Join NYWIFT for our Masterclass Series: Writing for Television with writer/director Lara Shapiro.
Learn the essentials of episodic storytelling under the mentorship of Lara Shapiro, whose credits include The Americans, Berlin Station, and Impulse. Through a combination of case studies, group discussions, lessons, and exercises, students will hone their skills and come away with fresh perspective and inspiration to bring their long-form stories to life.
Price: $25 for Members* / $60 for Non-Members
Price includes admission for all three sessions.
*Executive, Platinum, and Leadership Circle members attend for free. Contact membership@nywift.org to upgrade your membership.
NYWIFT Masterclass Series: Writing for Television
SESSION 1: Craft Fundamentals — The Nuts and Bolts
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8pm ET
In Session 1, you’ll get to know writer Lara Shapiro and share your own goals and writing experiences. Lara will delve into her background and her own approach to writing for TV and film, including how to tackle character, plot, setting, outlines, and more. The class will complete a group exercise in breakout rooms focusing on generating a “hooky” premise, share their results, and get feedback.
SESSION 2: Crafting a Distinct POV
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8pm ET
In Session 2, Laura Eason, showrunner and lead writer for the new Starz series Three Women, joins to discuss her adaptation of the bestselling book about women’s love lives and personal struggles. The class will use the pilot of Three Women as a case study on craft and style, and also discuss Lara’s work writing in other styles for Bad Robot. Then the class will complete a group exercise.
SESSION 3: Character Arc — Episode and Series
Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Time: 6:30 – 8pm ET
Session 3 focuses on Lara’s episode of The Americans as well as the series’ pilot, discussing various strategies for that series and others. The class will do a deep dive on writing exercises attuned to that specific dramatic style.
About the Instructor
Lara Shapiro’s work as a writer includes the FX drama The Americans, the EPIX spy drama Berlin Station and the YouTube Premium drama Impulse. Pilots in development include Sticky Fingers, a dramedy for Bad Robot and Warner Bros, The District for Richard Plepler and Apple TV+, and Quiet Rebel for Jessica Chastain, Alexandra Milchan and Sony TV.
Lara comes from a directing background, having directed studio financed feature films, episodic TV, numerous global commercial campaigns and award winning shorts before transitioning to writing features and TV full time.
Lara was elected to both the Directors Guild and Writers Guild councils, was selected to be on the Women’s Steering Committee of the Director’s Guild and the first Women and Diversity Initiative Council at the Writer’s Guild. Lara is an adjunct professor in writing for television in the graduate film schools of Columbia University and New York University/Tisch. She has been a fellow at the Macdowell Colony, a New York State Council of the Arts fellow, a Carla Kuhn fellow at Columbia University, and a recipient of the Sloan Filmmaker Fund Award.
Lara received her BA with honors from Cornell University, and her MFA in filmmaking from Columbia University.
About the Special Guest
Laura Eason is an Emmy-nominated producer, screenwriter and playwright.
Currently, Laura is executive producer/showrunner of the Starz forthcoming drama series Three Women. Based on the nonfiction bestseller by Lisa Taddeo, the show stars Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, DeWanda Wise and Gabrielle Creevy.
Her writing and producing credits for TV include the Showtime drama The Loudest Voice (WGA nomination; Golden Globe nomination, limited series) and four seasons of Netflix’s five-time Emmy-nominated best drama series House of Cards (Emmy and WGA nominations, drama series.) Laura’s feature film debut, Here and Now, produced and starring Sarah Jessica Parker, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (then titled Blue Night) and is available on demand. Past and present TV development includes pilot scripts for Amazon, Apple, BBC, Fox 21, Fox Network and Starz.
About the NYWIFT Masterclass Series
The NYWIFT Masterclass Series offers in-depth virtual multi-class workshops that explore various aspects of the film, television, and media industry. Led by award-winning experts, the classes will teach students about the craft, content, and business strategies involved in each creative pursuit, building a solid foundation for artistic fulfillment and commercial success.
This program will take place virtually as a webinar via Zoom. Please register in advance, and all registrants will receive a link to attend the webinar the day of the event.
We encourage you to download and create a Zoom account in advance.
programs@nywift.org
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NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
