Students get Hollywood lesson in screenwriting

James G. Hirsch, one of Hollywood’s most successful writer-producers, is following in the footsteps of a former professor this semester. He is commuting from Los Angeles to Madison to teach a screenwriting course for seniors and graduate students in the Department of Communication Arts.

As an undergraduate history major on the Madison campus in the late 1960s, Hirsch took a similar course from Jerry McNeeley, a popular communications professor who also wrote award-winning screenplays and commuted to and from Hollywood.

“Jerry’s influence was extremely important in my career,” says Hirsch. “Taking a class from a pro with a full list of ongoing credits was inspiring and gave us all the feeling that there was a real chance for us out there. It was that inspiration that got me excited about screenwriting.”

Hirsch was a guest lecturer last year as part of a series of classes on “The American Film Industry in the Age of Television — The Madison Connection” and also has taught screenwriting through the Writer’s Guild. He found those experiences challenging and rewarding, so he jumped at the chance to return to campus this fall.

“I told the department I couldn’t spend an entire semester in Madison, but I could visit four or five times and communicate with my students via e-mail in between. It has worked out very well.” His Friday afternoon class is four and a half hours long.

Vance Kepley, chair of the communication arts department, is delighted that Hirsch is so generously sharing his time, talent and expertise with the students.

“He is a loyal alumnus who has a real knack for the classroom,” says Kepley.

Hirsch’s remaining teaching dates are Nov. 11 and Dec. 9. Before the end of the semester, each of his students is expected to write an original screenplay. He has given them an incentive to complete their assignment by promising to show the best two or three scripts to his agent.

“This is no small carrot for my students,” Hirsch says, “and it’s a real plus for the course. He’s a top Hollywood literary agent whose clients include Paul Haggis, the writer of ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and ‘Crash.’”

Hirsch tells his students that the most important thing about the task they are undertaking is to not fear failure. He advises them that it not only takes talent but also perseverance, guts, thick skin, desire, connections and dedication to succeed.

“I tell them they can’t expect too much the first time out. My favorite saying, which I picked up as a student at Madison, is that good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment.”

The affable Hirsch obviously takes great interest in his students and their work, and they listen intently as he talks about the screenwriting process and offers his insights on how things work in his business. In a recent class, he offered advice on the necessity of pitching an idea, or treatment, for a screenplay to the powers that be.

“Prepare it verbally with all the fervor and pizzazz you can bring to it,” he stressed with enthusiasm, “and insist on the chance to write the first draft.”

Fourth-year student Chris Hanson says, “I love having someone with his experience critique what I’m doing. He offers so much feedback, and I’m really liking how open he is to a lot of ideas. He’s very willing to tell you what needs to be done to make your idea good.”

Last month, Hirsch hoped to bring film producer Walter Mirisch, also a UW alumnus, to class, but Mirisch couldn’t make it. So Hirsch showed clips from some of Mirisch’s biggest films, such as “The Pink Panther” and “The Magnificent Seven,” to illustrate how great stories can be told without a lot of excess dialogue. Later that afternoon he brought in actor Todd Susman to talk about writing screenplays in such a way that they give actors enough room to create their characters.

Teaching the class, says Hirsch, has provided him with a great opportunity to give back to his alma mater.

“It makes me a part of what’s going on there, connects me with my past, and most importantly, it’s part of the ongoing link that we are trying to create between Hollywood and the communication arts department,” he says.

“While UW–Madison can’t compete with West Coast film schools like USC and UCLA, it can become the leading university in the rest of the country. We need to establish that the University of Wisconsin–Madison breeds success in the industry and the industry then reseeds that success back into the department through our working alumni.

“I think that’s what my class is all about, and I hope it’s the first of many classes that other alumni in my industry will consider volunteering to teach,” he adds.

By what he terms a miracle of coincidence, four of his five visits to Madison have fallen on home football weekends and the final one will be on a Badger basketball weekend.

“Lucky me! I can’t imagine how that happened,” says the sports fan with a twinkle in his eye.