Kudos and Congratulations! Yvonne Paulin’s, The Trail, Wins the Grand Prize – Seattle International Film Festival’s First Catalyst Screenplay Competition
Yvonne Paulin has always wanted to work in the movies. She may have gotten a little side-tracked by life – but here she is now, an award-winning screenwriter. This is her story.
“From an early age, I was hooked on movies. I wanted to be part of that extraordinary world so I started writing in journals. Filling pages with ideas, outlines, and character descriptions. Needing a better framework to accomplish my goal I read screenwriting books, followed prescribed exercises, and viewed movies with a more critical eye. Work, family, and other demands pushed my writing to the back burner.
Looking to switch gears after a career in the environmental field, and with my son off to college, I decided to follow my passion full-time and enrolled in NYU’s SPS Screenwriting Boot Camp taught by Jason Greiff. Dissecting movies, analyzing scripts, detailing story structure, character arc and the hero’s journey—it was all there. The experience intensified my commitment and set me firmly on the path to becoming a screenwriter. I signed up for more SPS screenwriting classes, eager to accumulate the necessary skills. THE TRAIL, the first screenplay I ever wrote, has its origin in my youth.”
According an article in Vimooz, “THE TRAIL is described as a riveting dramatic thriller set in the snow-covered forests of Washington State that follows a young mother as she fights for her life while unraveling the mystery of her missing daughter.” See the full article here: Vimooz: The Trail Wins!
“THE TRAIL was selected by NYU’s SPS to participate in the first ever NYU/Black List Mini-Lab held in New York City over a weekend in May 2015,” remembers Paulin. “I was one of four non-professional writers to workshop one screenplay through one-on-one sessions with screenwriting mentors and a peer workshop. The mentors included; Jessica Bendinger, Beau Willimon, Leslye Headland, Michael Mitnick, and Scott Myers.
When I enrolled in the SPS Screenwriting Boot Camp, I never imagined I would be writing fulltime, making forward movement in a screenwriting career, or have accomplished so much success in such a short time. I am truly indebted to the SPS for the opportunity to participate in varied classes, gain from the knowledge of so many capable instructors and the supportive
development my work received.” I suspect that Paulin’s talent as a writer played a big role in her success too! Click here for Paulin’s full article
Jason Greiff Continues to Teach at CALA – Check out our Summer Screenwriting Offerings below: