A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT - Key Persons
"I have both participated in workshops with Mary Kate and received notes from her on projects of my own. She has an extraordinary diagnostic ability when it comes to finding problems in story structure and - just as important - she has a mercifully gentle touch when it comes to delivering the news - never proscriptive, never doctrinaire, just a very sure sense of what audiences respond to and how best to shape the story that the writer wants to tell. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of film and brings joy, humor and patience to a difficult process. It's been my great pleasure to work alongside her."
Job Titles:
- Professor of Screenwriting, USC
"I have known Rachel and Mary Kate professionally for ten years and Mary Kate has been my colleague on numerous programmes around Europe, working with experienced and emerging screenwriters. Their understanding of storytelling for the screen is second to none and they are clear and organised communicators. Their enthusiasm for their subject in infectious and they are very popular with participants. They have the gift of giving encouragement to writers. They are organised, diligent and generous with their time and attentions. I'd recommend them to anyone who needs help writing a story as their skills are rare to find."
Mary Kate trained in the craft of screenwriting with the professors of screenwriting at The University of Southern California. She has worked as a tutor alongside her former professors for the last ten years. She has continued to be mentored by them, in particular David Howard, author of The Tools of Screenwriting. She is a guest tutor at the Czech Film School FAMU and The National Film School in Ireland as well as a lead tutor on pan-European programmes.
Mary Kate is a working writer who has written six feature-length screenplays, all of which have been funded by The Irish Film Board and subsequently optioned, currently in development. She holds an MA in Screenwriting, has won pan-European awards for her screenwriting, is a published short story writer and Ireland's Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth. Mary Kate is also a Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth in LA. You can hear her story here: themoth.org/stories/carry-him-shoulder-high
Rachel is a story consultant who works across the business and arts industries. She works with teams and individuals in Ireland, the UK and Germany to develop visual storytelling and audience engagement. She has worked on a wide range of television and film productions ensuring that scripts communicate the writer's vision, connect with audiences and achieve commercial, as well as artistic, success.