Media Release: Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative Screenwriting Workshops with Marilyn R. Atlas

DATELINE: January 12, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations. 413-427-7352 or mgauerbach@gmail.com Diane Pearlman, Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative. 413-329-3912 or diane@berkshirefilm.org BERKSHIRE FILM AND MEDIA COLLABORATIVE (BFMC) PRESENTS TWO ONLINE WORKSHOPS ON SCREENWRITING AND PITCHING WITH HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER/AGENT MARILYN R. ATLAS ON JANUARY 23 AND 30 The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative presents two online workshops with the renowned Hollywood producer, literary manager and screenwriter Marilyn R. Atlas, as part of its continuing mission to provide learning opportunities for the film community in Western Massachusetts. Atlas will present “Creating Memorable Characters” on Saturday, January 23 from 3PM-5PM ET, and “The Importance of Pitching” on Saturday, January 30, from 3PM-5PM. During the latter workshop, some participants will have the opportunity to pitch their film and video projects to Atlas. Some writers talk about creating connections with their characters so deep that the characters feel like real people. But how do you bring memorable, three-dimensional characters to life enough to make that connection? In the first seminar, Atlas will use examples and lead exercises from the relationship based screenwriting guide she co-authored, Dating Your Character (Stairway Press). The Pitch class will cover many critical topics including: adapting your pitch to the audience you’re pitching to, mistakes people make when pitching, understanding the market and projects worthy of pitching, and the importance of the “hook.” Diane Pearlman, Executive Director of BFMC comments, “These seminars are for authors, screenwriters, playwrights, directors, producers or anyone who wants to tell an impactful story. Do you have an idea for the great film or TV series? You don’t need to be in NY or LA to create content these days - you just need the proper tools. So we’re thrilled that Marilyn is bringing her incredible expertise to our community” Marilyn R Atlas, a Hollywood Talent/Literary Manager and Producer, has long been committed to diversity and portrayal of strong female protagonists. She’s the producer of the HBO Sundance winning film Real Women Have Curves (now in development as a Broadway show) and The Choking Game on Lifetime among other films. Marilyn also produced several plays including the award winning To Gillian on her 37th Birthday. She has spoken at numerous writers’ conferences throughout the US and Europe. She’s currently developing projects based on diverse characters such as the Gary Phillips crime books and the award-winning middle school book series, The Code Busters Club for television, as well as developing a limited series in conjunction with Maten, a Chinese-based production company. Atlas co-authored the relationship-based, screenwriting guide Dating Your Character (Stairway Press). Tickets are $55.00 for one workshop and $95.00 for both. Student tickets are available at $45.00. Tickets for both workshops are available through EventBrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-pitching-classes-wliteraryagent-author-producer-marilyn-atlas-tickets-136106812139 The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) is a creative economic engine that supports production and workforce development in Western Massachusetts. BFMC develops educational and workforce enrichment courses, offers networking events for industry professionals, acts as a resource for visiting productions, creates jobs within our communities in the film industry and provides an on line production guide and locations database as a resource for filmmakers. BFMC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For details: www.berkshirefilm.org. -30-