Last weekend, I attended the Austin Film Festival and Writer’s Conference for the first time! I’ve been a volunteer for the festival since moving to Austin in 2015 and have attended three writers’ retreats with them (two at Ghost Ranch and one just outside of Austin), but have never been able to just go to the conference as an attendee.
This year, it was one of my goals to be able to go (my largest hurdle was being able to afford the festival badge and take off work to attend), and I’m so grateful I was able to!
The AFF Writer’s Conference is four days of panels, round tables, parties, and other events, all focused on writing for film, TV, and podcasting.
I attended as many panels as I physically could — there are many happening at once, so you’ve got to pick the ones you want to attend — and I learned so much! Here are my big takeaways:
7 Things I Learned from the AFF Writer’s Conference
There is danger in trying to please everybody.
I attended a panel on Writing Female Characters featuring Lindsay Doran (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Nanny McPhee), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), Karyn Kusama (Yellowjackets), and Phil Hay (The Destroyer). I knew I wanted to attend this one because I’m solely writing scripts meant for Hallmark (or a similar style), which always has female characters.
This piece of advice may seem obvious, but it was given in the context of women characters being “likable.” There was a lot of conversation about traits that are often assigned to male characters vs. those that are assigned to female characters and if female characters are accepted only when they adopt “male” characteristics and are “badass.”
This really got my gears turning because Hallmark-esque female characters are not what I would categorize as “badass,” but they are certainly likable and multifaceted. I also appreciate this note about pleasing everyone because the audience I’m writing for is very specific, and it’s a good reminder for myself — trying to please people outside my audience is not my goal.
Think outside the box to tell your story.
One of the first panels I attended was “From Screen to Sound,” featuring George Ducker (Exeter), Faith McQuinn (Margaritas & Donuts), Ronnie Gunter (Exeter), and Brian Siegele. This panel focused on writing scripts for audio dramas (fictional podcasts), or adapting a script made for a visual medium to fit audio.
I really had no expectations going into this panel, and it was one of my favorites from the entire festival! I’ve loved listening to podcasts for years but have never listened to a fictional one, and learning this little bit about them made me excited to know about another storytelling option.
When a medium has visual and audio elements (such as a feature or a pilot), there’s a method for writing that, but consider writing something for audio-only. What types of elements can you lean on to enhance your story and what types of things would you have to eliminate?
It’s fascinating to think about!
Representation that’s not done properly is bad representation.
This seems like a no brainer, but it’s something I needed to hear and at the right time.
It came up in the first panel I attended, “Women in the Room,” featuring Noelle Stehman (Astrid & Lilly Save the World), Betsy Van Stone (Astrid & Lilly Save the World), Kara Lee Corthron (You), and Jessica Esteves (Vida). There was a lot of conversation about being the only woman and/or the only one representing a marginalized group in the writing room, and carrying the weight of that, especially when it comes to the show you’re working on.
I took this note as confirmation of thoughts I had during some feedback of my Hallmark movie ideas. The feedback was that they were all “heteronormative.” “Does Hallmark accept LGBTQ options?” the person asked.
They do, I said, but… I’m a cis-gendered, straight, white female. As much as I want to offer a story with diverse characters, I don’t feel I’m the person to authentically do that. I could, however, switch traditional gender roles, or feature an LGBTQ character.
But I don’t think it’s right for me to attempt to write an LGBTQ love story when I’ve never been a part of one, right? I was feeling conflicted on my own thoughts — was I being too close-minded? — until I heard this note in the panel. I don’t want to be a part of bad representation; and I would never want someone to watch something I wrote and say, “Sure, it’s a gay couple, but the writer clearly doesn’t know what they’re talking about!”
It’s free to try.
I really wanted to push myself and attend panels that would teach me something new. Sure, I’m pretty new to screenwriting, but I’m not new to storytelling, and I always want to test my creativity. So, I attended a panel called “Writing Across Mediums,” featuring Beth Serlin, Evan Narcisse, Jim Burnstein, and Amelia Gray.
The panel talked a lot about being nimble when it comes to storytelling. For example, perhaps you wrote this script with a feature in mind, but what if it would be a better fit as an audio drama or a TV series?
“It’s free to try,” flew out of one of the panelists mouths (I forget who – apologies!) and I immediately wrote it down. It reminded me that, while yes, your time is worth something, it really costs us nothing to give something a try.
I was instantly taken back to my first #NaNoWriMo when I wrote “Oil & Ink” in 30 days. At the end of the month, I felt this overwhelming sense of understanding that creativity is infinite. Using one of my ideas for a book didn’t mean I had -1 idea; it actually cultivated several ideas in my brain and I had the confidence to back any of them.
So, it’s free to try. Run with it!
Research can get in the way of good storytelling.
This little gem came from the “Yellowjackets” panel, which featured the three (!) showrunners: Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, and Jonathan Lisco. I’d been looking forward to this panel for weeks, and binged season two of the show just in case there were any spoilers (and there were).
I didn’t expect to walk away from this one with any advice, really, but someone asked about research. The show covers a bit of survival skills and loads of trauma — how did the writers get that correct?
“Research can get in the way of good storytelling. Use the research as the tool to tell the story,” said Jonathan Lisco.
Lisco mentioned that research (as in, the act of research) can be a way to avoid writing, which is a solid point. I also thought a lot about my writer’s groups; even in college, we’d all get really hung up on details (i.e. is there such a thing as a decaf mocha?).
Don’t get me wrong, details are important and can really drive your story home. But, you can do the fact-checking later, or in the case of “Yellowjackets,” there’s someone else who will do the research for you. My takeaway from this was to not let research or information muddle the story I’m trying to tell.
Be prepared to sell yourself in different ways.
This was another nugget I took away from the “Writing Across Mediums” panel.
In this context, they were talking about being open to using your idea for any medium. Specifically, someone in the audience said they wrote a feature, but someone wanted to option it as a TV series; should she do it?
The answer was a fast YES. In fact, they challenged all of the attendees to look at our stories differently: what are the possibilities of your idea?
Just because you imagined it one way — as a movie or a TV show — doesn’t mean it couldn’t be something different, such as an audio drama or a video game! If you have a story to tell, why not be open to telling it ANY way you can?
Be somebody who wants to play.
This sentiment came up in BOTH of the panels I attended on the last day: “Game Writing for Existing Franchises,” featuring Ashley Poprik, Evan Narcisse, Jon Paquette, and Bugaj, and “On Process: The Writer’s Room,” featuring Wendy Calhoun (Empire, Nashville).
Wendy Calhoun is the one who said the direct quote, and she was saying it in regard to a writer’s room. Don’t be so decisive; be somebody who wants to play. Be open to new ideas!
In the Game Writing panel, it came up as a skill to have — part of game playing is having fun, which is important to remember if you’re the one writing for the game.
In terms of my Hallmark-movie writing, I think this is a great reminder. Part of the movies are always fun and happiness, and it’s important to keep that in mind while writing.
Movies I saw at the Austin Film Festival
Saltburn
This was the festival’s opening night movie, and while I didn’t know much about it going in, it was fun to be a part of the fanfare (think: cheers and screams in the theatre) and hear from filmmaker Emerald Fennell on how she came up with the ideas for the film. I loved it!
For When You Get Lost
This one had an all-female crew, which I loved, and it was great listening to the their Q+A after the movie. The plot focuses on a broken family, and a pair of sisters headed on a road trip to mend things with their dad before he passes away. Admittedly, this one was emotional for me, but I’m glad I saw it — I especially loved the Pacific Northwest views!
The Holdovers
THIS was my favorite movie of the festival (that I saw)! I love school-based stories, and this one takes place at a New England prep school when some of the students are forced to stay during holiday break, under the watch of a grumpy instructor. They form a relationship, but must get through many challenges and it comes with lots of laughs. I loved the aesthetic of this film, and it felt like an instant classic. I loved it!
Egghead & Twinkie
A fun title for a fun movie that offered a modern, LGBTQ twist on the classic rom-com. I appreciated that this was set in today’s times (think: online dating and DMs) and it had two best friends at the center of the plot; but it doesn’t end up how you’d expect. This was a fun one that made me laugh!
Re: Uniting
Written and directed by Laura Adkin, I’m so glad I was able to see this one because I attended two Ghost Ranch writers’ retreats with Laura! It’s so cool to see projects come to life, especially from people you know. Laura and I share an appreciation for Hallmark movies, and I could see little hints of it in this movie about a group of friends that reach many personal realizations as they meet for their 25-year reunion. It was a sweet movie, and I absolutely loved the filming location (Bowen Island)!
And those are my takeaways from the Austin Film Festival! If you attended, I’d love to hear what your takeaways were.
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