SagePresencenews

Bill to be panelist at Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference

Bill True of SagePresence has once again been invited to be a panelist at the Austin Film Festival’s prestigious Screenwriters’ Conference.

                                

The AFF, now in it’s 15th year, is the first of its kind to “focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries.”  Since it’s inception in 1994, it has grown into the most important screenwriters conference in the nation, hosting several hundred attendees and scores of the biggest agents and managers, production companies, directors, and screenwriters working today.

               

Other panelists confirmed for this year’s conference include Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean), Danny Boyle (28 Days Later), Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark), and Dan Petrie Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop ).  The conference begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs through Sunday, October 19 in Austin, TX.

This year’s conference marks the fourth time Bill has appeared as a panelist since winning AFF’s “Best Narrative Film” award in 2005 for Runaway, which he wrote.  Last year, his panels were among the highest rated by conference attendees.  He has also been a noted favorite jurist among AFF Pitch Competition participants for two years' running.

CASTING CALL: SagePresence Video Needs Trainees

SagePresence needs trainees to model aspects of our courses for our first streaming video training product, The SagePresence Confident Presenting Series.

This series is a six-episode training version of our flagship program, SAGEPRESENCE: One Day To Greater Influence, but this time we've got our sights on the masses, because we can only be in so many places at one time.

This series is designed to make our training available to anyone, anywhere, extending our reach to:
• companies with too many people to address in person
• companies spread too remotely across the country or the globe
• staff who's schedules are never going to align
• individuals who would prefer to train on their own time

If you're interested in receiving free training in exchange for appearing in our product, contact us from our website: www.sagepresence.com/contact.html. The video shoot will be scheduled sometime during this fall ('08) and is currently anticipated to be a half-day commitment in exchange for free access to the streaming product along with other incentives for participants. New or previous trainees welcome!

IN PRODUCTION AT THE SAGERPRESENCE STUDIO

SagePresence Goes Into Production on Streaming Training Series

This month, SagePresence embarked on its first outreach to the masses, going into the studio for its streaming video premiere: The SagePresence Confident Presenter Series.

"There's more need for confident presenting than we could ever deliver without streaming products," says Screenwriter Bill True. "Our training and speaking helps thousands, but it also creates more demand. We want to rise to that challenge."

Their first series, with six episodes scheduled for release on the web by Christmas, focuses on the Thinking, Feeling, and Talking of confident presenting, with basic and advanced levels. This adapts their most comprehensive material for streaming, and is the basis for the first SagePresence book, also in progress.

"We expect to stream training for networking, leadership and other presence topics, but we wanted to start where the need was the highest," says Communicator Pete Machalek.

"Right now, we've got all the instruction footage in the can," says Director Dean Hyers, "but we are going to set up a special training shoot to demonstrate the principles in action with real participants." SagePresence will later announce a special training event where people can receive presenting training and other free incentives in exchange for being on camera.

The series was shot at the private studio of Scott Olson (TMC Productions), who's a Director of Photography for the Food Network's Bizarre Foods program and the History Channel's Monster Quest. Scott has been a long-time collaborator with Dean Hyers, shooting his corporate films and behind-the-scenes footage on Dean's feature film, Bill's Gun Shop.

Email info@sagepresence.com if you want to be a participant on their upcoming training shoot this October.

DANCING WITH WOLVES in BOSTON

SagePresence at Best Buy's Women's Leadership Forum

August 20th 2008, SagePresence had the honor of delivering three seminars and one workshop to Best Buy's prestigious collection of National WOLF-PACK members in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center.

"WOLF and Julie Gilbert are two of the best things to ever happen to professional women in this decade," says SagePresence Director Dean Hyers. Dean backs up his praise by sighting a litany of values from visibility to integrity that he believes WOLF represents. On top of the list are Julie's rare combination of driven, business mentality coupled with an uncompromising emphasis on helping others. "I've seen people who climb ladders, and I've seen people focus on developing the people around them. I've seen women who get to places only men have gotten to before, but I've never seen one person do all those things at once before."

SagePresence ran three back to back seminars under the title: YOU HAD ME AT HELLO: Developing Powerful Connections at Will, followed by the entertaining learning of an ACTING WORKSHOP designed to bring out authentic expressiveness. "

A lot of women report 'holding back' when they really want to be speaking up," says Pete Mackalek, the Sage Communications Specialist. Pete felt the approach of acting as an entertaining activity that helps women discover their own influence was not only a good idea, but a successfully executed outcome.

"We look forward to bringing more to the WOLF packs. The world is studying these wolves right now because they're visible, they're supported, and they're all over the nation," says Pete. SagePresence salutes Best Buy for their proactive, responsive stance and wishes its best to this company and this impressive venture.

Public Reading of Dean's and Bill's INCARNATION

The Minnesota Screenwriters Workshop has chosen Incarnation to be part of its prestigious ScriptNight Reading Series.  The script, written by Bill from an original story by Dean and Bill, will be read by professional actors hailing from both the Twin Cities and Hollywood.  The staged reading will be directed by Dean.

The reading is set for Tuesday, July 8, at 7:30 PM at the Ritz Theatre, 345 13th Ave. NW, Minneapolis, MN.  The event is open to the public, and tickets are available at the door for $10.

Incarnation focuses on the story of Harry Bayer, who, after years of searching, stands at the brink of confirming a six-year-old girl, Shanice, is the reincarnation of his wife.  But his only avenue to reach her—Polly, the girl’s fractured mother—just lost custody.  As Harry helps Polly pick up the pieces of her life, they unexpectedly fall for each other.  Then FBI agent Artie Neckman arrives on the scene and raises suspicions that point to Harry being a potential danger to Shanice.

The ScriptNight reading series, produced by Robb Mitchell and Mark Gallagher, runs 3-4 times per year.  Recent presentations include scripts from John Carrol Lynch (Zodiac), Shawn Otto (House of Sand and Fog), and Christine Walker (Factotum).

For more information or updates about the Incarnation reading, visit the Screenwriters Workshop website.

Dean and Pete Are Featured Speakers for Energetic Women

Dean and Pete have been invited to speak at the inaugural Energetic Women national conference, celebrating female leaders and professionals in the energy industry.

Their presentation, Have Your Success and Feel It Too: Reclaiming Your Emotional Intelligence, will focus on how participants can leverage emotional skills to lead teams more effectively through authentic personal strengths.

Have Your Success and Feel It Too will be presented from 9:30-10:30 AM on Wednesday, June 25.  The presentation is open to all conference participants.

The conference, which is hosted by the Midwest Energy Association, runs from June 24-26 and will be held at the Hotel Orrington, in Evanston, IL.

Energetic Women was founded by female leaders in the energy industry to increase the pool of promotable women in energy operations and engineering.  They accomplish this mission through programs to encourage leadership growth and development, sharing information and expertise, and commemorating "mavericks" who have helped increase opportunities for women in the industry.

SagePresence has been a fixture at several Midwest Energy Association and Energetic Women events and programs, including the MEA's 2008 national conference in Orlando, FL.  The MEA has also leveraged SagePresence to train staff members on presenting and leadership presence.

Bill and Dean Speak at Great American Pitchfest in LA

Bill will be a featured speaker at the fifth annual Great American Pitchfest, to be held June 20-22 in Los Angeles.  Bill's presentation, Script to Screen: Launching Your Screenwriting Career, helps fledgling screenwriters navigate through the confusing landscape of competitions, queries, conferences, networking events, contacts, and meetings to see a clearer way to their first break and beyond.

Dean will join Bill as his special guest.  During the presentation, Dean will work with participants to teach them SagePresence methods of maintaining professional presence and making powerful connections in high-stakes situations.

Script to Screen runs from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM on Saturday, June 21, in the Academy 5 ballroom at the Marriott Burbank Hotel and Cenference Center in Burbank, CA.  This presentation is free to all Pitchfest passholders.

In addition, the Great American Pitchfest is proud to present Bill's movie, RUNAWAY, in its Los Angeles debut screening.  Saturday night, Bill will be the featured writer in the Pitchfest's inaugural Screenwriter Showcase, which provides industry exposure in Los Angeles for up-and-coming professional screenwriters.

The screening will be held at the Marriott Burbank Hotel in the Academy 1 ballroom.  Doors open at 7:30 PM, and the screening begins at 8:00 PM.  There will be a Q&A with Bill and reception immediately following the screening.  The screening of RUNAWAY is free to the general public.  Appetizers will be provided, and beverages will be available at the reception.

The Marriott Burbank Hotel and Conference Center is located at 2500 N Hollywood Way  Burbank, CA, 91505.

The Great American Pitchfest was started in 2003 by screenwriter and producer Signe Olynyk, with a mission to help other writers get their scripts and projects produced.  In its short history, the Pitchfest has swiftly cemented its place as one of the premiere film industry events in the nation, and is often referred to as the "Rolls Royce of pitchfests".

For more information about the Great American Pitchfest, visit www.pitchfest.com.

Bill and Dean to Speak at Northwest Screenwriters Guild

Bill and Dean have been invited to speak at the Northwest Screenwriters Guild in Seattle, WA this coming weekend, Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31.

Friday’s event, Script to Screen: My First movie—a Conversation with Award-Winning Screenwriter Bill True, will be a candid conversation between NWSG President Aadip Desia and Bill as they talk about Bill’s debut feature, RUNAWAY, and his involvement from FADE IN to distribution.  A Q&A will follow the talk.

During the event, you’ll learn how he sold his script, stayed with the movie through production and distribution, and leveraged the experience to take his screenwriting career to the next level.

"The NWSG is fast becoming quite the force in the screenwriting world," says Bill.  "Not only has it helped foster numerous sold and optioned writers, but they’ve been nabbing topnotch writers, producers, and consultants right and left to speak at their events.  Dean and I are very excited and quite honored to have this invitation extended to us.  I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

The event is open to the general public. The event runs from 7:30 PM-9:30 PM at the Clear Channel Building, 351 Elliott Ave N., Seattle, WA. Doors open at 7:00 PM.

Seats can be reserved at www.nwsg.org.  Cost is $15 for the general public, $8 to members of NWSG partner organizations, and free to NWSG members.

Click here to view a flier for this event.

On Saturday morning, Dean and Bill will teach a free script pitching workshop to NWSG members, where they will show participants how to easily make powerful connections, neutralize anxiety to maintain their professional presence, and generate and deliver their pitches with winning form.

In the afternoon, Dean and Bill will judge the debut NWSG pitch competition, which is open to all NWSG members.  The top two winners of the competition will receive either a copy of Movie Magic screenwriting software or a pass to the Great American Pitchfest, which is being held in Los Angeles on June 20-21. Each top prize is valued at $250.00

Click here to view a flier for the workshop and pitch competition events.

This event is open to NWSG members only. The pitch workshop runs from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM, and the competition runs from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM. Both events will be held at the Clear Channel Building,  351 Elliott Ave N., Seattle, WA.

Visit the NWSG website to reserve seats for the pitch workshop and competition.

The weekend's events are being sponsored by Movie Magic Screenwriting Software, The Great American Pitchest, The Austin Film Festival, and SagePresence.