Author Archives: heidihornbacher

About heidihornbacher

A graduate of UCLA’s screenwriting program, Heidi has written numerous features, treatments, and TV pilots for various independent producers. She’s judged for the Slamdance Film Festival screenwriting contest and co-founded the Slamdance Script Clinic. She and her husband founded PageCraft Writing in 2008 offering script coaching and writing retreats in LA and Italy. Her clients have gone on to find representation, win contests, and become working writers. Heidi has written, directed, and produced numerous commercials, music videos, and electronic press kits for various artists. She’s currently making a documentary film about British artist Paul Whitehead.

Made In Italy – In Search of Stakes

Posted on August 17, 2020 by heidihornbacher

“You haven’t seen Made in Italy?” one of our Orvieto alums gasped. I know. I’m a cliche. I love Italy to the point I married an Italian; I have my citizenship; and we run our annual screenwriting retreats there. I … Continue reading →

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Character Is Plot

Posted on June 24, 2019 by heidihornbacher

I was recently sent a script by a friend. She was being offered the opportunity to direct it, but she knew something wasn’t quite working. I read it and the issue was immediately clear. The story was flat; the dialog … Continue reading →

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Art Sale

Posted on June 24, 2019 by heidihornbacher

When I was 6 or 7, I decided to hold an art sale. I loved coloring. I was good at it. Why not make some money at it? I sat down with crayons and paper and made a whole series … Continue reading →

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Secondary Characters

Posted on April 8, 2019 by heidihornbacher

I’m working on a script right now, and I have been intently focused on nailing the protagonist and antagonist arcs to perfection. They are best friends who end up as enemies when a difficult coming-of-age event sets them on different … Continue reading →

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Wrong Reasons

Posted on March 25, 2019 by heidihornbacher

I was chatting with a fellow script coach about her new client. She was excited about his project; it was a really cool premise; and he seemed open to feedback—always important to ask even though it seems obvious. She was, … Continue reading →

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Roma and the Passive Protagonist

Posted on March 16, 2019 by heidihornbacher

I’m pleased to turn this space over to my partner in PageCraft (and life), Carlo Cavagna:  We just saw Alfonso Cuarón’s brilliant ROMA, which has us thinking about passive protagonists. Every screenwriting resource (including us, we admit) will teach that … Continue reading →

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Barf Drafts

Posted on March 4, 2019 by heidihornbacher

“The outline’s done! Write the script and we’ll be in production!” declared a director friend I’d been working with. My heart palpitated. As one of my favorite Coen brothers character says: “would that t’were so simple.” We’d worked on the … Continue reading →

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Coach Notes – The Book Of Henry

Posted on June 29, 2017 by heidihornbacher

So many films would be better films had they gotten coaching and feedback at the script stage. By helping you avoid pitfalls that trip up even the pros, our goal at PageCraft is to help writers craft watertight scripts that … Continue reading →

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The Value of Community

Posted on April 19, 2017 by heidihornbacher

This weekend I spent a day ensconced in a fabulous Malibu ranch surrounded by fellow writers. Everyone pitched ideas and gave input on one others’ projects, whether they were fleshed-out series or feature scripts or just an inkling of a … Continue reading →

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She Persists

Posted on April 8, 2017 by heidihornbacher

I’m so flattered and honored by this article from Rewire on my script coaching, video production, and how I got here.

Posted in film making, Michelangelo Screenwriting, PageCraft, PageCraft Writing, Screenwriting, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment