Shanee Edwards

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Shanee Edwards graduated from UCLA Film School with an MFA in Screenwriting and is currently the film critic for SheKnows.com. She recently won the Next MacGyver television writing competition to create a TV show about a female engineer. Her pilot, Ada and the Machine, is currently in development with America Ferrera's Take Fountain Productions. You can follow her on Twitter: @ShaneeEdwards

Posts by Shanee Edwards 176 results

How to write fairytale princesses that are truly empowered (and the mistakes Disney made with Beauty and the Beast)

Walt Disney didn't invent the fairy tale, but he sure brought it into popular culture by turning these morality tales that teach children help teach them how to behave in the world into films. But as science and technology progresses, so does our collective sense of morality. How does that change the modern fairy tale...?

Why you should be writing a TV period pilot… like now

If you like to write historical dramas, now is the time for you to shine – at least on television. Streaming platforms are pouring millions of dollars into these shows, so you if don’t have a one hour TV pilot in repertoire, you might want to think about adding one.

Been let down by screenwriting competitions before? The PAGE Screenwriting Awards are different than the rest

There are a lot of screenwriting competitions out there. Some offer real opportunities for writers, and some seem like they just want to take your money. Lucky for all of us, one competition seems to soar above the rest: The Page International Screenwriting Awards.

The success of Hidden Figures defies the gravity of Hollywood

We hear a lot of stories about filmmakers struggling for years, sometimes over a decade, to get a film produced. But for Ted Melfi, co-writer and director of Hidden Figures, the planets just seemed to align. What’s so fascinating about the success of Hidden Figures, written by Ted Melfi and Allison Schroeder, based on the book by Margot ...

Fist Fight screenwriters Evan Susser, Van Robichaux and Max Greenfield on writing the longest fight in movie history

Two high school teachers plan to fight each other after school. Add in that it’s senior prank day, budget cuts are threatening teachers’ jobs and the school’s administration is highly dysfunctional, and tensions are at all time high. Sounds like a hilarious premise for a film, right?

Writer/director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta shares the secret to writing a great romantic comedy

Writer/director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta’s new film, Everybody Loves Somebody, tackles the rom-com genre in a sweet yet cerebral way. It’s the story of Clara (Karla Souza from How to Get Away with Murder), a beautiful doctor who’s got everything together except her love life. Clara also straddles two cultures, taking frequent trips to ...

The Polka King takes on the light and dark side of the American dream

Based on the true story of Ponzi scheming polka singer Jan Lewan, the writing-directing team of Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky prove that having compassion for your characters can lead to a big emotional payoff.

You Can Produce a Staged Reading of Your Screenplay – Here’s How

What's the toughest part about trying to make it in Hollywood? Convincing someone to read your screenplay. But what if you didn't have to convince anyone and they didn't have to do any reading...? Sounds like the perfect scenario. It's called a "staged reading," and it's growing in popularity as new channels of script discovery continue to open up amid the surplus of spec scripts on the market.

Virtual Reality Is Here to Stay and It Needs Screenwriters

(PARK CITY, Utah) -- Sundance Film Festival 2017 was all about virtual reality. It was everywhere, so if you think VR is still a thing of the future - think again. VR is here, and it needs screenwriters. In a condo just off Main Street in Park City, I was lucky enough to participate in the VR experience Astroids!, a 360-degree animation.  ...

Why Him? screenwriter Ian Helfer on writing comedy “people can relate to”

Screenwriter Ian Helfer started his showbiz career as an actor. If you ever watched As the World Turns, you may remember him as Rick, the town paramedic, or the Bear Claw Coach in Wet Hot American Summer. But the pavement-pounding lifestyle of an actor can be rough, so Helfer decided to try his luck as a writer. His screenplay, The Oranges, ...

National Screenwriters Day is January 5 and we want to celebrate with you

Just when you thought the fun of the holidays was over, we’re here to tell you about an exciting new holiday that celebrates all the scribes who know the joy (and pain) of typing the words FADE IN. Thursday January 5, is the first annual National Screenwriters Day and we have several ways for you celebrate.

7 amazingly well written and addictive TV shows to binge over the holidays

The holidays are here and if you don’t want to battle the weather and long lines at the movie theater, let us suggest bingeing on some great TV shows that may have been off your radar. These shows have amazing writing are certainly addictive! 1. Vikings (History Channel) I initially skipped this show because I thought it would be all ...
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