Independent Entertainment Professional
Greater Los Angeles Area
- Current
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- Screenwriter (Self-employed)
- Playwright (Self-employed)
- Journalist and Copy Editor at (Self-employed)
- Past
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- Writing Department Intern at C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigations
- Education
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- Boston University
- City University of New York-Brooklyn College
- Hampshire College
- Brad Henke Studio
- Joan Evans' Solo Performance Class, Maureen Nolan's Screenplay Revision Class
- Langley High School
- Recommended
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12 people have recommended Susanna - Connections
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185
connections
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Websites
Susanna Speier’s Summary
Susanna Speier's scripts have been performed in the US and abroad. Her work has been covered by The New York Times, which stated, "Ms. Speier's ear here is excellent," the Villager, Newsday, offoffoff.com, The Drama Review, Le Petit Zine, Digital Culture Magazine and as a primetime story on the Dutch Public Television Station, VPRO. She has lectured at The Rietveld Academie in The Netherlands, Parsons in New York City and done residencies with Artward Bound at Wild Meadows, Dorset Writer's Colony in Vermont and The Writer's Room in NYC. She has received grants from The Dramatists Guild, the PEN American Center Writers Fund and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Arts Recovery Fund.
She earned her BA at Hampshire College during which time she studied at the theatreschool conservatory in Amsterdam, The Netherlands for a semester and studied playwriting under the mentorship of Constance Congdon at Amherst College. She earned her MFA degree in Playwriting from Brooklyn College, C.U.N.Y. where she studied with Mac Wellman and studied screenwriting as a guest student at Boston University's MFA Screenwriting program.
After completing her degree, she relocated to Los Angeles and worked as a Writing Department Intern on CSI and CSI: NY. She is being mentored by Rod Lurie through the WIF Mentor Program and scripting a feature screenplay in collaboration with Barney Cohen of Pterodactyl Productions.
Susanna's love of language extends beyond scripted page. Although scriptwriting is her career focus, she has performed in two short solo shows and one full-length solo in New York as well as several ensemble pieces. Since moving to LA, she has been featured in CSI: NY and Mad Men has a small role in the soon to be released film, Amexica.
She has written for several online and print publications. Memberships include The Dramatists Guild, Los Angeles Women in Film and The Hollywood Hill.
Susanna Speier’s Specialties:
Entertainment: Scripts for stage, screen and television. Coverage, long form and short form episode synopses.
Publishing: Websites, blogs, magazines, trade journals, direct mail, catalog and ad copy. Using in-house style guides, AP and Chicago Manual of Style to proofread and copy edit textbooks, novels, catalogs, newspaper ads, indexes, websites table of contents and magazine articles.
Susanna Speier’s Experience
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Screenwriter
Self-employed
(Self-Employed; Myself Only; Entertainment industry)
2004 — Present (5 years)
UNTITLED FEATURE SCREENPLAY – Los Angeles, CA – Scripting an original adaptation of an Ancient Greek Myth in collaboration with Barney Cohen of Pterodactyl Productions. 2008.
P.U.R.E. – New York, NY – Scriptwriter for instructional bellydance for international distribution. Collaborated with choreographer, musicians, director, artistic director, and dancers. 2007.
STEFAN WEISMAN, NY - Ode to Fiberoptic Cables and Light: Wrote script for 10 minute animation video produced by Stefan Weisman. 2005.
BELLYQUEEN, NY – Script Consultant for Instructional Video for national and international distribution. 2004. -
Playwright
Self-employed
(Self-Employed; Performing Arts industry)
1999 — Present (10 years)
NINE ONE ONE, NY: Playwright: One-act play about the 9/11 terrorist attacks told from the perspective of NYC architectural icons. Featured as prime time story Dutch Television station VPRO on first anniversary of 9/11; The World Financial Center; HERE Arts Center and The Cocteau Theatre in New York. 2001-2002. Presented at AIA in Burbank, CA 2008.
CALABI YAU, NY: Playwright: Full-length play inspired by Brian Greene’s “The Elegant Universe." Performed in Lincoln Center Sponsored American Living Room Festival and ran for six-weeks at HERE Arts Center. 2001-2002. Songs performed in concert by Lost Dog New Music Ensemble at Tenri Cultural Institute 2008.
GREENLAND Y2K, NY: Playwright: Full-length play connecting the history of Arctic exploration with geomagnetic and millennial apocalyptic theories. Performed in the Lincoln Center sponsored American Living Room Festival and ran for six weeks at HERE Arts Center. 1999. -
Journalist and Copy Editor
(Self-employed)
(Writing and Editing industry)
1998 — Present (11 years)
ECO TIMES, CO - Writer for the ECo Times. 2009
EXAMINER - CO - Denver Sustainable City Examiner: Researching and reporting green lifestyle stories for Valentines Day series. 2009
IDLETIME, LA - Copy writer for screensavers are cinema company website. 2008-2009
SUBVERGE, LA - Blogger for Viral Marketing Campaign: Conceptualize and execute original blog entries for viral marketing campaign for website. 2008
GLIVING.TV, LA – Journalist: Regular articles and blog entires for green lifestyle website. 2007
LARRY JACOBSON, LA – Editor and Copywriter: Working with the Department Manager, edited and co-authored an overview of agile software development methodologies, to be introduced to a large team of software engineers. 2006
MEDIAMATIC, Amsterdam – Writer: Website reviews for internationally distributed media and culture anthology. Copyeditor: Copy edited feature stories for award winning media and culture magazine. 1998. -
Writing Department Intern
C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigations
(Entertainment industry)
September 2006 — December 2006 (4 months)
C.S.I., Los Angeles – Writing Intern: Short and long synopsis of C.S.I., C.S.I.-Miami and C.S.I.-NY scripts to be used as copy for DVD sets. Researching and copy editing. Attending pitch and script development meetings and observing on the set. 2006.
Susanna Speier’s Education
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Boston University
Post Graduate Certificate , Writing for Film and Television , 2006 — 2006
Boston University in Los Angeles Post Graduate Screenwriting Program
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City University of New York-Brooklyn College
MFA , Playwriting , 2001 — 2005
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Hampshire College
BA , Theatre and Cultural Studies , 1990 — 1995
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Brad Henke Studio
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Joan Evans' Solo Performance Class, Maureen Nolan's Screenplay Revision Class
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Langley High School
Additional Information
Susanna Speier’s Websites:
Susanna Speier’s Interests:
Rock Climbing Literary SciFi Yoga Epics Bellydancing String Theory
Susanna Speier’s Groups:
Hollywood Hill
Dramatists Guild
Los Angeles Women in Film
Arts and Science Collaborations, Inc.
American Jewish Committee Darfur Task Force
Jewish World Watch
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LinkEds & writers -
Recruiting Professionals Network -
FMPexperts -
Hampshire College -
Filmmakers -
Freelancers & Self-Employed Professionals -
Informed Ideas For Writers -
Film TV Professionals -
Illustrators seeking Writers / Writers seeking Illustrators -
Hampshire College Alumni Network -
Five Colleges Alumni -
Online reporters and editors -
Media Professionals Worldwide -
Linked Journalists -
Hooray for Hollyworld! -
Travel Media Pros -
WordPress Community -
Photo, Film and Television -
Screenwriting For Hollywood -
Freelance professionals -
WordPress -
Cryptarchy VFX -
Magazine Editors Network -
Screenwriter's Network Worldwide -
Green Business Networking -
Clean / Green Opportunity -
Retailer to Vendor connections
Susanna Speier’s Honors:
WIF Mentor Program
Dramatists Guild Foundation Grant
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Artist Recovery Grant
PEN American Writers Fund Grant
Newcombe Foundation Scholarship
Families of Freedom 2 Scholarship
JFEW Rose Biller Scholarship
Susanna Speier’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
