Writing the Personal Story: The Heart of the Art
a one day workshop designed for writers who aspire to create the “intimate” screenplay in the tradition of movies such as “Bend It Like Beckham,” “Shine,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Rain Man”, or “Sideways.” The workshop invites writers to dig deep into their unique emotional reserves, and to search their memories in order to render a distinctive story which expresses a strong individual “voice.”
The workshop will explore how the heart and the mind function in the creative process. When does thinking help the writer, and when does it interfere with writer’s instinct?
Individual and group exercises - both written and verbal - are designed to help the writer cull the distinct elements of personality, relationship, place, personal objects and life experiences to use as elements of the emotional tapestry of his/her screenplay.
At the core of the workshop is the underlying reality that for a screenplay (of any genre) to truly succeed, the characters and relationships must be compelling. The workshop is designed for writers who wish to share their works-in-progress, or the writer, of any medium, who simply wants to investigate the creative process.
— Arturo Interian, Lifetime Television Movies
“Chris Canaan is a brilliant story teller who combines heart with the skills of a mechanic. If stories were cars– this guy could build you anything from a classic Alfa Romeo to a Jeep Wrangler and everything in-between. It’s EXCEPTIONALLY rare that a screenwriter is fluent in such a variety of genres, from heartfelt and compelling dramas, to suspense and murder, to ancient mythology (just read his adaptation of Beowulf!) and that’s just skimming the surface. And like the craftsman that he is — this guy knows what makes a story tick — he can disassemble a script into the 101 component parts that make it work– diagnose the flaws– and fix the damn thing. Character not dimensional enough? Pace is slow in the second act? Scene plays out predictably? Wrong perspective? Chris can fix all those things — and has done so for years. That’s why when TV Movie producers want a movie YESTERDAY they call Chris. Because he knows story and character so well– he can construct a story and damn QUICK. Actually, that’s not really fair– the guy really is the FLASH meets William Goldman.
I’m a development exec– the son of Cuban Immigrants who got lucky enough to make movies for a living. Along the way I’ve been blessed to work with people like Sidney Poitier, John Badham, Thora Birch, Mary Louise Parker, Sam Sheppard, Aidan Quinn, Jenna Elfman, Marg Helgenberger, John Ritter, Marlo Thomas, Marcia Gay Harden, William Devane, Richard Crenna, Angela Lansbury, Mia Farrow, Kelly Lynch, Tim Matheson, Tom Skerrit, Cheech Marin, Dean Cain, Alexa Vega, Dianne Wiest, and many others I’ve forgotten to mention. Which leads me back to Chris.
See, you don’t get any of these fancy actors without words on the page that they want to say. Sure, sometimes an actor “needs a paycheck.” But more often than not, you need a screenwriter to create a complex character– or a story that they respond to personally. On one particular movie, A DATE WITH DARKNESS — we needed the script yesterday– and we needed a character that would be both charismatic and chilling — that of wealthy Max Factor heir Andrew Luster — who just also happened to be a notorious serial rapist. So faced with this impossible task — a gripping and suspenseful story — a complex villain — twists and turns — fresh and original — and needing it in a matter of weeks to film — whom did we call? What unique writer could we rely on to deliver on these multiple fronts? We called Chris Canaan. And the movie was excellent.”
— Don MacLeod, Screenwriter, Story Analyst, MGM Pictures
“As any writer can attest, there are few things as electrifying and exciting as when you encounter someone who has the experience, knowledge, insight and enthusiasm needed to help you bring your work to life. Having worked with Chris on two screenplays, in two completely different genres, I have found his comments, notes and suggestions to be well-considered, inventive, and enormously helpful - so much so, in fact, that on both occasions, his guidance and input was instrumental in transforming these screenplays into projects that sold!”
— Larry A. Thompson, Producer
“Chris has amassed an enormous amount of knowledge and experience. He has mastered the skill of communication. His genuine caring for people and his ability o connect with them is very powerful. His reputation i n a business that thrives on tarnishing reputation is impeccable and longstanding. He is a major talent.”
— Larry Strichman
“I worked with Chris Canaan during my tenure as Vice President of CBS Movies and Mini-Series, and later when I became VP for Creative Affairs at Hallmark. Chris has always delivered scripts that combined invention, a singular imagination and rock-solid writers’s craft. He is articulate and engaging when discussing the writing process, has strong opinions but is open to different ideas and has an enthusiasm and sense of humor that humanizes a sometimes very abstract and mysterious process. “
— Barbara Lieberman, Former VP of Movies and Mini Series, ABC
“Chris Canaan is a thorough professional who brings insight, intelligence, and enthusiasm to every project. Chris is a supportive collaborator who contributes whole-heartedly to any project in which he is involved, without putting his ego above the collective work. In 1993 ABC hired Chris to do a location rewrite for a Hallmark movie, THE GREAT ELEPHANT ESCAPE that was about to commence principal photography in Kenya. Chris wrote around the clock for three weeks under demanding physical conditions to complete the rewrite. He brought warmth, humor and insight to a story about children, not an easy task.”
— P. Davanzo, MD, Assistant, Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine. Student 2003
“Chris Canaan teaches an excellent class, sharing his experience and skill as a professional writer in a dynamic, engaging fashion. Furthermore, he relates to each individual student and carries them forward with consistent, hands-on, enthusiastic teaching, employing specific guidance in the essentials of this coded art form.”
— James Kavanaugh, UCLA Extension student, 1997
“Chris, I thoroughly enjoyed your class. It was funny, enlightening and illuminating on may different levels. You are an artist, and your insights into the are to screenwriting were invaluable. And you were always respectful, even gentle when you critiqued student work. Your comments were always positive helpful and encouraging. You are a warm, genuine person and an accomplished practitioner of your craft. Thanks for your effort.”
— Maeve Murphy, UCLA Extension student, 2001, graduate University of Illinois
“Chris wants to see every writer he works with succeed. His non-threatening classroom environment and individual attention really helped this tentative writer open up her emotions and become a more confident in her writing.”
— Ed Gines, UCLA Extension Student 2002, Graduate of Long Beach State
“Flying in the face of the dictum “Those who can’t do, teach” is Chris Canaan. Who knows how Chris finds the time to write three screenplays, two novels, and a TV miniseries, while driving to UCLA once a week from Thousand Oaks! Who knows how he manages to read reams of these student pages without shoving a shotgun into his tonsils? And who knows how he can be so accommodating and encouraging and insightful and wise.”