On Monday, April 10, Emmy-Award winner Chris Canaan came to campus to host a colloquium on his thirty-plus years as a screenwriter and producer in the film and television industries. Jason Molloy, adjunct professor of Communication Studies, emceed the event. Chris spoke about the evolving business of film and television to a packed room of thirty-five attentive Radio/TV/ Film students. He highly recommended moving to Los Angeles for any aspiring screenwriter, emphasizing that talent, persistence, and a bit of luck were the main ingredients for breaking into the business. The event also featured a few lively, interactive writing workshops. Focusing on both the creative and technical aspects of writing, Chris expertly led the students in group-writing a script about a college graduate who majored in biology, but moved to NYC in order to become an actress. He also dug into the act-structure of the venerable film The Wizard of Oz. All along, Chris fielded questions from the rapt audience, imparting his expertise with a reflective humor that only a lifetime of lessons learned–often the hard way–could provide.
