Sometimes Those Who Can Do, Teach

An Interview with Story Expert Corey Mandell No other profession in the world insists upon perfect execution with one’s first assignment on the job. So why does screenwriting? Nat Mundel sits down with professional writer and UCLA film-script sage Corey Mandell to examine this and other questions. Welcome to the new issue of The Starbird. It explores the writing process, from the conceptual to the intuitive. Learn the common mistakes made due to over reliance on the calcified edicts of the blockbuster and hear how simple skill sets, diligently applied, will produce success. Archives April 2023 (1) January 2023 (1) December 2022 (1) October 2022 (1) June 2020 (1) April 2020 (1) February 2020 (1) January 2020 (1) October 2019 (1) August 2019 (1) June 2019 (1) January 2019 (1) April 2018 (1) March 2018 (1) February 2018 (1) January 2018 (1) December 2017 (1) November 2017 (1) October 2017 (2) July 2017 (4) April 2017 (1) February 2017 (1) January 2017 (1) December 2016 (1) November 2016 (1) October 2016 (1) September 2016 (2) June 2016 (1) May 2016 (1) April 2016 (1) February 2016 (3) January 2016 (1) December 2015 (2) November 2015 (1) October 2015 (2) September 2015 (2) August 2015 (2) July 2015 (1) June 2015 (1) April 2015 (1) March 2015 (1) February 2015 (2) January 2015 (3) December 2014 (2) October 2014 (1) September 2014 (3) August 2014 (3) June 2014 (2) May 2014 (5) April 2014 (3) February 2014 (1) January 2014 (1) December 2013 (1) April 2013 (1) December 2012 (1) July 2012 (1) April 2012 (2) March 2012 (2) December 2011 (1) November 2011 (3) October 2011 (4) September 2011 (5) August 2011 (3) May 2011 (2) April 2011 (1) March 2011 (2) November 2010 (2) August 2010 (1) June 2010 (1) March 2010 (1) October 2009 (1) September 2009 (2) CategoriesCategories Select Category Audience  (20) Blog post  (31) Book to Film  (20) Entertainment Business  (39) Font Page  (7) Pitching  (13) Presentations  (8) Producer Interviews  (10) Reality TV  (5) Screenwriting Tips  (11) The Expert Network  (13)...

A-List Creative Producer Seeks New Talent

The 3 Most Vital Aspects of Story from the woman who developed SALT — Voyage Team Member Kathleen McLaughlin. A phone rings in the middle of the night, and a movie is born. Such is the case when someone with an exceptional idea connects with the guiding hand of a veteran development expert. Meet Kathleen McLaughlin, a producer and development executive with over 15 years of experience in both studio and independent feature projects.  She helped Director Philip Noyce shepherd a midnight pitch into the Golden Globe-nominated film RABBITPROOF FENCE, she Co-Produced The Quiet American, and she developed The Saint, The Bone Collector and The Sum of All Fears.  She has worked with some of the top names in the business including Sydney Pollack, Anthony Minghella, Kurt Wimmer, Christopher Hampton, and she recently served as a creative consultant on SALT starring Angelina Jolie. She is now a member of the Voyage Development Team. “You just never know” McLaughlin muses, “The most interesting stories can come from the oddest places.” Throughout her career she has honored this belief to help some of the world’s leading directors bring their  visions to life. Whether she’s working on a large tent-pole franchise or a small indie, she focuses her attention on what she considers the three most vital aspects of screen story: 1.) Character Development – “Likeability can be a complex notion. It’s much more fluid than many people think. Heroes, if they’re just “heroic,” are not interesting.It’s the quirks and flaws that make them relatable and interesting.A classic example of this is Indiana Jones’s hatred of snakes.In a roomful of them, he’s uncharacteristically...

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