HERE'S WHAT SOME FORMER HSI STUDENTS SAY
          ABOUT HOLLYWOOD SCRIPTWRITING INSTITUTE

Dianne Messina-Stanley, Chatsworth, CA, was a staff writer for four consecutive prime time series. She then became producer of the Canadian series, "Avonlea," which received the Best children's Program Award; next she created/produced/wrote "Pacific Palisades" for Aaron Spelling, Fox Network; co-executive producer on the episode, "That's Life;" "Harper Valley PTA;" and recently, "Strong Medicine,." and co-producer of Judging Amy.

Dianne says, Donna (Lee) kept in touch with me, kept me informed of what was happening, and introduced me to my agent. Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute was useful from the standpoint of contracts too."

S. Wayne Davis, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, says, "Thanks to the Institute's astute directions, I'm finally living my dream. Once understanding the craft and with continued persistence, I knew it could be achieved. I recommend the institute highly to anyone who feels they need that extra hand in reaching the top." (Davis wrote, "Crusade," due to be released next year).

Lollie Ortiz, Brentwood, CA, Art Director and Writer/Producer for International Channel Inc. says," If I had not taken the HSI course I would not have had the courage to walk into a producer's studio and ask for a job."

Diane Centimole, Plantation, FL, reported,"The written feedback I got from my instructor and our telephone discussions enabled me to improve continually. Both were essential to my learning experience."

HERE ARE SOME OF THE STUDENTS COMMENTS
SINCE GRADUATING FROM HSI

Tom De Simone, Palm Springs, California, who sold the script he first wrote at HSI, REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS, which became a classic, was also its director. Others he has written and some he has also directed, WANTED: DEAD OF ALIVE, New World Pictures; HELL NIGHT,with Linda Blair, CONCRETE JUNGLE, ANGEL 3-FINAL CHAPTER, ACAPULCO BAY, for Fox Network and numerous TV series, including: PENSACOLA WINGS OF GOLD; THE BIG EASY; DARK JUSTICE; SWAMP THING.

"The Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute's precise step-by-step approach to screenwriting has been an invaluable tool to my success as a writer/director. I would recommend the institute to anyone who is seriously considering a career in the motion picture industry."

Val De Crowl, North Hollywood, California sold, YES, VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS," to ABC, shown perennially on Lifetime Cable.

"My screenwriting training at HSI was invaluable. It was the nuts and bolts... like not going into character detail... but using a visual like, 'He looked like an unmade bed.'"

Michael Jones, Inglewood, California, wrote THE MUTANT and SATIN VENGEANCE, also sold a winning script to the AFI contest, TORCH, which sold to Fox Studios THE CAT IN THE HAT; THE ADVGENTURES OF fAUSTUS BIDGOOD.

"I'll always be grateful to the Institute. My first script led to my career now in screenwriting."

Erich Collier, Tacoma, Washington, DEADLY OBSESSION for ABC. SISTER OF MERCY, for ABC, Staff Writer for QUINCY, CAGNEY & LACEY, TRAPPER JOHN, M.D.

"HSI taught me the hardest part about scriptwriting: Good dialogue."

Our Graduates Have Sold Their TV Scripts To The Following Networks, Production Companies and Studios...

...including Star Trek: The Next Generation; Designing Women; General Hospital; Taxi; M*A*S*H;  Pensacola and many others:

CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, HBO
Aaron Spelling Productions
Paramount Pictures
LorimarTV
Carsey-Werner Company
Trinity Broadcast Network
New World TV
Spelling – Goldberg Productions
Quincy Jones Entertainment
Magic Eye Entertainment
Bloodworth – Thomason Prod.
Stephen J. Cannell Productions
John – Charles – Walters Productions
Norman Lear / Tandem Productions
Embassy Pictures
TriStar Television Productions
Glen A. Larson Productions
Filmways Pictures
Stu Segall Productions
David Mansly Productions
Kandu Entertainment
Blackwatch Productions, Canada
RSF Productions
Pacific Entertainment
Bad Puppy Productions
Heart Ran Productions

Our Gradates Have Sold Their Feature Scripts To the
Following Studios:

Warner Bros
Disney Studios
Embassy Pictures
Motown Productions
Wild Street Productions
New Horizon Productions
American International Pictures
New World Pictures
Empire Pictures
Fox Productions
Republic Pictures Corporation
Crown International
Alterian Studios
Cinema Arts Entertainment
Distance Horizon Productions
Compass International Pictures
Wes Craven Productions
Media Home Entertainment
Ideal Films
Concord Pictures
Wildwood Enterprises
Pentagon Films
British Broadcasting Corporation

Academy Award Movies Where Our Methods Were Used:

Mutiny On the Bounty
Gone With the Wind
The Lost Weekend
Best Years of Our Lives
Gentlemen’s Agreement
Going My Way
Casablanca
How Green Was My Valley
Rebecca
Bridge on the River Kwai
Marty
From Here to Eternity
Midnight Cowbo
My Fair Lady
Kramer vs Kramer
Rocky
One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest
The Sting
Forrest Gump
Braveheart
Rain Man
Terms of Endearment
Ordinary People
Dances With Wolves

MORE GRADUATE SALES

George Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio, just produced "DREAMER; THE MOVIE," Allegory Pictures:

"Thanks to HSI and Earl Blakesley for taking me step-by-step to production, which probably would not have happened any other way."

Alan Adler, Raleigh, North Carolina, sold, THE ALCHEMIST, which he first wrote at HSI, then PARASITE, CONCRETE JUNGLE, METALSTORM, THE DESTRUCTION OF JARED-SYN, FORBIDDEN PLANET:

"A successful motion picture script must be equally precise in its structure."

Jane Rajamaikam of Malaysia wrote the animated feature, TALES OF PUKAKI, for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

"I am very proud to be a graduate of HSI. It is a really good school for anyone who wants to learn the art and skill of screenwriting... and you (Donna Lee) genuinely care about your students."

Randolph Scott, Houston, Texas, sold his feature script, NEW DAWN, to Cyber-Scan Productions. He also wrote, THOR and STREET RACER.

"I was just out of high school, but with all the help and knowledge I got at HSI I got in the business fast and I'm in it for good."

Terrie Maxine Frankel, Sedona, Arizona, sold the script she wrote at HSI, LUNCHWAGON, which became the biggest grossing low budget movie of the year. She wrote the screenplay commissioned by Dove Productions, from the adaptation of NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON, DIARY OF A LIFE INTERRUPTED. She became a member of the Board of Directors of the Producers Guild and received the New York Times Best selling Author Award for eleven weeks.

"I owe my career to HSI. From the script I wrote and sold there, I got a job in Hong Kong as a copywriter, then back to Los Angeles for more writing assignments. HSI is the only course where you have a finished script when you finish, get an agent and get a lot of money for it."

"I've taken writing courses at three other schools in Los Angeles and the best one was... Donna Lee's Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute."

HERE'S WHAT SOME OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS HAVE TO SAY
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD SCRIPTWRITING INSTITUTE

"There is no way to learn to write except to write--with luck under expert guidance. That's exactly the way it seems to work at Donna Lee's school. I was very impressed with what I saw and heard."

Charles Champlin, Noted L.A. Times Newspaper Critic-at-Large

"Dialogue's the key to the development of a successful script. Characters are born through the author's imaginative dialogue. The need for good, new creative writers during this cable growth period is more demanding now than ever before."

Frank Capra, Jr.
Producer, "Born Again," "Billy Jack Goes to Washington,"
"Black Marble," "Firestarter"

"We can't find enough good writers...you can learn how to construct a script, a scene, develop conflict and escalation of conflict and escalation of conflict and character. I don't care how talented you are, you need control, you have to be shown how to channel that talent."

What do the following people have in common (see below):

Terry O'Brien Bradley Day Barbara Hammond Eric Herrera Gene Vine Shari Hanrick Tim O'Brian Donnie Nichols Randolph Pardo Terrie Frankel   Tom Lee            (see below)

D. L. Gilman Terry Warren Jane Rajamaikam (Malaysia) David Trottier Mike Johnson Victor Molele Mobogale Oscar Phasha (South Africa) Joe Santiago George Johnson, Ralph Dibacco Dibacco Films

Answer: After graduating from Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute they have all formed their own production companies.

HSI's email: 323-899-0322