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The Academy of Film & Television
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THE ART OF STORY Margaret South Screenwriting Workshop
Sign-up NOW! Class starts April 6th! Oscar Night: Bette Midler, Margaret South, Bonnie Bruckheimer About the Instructor Margaret South
We hope to have her back soon. 
Margaret South Co-Founder with Bette Midler and Bonnie Bruckheimer of All Girl Productions, is an experienced feature film producer who has developed scripts for Disney, Fox and Tri-Star Studios as well as numerous independent companies. Her passion and focus in the process of film making has always been writing and writers. She produced the feature films Beaches, For The Boys and Man of the House. In Television, Margaret was Executive Consultant for the HBO series Maximum Security (Ron Howard, Executive Director), helping to originally develop the show and then shepherding the scripts through production. She has also served as a Consultant for ABC Daytime Television.
As a screenwriter, Margaret, with Bette Midler, co-wrote A View From a Broad. She also wrote Chicken Parisienne, which garnered her finalist recognition in the Chanticleer Films Competition. During her years in Hollywood, Margaret has developed material with writers and directors, Garry Marshall, Alfred Uhry, Neal Jimenez, Becky Johnston, Jack Rosenthal, Marshall Brickman, Mark Stein, Joyce Eliason, Mark Rydell, Mary Agnes Donahue, Paul Rudnick, Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, and others.
This fall she will be a panelist for the screenwriting seminar at the Hawaii International Film Festival. You can learn more about Margaret South by visiting Margaret's website
THE ART OF STORY FAQ
How do I get an agent?
It’s human nature to think there’s one person out there who will magically open all the doors for you, who will make assignments fall from the heavens, and who, when you do become a working Hollywood writer, will protect you from anything bad that can happen. Don’t buy into this fantasy. It doesn’t work that way. If there is one person who can do all this for you, it’s you yourself.
You don’t need an agent until you have a writing job. At that point, they will line up. How do you get a writing job? Read on:
Now that I’ve finished my screenplay, what should I do with it?
Before you even try to get an agent (or a job), finish at least three finished, perfect screenplays. Enter them into screenwriting competitions. Here is where you can build up some credibility.
Write a short film and go shoot it. Technology is on your side. We all have access to video cameras. There’s usually a way to borrow or rent 16mm film cameras. Here in Honolulu, we have a wonderful system, through Public Television, called the Olelo course. For free, you take the producing or directing course, and when you’re done, you have access to the equipment. For free!
By the time you approach an agent, show her you’re more than the average person. Show her you’re productive and prolific. Show her your career has already begun.
I gave my screenplay to a professional reader and I don’t agree with the comments I got back. What should I do?
You’re in the driver’s seat. As the writer, you decide. But consider setting it aside, letting yourself mull it over for awhile. Sometimes, we’re too close to the material, and we’re not capable of seeing the big picture. That’s why we depend on professional readers and story analysts and script doctors.
Do I have to live in Hollywood?
It helps. This is where you get to build relationships with agents and producers. At the same time, the film and television industry is becoming more and more de-centralized with every new technological development. My husband and I never thought we’d be able to live in Hawaii and still work in the business, but here we are.
I have a regular job. How do I make the time to write?
Carry a notebook wherever you go. Learn to write in the small bits of time that come your way in the course of an ordinary day. Write while you’re sitting in the dentist’s office, or waiting for the kids after school, or spend lunches at your desk writing. You’ll be amazed at the number of words you can write in one day.