Andrew Zinnes has over a decade of development experience working for Norman Lear's (THE PRINCESS BRIDE, STAND BY ME) Act III Productions, Donald De Line's (DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE, THE ITALIAN JOB) production company at Paramount Pictures and USA Networks' Original Movies division (HELEN OF TROY, DEAD ZONE, MONK).

Since then Andrew has turned from the dark side into the light and is now a working writer, repped at ICM and Mosaic Media Group. Warner Brothers picked up his feature screenplay ABSOLUTE ANGELS and he is currently working on a Korean/American horror co-production. Some of his other recent work includes penning the horror flicks THE MERMAID and GRIM (which he also produced) for 24/7 Productions and Screenprojex, respectively. Outside of screenwriting, Andrew is also the US Editor of The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook US Edition and Co-Author of The Guerilla Film Makers Documentary Handbook. He consults and performs story analysis in both the fiction and non-fiction worlds.

And when he's not busy doing any of the above, he puts in some time as the Production Manager for Operation Repo, the #1 show on TruTV.

Andrew received a Bachelor of Arts in History from The George Washington University in Washington, DC as well as a Masters in Film and Video from The American University in Washington, DC. Always concerned with "giving back," he currently teaches at the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios.

What are your favorite films?
EASTERN PROMISES, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, ALMOST FAMOUS, BACK TO THE FUTURE, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, and SEXY BEAST.

Who are your favorite directors?
Cameron Crowe, Wes Anderson, Tony Scott, Genevieve Jolliffe.

What was your most memorable movie experience?
Sneaking into a drive-in theater in the trunk of my friend's car - along with two other buds and several cases of beer - to see BACHELOR PARTY.

What advice would you give aspiring screenwriters who are trying to break in to the business?
Read as many screenplays as you possibly can, both good and bad, so you understand what the buyers want and don't want. Then read and experience life beyond the movie world as much as possible - it will only help you to be more creative.

Gideon works as a story analyst for legendary agent Ed Limato's office at William Morris Agency. He has also read for Overture Films, International Creative Management, and Imaginarium. He holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University, and recently sold his screenplay, FIGHT GAME, to Paradigm Pictures. He enjoys all genres and looks for screenplays that feature strong execution and an intriguing core concept; while reading, he frequently returns to the question, "Can I see this as a successful movie?"

What are your favorite films?
MANHATTAN, UNFORGIVEN, ROSEMARY'S BABY, GROSSE POINTE BLANK, THE APARTMENT, DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, CHUNGKING EXPRESS

Who are your favorite directors?
Billy Wilder, Woody Allen, Wong Kar-Wai, Cameron Crowe, Marc Forster

What was your most memorable movie experience?
Seeing a midnight show of RESERVOIR DOGS when I was 15, and realizing how film can be a way for an artist to get across a singular vision -- I think it was the first time I really thought about who made movies, and that there was a writer, director, etc.

What advice would you give aspiring screenwriters who are trying to break in to the business?
Be persistent. Write. Network. The screenwriters I know who have been successful are competent writers, but they aren't necessarily the best writers. They are the ones who kept working and never gave up. Somebody with ten good screenplays who is constantly rewriting and getting their work out there is a lot more likely to be successful than somebody with one great screenplay who just sits around. Much of this business is about finding a situation where all of the right factors converge, and you should do everything you can to increase the chances of that happening.

Robert Southhill is a native of upstate New York, but considers himself bi-coastal now. A lifelong reader and writer, Robert has a BA in English ("I speak it almost every day!").

Early in his career, Robert worked as the editor of an alternative arts newsweekly, then later at a traditional weekly newspaper where he won the New York State Press Association's award for Best Creative Non-Fiction. He eventually moved into writing screenplays, earning a living doing adaptations and taking writing assignments from aspiring directors and producers who had the germ of an idea, but lacked the tools to bring the story alive on the page.

He has covered screenplays for writers (with an eye toward story and a satisfying writing experience) and for production companies (with an eye toward marketability and audience response). Aside from covering Script Department projects, Robert is actively involved in the 7th Art Corporation, a non-profit film appreciation and education organization, and makes it a point of personal pride to see at least three films a week. He finds it extremely fulfilling to pinpoint specific issues in the screenplays he reads, and recommends thorough and appropriate solutions, always with respect for the story the writer is compelled to tell.

Maegan Poland left her home state of Indiana to attend the USC film school, where she graduated with a BFA in Writing for Screen and Television. The program's intensive workshop technique instilled in her a comprehensive knowledge of what notes worked best for her as a writer and how best to deliver her notes for her colleagues.

Not long after university, Maegan worked in the TV Literary department at the Endeavor Talent Agency, where her love of feature films expanded to include a passion for television. She has worked extensively as a script reader, providing coverage for Michael London, MTV Films and Mandalay Pictures. Maegan has written numerous screenplays of her own, as well as completed a rewrite for hire under the direction of Richard Benjamin (THE MONEY PIT, MERMAIDS, MADE IN AMERICA). She also wrote and directed a short film that was chosen for the 2008 LA Shorts Fest entitled TEN SIGNS YOUR ROOMMATE IS A SERIAL KILLER.

What are your favorite films?
Every film person will say there are too many to list so I'm going to just mention a few. CASABLANCA because it's timeless. EDWARD SCISSORHANDS because it was like nothing I'd seen before. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE because it's witty. And ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND for making me cry.

Who are your favorite directors?
Danny Boyle and Tim Burton

What are your favorite TV shows?
DEXTER, 30 ROCK, DAMAGES, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.

What was your most memorable movie experience?
THE NEVERENDING STORY blew my mind as a kid. It wasn't afraid of going to dark places despite being a children's film. Atreyu!

What advice could you give aspiring screenwriters who are trying to break in to the business?
Not everyone is going to like what you write. Period. It just won't happen. You could write the greatest Charlie Kaufman-meets-Tom Stoppard brilliance, and there is still a chance that the first person that reads it will hate it. So you have to be prepared to keep going even when the criticism rolls in. You have to believe in yourself. But the trickiest part is that in order to learn, you need to be open to the feedback people give you while still staying true to the story you want to tell. Other than that, read all you can. Write all you can. And find some good friends to keep you motivated along the way.

Jeff was born in Boston, raised in Los Angeles, schooled in Santa Barbara, and has worked in Hollywood in various capacities for over 17 years. In that time, he has earned a living analyzing literally thousands of screenplays, and his claim to fame as a story analyst was recommending the screenplay that became the Oscar-winning smash hit, “Erin Brockovich” while working for Jersey Films. He’s also analyzed screenplays for the producers of films such as “Pulp Fiction,” “The Blind Side,” and “The Hangover.”

What are your favorite films?
Always a tough question! I admire quality films in every genre, so I’ll name a few from the basic categories: Drama: CASABLANCA, GOOD FELLAS, AMERICAN BEAUTY; Comedy: THE PRINCESS BRIDE, MEET THE PARENTS, THE HANGOVER; Romantic Comedy: WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, LOVE ACTUALLY; Action/Thriller: NORTH BY NORTHWEST, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, IRON MAN; Foreign: CINEMA PARADISO.

Who are your favorite directors?
Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, (Early) Woody Allen, The Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan.

What are your favorite TV shows?
MAD MEN, DEXTER, LOST, MOST HBO SHOWS, SEINFELD, TRUE BLOOD, THE OFFICE (BBC 1ST, STEVE CARELL 2ND).

What was your most memorable movie experience?
Waiting in a line wrapped around the corner, in the rain (more like drizzle), to see STAR WARS as a kid.

What advice could you give aspiring screenwriters who are trying to break in to the business?
Read every script you can get your hands on. Many can be found online and you can read them for free, and there are a few pay sites have huge libraries and are worth the price. When you finish writing a script, don’t wait for people to read it before starting a new one. You should always be thinking of what you want to write next so all of your hopes won’t be tied to any one script. Try to associate with other aspiring screenwriters to stay motivated. And don’t limit yourself to trying to write something “commercial” so it’ll sell. What you really want to sell is your ability to tell a story in a unique voice, one that only you can manifest. If you do it well enough, they’ll pay you to write something commercial!

Michael spent the first 20 years of his life thinking he was going to be an actor. It wasn’t until he was asked to write an adaptation of BEAUTY & THE BEAST, for a small theater in Pittsburgh, that he realized his true calling. He then spent the next decade as a playwright and actor in Chicago, taking writing classes at Chicago Dramatists, CCPA and Second City. In LA he’s attended seminars and workshops with Pilar Alessandra, Ken Levine, Billy Mernit and Steve Kaplan. After completing Julie’s How to be a Hollywood Reader course he went on to be a judge for the Nevada Screenwriting Competition. He is now the Office Administrator for The Script Department and works closely with Julie Gray on a daily basis, where she continues to impart her wisdom to him about being a great Hollywood script reader.

What are your favorite films?
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, LA STORY, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, IN BRUGES, KISS KISS BANG BANG, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, AMELIE – I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy, too.

Who are your favorite directors?
The Cohen Brothers, Quinten Tarantino, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Wes Anderson, Michael Mann

What are your favorite TV shows?
30 ROCK, MAD MEN, GLEE, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, SPACED, FRAISER

What was your most memorable movie experience?
After coming out of the MATRIX, feeling like I could see the construct. Then grabbing some friends and seeing it again the next day.

What advice could you give aspiring screenwriters who are trying to break in to the business?
Learn to love getting notes. You won’t always agree with them, but stay open and really hear what’s being said. You never know when a comment or note might help make your script stronger. Even if it’s from you defending your choices. And take Julie’s How to be a Hollywood Reader course. It will change the way you look at a script.