Hollywood comes to UTSA over spring break to nurture budding screenwriters

MARCH 7, 2023 — The UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) is bringing four Hollywood writers to San Antonio to lead small groups of students at UTSA’s upcoming Screenwriters Spring Break, taking place March 15 and 16.

Emmy-nominated writer and producer John Herrera of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is leading one of the student groups. Herrera, an assistant professor of practice in COLFA’s Department of Philosophy and Classics, is also teaching courses on screenwriting as part of the university’s new Film and Media Studies Program.

Emmy-nominated writer and producer Nina Fiore, best known for her work on “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Vampire Diaries” as well as the movie “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase;” Jorge Ramirez-Martinez, a writer and producer for “Selena: The Series” and “Blacklist: Redemption;” and writer Raymond Arturo Perez, a San Antonio native and graduate of Communications Arts High School, who is also known for his work on “Selena: The Series” will also be a part of the two-day event.

“We want to contribute to building a local film community across institutions and to getting students collaborating all across town.”

The spring break event will take place at the UTSA Southwest Campus and will include 36 students from UTSA, Northwest Vista College, SAY Sí, a local youth arts program, and three local high schools: The Northeast School of the Arts; and Communications Arts High School and John M. Harlan High School, both part of the Northside Independent School District.  

“We want to contribute to building a local film community across institutions and to getting students collaborating all across town,” said Paul Ardoin, UTSA associate professor of humanities in COLFA and director of the program. “Each writer’s room gives a chance for students to make entirely new connections.”

Screenwriters Spring Break participants will select the group or writer’s room they want to participate in based on their genre of interest. Together, each group will brainstorm show ideas, outline a pilot and develop episodes for one season of a show.

Herrera’s specialty is horror so his group will be developing a horror show. Ramirez-Martinez’s room will be focused on developing an original procedural, which is a show that follows a certain formula, week after week, such as cop or legal dramas, said Rebeca Gomez, a lecturer in the Film and Media Studies program and Honors College. Gomez, who teaches screenwriting courses and television writing, will lead one of the groups during spring break.

“This experience is meant to give students a taste of what life is like in a writer’s room, and the hope is that students will be excited and inspired enough by the experience that they will want to continue working on the projects after the workshop is over,” she said.

— Michelle Gaitan