, 2021