The Rocaberti Writers' Retreat

Rocaberti Virtual

Saturday, December 12th 2020, 8:30am to 1:30pm PDT

symbol

Welcome to Rocaberti Virtual, the Rocaberti Writers’ Retreat online!

Rocaberti Virtual is a 5-hour mini-retreat which will give you a taste of a retreat itself by combining some of the ingredients which go towards creating the unique and unforgettable experience that is Rocaberti.

july-2018
symbol

Includes

Live Presentations from Industry Professionals

British Producer Joan Lane, who developed THE KING’S SPEECH, will give a live presentation on a To Be Announced topic and four-times Emmy nominated comedy writer Martin Olson will speak on a To Be Announced topic.

In addition, each attendee will receive a pre-recorded presentation by industry liaison at Final Draft Kala Guess and British Film Director Sacha Bennett.

Live Feedback

Eight writers will be specially selected for each online event and then individually matched with one of the Rocaberti Virtual mentors.
These writers will be invited to submit a 2-page synopsis of their project, and will then receive live feedback from their mentor.

Live Pitching Sessions

At each Rocaberti Virtual - just like at the retreats themselves - four writers will be selected to pitch their project to all four mentors, receiving valuable insights into not only the pitching process, but also into how the industry will respond to their project... and who knows what might happen as a result?! (We're delighted to say that 12 Rocaberti writers from the 2019 retreats now have their projects in development with a mentor!)

Live Q&A with Industry Professionals

Your chance to ask and receive feedback from the Rocaberti mentors on their presentations or on any other aspect of the industry! (You'll have the chance to send in as many questions as you like during Rocaberti Virtual itself.)

rocaberti-garden
symbol

Schedule

Saturday, December 12th 2020, 8:30am to 1:30pm West Coast time

11.30am to 4.30pm East Coast time

4.30pm to 9.30pm UK time

Please note all times below are U.S. West Coast time:

Time
Description
Mentors
8:30am - 9:00am

Introduction

9:00am - 9:20am

Presentation by Joan Lane.

9:20am - 9:50am

Live feedback from two Rocaberti Virtual mentors on two writers’ synopses.

9:50am - 9:55am

Break

9:55am - 10:15am

Presentation by Martin Olson.

10:15am - 10:45am

Live feedback from two Rocaberti Virtual mentors on two writers’ synopses.

10:45am - 11:45am

Pitching sessions: Four writers will pitch their projects to all four mentors, receiving valuable insights into both the pitching process and how the industry will respond to their projects.

11:45am - 11:50am

Break

11:50am - 12:50pm

Live feedback from four Rocaberti Virtual mentors on four writers’ synopses.

12:50pm - 1:20pm

Q&A: Your chance to ask and receive feedback from the Rocaberti mentors on their presentations or on any other aspect of the industry!

1:20pm - 1:30pm

Final words from your Rocaberti Virtual mentors.

symbol

Karin Maxey (Canada)

Rocaberti Virtual is one of the best online writing seminars I've been a part of. The impressive roster of mentors, coupled with the amazing community atmosphere Claire has created leaves you feeling inspired and ready to write.

Sally Averill (United Kingdom)

I was so amazed that 5 hours in front of my laptop just flew by - thanks to the fabulous mentor stories/comments/contributions and the wonderful pitching and storytelling from everyone. I felt so inspired! I can’t deny that I felt a little sceptical that an online retreat would work so well but it way surpassed my expectations. Thank you for including me Claire and the really seamless & professional organisation between timezones which made it seem effortless... Best thing so far in my 5 weeks of lockdown. Thank you!

symbol

Level 1

€ 199.50 / session

Early Bird Registration (by midnight, PDT, November 29th, 2020): € 149.50

  • Join in a video conferencing call to watch the mentors' live presentations.
  • Receive a more in-depth understanding of the development process through the feedback to individual writers during their one-on-one mentoring sessions.
  • Attend the pitching sessions and receive valuable insight into how to sell your project to industry professionals.
  • In addition, each attendee will receive a pre-recorded presentation by industry liaison at Final Draft Kala Guess and British Film Director Sacha Bennett.

  • Post your questions on any aspect of the business during Rocaberti Virtual itself.
  • You'll also be invited to be part of a private, Rocaberti Virtual Facebook community, which will continue after the retreat.
  • In addition, you'll be able to use the full amount of your Rocaberti Virtual registration fee towards the cost of an actual retreat itself!

Level 2

(Personalised Feedback)

€ 399.50 / session

Early Bird Registration (by midnight, PDT, November 29th, 2020): € 349.50

  • All of the benefits of Level 1.
  • Eight writers will be selected to send in a 2-page synopsis of their project to receive live, on-air, feedback from a specially-matched Rocaberti mentor during the virtual retreat. (Maximum of 15 minutes per writer).

To apply for Level 2, please write to [email protected] in order to set up an interview to begin the selection process.

Level 3

(Personalised Feedback + Pitching)

€ 499.50 / session

Early Bird Registration (by midnight, PDT, November 29th, 2020): € 459.50

  • All of the benefits of Levels 1 and 2.
  • Four of the eight writers from Level 2 will be invited to pitch their projects live to receive feedback from all four Rocaberti Virtual mentors. An invaluable insight into the pitching process and a chance to get your work heard by top industry mentors with the power to help get your project made!

To apply for Level 3, please write to [email protected] in order to set up an interview to begin the selection process.

symbol

Your Rocaberti Virtual Mentors

Sacha Bennett

Sacha Bennett has thirty years’ experience in the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera. His true passion is directing, and he has recently completed post-production on his eighth feature film, delivering the international thriller TANGO ONE for Universal (based on the hit novel by Stephen Leather).

Along with screenwriting credits on his own films, Sacha has produced scripts for both Paramount Pictures and the BBC, and has also created two feature film franchises.

2021 will see the theatrical release of the comedy ME, MYSELF and DI which he also produced, along with the revenge Western, THE FAITHLESS ONES, which will be shot in Spain.

Directing projects range from music promos (including QUEEN’S FLASH GORDON REMIX, which was number one in 18 countries); short films (the multiple international award-winning DEVILWOOD, which has been optioned to become a TV series) and musical visuals (Sacha directed the live-action screen elements for the globally-successful WE WILL ROCK YOU).

As a director, Sacha has worked with stars such as Academy Award nominee Bob Hoskins, BAFTA/Emmy winner Jenny Agutter, Rita Tushingham, Olivier Award winner Luke Treadaway, Steven Berkoff and Patrick Bergin, to name but a few.

Co-founding the production company Three Wise Monkeys in 2016, he has since filmed across the world, from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean.

Sacha is a full voting member of BAFTA and his feature films as writer/director include: TUESDAY, BONDED BY BLOOD, OUTSIDE BET, GET LUCKY, WE STILL KILL THE OLD WAY, WE STILL STEAL THE OLD WAY, TAN ONE and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM.

Kala Guess

Kala Guess is the industry liaison for Final Draft and the Contest Director for the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest.

As the Director of the Big Break Contest, Kala champions screenwriters to break into the industry and to date has had seven writers signed (two of whom sold pilots and a spec in the room!), one writer staffed as a showrunner’s assistant and six option deals, amongst numerous other successes. 

Kala has successfully evolved the contest alumni into one of the largest in the business and a real community where filmmakers mix with industry movers and shakers from top studios and streaming platforms, such as Berlanti Productions, CBS, Starz, HBO, Netflix, NBC and many more. 

She is also the driving force behind Final Draft’s move towards representation and inclusivity in the entertainment industry, which includes partnerships with Sundance, The Black List, Women in Film, The Geena Davis Institute, Free the Work, CBS Diversity & Inclusion, NBC Talent and Inclusion, NALIP, NHMC, Bromont Program, Get Lit, Ghetto Film School and many more. Kala also championed Final Draft to create the Inclusivity Analysis Feature, a free tool for studios and writers to measure how inclusive a script is.

As Content Producer for Final Draft, Kala has built strong relationships with major PR companies, such as 42 West, Netflix,  Strategy PR, Ginsberg Libby, Warner Brothers, and many more and is regularly invited to speak on panels about writing, development, producing and inclusion. 

With ten years of experience in the entertainment industry, a passion for championing storytellers, a keen eye for talent, and a vast network of aspiring and award-winning creators, Kala continues to turn her ‘wild’ ideas into exciting success stories and is looking forward to mentoring at the retreat to work with each writer to help them get their scripts market-ready.

Martin Olson

Martin Olson is an author, comedy writer and songwriter who plays Hunson Abadeer, Lord of Evil, on Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time.

He is best known as a head writer for Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, for his New York Times best-selling humor book The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia (Abrams, 2013), and his notorious satire Encyclopaedia of Hell (Feral House, 2011).

Specializing in writing comedy specials and directing one-man shows, Martin became producer-writer for Penn and Teller on their FX variety series Penn Teller’s Sin City Spectacular.

Martin has just published his third book for Adventure Time, The Enchiridion & Marcy’s Super Secret Scrapbook (Abrams, 2015), with his daughter, singer/songwriter Olivia Olson (Joanna in Love Actually). He is currently staff writer for the Disney series Milo Murphy’s Law.

Martin has received four Emmy nominations, two for television writing and two for songwriting. He also received an Ace Award for comedy writing and has sold comedy screenplays to Dreamworks, UA, Touchstone and Warner Bros.

The film rights to Encyclopedia of Hell were bought by Warner Bros, through producer Andrew Lazar for Mad Chance Productions.

Joan Lane

Joan Lane is a British film and theatre producer, primarily known for having developed the Academy Award-winning THE KING’S SPEECH, directed by Tom Hooper, starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, and adapted from the stage play by its author David Seidler.

Her company, Wild Thyme Productions, has toured six innovative productions of Shakespeare’s plays in the UK and Germany (including the first all-female production of ‘Hamlet’) mounted world premiere showcase performances of new plays and musicals in London, and has a double bill in development for late 2023-2024. 

Primarily engaged as a Consultant by the BBC, Joan’s skills were used for the recording, filming, and Royal Opera House performance of ‘The Little Prince’. She was a director for BBC Radio Two and BBC Television’s New Talent UK-wide search for the ‘Voice of Musical Theatre’, involved with background music for the film ‘The Actors’, coordinated the participation of singing Angels for Stephen Fry’s directorial film debut ‘Bright Young Things’ and casting director and coordinator on a BBC’s Promenade Concert/Opera ‘The Water Diviner’s Tale’. As well as touring with her own company, she has worked on plays at the Royal National Theatre and toured with ATG, PW Productions, and Pleasance Theatre. For the last few years, she has been the resident judge on the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing.

Joan recently edited two books, alongside which she and the writers developed TV series which are about to go to market. Brought in to edit the screenplay of ‘Gateway to the West’, she went on to completely rewrite it. The film is now in post-production and due out later this year (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13542474/). Her first fully original screenplay, completed in 2018 and based on a true story, is expected to go into production in early 2024.