I Love To Talk About Screenwriting

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Joe Compton for his excellent web series "Go Indie Now." Most of the interviews that I do center on my experiences as an indie film producer, but my heart is truly in screenwriting. If that's your thing too, check it out at the link below - my part starts at minute 53. Our discussion includes things like why I chose to actually STUDY screenwriting at the New School; my pre-writing process (yeah, that's a thing, at least for me!);  and my first one act play, which was produced by Love Creek in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

20 Episodes Already....

It's hard to believe we've already released 20 episodes of the web series Big Brain Tweeting, but here it is! The new administration is a comedy gift that keeps on giving.

Carlo Fiorletta and I wrote it from an idea we got from our friend Bruce Kanin - it's inspired by the classic Abbott and Costello routine "Who's On First?"  Carlo stars as Trump, while Randy Johnson debuts as Vladimir Putin and Hilde Skappel returns as Melania.

Updated Script Consulting Web Site

In addition to writing my own screenplays, I have an active consulting business in which I critique and/or re-write other people's scripts. I also adapt short stories and novels into screenplays. My client base ranges from New York City to western Canada, Sweden, and Paris - and I look forward to expanding it further.

Check out my web site, and click "contact me" for more information.

Mara Lesemann Script Consultant

The Comedy Gift That Keeps on Giving

Carlo Fiorletta as Trump

Our new President here in the U.S. is the comedy gift that keeps on giving, so Carlo Fiorletta and I are making the most of a crazy situation. Our web series Big Brain Tweeting is releasing its 9th episode tonight and we've already got several others in the (proverbial) can.

The great Norman Lear described his iconic television series All In The Family as satire rather than comedy, and that's definitely what we aspire to with BBT.

It's been a lot of fun to put together a project that's the complete opposite of making a feature film in terms of equipment and crew, but we've been adding guest actors, musicians, and sound effects as we go forward. Carlo is the lead writer and director, and stars as Trump. I hold the camera, edit, and occasionally write an episode or part of one.

You can check out Big Brain Tweeting on YouTube at this link; if you like it, subscribe! You can also keep up-to-date with new episodes by liking our Facebook page: BBT on Facebook.

New Web Series: Big Brain Tweeting

Here's episode 5 of my latest project, Big Brain Tweeting - it's political satire about you know who :)

Sign up on our new blog to get updates on new episodes and guest stars:
http://bigbraintweeting.blogspot.com/
And follow us on Facebook:
Big Brain Tweeting on Facebook

Fun With Salon Radio & Int'l Women Artists' Salon

l to r: Simi Toledano, Penny Jackson, Marina Zaccaria, & me

It was great fun to be on Thursday night's  Salon Radio show on City World Radio.
I was interviewed by the wonderful Marcina Zaccaria  along with playwright Penny Jackson in an evening curated by Simi Toldenano. The weekly show airs at 8 PM and is re-broadcast at midnight; it's a project of the International Women Artists' Salon.

I followed that up on Saturday night at Dixon Place on NYC's Lower East Side with a presentation for the Salon's monthly performance evening on the theme of Traditions - perfect for the holiday season.  It was a terrific prompt to think about DETOURS feature from a different perspective, and I put together this short video. The first scene (with Richard Kind and Tara Westwood) reflects a cultural tradition of lighting candles and praying or meditating before taking on a challenge. The other clips (which feature Carlo Fiorletta, Kim Director, Ashley Lanzoni, and Paul Sorvino ), illustrate traditions of the (fictional) Giraldi family.

Enjoy the clip, then watch DETOURS on Amazon Prime: tinyurl.com/DETOURS-on-Amazon

Delightful DETOURS Reviews

It's been a joy to see the delightful reviews of DETOURS, both on Amazon Prime, where we're thrilled to release it, and on our IMDB page. It's now available in both the US and the UK, with additional locations expected soon.

These are mong my favorite comments from fans: "what a charmer!" "wonderfully poignant," and "I love uplifting, poignant movies and this is one of those!" Our stars - Tara Westwood and Carlo Fiorletta - are "outstanding" and the supporting cast - which includes Richard Kind, Paul Sorvino, Michael Cerveris, and  Phyllis Somerville - is "delectable."

But this might be the best of all so far: "I am so glad that I purchased this movie as I plan to watch it over and again."

Amazon Prime members watch for free, and rental is just $2.99 for non-members.

Click the link belong to watch and see for yourself.

Detours on Amazon