Testimonials:
Alumni & Clients
Alumni & Clients
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PageCraft Workshops
PageCraft Consulting
PageCraft Italy Retreats
Note: PageCraft was Michelangelo Screenwriting until September 2014.
- “Heidi quickly clears out the clutter and helps you identify your character’s defining traits and the seven-point structure essential for telling your story. I got more accomplished in one three-hour session with her than I had in years. I had the tools I needed to flesh out a ten-page outline in three days. I highly recommend Heidi as a mentor or writing coach if you want to find the magic in your story and get your script written!”
— Sara Nesson, Oscar and Emmy-Nominated filmmaker (Poster Girl); Los Angeles, California - “I love you guys! You made writing this script so fun and free, and helped me get out of my own way. I’ve talked up PageCraft to so many writers … I just want everyone to have access to these tools.”
— Rebecca Louise Miller, Winner, Rooster Teeth Women & Animation Fellowship Award at the Austin Film Festival; New York, New York - “After countless writing groups, workshops, and an MFA, Heidi’s Concept to Pages screenwriting group brought my story back to life. I came in with a challenging story, one that has never left my mind for ten years. I honestly thought that the screenplay just might be beyond my storytelling abilities.
Not so. Heidi showed me foundational work and questions I could ask that I had never even thought about. The class…pushed me to clarify and encouraged me to keep going. Now, I have a strong feature outline, and every week my pages get better and better. Heidi meets you where you are, holds you accountable, gives you new tools, inspires you to dig deeper, and helps you go further than you thought you could. I really can’t recommend this workshop enough.”
— Emilie Sabath, Los Angeles, California - “Page Craft took me in a journey through my own story and gave me the structure and the tools I needed to clarify and focus… I loved meeting new people and listening to their stories. It was a safe and inspiring environment, and I am so grateful for the experience. I’m also realizing after the class that I am watching films in a new way with an extra story sense. Heidi and Carlo are a great team and made the learning process a positive experience.”
— Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Writer/Performer (Sesame Street); New York, New York - “The individual attention given to each student in the class was impressive. With Pagecraft I went to Italy, took Concept to Pages and Writing is Rewriting various times, and in one year, I have fixed and finalized two screenplays, and am working on a third. I never received this type of guidance from any other coach I worked with. Thank you Pagecraft.”
— Jeff Goldstein, New York, New York - “I enjoyed the group experience of the PageCraft workshop, Heidi and Carlo guided the discussions effortlessly and with structural expertise, and the group of people had varied themes and genres, which was so inspiring. It was a safe space to create and ideate, and a great way to spend nine Saturdays. Highly recommended if you’ve always had a script in your head and you need the motivation to get it out – good stuff will happen in this (virtual) room.”
— Courtney Dusenberry, Tucson, Arizona - “I loved that although everyone brought a different concept into one class, we were able to grow together as a group. The notes and feedback given were specific yet universal. I entered with doubt about my abilities and left with confidence in certain areas that I hadn’t considered before.”
— Jamie Donmoyer, New York, New York - “This is by far the most comprehensive and no bologna workshop I have ever taken…excellent for beginners and pros…The best part is you get to see your work and experience others on a weekly basis where everything is dissected and reassembled in real time… I have watched folks come in with a thought or an idea and leave with a complete screenplay… amazing!”
— David Llauger Meiselman, Los Angeles, California - “I loved the weekly accountability of the PageCraft workshop and the fantastic rapport that we built with each other. Not only did we review some fundamentals of screenwriting structure that were easy to follow and implement in real-time, but Heidi, Carlo, and my peers gave me really invaluable feedback and ACTUAL suggestions to address certain problems in my pilot that I hadn’t been able to get right prior to the workshop. It was a wonderful experience, and I plan to keep using their services!”
— Morgan Grice, Houston, Texas - “I’m very impressed with Heidi and Carlo’s expertise in screenwriting and storytelling. They’re adept at teaching film structure and solving story problems. Heidi and Carlo’s approach to really invest in foundational character development helped me to create strong multidimensional characters and more compelling stories, which I find satisfying. I grew stronger in my ability to create stories with a solid structure. I learned specific and effective techniques on how to make re-writes stronger. I feel so lucky to have found this workshop and this group of writers as a constant resource and support in my life. “
— Maribel Apuya, Riverside, California - “This class literally changed my life. For years I’ve been struggling with where to begin, how to put my ideas on pages. This class has given me the confidence to actually write. Heidi’s material and guidance is heaven sent. Carlo’s criticism is truly eye opening. Having other writers like me in class made me comfortable enough to share my questions and struggles.”
— Anne Alfred Abdalla, Cairo, Egypt - “I never thought I could commit to 10 weeks of classes but boy, am I glad I did! Before this class, I had been sitting on an idea for years but didn’t have the tools to know where to even begin. [Now] I actually see what my next steps are and feel like I have a community of accountability to keep going! This class is a no brainer for anyone who wants to start putting a story on a page.”
— Heidi Burkey, Los Angeles, California - “You are both able to quickly hone in on what works and doesn’t in a story, and steer a writer to see that for themselves.”
— Hasmi Ferguson, Vancouver, Canada - “Heidi and Carlo bring together their group of students in an atmosphere of support and non-judgmental comfort, helping us to realize that bad writing is part of the process of getting to good writing!”
— John Andrews, Los Angeles, California - “Heidi and Carlo bring together their group of students in an atmosphere of support and non-judgmental comfort, helping us to realize that bad writing is part of the process of getting to good writing!”
— Chantelle Jade, Austin, Texas - “What I love about PageCraft workshops is how much I learned about writing a screenplay in a way I never had before. It’s given me more confidence expressing my voice and developing my craft.”
— Danae Grandison, New York, New York - “Such clear, concise explanations around structure and process; and how to making writing stand out as clear, concise and powerful.”
— Donna Wheeler, Los Angeles, California - “As someone without a film degree, PageCraft’s rewriting course was instrumental in fine tuning my rough draft. My confidence as a screenwriter blossomed along the way. Thank you Heidi and Carlo!”
— Sam Garvin, Los Angeles, California - “I loved the caring aspect of the class. It is well structured, provides great feedback and presents you with great tools to set you on a solid path to a great script. I Absolutely recommend!”
— Paulina Manseau, Austin, Texas
- “I highly recommend Heidi as a screenwriting coach/consultant/editor to anyone who wants to be a better screenwriter, because she gives you the full benefit of her education, experience and humanity – and every moment of working with her is useful.
She works based on solid principles which she makes known to you, so you know for yourself from draft-to-draft how to improve your script and if it’s getting better – even before you show her the next draft.
If you write from a different cultural/gender/generational perspective than hers, as I do, no worries. She’s fearless. Heidi’s got the human intelligence to dive into your story, ask the right questions, and help you mine the gold.”
— Michael Mack, Writer/Actor (Star Trek); Washington DC - “PageCraft is a necessity for anyone who wants to write. Heidi has a special way of helping you understand the structure Hollywood demands and so much more.
Without her patience and guidance I would still be lost. I’m incredibly grateful for her services and am looking forward to taking advantage of the Italy Writing Retreat.”
— Chandra Gerson, award-winning writer of Avarice, And Then There Was Us, Law and Deceit, Impaired Innocence; Los Angeles, California - “WOW! I want to thank you for all your excellent coverage and notes on the script; they were timely and helpful in shaping one our next projects. As a member of the core team of an award-winning “short to feature” film, we know first-hand how critical it is to nail down a script that rises above the average noise. Your recommendations have made it easy for us to communicate with our screenwriter and get the results we want. We’re really grateful for you taking the time! Bravo!”
— Anna Granucci, Producer/Music Supervisor & Consultant (Whiplash); Los Angeles, California
- “Michelangelo Screenwriting Retreat was so good, I’m already planning to go again. The setting was incredible and then to have two weeks to work on a creative project, meet other writers, and help each other under the guidance of a seasoned industry writer, was magic. I can’t recommend it enough. It was the perfect creative getaway.”
— Ally Kornfeld, New York, New York (2013 Retreat) - “I loved every moment… I came with an outline and a lot of questions, and by the end of the two weeks I had a completed one-hour pilot episode and a clear idea of what I wanted the entire project to look like. I loved how well our group collaborated; I got real experience breaking stories and brainstorming with other writers. Even though people had different levels of experience, we were all able to work together, and the individual attention and feedback we received allowed us to develop our projects at our own pace. Heidi, Carlo, and Ben gave incredible feedback without being prescriptive. We all had some wonderful dinners, beautiful morning walks, and more gelato than is advisable.”
— Elizabeth Hara, Emmy Winner; New York, New York (2013 Retreat) - “My time in Michelangelo far exceeded my expectations… I immediately became part of a welcoming, tight knit group that functioned as support network, fountains of inspiration, late night muses, and brilliant people that have remained a constant. Neil gave me the tools and confidence to embark on the next step of my writing journey, and I’m infinitely happier with the improvements in my writing. This isn’t just a writing course, it’s a life lesson.”
— Aisling Corristine, County Clare, Ireland (2011 Retreat) - “Having thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Heidi (via script reports and Skype calls) on a previous script, for a paranormal romantic comedy, I had high expectations for her screenwriters retreat. These expectations were soon met and then quickly surpassed! Arriving in beautiful Orvieto with a 115-page script for a romantic action adventure, and returning with a 14-page outline, might seem like an odd form of progress, especially when everyone else is heading in the opposite direction, but with Heidi’s expert and enthusiastic guidance, I was able to create a much stronger story, and then turn that into an exciting new script. I learnt a lot in Orvieto and had great fun doing so. ‘Ottimo!’ as they say in Italy – when they mean ‘Excellent!’”
— Michael Davies, Bristol, UK (2017 Retreat) - “The team of Heidi and Carlo has been invaluable to me as a screenwriter. Going to Orvieto, Italy with them and writing in the Italian countryside, gave me a new outlook on my characters, my structure, and my imagination. It’s a lot different from writing in your apartment or house. I was able to successfully finish my screenplay, gaining many laurels from [screenplay] competitions. Then, continuing to work via zoom, I was able to complete 2 more screenplays, both earning many laurels and one winning first place in a competition. As long as I write, I will continue to work with them, and I look forward to Orvieto 2023. To write more surrounded by the Italian countryside, wine vineyards, olive orchards, and delicious, true Italian meals. It’s a great place to learn, grow, and meet new friends! It’s a must!”
— Jeff Goldstein, New York, New York (2019 Retreat) - “Michelangelo was an adventure like none other. The location is breathtaking and the workshop is set up to accommodate all writing/working styles. You can stick to the villa and find a new nook or corner to write in every day, or go into town and settle into a cafe. The time is structured but also flexible, offering plenty of instruction and workshop time… Our workshop could not have been more perfect—a great group of supportive writers with the expertise and encouragement of Neil Landau at the helm. We worked hard, we played hard, and six months later I still wake up wishing I was going to see everyone over coffee and Nutella.”
— Lisa Seipel, Los Angeles, California (2011 Retreat) - “The two weeks in Orvieto were magical. Within a day it felt like we were all meant to be on this adventure together. The classes were both productive and fun, the workload meaningful but manageable. The teacher, Ben Blacker, was extremely quick, perceptive, and decisive—offering great guidance re: material, story structure, and tone. In my case, it became clear that what I thought was a pretty polished screenplay in fact needed re-working not just in structure, but that I also needed to shorten and focus scenes, and give major characters more depth. Carlo, Heidi, and my fellow students all pitched in with further valuable insights.”
— Bill Abelson, Seattle, Washington (2013 Retreat) - “Inspiring people, incredible place, amazing food. Best writing retreat in the world!”
— Lea Toulon Black, Los Angeles, California (2011 Retreat) - “I came ambivalent about my screenwriting career, looking for an escape from the frenetic living in LA. I left the villa inspired to pursue writing full time, enchanted by the sights, sounds, tastes, and people I befriended in the Italian countryside.”
— Chris Hanson, Los Angeles, California (2011 Retreat) - “…incredibly rigorous and creative. The professional level of peer review and the private office hours available with Paul [Chitlik] put the focus on wrangling a first draft into a saleable second. I attended in 2008 and 2009, and…produced two second drafts in entirely different genres, both of which got intensive story notes, scenework inspiration and simplification that turned two first draft haystacks into fully realized scripts. It is an unbelievably worthwhile experience.”
— Annie LaBarba, New York, New York (2008 & 2009 Retreats) - “No matter how hustle-bustle your life is before you depart, by day two…distractions fade far, far away. Your inspiration returns, self-doubt dissipates and you get lost in the rhythm of writing, eating, conversing and walking through the hillsides…. And if ever you falter in your creative vision, your fellow writers and professor will take the time to sit you down, dust you off, and help get you back on track. By the end, you’ll realize that this investment in you was well worth it.”
— Lisa Caruso, Los Angeles, California (2009 & 2014 Retreats)