‘Deep dive into screenwriting’ at Montclair State University Monday
Reel Montclair: Dialogue with the Screenwriters
Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman
Monday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.
School of Communication, room 1040
Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave.
Admission is free, but registration is required at montclair.edu/the-film-institute.
By GWEN OREL
orel@montclairlocal.news
A husband-and-wife screenwriting team will appear at the second Reel Montclair: Dialogue with the Screenwriters event on Monday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
Susan Skoog, director of programming for the Film Institute at Montclair State University, chose to invite Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman because “their process and research is unique.” The couple wrote the screenplays to “American Splendor” (2003, based on the comic books of Harvey Pekar), “Cinema Verite” (2011, based on a documentary about the Loud family) and “The Nanny Diaries" (2007).
The event is the second in a series; George Pelicanos (“The Deuce”) appeared at MSU last month.
The event is co-produced with the Writer’s Guild of America, East.
The idea of the series is to hear from filmmakers and people of note in the industry, Skoog explained, adding that the Dialogue with the Screenwriters series is a subset of the program Reel Montclair.
She has just started a talk show about Reel Montclair, which is part of the Carpe Diem series produced by students in television and digital media. Skoog said that the show, which will air the week before Thanksgiving, will be available on all Cablevision channels in New Jersey.
Skoog hopes to have one event every month, or at least three per semester.
“They will do a deep dive into screenwriting,” she said. The couple’s process, and the way they blend documentary and narrative, is what makes them particularly interesting, she said. Before Pulcini and Springer made narratives, they made documentaries. “Cinema Verite” was a narrative scripted film based on a nonfiction television show. It will be interesting for the community to hear about their process, Skoog said. More information on the series is available at montclair.edu/school-of-communication-and-media/student-productions/.
The event will take place in the School of Communication, room 1040, at MSU, 1 Normal Ave. Admission is free, but registration is required at montclair.edu/the-film-institute.