Latest news with #screenwriting
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Sara Waisglass, who plays Maxine on Ginny & Georgia: she did her first commercials at 6, studied screenwriting, and gained recognition on the Disney Channel and in Canadian sitcom Degrassi
At just 26, Canadian actress Sara Waisglass already has a career that spans almost two decades. Appearing in commercials as a child, Waisglass starred in the beloved Canadian sitcom Degrassi before playing 16-year-old Maxine Baker on Netflix's hit dramedy, Ginny & Georgia Sara Waisglass as Max in Ginny & Georgia. Photo: @sarawais/Instagram With the show's third season premiering earlier this month, Waisglass' Max struggles with mental health and her friendship with Ginny – who was dating her twin brother Marcus – as the series' titular characters Ginny and Georgia navigate a murder trial and not one, but two expected pregnancies. Here's everything to know about Sara Waisglass. She starred in a Disney show Sara Waisglass promoting Coca-Cola Spiced in 2024. Photo: @sarawais/Instagram Advertisement Born in July 1998, Waisglass was booking commercials from the age of six, per Cosmopolitan. Her first role was in an episode of The Jane Show in 2007. In 2009, Waisglass landed the role of Jordy Cooper on the Disney Channel's Overruled!, in which she appeared for three years. After the show ended, the actress took a step back from acting before eventually returning to our screens with a role in Degrassi: The Next Generation. When she finished filming Degrassi, Waisglass studied screenwriting at York University in Toronto, and got the role of Max in her last year of school, per Cosmopolitan. She is 'half a nepo baby' Sara Waisglass (right) as Max and Antonia Gentry as Ginny in a scene from Ginny & Georgia. Photo: @sarawais/Instagram In her interview with Cosmopolitan this month, Waisglass revealed that her early career in commercials was thanks to her mother. 'I consider myself half a nepo baby , because my mum was a producer, and she still is for commercials. They're very different industries, but still, she was doing a Dove campaign and she needed real people and my mum was like, 'Well, you're shooting at my house; you might as well use my daughter.'' Waisglass explained that at the end of the shoot, the commercial's director was so impressed, he told Waisglass' mother that she should get her daughter an agent. She wants to make it to Hollywood
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Larry Charles Sold $10 Jokes Before Larry David and ‘Seinfeld' Changed Everything
Larry Charles, 68, is an Emmy-winning screenwriter who wrote episodes of 'Seinfeld' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and directed the films 'Borat' and 'Brüno.' His memoir, 'Comedy Samurai: Forty Years of Blood, Guts and Laughter' (Grand Central), is out today. He spoke with Marc Myers. I witnessed a lot of surreal, absurd stuff growing up in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. Much of it was seared into my brain and, to some degree, informed my sensibility and sense of humor.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
iQIYI celebrates fifth annual Golden Screenwriters' Night, advancing stronger industry ecosystem for screenwriting talent
BEIJING, June 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 11, iQIYI, China's leading online entertainment platform, hosted the annual Golden Screenwriters' Night, honoring 62 screenwriters and 20 outstanding works spanning films, drama series, and animation. Now in its fifth year, the event has become a signature initiative that highlights iQIYI's leadership in cultivating China's screenwriting ecosystem, champions emerging talent, and reinforces the platform's long-term commitment to premium storytelling. This year's event showcased a wide spectrum of screenwriting voices and styles. For example, iQIYI's acclaimed drama series "We Are Criminal Police" and "To the Wonder" received "Most Influential Screenplay" and "Most Innovative Screenplay," respectively, for their resonant storytelling. The emotionally charged film "Like a Rolling Stone" was awarded "Best Female-Centered Screenplay," while the heartwarming theatrical release "Viva La Vida" earned "Best Adapted Screenplay for Theatrical Film." In animation, the creative comedy "Oh My School Season 5" received "Best Original Screenplay for Chinese Comics." Xiaohui WANG, Chief Content Officer of iQIYI, highlighted the evolving role of screenwriters in a rapidly changing industry. He shared that creators are being innovative in their understanding, expression and the emotional depth in their works. He added, "What we saw in this year's works shows both a relentless pursuit of quality and a willingness to push boundaries." Newly introduced honors this year also spotlighted outstanding writing in both modern and period drama adaptations, alongside female-centered narratives. These additions reflect iQIYI's continued refinement in celebrating genre-specific storytelling and its growing efforts to create space for a broader range of creative voices. Since its launch in 2020, Golden Screenwriters' Night has made meaningful strides in raising the visibility of screenwriters across the industry. Reinforcing the event's reputation for professionalism, this year's honorees were selected by a distinguished panel of film directors, actors, scholars, and industry experts through a rigorous evaluation process based on criteria including thematic depth, artistic merit, originality, and audience impact. Beyond recognition, iQIYI actively supports emerging talent through long-term programs such as the Online Film Young Creators Project, which offers funding, mentorship, and comprehensive support for promising new filmmakers. By fostering innovation and championing original ideas, iQIYI remains committed to cultivating an inclusive environment that nurtures content excellence and contributes to the sustainable growth of the broader creative industry. CONTACT: iQIYI Press, press@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE iQIYI
Geek Tyrant
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
George R.R. Martin Slams Hollywood Screenwriters For Changing Source Material and "Making it Their Own" — GeekTyrant
If there's one thing George R.R. Martin doesn't have time for, beside writing The WInds of Winter , it's screenwriters rewriting the very stories that made them want to adapt the work in the first place. During a recent event with fellow fantasy author Joe Abercrombie, Martin opened up about what really frustrates him about the adaptation process, saying: 'Television and film are ultimately collaborative. You always have the director and the actors and of course the studio will have executives, they will give notes and all that, and you have to deal with all that, which some people do better than others.' But then he cut to the core of his rant. 'The hard part about collaborating is not so much them, but, I find – speaking only for myself here, not for Joe – is dealing with the other writers. 'They're adapting your book or your story, and they hire someone else to do it, and there's a phrase that they empower this writer to – okay, take The Great Gatsby, but make it your own. And I don't want anyone to make The Great Gatsby their own.' This must've been weighing on Martin's mind for a while. He went on to say: 'I think I may be a minority in this case here that other people don't mind that and all, but I don't think in most of the cases where a Hollywood screenwriter makes something their own that they improve it. I think [in] the majority of cases it's the opposite.' Martin's comments aren't coming out of nowhere. He's previously voiced concerns about HBO's House of the Dragon deviating from his book Fire & Blood , at one point posting on his Blog: 'There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…' It's a familiar tension: writers who create intricate, layered worlds often see those worlds or stories reshaped and rewritten when they enter the Hollywood mashine. Adaptation is one thing, but turning someone else's work into a sandbox for your own ideas isn't collaboration? Martin isn't a fan. You can catch Martin's full remarks in the event video, starting at the 35:19 mark below.
Geek Dad
03-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Dad
Kickstarter Review: The Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition
I (not so) fondly remember summer school typing classes, where I had to labor to learn touch typing on an old-fashioned typewriter. No word processor for me; if I made a mistake, it would be Liquid Paper brushed on and waiting for it to dry before I could continue my keystrokes. Despite my irritation at being stuck in a classroom in July as a teenager, this skill I was learning would later prove invaluable, especially as I turned to screenwriting. Though by the time I had become a professional writer, I no longer had to worry about making mistakes…if I misspelled something, all I had to do was hit the 'backspace' or 'delete' keys on the computer, and those mistakes were magically erased. As I entered the world of computers, one thing that I missed was the feeling of the old typewriter keyboards. There was always something so satisfying and responsive of the feel of the keys as you struck them. Which is why I turned to mechanical keyboardards for my writing. These keyboards with their Cherry mechanical switches just felt better, like the keyboards of old even though they resembled any old standard computer keyboard. Enter the Qwerkywriter. This mechanical keyboard hearkens back to the manual typewriters of old, yet contains a ton of modern sensibilities. And now, on the 10th anniversary of their original keyboard, Qwerkytoys has a Kickstarter campaign for a brand new Qwerkywriter keyboard. Creator Brian Min recently sent me a prototype of the keyboard to try out for myself. What Is the Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition? The Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition is a Bluetooth/USB-C mechanical computer keyboard designed to look like a typewriter. It has an earlybird pledge of $199, or a standard pledge of $219, and is currently available to pledge for on Kickstarter, with an estimated ship date of November 2025. The campaign will run until July 8th. Here's a look at the Qwerkywriter Anniversary Edition's features, as compared to the original Qwerkywriter: Original Kickstarter Qwerkywriter vs 10th Anniversary Qwerkywriter. Image by Qwerkytoys. New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer. The prototype box. Image by Paul Benson. Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition Components I received a prototype of the keyboard, as well as a Qwerkywriter wrist rest. Even though it's a prototype, the creator assures me that what I received is 99% close to what backers will receive upon campaign fulfillment. Along with the Qwerkywriter keyboard and wrist rest, there was also included a USB-C to USB-A cable, and a keycap puller tool. Everything in the box. Image by Paul Benson. The keyboard has a nice heft and solidity to it, thanks to the aluminum chassis. It definitely is a visually striking peripheral, but as anyone who does a lot of writing knows, it's not just appearances, it's how the keyboard feels and responds that is ultimately the most important. Though as this is a computer keyboard that looks like a typewriter and not a typewriter keyboard, functionality is also a very important aspect. Thankfully, as we'll see below, the Qwerkywriter delivers in both regards. Using the Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition Note: This review was written using the Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition. First things first: typing on the Qwerkywriter is a very satisfying experience. The mechanical keys used are Cherry MX2A Speed Silver Switches, which have the fastest actuation force that Cherry has every produced, and are factory lubricated. What does that mean in practice? The keys are highly responsive, with just a slight bit of pressure to register a keystroke leading to a faster typing speed. Also, while there is still a bit of clack, this is far from a loud keyboard. For anyone that enjoys a nice loud clack, Cherry blue switches will be offered as add-ons during the campaign. The switches can be hot-swapped, so it should be a fairly simple process to trade the switches out if you don't like the Speed Silver ones. Features-wise, Qwerkytoys has done a nice job of taking some of the parts of a traditional typewriter and repurposing them for use in a modern keyboard. The two cylinder knobs have been re-tasked as volume and scroll dials. The carriage return lever by default doubles as an 'Enter' key, but can be reprogrammed as a Macro of up to 15 characters. And the paper feed is actually a stand for tablets and phones. A closer look at the return bar and the keys. Image by Paul Benson. My computer doesn't have built-in Bluetooth, so I simply had to connect the USB cord to the Qwerkywriter keyboard and start typing. However, I did pair it with my iPhone via Bluetooth, which was an effortless process. When paired with a Bluetooth device, the keyboard can be operated off of its built-in battery, which is rated for 1-2 months of life before recharging. For better or worse, there are no wireless options with the Qwerkywriter. Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition – Final Thoughts As a writer, I've been very satisfied using the Qwerkywriter 10 Year Anniversary keyboard. The keys are extremely responsive, and despite its retro typewriter appearance, the keyboard has all the features you'd expect from a modern keyboard. It doesn't come with a ten-key, but the $100K stretch goal for the campaign is a 'Numkey' that will be built that matches the Qwerkywriter. Granted, with the Qwerkywriter you're not going to get all the fancy lighting that you'll find in gamer keyboards. However, you get your flash in other ways with the Qwerkywriter keyboard. Its appearance is one of old-fashioned elegance, from the rounded keys to the all-metal body. And despite the black finish on the keyboard, it doesn't show any smudges or fingerprints. The Bluetooth functionality allows you to pair it with multiple devices, for your convenience. And finally, using the keyboard is just fun, especially for those of us that remember using actual typewriters. All it's missing is the old 'ding' of the carriage return. For more information or to make a pledge, head to the Qwerkywriter Typewriter Keyboard 10 Year Anniversary Edition Kickstarter Campaign Page. Qwerkytoys provided a unit for evaluation, but had no input into this review. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
