Ashley Reyes-Villafranca
Crimson Chronicle Reporter
Hollywood High is home to performers of every capacity, including dancers, singers, actors, directors, and now screenwriters. Students were offered the opportunity to work alongside screenwriter J.D. Shields in order to craft a script and showcase their talent at a table reading.
Humanitas, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that focuses on nurturing new generations of screenwriters, brought this opportunity to the campus. They are funded by the Muriel Pollia Foundation, which has famously given scholarships to seniors who participate in their literary competitions.
“We met Hollywood High through the Muriel Polla Foundation who introduced us to Laurie Tobenkin, who helped us conceive what the writer’s program was going to look like,“ said Michelle Frankie, executive director of Humanitas, “she and (instructional coach) Lori Hunt have been our staff advisors ever since.”
Two English elective teachers Michael Cantone, PAM, and Adam Cook, NMA, combined their classes to take part in the program.
Students were tutored by J.D. Sheilds, an award-winning writer, and director, who took them through a 12-week curriculum that covered three units on the processes of writing a script by “industry standards.” Students were given the choice of what teen-based television seriesthey were going to write a script about, ultimately choosing “On My Block.”
After 12 weeks of intense labor, the students showcased their script in front of anaudience that included the writers of On My Block.
Actors from the Performance Arts Magnet were chosen to bring the script to life. The talent from the performance and the script left audiences impressed, with laughter and applause filling the room.
“I’m very pleased with the outcome” said Cook. “It took 12 weeks to pull together and I saw how the writers worked hard to perfect their craft. Its great to see it come to life and I am very proud.”
Most importantly, the performance left the directors of the show in awe, as they enthusiastically asserted that this was something they could see written in the writer’s room.
Furthermore, creators Jeremy Haft and Eddie Gonzalez emphasized the importance of nurturing young minds, explaining that they never had mentors in their field growing up, so they enjoy seeing more talented young minds being tutored in this field.
“It is important to be able to help young storytellers tell their stories,” said Gonzalez, “and mentor them on how to achieve that. You dont need to have personal connections to succeed in Hollywood, you just need a story everyone can relate to.”
Unanimously, the Humanitas team and the teachers said they hope to see the program continue, and anyone interested is advised to reach out to Hunt.