What better way to understand the mechanics of film and TV writing than to sit down with a writer and break down a script with them?
In this new virtual event series, the WGF Library team gathers acclaimed writers for the ultimate script dissection. Hosted by WGF Librarians Javier Barrios and Lauren O'Connor, we'll take a painstaking look at scripts on screen to analyze and learn about description, dialogue, character voice, text on screen, plus much more.
For this session, we take a look inside the screenplay pages of Apple Original Film CODA with writer and director Siân Heder. She’ll take us through how she approached adapting the English-language version of the French film La Famille Bélier, how she crafted specific scenes, and how she translated the dialogue on the page to American Sign Language on the screen.
Panel starts at 4:00pm Pacific time. An ASL interpreter will be provided for this event.
Space is limited so RSVP now. After signing up, you’ll receive information on how to access the Zoom panel. If you’d like to read the CODA screenplay ahead of the event, you can download it here (via Deadline).
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at events@wgfoundation.org.
About the Panelist
Siân Heder is a WGA-nominated writer and director, whose most recent film, CODA, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021, where it was the first film in the festival’s history to win all four major awards: The Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award, Best Director and an Ensemble Acting Award. CODA was also included among BAFTA’s long list in seven categories, including Best Film, Director and Adapted Screenplay. The film sold to Apple for a record breaking $25 million and was released on August 13th, garnering critical praise and early awards buzz. Heder announced in 2021 her multi-year overall deal with Apple. Upcoming, she will serve as a director, writer and producer of BEING HEUMANN, a memoir about the life of disability rights activist Judith Heumann and has also been tapped to write and direct a feature adaptation of the novel, Impossible by Sarah Lotz. Siân is currently executive producer and show runner on the series LITTLE AMERICA for Apple TV+. She previously wrote and produced for three seasons on the esteemed Netflix series, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, receiving multiple WGA nominations for her work. Her other television writing credits include Men of a Certain Age, which earned her a Peabody Award. She has directed episodes of Netflix’s GLOW, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, Hulu’s THE PATH, and LITTLE AMERICA. Her first short film, Mother, was awarded the Cinefondation Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Her debut feature film, TALLULAH, starring Elliot Page and Alison Janney, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released as a Netflix original.