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SRN Executive Minutes – February 2024

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SRN Executive Council Meeting

(via Zoom)

Tuesday, February 20, 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)

 

  1. Apologies / Take group photo
  2. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting (November)
    –Jan and Isadora
    –Rosanne approves, Anna seconds

 

  1. ECR position update after the AGM: Meeting Marco Ianniello, recommended by Craig Batty. marco.ianniello@nd.edu.au – Times don’t line up so will look for other 2nd ECs

 

  1. JC: Update on SRN2024! (via email) We have accepted 104 proposals. In addition to the classic topics like teaching screenwriting, we also had proposals dealing with AI and virtual reality. I’m very happy about this, because it shows that we have a strong community that has the ambition to tackle current issues.
    • We are also dealing with financial resources from the Czech Cinema Fund.
    • Donat Keutsch, Peter Krämer, Alice Nellis will be keynote speakers at the conference. We are still negotiating with Agniezska Holland, but she is making a film and we will definitely confirm this in the summer.
    • The conference will have its own social networks. I would like to ask Clarissa to contact my colleague Anna (simakova01@upol.cz) to arrange to share posts on our network’s social media.
    • Please ask Lucian if he has received confirmation of the acceptance of his proposal.

 

  • JC – Newsletter Update – (via email)
    • I have compiled the information for the newsletter but have not had time to prepare it for mailing. Hopefully I’ll get to it next week.
    • I’m so sorry for the delay with finishing of newsletter, but I couldn’t make it through work and family obligations. I’m fighting with time management…

 

  1. AW/RW: No new news on Statement regarding Oxford Brookes slashing of Arts and Humanities programs. Expect update by end Feb. Will email rather than wait for next meeting.

    –Rosanne updates on Paolo’s situation.

 

  1. RW: Update on Awards:

Teaching Award Judges: (Ian MacDonald, Anna Weinstein Rosamund Davies.

Jan will post in newsletter/RW or AW will post to listserve?

 

Book/Monograph Award Judges – Need to post to listserve as well:

Carmen Sofia Brenes csbrenes@gmail.com

Leslie Kreiner <leslie.kreiner@pepperdine.edu>

Jayalakshmi, Garrabost G.Jayalakshmi@napier.ac.uk

“ Runner-Up TAPS British writer of the year (2004 or 2005)/in China for four years setting up a film school and working with Chinese filmmakers”

–AW will send out another announcement via the listserve about the Teaching Awards, moving the deadline to May 1.

 

  1. IG: presentation of email for members on Top 5-10 suggestions/how they are being addressed from Membership Survey. For listserve and also AGM.

    –Postponed until March meeting.

 

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

    –CM updates on her discussion with Carmen on the mid-year conference, how the translation worked (dual-language) with headphones and a translator. CM is aiming for 2025 or 2026 because she would need a lot of sponsorship to run the conference. Ideally aiming for April due to weather. Would like to bring Anna Muylaert to do a keynote.

    –CM has been putting the emails into posts. Every three days posting something new.

 

  1. RF: Thanks to Rose for adding the international list of Writers Guilds to the webpage of Website. NEW IDEAS: Post list of members produced credits? Collect e-booklets of abstracts from each conference to post on website?

    –RF suggests that a collection of credits would take too much bandwidth on the website as well as workload, especially since credits are constantly changing. RW agrees

 

  1. AW/RF – Took over the list of all the books mentioned in the December listserve email about books to use in classes? Add that to the website. Build off of Camila C A Agustini: “I copied all the suggestions from this list in a Google Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BTjkzeZ_OYCMJCaaABAO0SJbFvTPJt-tT9IakIUiA18/edit

 

  1. RF: SRN Conversation #3 now on YouTube – need someone to organize Converation #4 with Kerstin (since she was sick) and who else?

–RF is still working on determining who will be a part of the conversation. RW suggests that it would be ideal if we could have another conversation in the next three months. RF suggests that we need someone to help organize. CM says she can help to organize. LG says he can help as well. RW explains that one person can organize, and another can do the interview. LG says he’s happy to interview Adam Ganz, and RW explains that they will interview Adam as well as Kerstin. RF suggests that this might be an ECR job, RW agrees that makes sense since this is social media related. RW says that by March they should nail down the dates they are aiming for.

 

  1. ALL: Election planning for 2025 – who needs to run again/how do we encourage more involvement in EC? Start conversation on Succession planning/encouraging more members to run for EC. Ask each EC member to suggest two academics from their home countries / related countries to consider running to have a bigger pool for voting.

    –RW points out that RW, RF, and AW would need to run again to stay on the board. RF says that she is inclined to step down. RW suggests that rather than stepping down, she could stay on as a website mentor for the new person who comes on board. LG seconds this. Jan and Isadora are continuing for the next two years since they were voted in last year.

 

  1. The EC should consider creating a small FAQ to keep this institutional memory available for future conference organizers.

    –RF would like to collect the abstracts. She will determine which books she still needs and let RW know, and then RW will send out an announcement to the listserve requesting missing books of abstracts from past conferences.

 

  1. Working Group Update: Invite group leaders to March meeting for updates.

 

  1. Other business

    –RF asks if LG wants to have a specific role as now he is a member at large. RF suggests that he may be in charge of the Conversations. LG likes the idea as he has a background in journalism, reluctant to commit until he has more details about the time requirement. RF, LG, and CM will connect offline before the next meeting to discuss the next Conversation.

 

Date of next meeting(s):  Tuesdays same time – March 19, April 23, May 21, June 18, July 23, Aug. 20, Sept. 13 (in person at SRN2024).

 

 

SRN Executive Minutes – January 2024

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Monday, January 15, 2024

7am Los Angeles (now in Daylight Savings)

 

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)

 

  1. Apologies / Take group photo

 

  1. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting (November)

    –LG approves, IGA seconds

 

  1. ECR position update after the AGM: Meeting Marco Ianniello, recommended by Craig Batty. marco.ianniello@nd.edu.au

–RW reports that she is still waiting to hear back from Dr. Ianniello.

  1. Choose new day of the week to be adjusted for Spring Semester change Feb. 19, March 18, April 22, May 20, June 17, July 22, Aug. 19, Sept. 13 (in person at SRN2024).

    –Moved to Tuesday mornings same time (see below).

 

  1. JC: Update on SRN2024! Also — Newsletter suggestions for future issues? (Announce Teaching Award). Next release date to prep?

    –JC reports that we should send additions to the newsletter by Feb 11. RW suggests announcing new books in the newsletter. LG notes that he recently translated Steven Maras’s book into Romanian. AW notes her new book. Both will email LG.

 

  1. AW/RW: Discuss response to Statement regarding Oxford Brookes slashing of Arts and Humanities programs as endemic of international issue effecting many SRN colleagues. Will be sending letter out next week.

    –RW updates group on status of Paolo Russo’s situation at Oxford Brookes. More than 100 signatures on the email attachment. Russo suggests to wait until January 23 for RW to send the email to his school director.

 

  1. RW: Update on Awards: Teaching Award approved at AGM. Need 2 Judges (Ian MacDonald accepted, Anna Weinstein accepted – Steven Maras asked by LG/ he declined. RW asked Rosamund Davies who said Yes. RW sent info out to listserve 12/20/23. STILL NEED 1 new Book/Monograph Award Judge (Carmen staying, Leslie Kreiner Wilson of Pepperdine University joining) –other Suggestions or RW will reach out to previous Book winners?

–RW notes that she will reach out to previous winners.

 

  1. IG: Continued discussion of suggestions from Membership Survey- prepare email for members on Top 5-10 suggestions and how they are being addressed.

    –IG reports on several new suggestions: for online workshops, different dates for the conference, opportunities for screenwriters to give one another constructive feedback, the role of AI in screenwriting; RW suggests a roundtable at the Sept ’24 conference; JC says that there will be at least one panel on AI based on the abstracts. IG reports on another suggestion about bridging professional screenwriters with screenwriting in academia. RW suggests that we brings these suggestions to the meeting at the next conference to get members involved in leadership roles.

 

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

    –Will wait for CM’s report at the Feb meeting.

 

  1. RF: Thanks to Rose for adding the international list of Writers Guilds to the webpage of Website. Also, adding a tab for official photos from conferences? NEW IDEAS: Post list of members produced credits? Collect e-booklets of abstracts from each conference to post on website?

    –Will revisit with RF’s report at the Feb meeting.

 

  1. RW – Can someone take over the list of all the books mentioned in the December listserve email about books to use in classes? We could add that to the website. Camila C A Agustini alredy did: “I copied all the suggestions from this list in a Google Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BTjkzeZ_OYCMJCaaABAO0SJbFvTPJt-tT9IakIUiA18/edit

    –AW will clean up the list for RF for the website.

 

  1. RF: SRN Conversation #3 now on YouTube – need someone to organize Converation #4 with Kerstin (since she was sick) and who else?

    –Will revisit at the Feb meeting when RF is present.

 

  1. AI statement wording to post on website?

    –Will revisit at the Feb meeting when all are present.

 

  1. RW: Start conversation on Succession planning/encouraging more members to run for EC. Ask each EC member to suggest two academics from their home countries / related countries to consider running to have a bigger pool we can consider.

    –Will revisit at the Feb meeting when all are present.

 

  1. Working Group Update: Invite group leaders to next meeting for updates?

    –EC agrees to invite them to the March 19 meeting.

 

  1. Other business

 

Date of next meeting(s): Tuesdays same time – Feb. 20, March 19, April 23, May 21, June 18, July 23, Aug. 20, Sept. 13 (in person at SRN2024).

 

 

SRN Awards 2024

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The results are in!

Our esteemed judges, Carmen Sofia Brenes, Lee Kreiner Wilson and Garrabost Jayalakshmi are happy to announce the winners of our Book Awards in 2024. They also added this comment:

“The year 2024 has been remarkably productive in terms of publications, both in books and articles. Selecting the winners was no easy task. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the transnational and transcultural aspects present in the winning book, as well as in some of the articles submitted for the competition.

As jurors of the SRN Awards, we celebrate the diverse backgrounds of the authors, the variety of topics, and the range of perspectives addressed. After thoroughly reading and evaluating all submissions, we reached a unanimous decision to grant the following awards”

The winning edited book by Rosamund Davies, Paolo Russo and Claus Tieber’s Palgrave Handbook of Screenwriting Studies is described in this way:

‘Bringing together 44 authors, the Palgrave Handbook is, as its preface announces, a comprehensive collection of research that demonstartes the state of the art in a certain field. The editors have successfully compiled a wide range of perspectives and approaches, showcasing the breadth and strength of contemporary screenwriting studies. While the chapters inevitably vary in detail and depth, the book as a whole is undoubtedly a milestone in advancing screenwriting studies research.’

The best journal article went to Gabriel Paletz’s article in Writing sound in the screenplay: traditions and innovations, pp. 61–75. This article is described in this way:

‘This fascinating article challenges the traditional approach of sound being “minimally written or written out” of screenplays, advocating instead for the intentional writing of sound into scripts. This approach could greatly benefit students—one common issue in students of screenwriting is the poor use of sound, and this article offers valuable insights on how to rectify that. It is well-researched and provides practical examples for screenwriting teachers and writers on incorporating music into scripts.’

As well as judging these to be the best book / chapter, the judges wished to acknowledge Margaret McVeigh’s Screenwriting from the Inside Out: Think and Write like a Creative (2023), and James Deaville’s journal article, ‘Writing on screens: (Re-)mediating music and sound through captions’ (2023). These received honourable mentions from the judges.

 

Inaugural Screenwriting Teaching Innovation Awards 2024

The Judges of the Inaugural Screenwriting Teaching Awards, Rosamund Davies, Ian Macdonald and Anna Weinstein, are pleased to announce the winners for the 2024 Teaching Innovation Awards.

Armando Fumagalli, of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, in Milan, won our inaugural teaching innovation award for establishing the ‘Director of the Master in International Screenwriting and Production (MISP)’ course at his university.

Dee Hughes, at Bournemouth University, also won an award for applying ‘Team-based learning (TBL) to screenwriting instruction’.

The Awards were presented in person at the annual 15th International Conference of the Screenwriting Research Network in Olomouc in the Czechia on Friday 13th September.

Congratulations to all winners!

 

SRN Awards 2024

20 February 2024 by

The SRN AWARDS will celebrate the 5th edition at the 2024 Conference in the Czech Republic this September 2024.

We invite all members and colleagues to submit Nominations for the best publications of 2023/2024 by the new deadline of 15 July 2024 for articles published between 1 June 2023 & 31 May 2024.Both nominations and self-nominations are welcome. Winners will be announced at the 2024 SRN Conference in the Czech Republic.
The Awards this year will be again in two categories:
Best Monograph – for single-authored or co-authored volumes (any format)
Best Journal Article/Book Chapter – Both articles and chapters normally range around 6-8,000 words but the format may vary.
While no ratings of journals/publishers will be a factor in the evaluation of submissions, all publications should be scholarly, fully peer-reviewed work underpinned by substantial research specifically in the area of Screenwriting Studies. Submitted titles must have been published between 1 June 2022 & 31 May 2024.

Guidelines for the submission of nominations:
All submissions in both categories should be made directly to all the members of the Jury (see contact details below) by 15 July 2024. However, early submissions are most welcome and encouraged.
MONOGRAPHS – Nominees and self-nominees should send hard copies of their monographs directly to each Juror via regular mail/courier. Publishers are usually happy to supply complimentary evaluation/inspection copies: only where this is really not possible (including, for instance, volumes due out very close to the deadline), authors can send a PDF copy of the approved preprint manuscript (in this case via email) as a backup option.
ARTICLES/CHAPTERS – Individual journal articles (i.e. not the whole journal) or chapters (i.e. not the whole book) should be sent as PDF (as per preprint approved draft) directly to each of the Jurors via email.

All submissions will be evaluated independently by our Jury of distinguished academics:

Professor Carmen Sofia Brenes csbrenes@gmail.com

Leslie Kreiner Wilson leslie.kreiner@pepperdine.edu

Garrabost Jayalakshmi g.jayalakshmi@napier.ac.uk

 

If you have any enquiries, please contact Rosanne Welch Rwelch@stephens.edu

 

16th Annual SRN Conference, September 2024 – Olomouc, Czech Republic

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The central theme for the 16th Annual SRN Conference in 2024 is

“A Conversation Beyond Script”

Through this theme we seek to encourage a broad exploration of dialogue and communication within the world of screenwriting and beyond. Although we emphasize the role of dialogue, monologues and polylogues in scripts, films and television, we also invite you to interpret this theme metaphorically, considering filmmakers’ discussions amongst cast and crew, amongst cultures, and other related topics.

Call for Papers – SRN Conference 2024

We accept the following:
Traditional 20-Minute Papers
(Proposal should include: Title, Author’s name, Affiliation, Contact details, 300 word abstract, 4-6 keywords, 150 word bio)
Pre-constituted Panels
(Proposal should include: Title of the panel, 100 word outline of the overall topic, Abstracts of 2-3 presentations following the abstract guidelines listed above).
Posters
(Proposal should include: Title, Author’s name, Affiliation, Contact details,300 word abstract, 4-6 keywords, 150 word bio)

Please send your proposals to srn2024@upol.cz

Submission Deadline: January 12, 2024. Always wait for confirmation that your proposal is registered.

For further enquiries, contact the Conference organizers: Jan Černík, Anna Šimáková, Filip Faja

Details and further information about the conference will be available online as the conference draws nearer.

The Conference website has been active since November 2023. Access it here.

SRN Teaching Innovation Award – Inaugural Year 2024

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Screenwriting Teaching Innovation Award

 

New for 2024, the Screenwriting Research Network (SRN) is implementing a Screenwriting Teaching Innovation Award to recognize the achievements of an outstanding faculty scholar whose work demonstrates new and original approaches to supporting the teaching and learning development of screenwriters and scholars of screenwriting.

This may include (but is not restricted to) new teaching methods and new insights into learning around screenwriting, ways of linking screenwriting research with practice, ways of developing the writer’s individual ‘voice’ and their understanding of screenwriting as an artform, interventions into syllabus content and presentation, ways of engaging with industrial practice (such as improving the ‘fit’ between classroom work and production), or new ways of using screenwriting research to support teaching.

 

As a member of SRN, you may self-nominate for the Screenwriting Teaching Innovation Award, or you may nominate a colleague. Each candidate is responsible for collecting, collating, and preparing their application materials.

 

Please submit a nomination packet of no more than 15 pages by May 1, 2024 including the following materials:

 

  • Two-page summary statement describing an innovative assignment or teaching method including goals for the assignment or instructional technique, implementation in the classroom, student feedback and interaction with the assignment or teaching method, student success, and an explanation of reflective teaching and adjustments in response to student work and feedback.
  • Three-page CV highlighting accomplishments in teaching including screenwriting courses developed and taught, student mentoring, student successes, teaching workshops or lectures, institutional teaching awards, or published scholarship on the teaching and learning development of screenwriters and scholars of screenwriting.
  • Sample assignment or syllabus.
  • Two letters of support, including one from a faculty colleague and one from a former student.

 

Nomination packets are due May 1. The SRN Teaching Innovation Award Committee will select two awardees for 2024. Awardees will be notified will be notified July 15, and awards will be presented at the 2024 SRN conference.

Please direct questions to Teaching Innovation Award Committee members:

Dr Ian MacDonald ianwmac5@outlook.com

Dr Anna Weinstein aweinst6@kennesaw.edu

Dr Rosamund Davies  r.davies@greenwich.ac.uk

SRN Executive Minutes – August 2023

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Monday, August 21, 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

 

  1. Approval of Minutes of 2 previous meetings (June and July)

 

–JC approves June, RF seconds

–RW approves July

 

  1. JC –Newsletter question – Group suggestions for inclusion? Next release date?

 

–JC announces Friday deadline for next newsletter

–RW suggests a reminder for people to register for the Sept conference

 

  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, 2 books as of 8-15. ACTION:

Winners given to Chair by Sept. 9th.  If they can’t be at the conference we ask for a video.

 

–RW reports that the Tom Stempel will be awarded his prize first, and then he will announce the book award winners. JC will have about 10 minutes to introduce the conference for Sept ’24.

 

  1. Working Group Update: CM Report on online meeting between working groups and Early Career Researchers. Also, should we delete the 3rd and 4th ones on the website as we’ve seen no new activity this year (Collaborative/Women in)? ALSO: Status on other forms of social media connection – reviving Instagram/need login password

 

–CM reports that she has created five Instagram posts that will post in the next two weeks. CM asks whether we should have a LinkedIn account. Rosanne says this is a good idea. Early career researchers event, “Intersections between research and practice” – will be Oct 20, 7am AEST.

 

  1. AW: Update on elections/submissions/deadline? New nominee hasn’t registered yet so if we decided to add him we should set a zoom with all of us to meet him first, maybe in the October meeting. Also, need new ECR… Joanne Tindale, other ideas?

 

–AW reports that Lucien is the only applicant/submission for the EC. RW will email Lucien and will make a formal announcement that Isadora and Jan will continue their service. RW reminds EC that we will need a new ECR.

 

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

 

–RF updates that Rafael stepped in to help so Rose has access to the analytics in case anyone wants details.

 

  1. AW/RF: Update on other Writers Guilds/Post this on page of Website? What else to do with the info? Here’s a spreadsheet with the guild info she’s received so far:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11G6vN0VXljXTF7LbE1tUCS3gpHmLPt0ZdNXLJ6kcku0/edit?usp=sharing

 

–RF reports that she added links to the website. All agree that this is useful. General discusión of including additional information provided by contributors. AW suggests we shouldn’t add contributors’ names as we didn’t get permission. All agree.

  1. RF: Update on SRN Conversation planning

 

–RF updates on SRN Conversation planning. RF suggests that London has its own Conversation because there are four members, all four at different institutions. Was hoping to have New Zealand representative. Will get back to Kristen and Carmen and hope to have an Oct date.

 

  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.

 

–RW reports that everything is coming along, registrations are coming in. RW reports keynote times/decisions: Thursday morning, Meg LeFauve and Loriene McKenna; Thursday evening, Phil Lazebnik; Friday morning, Jeff Melvoin; Sat morning, Meg and Loriene’s podcast.

 

  1. EC job descriptions: find and/or come up with descriptions of all the EC responsibilities.–All agree to return to and review descriptions shared by RF at next meeting after conference. RW suggests we might post on the SRN website after approval from all.

 

  1. Other business

 

Date of next meeting(s): September 19 or 20 (In person at SRN2023 – Time TBD)

Next year’s meeting schedule to be determined by new EC- but let’s set Monday October 23rd for now.

SRN Early Career Researcher Event

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SRN Executive Committee is proud to invite Early Career Researchers and all members of the Screenwriting Research Network to a special event coordinated by our ECR Representative on the Executive Committee, Clarissa Miranda.
This year’s theme is the role of the academy (in undergraduate and graduate programs) in the development of screenwriters.
The Seminar is on the 20th of October, at 7AM (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
For those in Europe, Africa or the Americas the Seminar will be on the
19th of October, at 10pm (British Standard Time)
and 5pm (Eastern Daylight Time).
Our Speakers are: Margaret McVeigh, Head of Screenwriting & Contextual Studies at Griffith Film School (Australia), Balázs Zágoni, assistant professor, writer and film director from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj (Romania), and Katherine Chediak Putnam, an emerging Brazilian-American director and screenwriter who also works in Australia as lecturer at Griffith Film School.

To be sent the Zoom link, please contact Clarissa Miranda on miranda.clarissa@gmail.com

SRN Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award 2023

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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.