Harnessing Improv for Script Development
About this Advisor Studio
In Advisor Studio sessions, film and television industry professionals share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing, and producing for TV and film.
While there are many ways to get unstuck in the writing process, the main cause for those issues lies within. Perfection is the enemy of “good,” and one of the best tricks for beating writer's block is to learn how to get out of your own way.
In this online session, screenwriter, actor, and producer Kat O’Brien will guide you through exploring the art of improvisation, connecting improv tools and techniques to your writing practice.
In two hours, you will generate ideas for new work and develop strategies for conceptualizing, drafting and revising existing work to address specific story problems and creative blocks. You will also gain insights and industry-savvy advice, embrace a creative abundance mindset, and practical strategies to ignite, foster, and sustain your project momentum.
Topics covered include:
- Exploring improvisational acting techniques
- Developing ideation strategies to generate abundantly in a short period of time
- Tools for overcoming writer's block
- Focusing ideation on specific story problems in your own work
If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please either submit a request here, contact us at (435) 776-7790, or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to discuss your specific requests. Every effort will be made to accommodate advance requests; however, requests made within 5 days of the event may not be guaranteed.
A recording of this Advisor Studio will be posted to Sundance Collab's Event Recording Library within two business days of the live event. Once posted, all registered attendees will be notified by email and can find the recording in the “My Purchases” section of their profile.
Advisor StudioPeople
Kat O'Brien
Kat O'Brien is a writer, producer, director, actor, and professor of interdisciplinary cinematic and theater arts. For over 20 years, Kat O’Brien has worked as a screenwriter, executive, producer, and consultant developing film and television for Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony, Anonymous Content, Focus Features, Rogue Pictures, Alcon Entertainment, Morgan Creek Productions, Blue Star Entertainment, and numerous internationally renowned and critically acclaimed independent filmmakers and television producers.
During the pandemic, Kat executive produced the We Still Teach TV series, for which she was awarded the Chicago Teachers’ Union LEAD award as a champion for education justice. As a world-renowned expert in story development and the founder of KOB Magic story coaching, Kat has consulted for the Doha Film Institute and Film Al-Ula, and her clientele includes internationally acclaimed filmmakers, as well as Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony winners and nominees. Currently, she is writing and producing projects for film, television, and stage, while authoring her debut novel and upcoming comedic solo show. Her academic appointments include teaching and course development at The University of Chicago and DePaul University, The Second City Film School, the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, Columbia College Chicago, and guest lectures at The University of Southern California and The University of San Diego. She holds a BFA in Writing for Film and Television from the University of Southern California, and resides in Chicago with her husband and children.
Katherine Street
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Katherine "Kat" Street is an LA-based award-winning filmmaker and Philadelphia native. A cinephile at heart, she writes female-driven stories with complex (oftentimes damaged) main characters, centered around self-discovery, self-love, and belonging.
She has written numerous short-form projects, including original shorts, pilots, and features. She wrote and directed the dramatic short film “Cycles,” which received festival recognition in both acting and best romantic short. She also created her award-winning flagship web series "The New Adult,” which is currently streaming on Kweli TV.
Kat is a Stowe Story Lab SAGIndie Fellow and a participant in the BlackMagic Collective Emerging Filmmakers Initiative. In 2021, she founded the Black Film Challenge, a project that showcases filmmakers of African descent and the movies they create.
She earned her BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a concentration in Cinematography and has literary representation with Yak Yak Mgmt.