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	Sonya Steele's new web series *"Celeste Bright"* has completed shooting. Episodes are available for viewing at the series' website: http://celestebright.com/ Zelie and Lynn Slack's feature film, The Sweetest Heir, is now listed on IMDb. We invite you to view the trailer and give it a star rating at their IMDb page. For more information about their film, please visit The Sweetest Heir's official website at www.thesweetestheir.com Hilliard Guess - part of the OBS On Tour Team, the Educational Committee, and a Cosby Fellow - premiered his first short film *Troublesome* as Writer/Director. Below is a link to a review of film. For more information about this production, click on the picture below: Congratulations to OBS member Bridgett Michele Lawrence, Writer Assistant on "LOVE THAT GIRL!" Kudos to the creators of the web series featured at January's "Night at the Movies". If you couldn't make it to the event, you can still visit their websites to see what you missed:		2010 is turning out to be quite a prolific year for Hilliard Guess and his Hilldog Productions. His short film *"TROUBLESOME"* was accepted into the 2010 LOS ANGELES LATINO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL at the MANN'S CHINESE 6 THEATERS – (August 19-25^th). Make plans to attend the screening for this acclaimed film. “TROUBLESOME” has also been accepted into the 2010 NYC DOWNTOWN SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL and the 2010 SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL! More festival announcements are soon to come. Furthermore, his new short suspense script *"NINE BELOW ZERO"* won RUNNER UP - BEST DRAMATIC SHORT at the 2010 ACTION ON FILM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. "NINE BELOW ZERO” is also currently in the QUARTERFINALS and working its way up in the 2010 PAGE INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITING AWARDS. In the midst of all this activity he is also producing a spec TV pilot entitled "*MOUTHPIECE" - an edgy, single camera show in the vein of Entourage. Congratulations to Hilliard on all these accomplishments! From Justin Price: "Daddy's Home"* is a drama/thriller in the same vein as "The Hitcher" and "When a Stranger Calls" with a fresh faced cast and cutting edge approach to the genre(s). Here are the specs for your brief review: ______________________________________________ Runtime: 90 minutes Format: R3d, blu ray disc Genre: Drama/Thriller Synopsis: Angelica is a fresh-on-the-job elementary school teacher who follows her long time boyfriend Bryon to a new town. On the first day of school she notices one of her students (Willow) seems troubled and different from all the other kids. After a period of unbroken silence from Willow and violent behavior from her older brother Steven, Angelica learns that there is a problem far beyond her power to fix. When the children's dark family secret becomes known, Angelica does what she can to protect them, even if her own livelihood is at stake. As the situation unravels, so does her sanity in this story of deception, mystery and terror. The question is... What do you do when Daddy comes home? IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1617630/ YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fyQ6WyKghI Myspace Link: http://www.myspace.com/daddyshomethemovie Twitter Link: http://www.twitter.com/daddyshomemovie Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/daddyshomethemovie Michael Ajakwe’s web series site will host the first web film fest in Los Angeles: I'm a new festival that only prays to web series and I'd like you to visit my house of worship in March so you can watch some really cool shows I found online and meet the peeps who make and star in them. www.lawebfest.com THE LOS ANGELES WEB SERIES FESTIVAL (LAWEBFEST) Friday March 26 * Saturday March 27 * Sunday March 28 Stage 52 Theater, 5299 W. Washington Bl., Los Angeles (between Hauser & Fairfax). Sponsored by www.AjakweTV.com, Stage 52 Theater, and www.CreatingTheWeb.com. Visit www.lawebfest.com for information and updates. I really hope you come out to see me. That way we can meet and you can find out why I am so excited about this first-of-its-kind thingamajig. See you March 26-28th, Los Angeles Web Series Festival 2010 www.lawebfest.com PS: I had no idea being a pioneer in something could be so much fun:) LAWEBFEST 2010 www.lawebfest.com
			Volume 14 \ Number 1, Jan/Feb 2008 Script Extra Edition: The Organization of Black Screenwriters Reporting by Robert Piluso You've heard it a million times: Writing is a lonely profession. But there really is strength in numbers, and support in a creative community. If your goals for 2008 include joining or forming your own writers group, the Organization of Black Screenwriters is an excellent model. With newly-elected President Jennifer Williams at the helm, 2008 is sure to hold great things for the Los Angeles-based OBS. As to its beginnings, Williams says, “The OBS was founded 20 years ago to help foster good writing and to help up-and-coming writers make it into the business.” Today, the OBS network spans from the WGA to agents, producers, and other industry insiders. The benefits of belonging to OBS abound. First, Williams explains, “We have OBS-sanctioned writers groups that we form which get the writer in the habit of writing good material. Groups of six to 15 members meet on a weekly or monthly basis, coming together and reviewing each other’s work. They do a table-read of 10 to 15 pages [of each script] and then each member gives the writer feedback. The OBS not only gives the writers information on format and general grammar in some cases, but also if the story is really working, if it’s something the writer should continue with, without changing the writer’s original focus.” Furthermore, the OBS stages dramatic readings. Williams enthuses, “We choose at least 3 or 4 scripts. We bring actors in, hold auditions, cast the work, and do dramatic readings of the first 30 pages.” On OBS’s agenda for 2008, along with regular monthly meetings, Williams reveals, “We’re moving in the direction of production. We want to produce our own work. We’re trying to gear our writers up, get them attached to writers groups, and really polish their work to perfection to take it to the next level. We have people with filmmaking skills, who know what to do behind the camera, and we’re going to try and pull all that together to see if we can create our own films: webisodes and maybe DVD.” To aspiring screenwriters Williams advises, “Write until you can’t write again, and then write some more. That’s the only way you’re going to get better. It has to be your passion and you have to be willing to do what it takes to achieve your goals. Although the OBS can [offer] support, it’s still your individual effort and your own self-motivation that’s going to move you to the next level -- you have to be willing to sit and write when nobody else is there.” For more information, or to join OBS, Visit: www.obswriter.com