First Master Class on Scriptwriting of the II Dominican Global Film Festival
Santo Domingo, November 22, 2008

The first in a series of Master Classes being given as part of the II Dominican Global Film Festival was dedicated to all those aspiring writers who would like to put their stories on the big screen.
 
The class was given by Mark Haskell Smith, US filmmaker, writer and professor, who has worked on such screen adaptations as Playing God with Angelina Jolie, and the famous Brazilian theater piece A Partilha, where he encountered the challenge of mixing comedy with a funeral.
 
Mark defines a script as “the construction plans for a film” and said “the main function of the writer is to create characters and connect them with the emotions of the audience.” He prefers to write novels because they can create wonderful worlds and you can get into the heads of your characters. Also, you don´t need directors, actors, nor $20 million dollars to make it all happen. “If you write a book, at least it gets published. But if you write a script and it doesn´t get made into a movie, it´s like making a blueprint for a building that never gets built.”
 
“Show don´t tell,” is the most important thing to keep in mind when writing.  “Look for books and break rules.” Haskell Smith encouraged the audience to write, saying “if I can do it, anyone can do it.”
  
Mark´s first novel, "Moist," will be adapted for the screen by Barry Sonnenfeld, director of such films as Men in Black and Wild Wild West. Nevertheless, “Salty,” Mark´s most recent book, will be made by the director of Tomb Raider and The General´s Daughter, Simon West.
 
This class was held on Wednesday, November 19 in the FUNGLODE auditorium.