Shrek, the Movie that Is Still a Classic After 20 Years With Screenwriter, Roger S. H. Schulman

Kino Society with Owen Shapiro

Is it possible to write the script for a movie that both children and adults love? Without a doubt, Shrek is the irrefutable proof that with a great story anything is possible. Roger S. H. Schulman is an American television and film writer and producer. He co-wrote the animated feature Shrek, for which he won a British Academy Award (BAFTA) and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. He earned a master's degree in journalism from the Columbia University School of Journalism and was a journalist for several years until he began writing for television. Among other projects, he wrote the animated feature Balto for executive producer Steven Spielberg, Mulan II, and The Jungle Book II for Disney. When he's not writing, Roger teaches television and feature film writing at schools like the University of Southern California, The New School in New York City, and on his website: TheWriterCoach.com.

Here is what you’ll learn:

• Roger explains how he started his writing career after Steve Martin offered him a job as a comedy writer, when he was only a journalist.
• The two ways Roger’s writing evolved: It has become better and more personal.
• The importance of writing is expressing your inner voice, but considering what audience you are trying to communicate with.
• Roger says that writing for children is extremely difficult, because children don't have a filter and if they don't like something they won't see it anymore.
• His writing process was more aware and structural, and as time went by, he learned that most of his best ideas came when he was not thinking about them.
• How Roger feels about Shrek meme culture.
• The experience of writing a show like Alf, where not much was expected and was incredibly successful.
• Roger believes that the great gift of writing is that you can always do it because you don't need anything, except maybe a pencil and a napkin.

To learn more about Roger visit his website.

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