News
Hollywood to PDX Podcast ~
For those of you who just can't get enough of my blab, now you hear me online.
Recently, I was interviewed by film maker Scott McMahon as part of his "Hollywood to Portland" series of podcasts which chronicles the experiences of "creative types" who migrate from sunny Southern California to the rainy Northwest.
http://www.hollywoodtoportland.com/podcasts/podcast-007-screenwriter-randall-jahnson-part-1/
http://www.hollywoodtoportland.com/podcasts-2/
Among Scott's other interviews is a conversation with Bryce Fortner, the director of photography for the IFC series "Portlandia."
In other episodes, Scott tackles video games, Oregon versus California traffic, and the challenges facing independent film makers.
And, yes, the tinkling glass that can be heard is authentic. All the podcasts were conducted in - where else? - a pub!
http://www.hollywoodtoportland.com/
Tues Night Class at Maher's ~
Starting January 10th, 2012, I'll be offering a second intermediate-advanced screenwriting class that will meet on Tuesday nights downstairs at Maher's Irish Brew Pub in Lake Oswego.
Like my Monday Night Class in SE Portland, this session will explore the nuances of the screenwriting craft. We'll break down produced scripts, watch tons of clips from great films, and analyze what works and what doesn't. You'll even get some home work!
Cost will be $25 per class if you purchase a block of four or more (you don't have to attend in succession), otherwise the drop in fee is $30.
Maher's is located at 352 B Avenue in Lake Oswego. 503-305-8087.
For further info contact me at 503-806-5197 or randall@randalljahnson.com.
'Operation Blank' Interview ~
You never know who you're gonna sit next on a plane.
On a recent flight from LA to Portland I had the good fortune to be placed next to Teresa Decher, a charming and ambitious young actor-producer ("Superseeds").
Teresa also maintains a blog, "Operation Blank," about - or relating to - her adventures in the Screen Trade.
Somehow I wound up as the subject of a recent post.
Check out her interview with me at:
http://wp.me/pXidz-5p
WWC Aug 5-7 2011 ~
I'll be participating again at the annual Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, August 5-7.
On Friday the 6th I'll be leading "A Delicate Balance," a workshop about designing and writing a screenplay with an ensemble cast of characters. "American Graffiti," "The Big Chill," "Babel," "Crash," and "Love, Actually" are just a few examples of this type of film that has become a genre unto itself.
Saturday morning will find me joining two old friends and UCLA alums, F.J. Pratt and Chris Matheson, on a panel entitled "Beyond Thunderdome: Working Hollywood by Remote." We'll be discussing the viability of working in the film and TV industry without actually being in the LA cauldron.
"Between the Lines: Subtext in Screenwriting" is the workshop I'm be teaching on Sunday morning. All sessions will include plenty of Q & A.
Willamette Writers Portland ~
On Tuesday, March 1st, Randall Jahnson will speak to the Willamette Writers Portland about how moving to the Portland area revived his screenwriting career.
Jahnson, who bailed out of Los Angeles nearly 4 years ago, will recount his journey and discuss the reasons why he feels Portland is positioned to be a significant player in today's rapidly changing media landscape.
The talk will take place at the Old Church in Portland, 1422 SW 11th (at Clay). Doors open at 6:30 pm, the talk starting promptly at 7. It's free to WW members; $5 for their guests; $10 for non-members.
Jahnson Speaks at WWC ~
Veteran screenwriter Randall Jahnson will give two presentations at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, August 8, 2010.
"Second to None: Writing a Dynamic Act II" and "Real to Reel: The Joys and Dangers of Writing a Bio-Pic" will be offered to screenwriters on the last day of the conference, the largest annual gathering of scribes in Oregon.
The first workshop will focus on the techniques and elements needed to keep a script's momentum in the crucial second act. Among the points to be covered: Maintaining and increasing plot momentum and dramatic tension; when and where to introduce character development and subplots; employing obstacles, complications, and plot twists.
In the second presentation Jahnson will draw from his extensive experience writing screenplays about real-life individuals including rock star Jim Morrison, inventor Nikola Tesla, black silent film director Oscar Micheaux, and psychedelic drug guru Timothy Leary. In addition to the challenges of adapting factual material into entertainment, practical and legal matters such as acquiring life rights will be discussed.
"Second to None" will run from 8:30 to 10 Sunday morning while "Real to Reel" will go from 3 to 4:15pm. A Q & A session will conclude both presentations.
For more info, visit: www.willamettewriters.com or call 503-452-1592.
Randall Jahnson Interviewed ~
As a follow-up to his presentation, "Lost in Translation: Why Bad Things Happen to Good Comics in Hollywood" at this year's Stumptown Comics Fest, Randall Jahnson was interviewed by Jefferson Powers, curator/archivist for the Graphic Novel Intensive program at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA).
http://pncacewebcomic.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/lost-in-translation/
Jahnson discusses the relative success and failure of projects like "Ghost World" and "Sin City" plus the odds against "Black Hole" successfully translating to the Big Screen.
RJ SPEAKS AT 2010 STUMPTOWN COMICS FEST ~
I'll be speaking at back-to-back workshops at the Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, Oregon, Sunday April 25, 2010. Come on by the Idaho Room in the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel at 1pm where I'll be discussing "Lost in Translation: Why Bad Things Happen to Good Comics in Hollywood." I'll be talking about what the movies can learn from comics and vice versa - all from the perspective of the person in the middle, the screenwriter.
In the second workshop I'll be joined by my design collaborator Jefferson Powers for a demonstration and frank discussion of our work-in-progress Web narrative, "Slaughter Alley." Is it a Web-comic? A media hybrid? An interactive Website? Come see what we have in mind at 2pm, also in the Idaho Room.
More info: www.stumptowncomicsfest.com
Digital Storytelling at PNCA ~
Randall Jahnson will be teaching "Digital Storytelling" for the fall 2009 term at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
The 8-week course will be held Monday evenings 6:30-9pm, starting October 26 and ending December 14.
Today's digital landscape offers creative writers a dazzling array of tools, techniques, and platforms with which to tell their stories. But what about the story itself? This class will focus on the fundamentals of traditional storytelling as they apply to New Media. Participants - whether newbies to digital formats or seasoned techies - will learn how to sharpen their narrative skills from ideation to execution. Particular emphasis will be placed on story structure, character development, visual and textual economy, and interactive elements. The class will also investigate current examples of electronic literature and Web-based narrative forms such as Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), webseries, webcomics, and websites as story spaces. Students may work in the program of their choice, from original or assigned material.
For more information and to view a class syllabus go to: www.pnca.edu
Willamette Writers Conference ~
Randall Jahnson will be participating in the 40th Annual Willamette Writers Conference August 7-9 at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Portland, Oregon.
He will offer "Digital Storytelling" on Friday afternoon, August 7th. The 90-minute workshop will examine how traditional screenwriters are adapting to the Digital Age and New Media landscape. A Q & A session will follow.
On Sunday morning, August 9th, he will appear with his agent Rima Greer for "After the Honeymoon," a discussion of the agent-writer relationship.
For more info visit: www.willamettewriters.com
Teaching at the Art Institute ~
Randall Jahnson has begun teaching advanced screenwriting at the Art Institute of Portland. The class is the third and last scriptwriting course taken by students in the Department of Digital Film and Video before they advance into production. Particular focus is given to developing and completing a short film script that students will shoot in the following terms.
Posted by Randall at 10:29am on 07/22/08Northwest Film Center Class ~
Randall Jahnson will be teaching "Launching Your Screenwriting Career" at the Northwest Film Center in Portland, Oregon. The course will focus less on craft but more on practical knowledge for the writer poised to plunge into the professional arena. Topics to be discussed will include agents, contracts, pitching projects, working with prickly producers, directors, and stars, coping with the emotional ups and downs of a volatile business, and maintaining a long-distance romance with Hollywood.
www.nwfilm.org