UVU student Jessa Wright will be working with actress and director Katie Cassidy on a film project based on a script written by Wright via FanX Studios Writer's Room, a screenwriting curriculum and program at UVU.
OREM, Utah, December 19, 2024
Jessa Wright, a junior from Sparks, Nevada, majoring in digital cinema production at Utah Valley University, received a Zoom call from actress and director Katie Cassidy informing her that her script was moving into development with FanX Studios, with Cassidy set to direct. Cassidy has be featured in "Taken," "Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)," and has 35 other film and television credits to her name.
Wright received the opportunity to write the screenplay as part of a new UVU program called the UVU-FanX Studios Writer’s Room: an experiential program where students receive advanced curriculum, real-world critique, and an opportunity to compete for one of five paid screenwriting positions with FanX Studios.
Wright’s untitled screenplay is a supernatural thriller set at the Vatican. Cassidy is no stranger to the supernatural world, as she is best known for her portrayal of Laurel Lance in the TV series “Arrow.” Cassidy told Wright, “You have done such a great job, and I am looking forward to working with you. I am honored to have a part in this project and I’m looking forward to helping you bring this story to life. You should be proud of yourself. It is a huge accomplishment.”
On February 21, 2024, Wright was selected as one of five students from a cohort of 27 in UVU’s screenplay pitching course to participate in the UVU-FanX Studios Writer’s Room.
“I have loved writing since I was a kid,” said Wright. “I wrote my first story when I was seven or eight for the ‘Reading Rainbow’ writing competition, and I never stopped. It is something that is a fun part of me.”
“We are incredibly proud of Jessa and all the students who participated in the Writer’s Room,” said Tammy Clark, associate provost for Academic Innovation at UVU. “They put in tremendous effort, and each of them deserves recognition. The Writer’s Room is one of the ways we are offering exceptional professional experiences that will significantly impact our students and their futures.”
FanX Studios was founded by industry veterans Brent Baum and Jonathan Schwartz, who both have 30 years of industry-wide experience in Hollywood at DreamWorks, Maverick, Destination Films, and Relativity Media. They are partnered with the FanX system of conventions with multiple locations across the country.
The UVU-FanX Studios Writer’s Room was the brainchild of Brent Baum and Jonathan Schwartz, chief executive officer and chief creative officer of FanX Studios, respectively. The Writer’s Room is based on the old studio system concept from the early days of Hollywood. It provides film students with hands-on experience in screenwriting under the guidance of an industry professional and mentor.
Ed Neumeier, who wrote “Robocop” and “Starship Troopers,” mentored Wright and the other four in the Writer’s Room cohort. He will serve as producer on Wright’s project and any others generated from the 2024 cohort that goes into production.
“FanX Studios and UVU are an excellent match,” said Baum. “And this is only the beginning. We have plans to expand the variety, depth, and scope of the ‘lingua franca’ of how film is taught in schools. We are bringing authenticity to the process so that the students have a real understanding of what happens in Hollywood, and that includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. Apologies to Sergio Leone.”
Baum said UVU will offer the screenplay pitching class again in the 2025 spring semester. He encourages students to enroll early because of demand. The course will be taught by assistant professors Jerell Rosales (directing), Max Burnett (writing), Baum, and Schwartz.
For more information about the screenplay pitching class, visit https://catalog.uvu.edu/courses/dgm/