warren etheredge
storyfinder
TheFilmSchool
Founding faculty member
Since cofounding TheFilmSchool in 2003 alongside fellow faculty members Tom Skerritt, Stewart Stern, and Rick Stevenson, Warren has helped aspiring filmmakers find their stories in his class, "Such a Character". During the course of the three week intensive, students learn how to identify their personal conflicts to better craft their fictional creations. Additionally, Warren hosts TheFilmSchool's speaker series, in which he invites world-class filmmakers to find and tell their stories within a three hour conversation with students and graduates of TheFilmSchool. Past guests include John August (BIG FISH, CORPSE BRIDE, FRANKENWEENIE), Jessica Bendinger (BRING IT ON, SEX IN THE CITY), David Benioff (GAME OF THRONES, 25th HOUR), Buck Henry (THE GRADUATE, CATCH-22, TO DIE FOR), Chris McQuarrie (THE USUAL SUSPECTS, VALKYRIE), Richard Price (THE WIRE, CLOCKERS), the late Nora Ephron (WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE) and the late Sydney Pollack (TOOTSIE, OUT OF AFRICA).
"As a teacher / mentor to screenwriters, Warren empowers exploration of a deeper truth that is not just daring and universal but undeniable for the survival of humanity. Not one to get caught in debates about whether plot is more important than character or vice versa, Warren challenges and demands authenticity in the written word that brings all intellectual constructs of screenwriting into an integrated whole. As someone who is in touch with the reality of the screenwriting trade and the film industry, his approach to the craft is all heart, and he won't shy away from speaking the truth, even if it is unflattering."
- Monish Gangwani
Writer/Director - Lotus In The Mud Studios
"I came to TheFilmSchool with the idea that I had a strong grasp of character. Warren Etheredge's class made me realize I had only scratched the surface. His ability to understand people and connect with their experience is eclipsed only by his ability to pass that skill on to his students. His class and subsequent mentorship have changed the way I write for the better on so many levels."
- Jenni Prange Boran
Writer/Director, THE FALLS
"Warren is a story catalyst. He takes what you've done and suggests ways to heighten it to another level and then some and then some more. His keen observations, awe inspiring experience, sense of humor and big, bold heart compel you to go further as a writer and as a person. I work with Warren because of the golden eggs that he lays for me to take away and hatch. It's a truly rewarding and wonderful thing to get to work with someone in that way."
- Trina Harris
Screenwriter, DOUBLE BLIND