
Company History: Getting Writers to Write
After receiving his masters degree in 1989 from the Peter Stark Motion Picture Producing Program at USC, Writers Boot Camp founder and president Jeffrey Gordon tested his producing talents by inviting seven screenwriters to join him nightly in his living room, guaranteeing each a completed script in the first session of what was to become our renowned six-week Writers Boot Camp course. Today, our six-week course and alumni rewriting session called Think Tank, which began in 1992, have evolved into a fully integrated Career Development Program. The rapid success rate of alumni, in television as well brought about the integration of television into the coursework. Hundreds of writers are trained each year, with sessions in Los Angeles, New York and online.
Company Evolution: Career Development
The nature of the screenwriting process requires you to scale the conceptual challenges and learning curve of the unique craft of screenwriting. We’ve learned through sustained service and experimentation that writers need to be productive over a longer time frame, to test ideas more rigorously prior to writing script pages, to encounter and comprehend the many stages of rewriting, and to work through the realities of the screenwriting profession. A formal program of support and discipline helps writers achieve breakthroughs and greater productivity. Think Tank combines a working regimen with the clout and support of community, within WBC’s environment for success. The Career Development Program combines rigorous course work and tools with industry speakers and actor readings of scripts-in-progress. If you’re working at a company that motivates and hires writers, then using WBC’s tools can guarantee timely development of your projects, assure the meeting of material deadlines, and further educate your co-workers and creative staff in working with each other and communicating with writers.
Location
Our community approach led to the creation of our headquarters at Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica, California. The space, designed by the Venice-based architectural firm Design Universal, also supports many entertainment industry, artistic and philanthropic organizations and causes. On a limited basis, the space and courtyard are available for rental.
