Letter from the Co-Editors-in-Chief

Dear readers,

It is our pleasure to present you with the third issue of Screenwriters’ Perspectives, a journal aimed at providing students with the opportunity to delve deeper into the practice of film analysis from the perspective of the screenplay. The screenplay is but one component of film, however it is an absolutely fundamental one constituting its very basis. In the face of the finished product, one can easily forget the screenplay amongst all the visuals of camera work, acting, and so on. In this issue we present sixteen analyses which explore the screenwriting techniques of a broad range of films chosen by the students themselves.

Our “Theme of the Year” for this issue is, perhaps unsurprisingly, “virus”, for which we have a section of three analyses concerning films that explore this theme and its relation to current events. Although the word has gained such a singular association over the past couple of years – we even speak of “the virus” – it carries multiple definitions. We similarly encourage people to think about all the different perspectives around current events and we look to support the medium of film as a voice in the sphere of global issues.

We are also delighted to present an interview with director, producer, and screenwriter Caru Alves de Souza and we would like to express our gratitude to her for giving us the time to talk to her about her work. As the only screenwriting club at the University of Toronto, we naturally attract many aspiring screenwriters, so being able to present perspectives and advice from people currently in the industry is incredibly important. In our last issue we interviewed our faculty advisor Professor Daniel Scott Tysdal, who has continued to work closely with us to fulfil a similar role. We would like to thank Professor Tysdal for his continued support, most notably for hosting a popular screenwriting workshop for our members this past semester, that we hope will be the first of many for our club in the future.

As in our last issue we have our “Hidden Gems” section devoted to small reviews of films which students feel have not received the attention they deserve. This year we have introduced a new section to our journal called “Hate-Watch”. As the named suggests, this section is dedicated to films that are fun to watch despite perhaps lacking in certain aspects. We all know these kinds of films and they can be a lot of fun to watch together with friends. However not only can they be a source of amusement, but the analysis of films which are not necessarily of the top calibre can help us better understand what makes for a successful screenplay.

This year is our last with the club as we approach graduation. We have been authors and editors for Screenwriters’ Perspectives since its very first issue and seen for ourselves the growth of our brilliant editorial team and the introduction of all the special sections. Of course, we would never have been able to come as far as we have alone. We would first like to thank Kenneth Ting, founder and former president of the club, for creating this wonderful community in the first place and for his invaluable guidance over the years. We would also like to thank our diligent executive and editorial team members for their support as well as their friendship during our time together. Another massive thanks to our general members for engaging so enthusiastically with us and teaching us new things about film. And finally, we would like to offer our blessings to next year’s Co- Presidents, Cailin and Marta, who have already proved themselves to be more than capable leaders as Vice- Presidents. We can’t wait to see what direction the club takes in the future!

Elizabeth Coulter and Vikram Nijhawan, Co-Editors-in-Chief