Storytelling for the 21st Century

Bobette Buster, an adjunct faculty member of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, wraps up her presentation about the role of the Big Idea in movies today. A PDF version of the slide presentation that accompanied her talk may be found here. A question-and-answer session with the audience and panel follows, and then Rev. Scott Young, director of Graduate Student and Faculty Ministry for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at USC and UCLA, wraps up the two-day symposium with some closing remarks. This was the final presentation of the two-day Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.

Dr. Peter Kreeft, renowned philosopher and author of over 50 books, including Socrates Meets Jesus, delivers a presentation about the good, true and beautiful in storytelling. This was the ninth talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Karen Hall, who has numerous writing and producing credits for television and has been nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, discusses the use of one’s own experiences in storytelling. This was the eighth talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Armando Fumagalli, professor of Semiotics and Director of the Master Program in Screenwriting and Production for TV and Cinema at the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, discusses the nature and value of happy endings in cinema from a European point-of-view. This was the seventh talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Barbara Nicolosi, screenwriter, adjunct professor of film at Pepperdine University, and former executive director of Act One, discusses Flannery O’Connor’s use of paradox to create haunting moments in storytelling. This was the sixth talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

This PDF document contains the slides that accompanied Barbara Nicolosi’s presentation, “What Flannery Knew”.

David McFadzean, creative and executive producer of the TV sitcom Home Improvement, explores the question: how dark is too dark in cinema storytelling? This was the fifth talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Chuck Slocum, Assistant Executive Director at Writers Guild of America West, explores the healing potential of storytelling. This was the fourth talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Dr. Peter Kreeft, renowned philosopher and author of over 50 books, including Socrates Meets Jesus, delivers a presentation about heroes. He proposes seven preconditions for a hero — hierarchy, teleology/purpose/design, natural law, absolutes, free will, honor, and suffering — in order to start a discussion of the question: do heroes exist today? This was the third talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Chris Riley, author of The Hollywood Standard and professor of film at John Paul the Great Catholic University, makes a presentation about epiphanies in movie storytelling. This was the second talk in a series presented at the Act One Story Symposium, held in October of 2008 at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.