The Writer’s Guide to Feedback with Pilar Alessandra
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.
You’ve spent months, or even years, pouring over every word of your screenplay. You’re finally ready to share it with the world, but with that step comes the inevitable: everyone has an opinion. Whether it’s from coverage readers, potential representatives, or executives, receiving feedback is a constant in a screenwriter's life. However, learning how to "take the note" is a professional skill as vital as the writing itself.
In this Advisor Studio, renowned script consultant, professor, and author Pilar Alessandra (On the Page) teaches you how to look past the surface to find "the note behind the note." You will learn how industry insiders evaluate your writing, which core story elements you must defend, and how to discern which feedback will actually elevate your script to its best version.
Whether you are preparing for your first big meeting or looking to professionalize your rewriting process, this interactive session will provide the tools and confidence needed to navigate the industry with poise.
Topics covered include:
- Understanding a reader’s priorities and the "why" behind notes
- What representatives mean when they talk about writing to “voice” and “brand”
- Critique at the coverage stage vs. notes at the development stage
- When and how to apply changes without losing your voice
- “Good” notes vs. “unhelpful” notes; how to filter constructive critique from subjective noise
If you would benefit from an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please complete this form, 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 on the first business day after the live event. Once it is posted, all registered attendees will find the recording in the “My Purchases” section of their account.
Advisor StudioTeam
Pilar Alessandra
PILAR ALESSANDRA is a story and script coach, the author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter, host of the On the Page Podcast (now in its 19th-year), and a Professor in MFA Screenwriting at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She's trained writers at Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Program, Kevin Hart's Hartbeat Productions, Disney, DreamWorks, the NBC TV Writers Program, the CBS-Paramount Writing Program and more.
As an international trainer and speaker, she’s coached writers and producers at Rome’s MIA Market, the Film School in Cologne, SP Televisao in Lisbon, Triggerfish Productions in Cape Town, iQuiyi in Beijing and many other film festivals and writing programs. Pilar’s students and clients have gone on to staff and show-run streaming and network television shows and have sold feature films to production companies and studios such as A24, Netflix and Warner Bros. Clients who have been coached by Pilar “story to script,” have won the Nicholl Fellowship, The Austin Screenwriting Competition, Humanitas and the jury prize at South by Southwest. For more information about Pilar’s classes, books and podcast go to www.onthepage.tv.
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.