Screenwriter Anthony Tambakis visited campus Wednesday evening to talk with students and aspiring screenwriters. He discussed tricks of the trade, the rise of Netflix and his upcoming movie “Suicide Squad 2.”
The event, held in Bingham Hall, was open to the public. Many students in attendance said they had heard about it through their screenwriting classes and were interested to hear more about the process from someone in the industry.
Dana Coen, director of the Writing for Screen and Stage program, said that the program tries to hold talks like this often.
“It’s so important to introduce students to the professional world, which is very different from the nurturing world they’re in now and gives them an idea of where they’re headed,” Coen said. “I feel that it’s important to be ahead of the curve, and you do that by speaking to people who have already had these experiences.”
Hayley Sigmon, a junior in the communications department, agreed. Sigmon said that the level of expertise made the talk engaging and educational.
“It was really informative to hear from someone who really knows what he’s talking about, and he kept it real the whole time,” Sigmon said.
Other students seemed equally excited to hear Tambakis’ tips for making it in Hollywood. Tambakis received many questions from students about his role in the next installment of the “Suicide Squad” franchise, which he said he hopes will be better than the first.
Pam Durban, who was Tambakis’ fiction writing teacher at Georgia State 25 years ago, also attended the event. Durban said Tambakis is the same now as he’s always been — enthusiastic about writing and about helping others. She said he has always been just as interested in helping others improve as he has been in improving his own writing.
Although Tambakis is known for his screenplays, like “Jane Got a Gun” and the upcoming “The Karate Kid 2,” he only broke into screenwriting 10 years ago. Throughout the talk he stressed the unpredictable nature of the movie industry.
