Join us Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30 pm as we’re joined by established Hollywood industry professionals who will take students through five major stages of a film’s lifecycle: from writing the script, to producing and packaging it, directing, acquisitions, and marketing. Hosted by Entertainment Executive and FMS alum Paul Davidson, and FMS professor Fatimah Tobing Rony, this series of seminars will give students the opportunity to learn how a Hollywood film is made and the jobs required to do so.
On April 24th, Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, screenwriters of movies like Megamind and The Penguins of Madagascar, will talk all about writing for animated movies!
About Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons:
Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons met as roommates at Emerson College in Boston. Upon graduating, Alan went to work for the Coen Brothers while Brent pursued comedy as a member of the sketch comedy group TROOP! While Alan was in New York and Brent was in Los Angeles, they started writing scripts over the phone. Their long-distance bills gave rise to their 2003 script MASTERMIND, which would later be produced by Dreamworks Animation under the title MEGAMIND. Screenwriting partners for over twenty years, their credits include MEGAMIND, MEGAMIND & THE BUTTON OF DOOM, and THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR. They’ve also developed and written projects for Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, Laika and Skydance Animation, NBC, FX, and Fox Animation, as well as for producers Neil Moritz, Ellen DeGeneres, and Michael B. Jordan. Along with MEGAMIND VS. THE DOOM SYNDICATE and MEGAMIND RULES!, Schoolcraft & Simons are currently writing NICO BRAVO based on the book series by Mick Cavallaro for Dreamworks Animation.
About our Co-Host:
An alum of UCI’s Film Studies, Paul Davidson is an Entertainment executive who has over twenty years working in Film and TV development, production, acquisition, distribution and marketing. Most recently, Davidson led IDW Entertainment’s TV & Film division, producing series like Netflix’s Locke & Key, Apple TV+’s Surfside Girls and CBC’s Essex County. Prior to that, Davidson ran The Orchard’s film and TV division, growing the company into a robust independent film distribution studio. Under his leadership, The Orchard netted multiple Oscar nominations (Life, Animated, and Cartel Land) and released well-known favorites like What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, American Animals, The Overnight, and more. Prior to The Orchard, Paul ran Microsoft’s global digital entertainment service — Xbox Video. Paul is also the author of four books, including Company of Foos (2023), The Small Stuff (2022), Consumer Joe, and The Lost Blogs.
Open to Film and Media Studies students, alums, professors and staff.