Chris Atwood

Instructor Biography:

Writer and producer; Mr. Atwood studied playwriting under Edward Albee and performed standup comedy before turning his attention to screenwriting. He has written for shows such as 3rd Rock from the Sun, Reba, Two and a Half Men, 90210 and Reign and helped out on about a hundred million pilots.

Instructor Statement:

There are a ton of great books on screenwriting and you should probably read them all. But there is no “one right way to do things.” I believe the best thing a writer can do is try out a bunch of different techniques and keep the ones that work for them. That will give them a broad range of skills to deal with whatever the business throws their way. I also like to create a classroom environment that mimics a writers’ room as closely as possible. That way once someone is hired, they’ll know exactly what’s expected and how to deliver. And finally, I believe any teaching environment needs to be inclusive, supportive, and safe. Everyone’s voice is valuable and deserves to be heard. That’s why extra care needs to be given to support underrepresented people of color as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Learning how to respect someone else’s voice, background and identity is the key to creating work that is complex, authentic, compelling, and meaningful.