Doc U: The Writers Guild and the Doc Filmmaker

Is writing a key component of your documentary film and nonfiction projects?

The Writers Guild of America, West is available to you as a resource and to help sustain writing careers through contractual benefits and protections. Find out what the Writers Guild offers you or writers you are seeking to hire. The WGAW's Independent Film Executive Kay S. Wolf and Contracts Administrator Elisabeth Flack will be on hand to answer your questions.

Kay S. Wolf conducts oureach to emerging writers and filmmakers, encouraging them to use WGA contracts. Working with Guild members, she identifies and implements ways to increase independent narrative and documentary screenwriters' status and influence within the film industry. Kay started working at the WGAW in 1995 as a representative in the new media, nonfiction, and animation areas and became involved with independent film in 2000. During that period she also worked a year at IFTA (Independent Film and Television Alliance) as the Director of Producer Services. Before her Guild work, Kay was at ABC Productions/ The Hemisphere Group in Los Angeles developing and producing foreign co-productions and at Saban Entertainment in development.

Elisabeth Flack currently administrates New Media and special deals for the Writers Guild of America, West, including TV documentaries, and has been with the organization for 10 years. Her overall background combines 20 years of entrepreneurial and entertainment experience including television development for Hearst Entertainment, production coordination for most of the majors, and distribution for MGM Studios. In coming to the WGAW, Elisabeth's well rounded background helped the WGAW get in on the ground floor of what is now the online digital media revolution.